Running Ugly - Chanderpaul vs VVS Laxman

Right through April I ran on the treadmill. I am by no means an elegant runner. I often spent time at the gym observing the running technique of some of the more fit runners. There was this one particular guy who kind of flowed while he was running. His whole motion was so relaxed, and smooth. He would be doing 11 km/h while you would think it was 8. 

I was not one of those. I knew that. In my 50 minute run, I would just focus on making it. I could feel the lack of fluidity in my running form. But, then, I was not an athlete, and I had to make the best of my talents - whatever I had. 

This got me thinking about cricket. I have always been a great admirer of VVS Laxman. That knock of 281 is, in my books, the greatest test innings ever played. The sheer beauty of Laxman's batting, the grace of his strokes, the zen like peace which descends in the field while he is batting are aspects I have greatly admired. When Laxman bats, there is no violence in the field - there are no savage screams, no unnecessary adrenaline. A Laxman knock is definition of fluidity and beauty in batting.  And on top of this beauty, in the last 8 years,  Laxman has played a critical role in more than 60% of India's test match wins. And saved quite a few. 

At the other end of the Spectrum - you have Chanderpaul. Nothing could be more ugly than a Chanderpaul knock. Right from the guy's stance, to his defence, to the way he dabs the ball to third man - Chanderpaul is an aesthete's nightmare. He however is also a critical element of the West Indian team. Yes, sure, the WI team is amongst the weakest in the world - but Chanderpaul has played several brave knocks for his team in his career. 

So there you have it - Laxman is an aesthete's delight. And Chanderpaul epitomizes the concept of batting ugly. And, yet, both get the job done. 

I guess, to me, as far as my treadmill running was concerned, it was important to last through those 50 minutes. I knew it was not pretty. But, hey, the best part about running is that it is always 'me against me'. You are only battling yourself - trying today to beat yesterday's benchmark. And if its ugly, well, that is what it is.