'Tis the season to rejoice

I felt a strange sense of elation as soon as we entered the month of December. I have had a tough year with difficulties in training, stress of Bryan being in his final year and paucity of time to cope with it all. I have had some small successes too in doing a 4:00:43 marathon in Germany and being able to handle things well at work. The excitement of christmas round the corner is a programmed response since childhood; but, it remains so, as long as you have near and dear ones to share it with.

Russell and Lana came down from Seattle with their kids, Aysel and Rhys and so did Malcolm, after his brief voyage (I envy the guy for his 3 months on, 3 months off routine). There was this grand celebration Malcolm had, at his place for the even grander renovation he had done to their home. Besides, Russell and family, there was Ryan and family and our own "Khali", Bamoo:-) The "Glenlivet" added to the temperature of house warming, as we regaled each other with childhood jokes and golden oldies from "Lorna' songs". A delectable lunch of pork, beef and chicken was wolfed down at 4:30pm, by which time we couldn't distinguish any of the stuff we were eating:-)

As I prayed in church, over the weekend, I saw some old and lonely and single people and I felt a melancholy grip me as I realized that it is indeed depressing to have no one to share christmas season with. I was suddenly afraid of growing old and having Bryan growing big enough to marry and leave. I remembered the song that I often listened to at Russell' place when we were in college and the lyrics made me feel sad.

This is for all the lonely people
Thinkin' that life has passed them by
Don't give up until you drink from the silver cup
Ride that highway in the sky

This is for all the single people
Thinkin' life has left them dry
Don't give up until you drink from the silver cup
You'll never know until you try

'Cause, I'm on my way, yes, I'm on my way
Yeah, I'm on my way back home

This is for all the lonely people
Thinkin' that life has passed them by
Don't give up until you drink from the silver cup
She'll never take you down or give you up
You'll never know until you try

Change

It is the close of another year in my life and as I look back there have been so many "occurrences" that make me desire that some things change in the new year. For one, my training has been at its most dismal, but surprisingly, I have run more races in this one year; four full marathons and a 50K! I have come to understand my true well-wishers in the course of my work and personal life. I have been able to hold the fort at work and have performed quite commendably. This, I do not want to see change.

I have been distraught with the death of a runner. He died of a heart attack under sad and tragic circumstances; mid-race and with no one to care for him while his heart was giving up on him - perhaps slowly. I have a small running fraternity that shares its views on a page created by me. I was anguished by the content that I read today. To top it all I got brickbats and insults when I tried to analyze the reasons for this runner' death. I had to post a rejoinder to disabuse people that might be in agreement on the issue. I know not who agreed and who didn't, with these views. Perhaps, it is difficult to take sides in a spat like this. But, it left me numb.

I hope the new year brings in a breath of fresh air with change. I need to revitalize my training and focus on my work. I have selflessly given a lot of my time to my small circle of runners. It is time to move on, as it is consuming me. I can take solace in my runs and the personal interaction with my runners at the NIKE RUN CLUB. Christmas is coming and brings good tidings and cheer and friends and family. It is the well deserved break that I need from a rather stressful month. There is of course Dojo' birthday to add to the excitement. And so, in the new year, I am even more aware that.....

Everything must change
Nothing stays the same
Everyone must change
No one stays the same

The young become the old
And mysteries do unfold
Cause that's the way of time
Nothing and no one goes unchanged

There are not many things in life
You can be sure of
Except rain comes from the clouds
Sun lights up the sky
And hummingbirds do fly

Winter turns to spring
A wounded heart will heal
But never much too soon
Yes everything must change

"Lille" lost and missing everyone

It was a trip filled with nostalgia and also one which made me miss my family since they were not accompanying me this time. We have been taking vacations combined with my marathons, overseas and I have relished the lazy wake up calls that Monsoon and Bryan snooze thru' and the long hours Bryan spends in the hotel room shower and the shouts they get from me to hurry up, before they close the buffet of sumptuous European breakfasts that are a feature of bed-n-breakfast hotels. This trip to Switzerland and France was a business trip and my 7th (or is it my 8th?) visit to Basel, a city I know better than any other European city; and, that is why the nostalgia.

