Note from the editor: Story from Rajeev Soneja. Rajeev completed his first marathon in 2004 and has been a regular volunteer for the program since then.

Providing support for the runners is one helluva job. The only good part about it is that the supporter does not have to run to the preassigned location. And just as well - since carrying a few gallons of fluids while running is not a good idea. Support usually involves waking up early on Saturday mornings, packing the required paraphernalia, and some assorted running supporter support material, usually a book or an I-pod. Hey just because we don't run doesn't mean we can't look cool with ear phones on. The music has the added advantage of drowning out gasps of shock and amazement from other runners passing by - who are not used to somebody on a chair by the side of a running trail. Or even stranger - on the sidewalk right by a busy intersection.

In due course the supporter acquires immunity from most people who usually put on their noncommittal, disinterested look after the initial surprise. But children and dogs are another matter. Kids are not known for being diplomatic and on more than one occasion supporters have been reminded about the idiocy of their situation. Dogs on the other hand assume the chair to be part of the surrounding landscape and feel free to look up the supporter all over.  On one occasion, on an especially cold and wet morning in May, I found myself standing by the side of the trail holding an umbrella in one hand and a book in the other. On a day when very few runners braved the elements, a surprised dog was so taken aback, that it came to a halt in the midst of a sprint and could only stare at this strange specimen.

Being the overall co-ordinator of the support team is quite eventful. Even on days when I was not out and about on the running trail, I was usually woken up by other supporters with all sorts of queries. The best one was - it's raining, what should I do? The first thing which came to my mind was not very polite. Suffice to say  that it required a super-human effort to just ask the supporter to grin and bear it. Being the overall co-ordinator also means that Google maps is your best friend. Water supporters usually make it a habit to get lost early on Saturday mornings. One particular volunteer decided that since he did not see any runners within a few minutes of arriving at the preassigned location, he would go where the runners were. Only, he ended up on a private road with a dead-end and no running trail in sight. And proceeded to stay there for the next hour.
Luckily I called him up and persuaded him to leave before the owner of a house nearby called the cops.

Having said all that, it must be mentioned that supporting beats running any day. Especially on a Saturday. Hey we on the support team were not the ones worried about splits - timing, clothing or otherwise. The only time we stretched was when we yawned. Runners are a strange breed and there is great diversity in their strangeness too. Some would hang around at the water stop for a little bit of chit chat. The stimulating conversations usually involved the weather, parking, chafing or amount of carb-intake. 

Others would prefer to literally hit the stop running, on many occasions covering themselves with more fluid than drinking it. Some others would get into detailed discussions about the running route and the intermittent mileage. Sometimes it didn't matter if the support person responded or not, the runner was just happy to talk to something not resembling a tree.

The running styles of the various members of the team were a joy to behold. Some ran as if their house was on fire, others as if they were out on a leisurely mid-afternoon stroll. But most  looked like 9 year-olds being forced to do homework by a particularly sadistic teacher in the middle of summer vacation. Some ran with their eyes closed, fists pumping, lost in their little world of music, perspiration and lactic build-up. But no matter how they ran, they achieved that very few people do, they successfully trained for, ran and finished a marathon. 26.2 full miles on a Sunday in Chicago, Washington DC, New York or Philadelphia don't tell the story of 6 months worth of hard running, pain, sweat and tears. We, the supporters are glad that we could be part of the runners' dream. Makes it all worthwhile at the end. Great job!


