Sustained effort pays off

T.T. Balaji, a Nolambur resident, runs to work every day and this gruelling practice regimen has helped him complete the demanding 89-km Comrades Ultramarathon in South Africa

At five in the morning, T.T. Balaji wears his running gear and heads out of his house at Nolambur to complete his 36-km practice run for the day. He has a clear destination in mind and also when he should reach it. He has to get to his workplace in Tiruvallur before the clock strikes nine. While some prefer to cycle or take the train to work, he uses the commuting time to finish his quota of running for the day.

This single-minded determination has paid off. Marathon runner T.T. Balaji is one of 90 Indians to have successfully completed the popular 89-km Comrades Ultramarathon, held in South Africa a few weeks ago.

The only Indian from Chennai, Balaji finished the marathon in 11 hours and 48 minutes.

Balaji was training for this marathon up to four months, after which which he completed two marathons, one conducted in Nandi Hills and the other in Kolhi Hills. These two marathons served as qualifiers for Comrades Marathon.

“In 2011, after undergoing a spinal surgery, I started walking at the Anna Nagar Tower Park to recover from it. Later, my friends urged me to participate in marathons held in the city. Completing a 10-km run inspired me to run a 42-km marathon. Following this, I started participating in more arduous ultramarathons of 50 km and 72 km,” says 42-year-old Balaji.

Balaji, who is part of the Mogappair Fitness Circle (MFC) for two years and a half, explains that the wisdom of moderation and taking things one step at a time has helped him complete all these challenging runs successfully.

“For the Comrades Marathon, I had to shed four kilos and undergo extra strengthening exercises. I managed to achieve this target without hurting myself and by not pushing myself beyond my body’s capacity. Also, every aspiring runner should understand that injury is a part of the whole experience and one should never see it as a deterrent,” he added.

It has been three years since he started running and he has participated in marathons conducted in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kochi and Chennai and done many challenging trail runs in Javadhi Hills.

Balaji’s wife and their two sons have also taken up long-distance running.