Breaking the barrier

How many you believe that human body has a limit? How many agree that human mind has restrictions? According to fable, mavens said for years that the human body was simply not proficient of running 4-minute a mile. It wasn’t mere hazardous; it was impossible. Further legends hold that people had tried for thousand years to break the barrier, even tying bulls behind them to surge the speed to do the incredible. In the 1940’s, the mile record was 4:01, where it stood for nine years, as runners struggled with the idea that, just maybe, the experts had it precise. Dear Toastmasters and Guests Good afternoon – in 1954, Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute barrier, running the expanse in 3:59. As part of his training, he obstinately envisioned the attainment in order to craft wisdom of breaking the barrier in his mind and body. Hardly a year after Bannister’s feat, 24 people ran a mile in below 4 minutes. Now, it’s almost a routine. It took a sense of breaking the barrier for Bannister to do what was considered un-doable. He alone was capable to create that certainty in himself without seeing any proof that it could be done. I’ve perceived firsthand what a tiny conviction can do. I was in 10th standard. Like everyone else I thought I need to be an all-rounder, not only in studies but I shall excel in sports too. And for all my enthusiasm and eagerness, I gave my name for 100 meters race. The race day came. I was all set to run with energy drinks, energy bars, sprays, warm ups and oomph. And they called – on your marks, ready set go….I hardly ran 30 meters I felt some pain in my chest. By the time I reached 50 meters I was almost down and with great difficulty I reached 80 meters and crawled towards 100 meters mark. That day I decided running is not meant for me and I am not meant for running. It was set and settled in my mind that I can’t run. My family consoled me saying its ok….running is only for those who want to run away. Future had its own spell. I decided to trek to the Everest base in 2011. I was so enthusiastic to climb that glorious path. But my lead said, I need to run 5 km every day in order to be fit for the climb. My devastating running coup was haunting. It took me days and weeks to gather courage and push myself, however the rigor of climb was so much that I started off with 100 meter run, within a week 500 meters, within a month 2 kms and within 3 months….I was able to run 5 km with enough breaks and hydration. I completed my Everest Base Camp trekking. But, even after my trekking I continued habit of running and in 2012 – completed my first 10k run, then second and then the third and then the fourth, saga continued. It was in 2014 when I completed my first 21k. It was tough, strenuous, agonizing. But I never wanted to give up. Then I started preparing myself for 42k. This time it’s twice the distance and I started off my run at around 5 in the morning. I was one among the 18 women in Bangalore who were running 42.2 k that day. A thought of giving up in between flashed in my mind many a times. But I took a look at the runners ahead me and behind me and then go forward, breaking that barrier of “I can’t run” and then I completed my two full marathons. When you become certain of something, when you focus on it every single day, something “magical” happens. Not New Age magical, but science magical. We have a system in our bodies called the reticular activating system (RAS) that helps our brains decide what information to focus on and what to delete. When you have a clearly-defined purpose, a mission, and when you live every moment in a state of certainty that you’ll achieve it, you influence what your RAS filters out and what lights it up. As a result, you pay special attention and that helps you achieve what you’re after. When I was trying to do my full marathon, I was certain that I’d do it. There was no reason for this certainty. But I found it somewhere in myself that I can do it. Dear All, it’s the same thing with toastmasters, all I had was conviction to complete my project speeches and here I am with my ACS. It’s cliché; but let us pledge today to be certain of ourselves and be what we want. Let’s break the barrier.