Rajeev Soneja
Team 2004

Reprinted with permission from Lokvani.com
“If you can dream it, you can do it,” said my beloved mentor Dr. Ken Gilleo. Of course he was referring to technology at that time. I took his advice literally and applied it to my everyday living. After all, what kind of life would we have, without hopes and dreams? 
I had a dream of running a marathon but the time never seemed to be right. I had the usual excuse; too busy doing _____(you can fill in the blank). Being an unconventional (most of my friends lovingly refer to me as “crazy”) individual, I decide to pursue my dream last year. Needless to say, I needed some help to make it happen.  There it was, “TeamAIDAsha (TAA)” from Boston, waiting to come to my rescue. TAA is a joint program runs by the Boston/MIT chapters of “Association for India’s Development (AID)” and “Asha for Education”, two non-profit groups working on projects related to educational and social development issues among the underprivileged children and families in India. It is run by an amazing group of volunteers, dedicated to helping others. They were going to make a marathon runner out of me with a catch. They asked me to bring the same hopes and dreams to some deserving children and families in the poorest parts of India. What a bargain to have my dream come true by helping underprivileged people. 

On a Saturday morning in April 2009, I met the TAA group on the campus of MIT. After struggling for fifteen minutes to find the group, I finally spotted them. I saw a group of young, energetic, fun-loving (more about the fun later) people bubbling with enthusiasm. It was quite contagious. Some of them had no clue (like me) as to what to expect while the others were experienced runners. The coach, who was an accomplished marathoner himself and the TAA organizers were ready to answer any question that the group threw at them. “What an amazing group of people,” I thought. If I had any doubts in the past, they were gone. I was going to run Chicago marathon! How awesome is that? We met every Saturday for the next five months to train for the big event. The training was a mix of pleasure and pain. During the hot days of August, it was tough to persist with the runs. But the coach kept us focused with his pep talks and wisdom. By September, we were amazed at the progress we had made. We were ready to run a marathon!

On October 11, 2009, a group of us lined up at the Chicago Marathon starting line, along with the other 40,000 runners (yes, by now we were bonafide runners) on one of the coldest days in Chicago marathon history. The energy among the runners was out of this world. A few hours later I could see the big banner that said “Finish Line.” “I am there. I can’t believe I just ran 26.2 miles,” I thought to myself. The last few yards to the finish line was truly a thrill of a life time. As I ran across the finish line, the emotion was over whelming. The sense of accomplishment and pride is beyond description. As I embraced my teammates who had already passed through the finish line, I saw the same sense of accomplishment and pride in their faces as well. Nothing in your life can prepare you to anticipate that experience. I not only ran a marathon, but I raised more than $7000 in the process to contribute to the hopes and dreams of an unknown child in India who can dream to govern the country one day. How cool is that?
If you thought that would be the end of the story, you would be wrong. Like many of my teammates, one marathon wouldn’t be enough for me. In 2010 I not only wanted to run a marathon, but I also wanted to do something special right after crossing the finish line. I found just the right place to do it. It was Philadelphia Marathon, with the added bonus of climbing the steps of the famous Art Museum like in the movie Rocky  The training started again in April leading up to the final day in November 21, 2010. I can honestly say, training wasn’t always easy with work, family, travel etc. but thinking about those poor children and families in India always kept me going. I had not only a commitment to those children but to my sponsors as well. The generosity of my sponsors was no less the second time around. The support from the team and TAA organizers was unbelievable. I was ready for my big day again. I ran the marathon among 22,000 runners on a picture perfect day in Philadelphia. This time, I was having more fun. Crossing the finish line was no less an experience the second time around. Along with all the other old feelings, fun was a new one this time. Actually, I have a theory about that. So, here it goes.

Before I give you my theory and proof, I must tell you that I am a Six Sigma Master Black Belt (yes, my friends also call me a “geek”). I deal with data and statistics for a living, so you can trust me on this. My theory is your fun increases dramatically with the number of years you stay with TAA. The graph says so. OK, I may have massaged the data a little, but it’s true for most part. I will be back to have more fun next year while supporting a cause I deeply believe in. If my story can motivate one more person to join the cause, it will be as if I received a “Pulitzer Prize”. I encourage every reader to consider visiting www.teamaidasha.com to learn more about TAA or contact me at ritam1010 at hotmail.com. You will not only change your own life for better, but you can have a profound effect on someone else’s life.


Rita Mohanty
Team 2009, 2010