Thann and Lille where I spent the first 2 days were so much like the small towns you see in the french countryside. Thann was especially interesting for its wine growing status and the "wine route" was so scenic and reminded me of all the world war II movies I'd seen. I could imagine the clip clop of the Wehrmacht' boots on the cobble stones and the daring missions of women and men from the french resistance as they went about their furtive business. I remembered Bryan everytime I went to the local deli or cafe to buy myself a croissant or "Pain au chocolat". I choked as I ate cause I couldn't enjoy these things without him. I remembered Dojo for the poignant look on his face when I was packing my suitcase. He somehow knows its going to be a long trip when he see me leave after 10pm.

Basel has the best of three worlds; it shares a border with France, Germany and Switzerland. The city has its towering commercial spaces that display its being the focal point for the pharmaceutical industry as well as the trams which take you to the countryside. I enjoyed and experienced the true meaning of "fine dining" when my ex-boss took me out to dinner to sample the finest cuisine in Basel. I took time out to spend 3 hrs at the super market to buy things for people back home, including Dojo.

The grey skies, freezing rain and sub-zero chill made me even more home sick. I did feel a little cheer when I saw the first snowfall of the season and I visited the christmas market that signals the arrival of festive season in Europe. I bought a small crib with baby Jesus, that is hand crafted by village artisans; something I have been looking out for, since a long time. I, of course, had to hand carry it all the way because of its fragile structure. My arrival at home was announced none too silently by Dojo, who needlessly sped from one room to the other barking aloud. In fact, I am told that he had barked non-stop ever since his ears cocked up upon Monsoon receiving a call from me that I had landed at Mumbai airport. I know he truly missed me and I was happy to have his warm form snuggling against my side as I slid into a slumber.

Practice makes perfect

The past few days were disheartening for me. This despite the fact that I had reason to be cheerful after my podium finish at the Bangalore Ultra 50K, held on Sunday. There were spoilsports for me and I have relegated the experience to the garbage dump, where it has always belonged. There is one good reason to smile though:-) And that is that Bryan was able to pass the IITian Pace entrance test. This brought a lot of relief to Monsoon who agonizes a lot over Bryan' carefree attitude. I can immodestly state that his success is attributable to yours truly:-)

Bryan has a home tutor for Math, a mistake we made, thinking that he would do better if he did not attend tuition classes. Well, he has been displaying a lackadaisical attitude to his studies and the result was a mediocre performance in his first terminal exams in Xth std. The panic button was now pressed and we had to move quickly. If he has to attend classes next year, it had better be a reputed one. IITian Pace is one of the elite ones and realizing his math knowledge was less than average, thanks to his tutor (or maybe Bryan is more to blame), I had to spend several evenings pacing up and down the living room, with a stern expression while he worked furiously on a tough question set I had specially purchased. It worked! He was able to tackle difficult problems on trignometry, co-ordinate geometry, P & L, linear equations etc, with elan.

On the day he gave his test, I was running the Bangalore Ultra. When he finished his test he told me it was good but he was afraid about his being in the list of selected students. I told him that he had practiced enough and that this is all that was required to succeed. I drew out an analogy and told him that I wake up at dawn just to wear my shoes and go out for a run while most people are asleep. He understood that this had brought me several successful marathon finishes. He got his answer that practice makes perfect, when he was informed the result of his selection by IITan Pace. He was so happy, he ordered Chinese food with his own allowance and promised Dojo a full chicken. Unfortunately, he has not kept his promise to Dojo and when I reminded him last night about it, he said, "Arey yaar, I said it in my excitement"!!! I have now to teach him that promises such as these are not made to be broken. Dojo, poor chap is clueless about all the excitement but he is happy when Bryan is happy because he is the first to be at teh receiving end of Bryan' ire, should Bryan be in a foul mood.

Marathon Man

Dojo our Daschund, the only unconditional lover, yelped as I reached home from tour, today. He rolled over for his regular tickle on the belly and told me, in his own way that I have been travelling too often over the last four days. I was suffering from a bout of melancholy brought about by revelations of dark hearts and thoughts in some people that I know. My despair over the "it takes all sorts to make the world" evaporated with Dojo' canine love. I held him and hummed my favorite tune with my own touch to the lyrics;


Who draws the crowd and runs so proud,
Baby it's the marathon man.
Who's gonna steal the show, you know
Baby it's the marathon man,

He can make you love, he can make you cry
He will bring you down, then he'll get you high
Somethin' keeps him goin', miles and miles a day
To find another race to slay.

