One Step Beyond My Limits - The Journey to be a Marathoner

Eliud Kipchoge, the all time greatest Marathoner, was born in a small town of Kenya called- Nandi County. The youngest of four siblings, he was brought up by his single mother. His school was 3 kms away from his house. He used to get late and run 3 kms to the school on a daily basis, That’s how his running journey started and he went on to win 4 Olympic medals, 12 major marathons and numerous other awards.

But don’t get me wrong. I was not anything like him. My school was just 500 mts away and that was too away for me. Sometimes papa used to drop me, else I would chip in to the back seat of my brother’s bicycle, till I ride myself. I had no illusion of becoming a runner, let alone a Marathoner. But what I liked is adventure and always challenging my limits to do new things.

My running journey started around 5-6 years back to keep myself fit with age catching up. Running is so simple and beneficial. You don’t need anything. Just put on your shoes and go on. You don’t need a partner or platform to play. From 1-2 kms it went on to 5,10,15.

Joining Capital Runners Gandhinagar(CRG) in Sep 2024 has made that process fast-forward. Earlier I was just a runner & enjoying sporadic runs. Joining the group last year helped me got into the depth of running intricacies and evolved to be a knowledgeable Marathoner. My progress graph has gone up in 60 degree direction.

I had made up my mind to do the full marathon at Adani Ahmedabad in Nov 2025 a year back. The training with teammates from CRG under the guidance of Mr Anup started in Sep 2025. The journey was not easy. Everyday getting up early at 4 AM, covering those tedious distances, whether you like it or not, following the training pattern and getting back to work and family responsibilities, was very tough. But when you have made up your mind to do something, there is always a way out.

Finally the D-day had arrived. The night before was anxious. Without a good sleep, getting up at 2 AM we had to rush 30 kms to reach the venue. Lack of good sleep also resulted in constipation. But keeping all those things aside, On 30 Nov 2025, at the Adani Ahmedabad Marathon, I was standing at the start line with hundreds of runners. There were thousands of thoughts running through the mind but I felt one emotion louder than all others & that was… the FEAR…

The Fear of distance, the fear of my own limits, the fear of fatigue, injuries… Will I be able to complete the tedious distance of 42.195 Kms in 5 hrs.. that’s the target I had set for myself.

But as the flags were up, there was no stopping. Started slow. The first 20 kms were easy.

But as the distance increased and bridges after bridges crossed, the body began to ache, the mind said stop now & then for a break, the stomach said need some more water at each water point. After 30-35 kms, every meter felt like kilometer and each step was like stepping on to the Everest.

There were shoddy faces all around. Someone sitting aside, someone crimpling, someone huffing-puffing. In long runs generally upto 25-30 kms it’s the body that takes you ahead. After that it is mind run. Its always a fight between your mind and body. Your body asks for rest but its your mind that pulls you ahead.

It reminded me something powerful…

When your legs get red, run with your heart.

When your heart gets red, run with your purpose. That will help you push through.

I was visualising the celebration at the finish line with my team CRG, the happiness on completing the marathon and that helped me to move ahead unstopped.

I had to keep myself hydrated with appx 3 ltrs of water, 4 pieces of gels and few oranges during the 4 & half our run.

There are moments in life, that don’t challenge you… They change you as a person….

That was the feeling when I crossed the finish line, waving my T-shirt in the air, with huge cheers from my CRG teammates. It was like.. achieving Nirvana. This was a step beyond my limits. The feeling was overwhelming. I conquered the distance in 4 hr 31 mnts against the target of 5 hrs. It was not only victory over distance, it was a victory over fear, doubt. It was a victory of self-belief. It always gives me goosebumps when I see the medal hanging in my drawing room.

In life, there are goals that scare us, dreams that challenge us & paths that seem impossibly long. But self belief, self discipline, perseverance and consistency can always do wonder.

You need to have a plan and the way forward to execute it. Making a plan is easy, but execution is what matters the most. Getting up early in the morning while the whole world enjoy a sound sleep is difficult. But its your self-discipline & focus that drives you to get out of the warm blankets.

You have to tackle the barriers to enjoy the berries. That’s how life is and I feel the hard work I put in training with CRG helped me to achieve the target – One step beyond my limits.