Read to Lead

    Distance running was always an alien sport to me. After completing my schooling at Rashtriya Indian Military College, I went to the National Defence Academy in 1997. I   was expected to be a super-runner and get medals for my Squadron. Sadly after a few practice cross-country runs, my seniors saw my low potential and I was classified as an average to a weak runner.    I managed to pass through six cross-country competitions in the Academy with much pain after that, vowed to stay away from this painful sport. Call it an attempt to reduce weight or a mid-life crisis, at the age of   37 years, I started running again, this time there was no pressure on me as to how slow or fast I ran, and slowly a 5-kilometre run became 10, and so on. Finally, after almost a year of practice,   I ran my first half marathon in the picturesque town of Mukteshwar with a timing that was not flattering. During the past few years, I have tried to maintain my running sched...