Train-a-thalon

With common wealth games coming around the corner in 2010, I was wondering if there is any sport in which I specialize. It was then I realized the sport at which I have achieved mastery – Train-a-thalon. Having mastered this sport for the past six years, I thought I would share my Gyan on the same.

For the past six years, my daily commute to my College/workplace is dependent on Chennai Electric Train. The most challenging part is successfully catching the train which you intend to board. Shedding off my modesty, I would vaingloriously say that I have mastered this art.

For the amateurs, the sport consists of 3 rounds

1. Driving your bike or Sprinting to station
2. Parking your bike and 100 meters dash to railway platform
3. Finding an empty seat and successfully managing to sit in the same

First part of the sport sets the momentum for the day :-) . For a train scheduled to depart at 7 39 am from a station which is 2.7 Km from your place, the idle start time would be 7 30 am. Here, I would like to make a point that electric trains in Chennai manage 96% accuracy in sticking to time. So, the probability of missing the train is very high. Trick of the trade is that traffic pattern in a particular area is constant and if you are consistent with your timings, you can avoid following slow moving college buses/ obnoxious Onyx trucks :-)

My usual circuit looks like the one shown above

Starting with a high speed sector, followed by mid/low speed sectors, With this circuit, I am as comfortable as Sachin Tendulkar in Chepauk. 7 minutes drive is possible with the external support from creatures, which ply on this road (read it as humans/animals). Dogs/ Buffaloes are so much used to my engine noise that they give away without creating any trouble :-) you see, I am eco-friendly. My bike is in harmony with all the living creatures.

Second part is the most difficult. Despite not being horizontally challenged, it’s not easy to park a bike, climb stairs and reach the platform in 75 seconds, which is precisely the time I have to catch the train. This 75 seconds includes the time to strategically position yourself in front of less crowded coach of 9/12 car rakes. Revealing my trade secret, the last first class or coach next to last first class (3^rd rake) are coaches which are least crowded.

Third part of this sport, which is ultimately the most important section, is to find a seat. This is critical when your journey length is expected to be 44 km one way (1 hour 10 min) :-(.This would require

1. a lot of general knowledge of your co-passengers (where Mr/Mrs/Miss X would get down, so that you can jump to stand near them :-) )
2. Keen observation sense (People with old type Government Union bags would get down in Guindy/Mount. People with SRMU ID card in shirt packet, would get down in Tambaram).
3. Evade all your enemies from spotting your hot seat and ultimately managing to sit with highest level of decency. This would require highly agile legs, which can scamper through the coach, like Dhoni stealing a quick single :-)

If India was to host this sport in Common wealth games, I can assure our public that there is 99% probability of winning a medal (1 % attributed to my failure rate in not successfully completing this sport)

If you don’t manage to get a seat or manage the board, it’s not the end.

In sports, it’s not all about winning. It’s about participating and giving a fight :-)