" I intend to make a very serious comeback!"

 

I was still suffering from having just arrived the previous night by plane from England, but I can say that the marathon certainly cured my jet lag!

At first I was holding back as I'd been injured and hadn't been able to run at all for four weeks before the marathon. I was sticking to a ten minute pace then in the third lap I joined Suswara who was doing a run/walk thing; I started doing that too and it really helped.

I turned he race into a social event, finding different people and groups of people to run with - some   complained that every time they saw me I was talking or laughing and seemed to be having way too much fun. Whatever way you need to take to get to the finish, I'l take it!

I ran with Suswara, Karteek and Homagni for a long time. It was great; I had a very good experience. Usually the energy just runs out at some point, but this time as I was holding myself back a bit there were no major fatigue problems. I finished 26 minutes slower than my previous marathon, last year's Self Transcendence Marathon, but I was happy (considering I'd got off that plane at 8pm the night before, and I had a cold as well!). Back in England I'd told so many people that I was going to run a marathon that I just had to do it. Besides, if you don't run you have to be a helper and stay for three hours after the race clearing up - I prefer the pain of running to the pain of clean up!

I was very happy afterwards, recovered quickly and felt fresh again very soon after finishing.

My future plans are go get back to my old form and run 3.30 again. I intend to make a very serious comeback!

(editor's note: the above is transcribed from an interview with Devashishu in Suswara's sitting room, and as I don't do shorthand it isn't quite word for word, but its close! Thanks to Devashishu for allowing us the honour of an interview - we know its not easy for him to queeze it into his hectic work schedule.)