Magic mix that made first marathon dream come true

It was the last week of preparation for my first half-marathon, which meant running a daunting distance of 21km. My morning practice sessions at the local stadium were persistent and according to plan. But just three days before the event, as I headed for stretching exercises after jogging, my foot got stuck in a pothole and I twisted my ankle.

For a moment, the pain was unbearable. It was as much physical as mental, especially from the thought of missing my much-anticipated marathon. Somehow, I took charge and started limping back through the tracks towards the car parked outside the stadium.

Suddenly, I heard a voice from a group of morning walkers passing by, “Hey, what happened! I saw you running a few minutes back.” The gentleman in his sixties came out of the group to face me directly. Feeling humbled by his concern, I instantly narrated my account of the stumble to the stranger. As I finished, he said nonchalantly, “Don’t worry, apply a mix of limestone and honey to the affected area. It’ll be okay.” Though his unsolicited advice did not appeal to me, I nodded politely and headed towards the stadium’s exit.

I went straight to consult my friend, an orthopaedician. He looked at the ankle that had swollen by then and advised me to take some analgesics and avoid exertion for a week.

I could see the dream of running my first marathon wane before my eyes. As a last-ditch effort, I thought of giving the older man’s formula a try, despite my medical background and barely having faith in “desi nuskhe (home remedies)”. With honey at home, I bought a packet of chuna (limestone) from the neighbourhood paanwala (betelnut seller).

After bath, I applied the mix to the affected area. A warm sensation descended upon my ankle, probably because of the reaction between water in honey with the calcium hydroxide in lime. But the heat instantly disappeared as I entered the car with my wife to go for our dental practice. She was furious over my newfound craziness for marathons at the age of45, and throughout the drive, cautioned me to forget about the marathon.

I appreciated her concern, and my evidence-based mindset too didn’t believe in miracles, but to my sheer surprise, the next morning, there was a drastic reduction in pain. I applied the mixture for the next two days, and though there was some residual pain, now I could walk without a limp. Encouraged by the improvement, I caught the Saturday evening train from Ambala to Delhi to run the marathon the following day.

To my delight, I was able to finish the half-marathon painlessly in two hours and 15 minutes. While on my way back home aboard the train, I recollected a joke. A villager travelling by train for the first time hangs his tin of desi ghee to the alarm chain, bringing the train to a halt. On being told by the ticket checker that his act had stopped the train, he said, “Dekhya desi ghyo da kamaal (See the magic of desi ghee).” For the first time in my life, I too got convinced with the magic of desi!

FOR A MOMENT, THE PAIN WAS UNBEARABLE. IT WAS AS MUCH PHYSICAL AS MENTAL, ESPECIALLY FROM THE THOUGHT OF MISSING MY MUCH-ANTICIPATED MARATHON