Running Through Life on a High

A long time ago, while working on a novel, I managed to write 8,500 words in a single day.

- Preeti Shenoy

Exhausted yet exhilarated, I compared it to a 'runner's high'. Writing a book is like running a marathon: in both, there's a finish line, moments of doubt, and a determination to keep going despite every obstacle. But today, I experienced what a real 'runner's high' feels like when I ran my first professionally organised race something I once swore I would never be able to do.

An old classmate, a marathon enthusiast, had once urged me to give running a try. He remembered our school days when I won medals in sports, but I reminded him that was 40 years and two childbirths ago.

Still, his infectious enthusiasm made me give it a try. I detested it. Each step felt heavy, and I was out of breath before I even began. Defeated, I gave up, convinced that running wasn’t for me. But strange are the twists of life.