CATS: Photo gallery: CATS Chandigarh Marathon 2011

Sunday Morning - CAT Zubin kindly offered to pick me up at 5.15am

to reach the Bhatia household by 5.30am.

Isn't it bliss when you can be driven around, just once?!!!

In case you are wondering what exchange is taking place in this photograph,

it's all legal and convenient you see. CAT Zubin had not eaten anything

before leaving home so CAT Monica is handing a banana to him over the locked gate :)

We had to cheer the Full Marathon running friends from Delhi you see...

Amit and Shruti.. YOU CAN DO IT :)

By 5.45am we had been conveniently dropped by CAT DV Bhatia

close to the starting gate where CAT Rajpal was already waiting for us,

but CAT Reeta was still missing from the pack of half marathon CATS.

The BEFORE photograph ;-)

The full Marathon was flagged off late around 5.53am rather than

the stipulated time of 5.45am as the usual speeches became too long!

The half marathon CATty team with Barnaali from CAT Monica's Delhi Running Gang in the meantime.

Half Marathon was flagged off shortly, and quite unceremoniously

at 6.03am as per my watch.. I say that since the organisers had NOT

put any digital clocks over the START gate!

The view at the lake was breathtaking by the time we reached there..

wondering how to time our run since the organisers had also not put

any MILE markers to indicate how much had we run!!!

How could they do that to the runners??

UNACCEPTABLE... PERIOD!!!!!

Since the route was also quite monotonous, (Full marathon runners had to do the

same loop 4 times while half marathon runners had to do exactly the same loop twice),

we made many a friends int his marathon since we bumped into each other so many times ;-)

As CAT Reeta and I were moving towards the fag end, the 5kms Fun-Run was

flagged off with much pomp and show.. Though we had a marathon to finish,

I was more keen to spot and capture our fellow Run-runner CATS!

Our benchmark CAT DV Bhatia, with CAT Nirmal, Elusive CAT Charanjeet

with our pretty CAT Sandy leading the gang in the fun run :)

and 'the Staff' of CATS :P

ok.. jokes aside... this generously proportioned gentleman insisted

on being clicked, 'Please use my photograph as an encouragement to others..

if I can do it, so can everyone else!'

Sense of humour galore :D

Adults were worse than the kids in the fun run.. this kid literally had to drag his father away from my camera :D

As I was looking for CAT Abhijit, I came across CAT Kulwant and

our gritty little CAT Aman making their way towards the lake too :)

The AFTER photograph at the Finishing line :)
After waiting and taking photos for about 10 odd minutes,

I finally chose to make my way forward to finish my own task at hand!

CAT Zubin was the first to finish in around 2hrs.10mins followed shortly

by CAT Monica at 2hrs.28mins and CAT Rajpal finishing at 2hrs.47mins.

CAT Reeta and I finished leisurely at 3hrs.25mins :)

CATS after returning the timing chips and getting their well deserved medals

around their necks.. with friendships as solid as the rocks we are leaning against - MEOW :)

being CATty wanted to add one more thing.. the ribbon was heavier than the medal :D

with all post-run formalities taken care for the half marathon runners,

we started looking for our fun-runners.

CAT DV Bhatia was the first to arrive back... CAT Aman followed a few minutes later

who ran in the safe custody of CAT Charanjeet and CAT Sandy.

Hum SAATH-SAATH hain :)

CAT Sandy arrived shortly with a huge grin on her face.. meow :)

CAT Nirmal being warmly greeted by CAT Reeta and CAT Monica...

I regret not being able to meet CAT Abhijit since he had left by this time...

CAT Sudhanshu would have been there too I believe but I could not spot him anywhere.

This five year old beautiful girl replied ever so confidently on being asked

what her name was, 'Mera naam Harjot hai te ghar mainu pyar naal Jotu kehnde ne'

With one mother home safely, we had to watch out for the second one ;-)

CAT Kulwant arrived shortly and safely to complete the pack of CATS.

CATS might have arrived home but others were still pouring in.

This was one surprise package of the morning.

This father had come with his two little daughters for the fun-run!

CATS being photographed by media personnel at the finishing line.. hand in hand :)

humare 3 bachhe :D

We might have run but there was no end to the fun!

CAT Charanjeet sneaked up to chat up the ladies ;-)

Last but not the least of the surprises of the morning -

This elderly gentleman Dharampal Gudhiya had come all the way from Meerut

to participate in the Chandigarh Marathon.

Claimed to be 113yrs old, he had only one message for everyone,

'ghar baithe nahin, kuch karte huye maro!'

By 10.30am CATS reached the home of our dear Bhatia family,

which was the venue for breakfast prepared by CAT Guneet and CAT Mona

for everyone who had come from the Delhi Running Gang as well as CATS.

Since the Delhi Gang had not arrived as yet given their full marathon was yet not over,

while waiting we were served with delicious hot tea lovingly prepared by

CAT Nirmal to ease off all aches and pains around ;-)

After it got confirmed that our Delhi running friends would arrive at

the Bhatia household by lunch time, it was decided that atleast CATS should

head towards the dining table..... and just what grub awaited us friends!

Wish you were there :P

Can you imagine gorging over toasted and stuffed pannini, soft idlees in gravy

followed by mouth watering paranthas.. now add mint chutney, garlic/chillie chutney,

5 types of pickles and yes, the yogurt to polish them off with :P

Do meet the beautiful and efficient CAT Guneet with CAT Mona

who prepared such mouth watering fare for the hungry CATS..

THANK YOU... ahem.. just thinking that if such delicious food would be

offered to us in future also, then we are willing to run 21kms every Sunday!!!

If you have any doubts, then have a look for yourself at how busy the CATS were over the breakfast ;-)

Aaaaaah... CONTENDED CATS ;-)

The look should say it all :P

But there was MORE on the way... the last course!

A gorgeous looking Pudding, delicious Gaajar-halwa and Kheer awaited

the CATS to make up for the calories they had lost while running in the marathon!!

Amidst the fun and din CATS were creating in the house, there were

some quite tender moments also shared by this youngest runner from CATS..

CAT Mona hugging her 9yrs old son CAT Aman on his yet another achievement :)