Meet Half Fanatic 18919 Aman Jindal

Meet Half Fanatic 18919 Aman Jindal!

Prologue:

“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get!” My running journey has been a sheer series of accidents. Last October, as part of my MBA at Yale, I visited the Philippines for an exchange program, where I met an Aussie (who would later play a pivotal role in my journey).

The Sowing:

Oct 24, 2024: Two weeks later when I return, a friend takes me to Yale’s gymnasium for the first time. Now, I am not the kind of guy, you associate with a gym. My friend advises me to just walk on the treadmill for 20 mins. I was scared to fiddle with any controls and walked at bare minimum speeds.

It didn’t feel so bad! So, I decided to go the next day as well. Again, 20 mins repeat. On the fourth day, I felt dizzy. But I kept going and I just sat in the gym and came back. Two weeks later, I realised that my capacity was increasing, and I could increase the treadmill’s speed!

The Reaping:

By Jan 2025: I was walking/jogging/running on the tread for 60 minutes everyday. Now in the gym, when you do an hour of tread, you can’t help but observe what other folks are doing. I slowly started doing rowing/cycling/cable machines/weights – a few minutes of each as part of my routine.

Mar 2025: My Aussie friend is now in US (on an exchange program at NYU) and is shocked to see my transformation. He was a runner himself and had registered for the Brooklyn Half on Apr 26! He starts prodding me to register for it. But I had done only five miles on the tread. How was I supposed to do a 13.1, and that too on a road?

The Harvest:

Apr 2025: After much internal debate, I register for the Brooklyn Half. As I registered, I saw that there is a smaller 10-mile run on Apr 13, that can help me figure out if I have the legs to go the distance. I registered and to my utter surprise, I was able to do it.

Emboldened, I registered for a half-marathon next weekend in Quakertown, PA. That day was one of the toughest days of my life. I somehow completed it, but after the race, I vomited my guts out! I barely managed to get back home. But the sense of satisfaction was unmistakable, and I wanted to try again.

Epilogue:

May 2025: I registered for other half-marathons around the country: and each time I did one, I learnt more about my body, mind, emotions, and recovery. By May end, I could do two on consecutive days – one of the most beautiful feelings in my life. I ended up doing six in nine days!

I graduated on May 19^th and my job is going to start soon. I don’t know if I can run half-marathons with my work. Else, I will run to my office and back! Fingers crossed.  Aman’s Race History HERE<< Instagram @aman_jindal08

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