Night after night who treats you right,
Baby it's the marathon man
Who's on the radio, you go listen
Its the marathon man

Then he comes to town, and you see his face,
And you think you might like to take his place
Somethin' keeps him driftin' miles and miles away
Searchin' for some races to slay.

Then you listen to the music and you like to sing along,
You want to get the meaning out of each and ev'ry song
Then you find yourself a message and some words to call your own
And take them home.

He can make you love, he can get you high
He will bring you down, then he'll make you cry
Somethin' keeps him movin', but no one seems to know
What it is that makes him go.

Then the lights begin to flicker and the sound is getting dim
The stride begins to falter and the crowds are getting thin
But he never seems to notice he's just got to find
Another race to slay,
Fade Away. Got to Play.
Fade Away. Got to Play.

The Marathon and beyond

Ever since my friend Raj ran the Bangalore Ultra last year and some of the other runners finished the Comrades this year, I have had this desire to run beyond the extremely testing distance (so far) of the standard marathon. While most of my fellow runners were planning distances of 75K and 100K, I thought, given my obnoxious training regimen, that I should just test myself for a 50K.

There were about 10 - 12 of us from our closely knit running group and the meet up at the airport was reminiscient of a school picnic. I enjoyed our flight and the jokes that were traded. Bangalore felt fresh and cool, and our transport to the apartment complex, where we were put up, was swift. The rooms were clean and freshly made up and there was a nice restaurant that dished out fare appropriate for our carbo-loading binge. I was not in the best of conditions and in fact, had often dwelled on cancelling my visit. I was afflicted with a chest cold that seemed to be tenacious and even an antibiotic course did not help in dislodging the phlegm in my lungs. I decided to play it by ear and run the race as best I could. Monsoon was extremely worried, fully aware that a 50K distance is something you don't screw with, especially when you are incapacitated with a cold.

Race day arrived with a 3am wake up call and a flurry of activity to use the bathroom and get ready. The drive to the race venue brought a rather disturbing sight for me. I saw that someone had run over a puppy in the pre-dawn darkness and I choked on my emotions as I saw that the poor fellow was actually trying to get away from the vehicle. There were four other puppies that seemed lost and despite my best effort they kept wandering below the tyres of my parked car. There were impatient honks from other cars that were now lined up because I was holding up traffic. Finally I caught each puppy and kept them as far away from the road as was possible and drove off. I think it worked because on the return after the race, I saw the same cute little fellows playing around.

The race venue was a beehive of activity with registrations and the 100K / 75K runners having already started their races. I took my bib and then a groan from my innards made me realize that I needed to visit the washroom. We got a big cheer from the organizers for Mumbai runners and the race began without too much of a fuss. Right from the word go I felt the exertions winding me and I had premonitions of not finishing. But then I am an experienced distance runner and have a finely tuned inner GPS. I adjusted pace and worried about hanging on without any care for my finishing time. I was more concerned about wearing the Tee given to me, which said, "BANGALORE ULTRA, ITS TOUGH. ARE YOU?". It reminded me of a "tank top" I once purchased when I used to strength train, which said, "DON'T WEAR IT, IF YOU DON'T MEAN IT". I intended to wear this one - and mean it!

The race is a loop of 12.5K to be run four times. I ran the first three loops keeping a close watch on my heart rate and realized I was now maxing out and in danger of deep exhaustion. The fourth loop arrived to my relief and I then allowed myself a brief walk to regain some strength in my legs. I caught up with most of the runners that had gone way ahead. This is the benefit of wisdom in distance running:-) I met Amit and perhaps it was not so good an idea to run together because we lost our seriousness about finishing in sub 6 hrs and instead made the last 6K into a walker' club, with Mahesh in tow. I do not regret it one bit because it was the best part of the race. The course was a trail that was full of deceptive inclines and uneven surfaces that tested your talo-calcanear joint' flexibility and strength. The sun was blazing mercilessly but we were a threesome of jocund runners that had nary a care in the world and ran - walked - danced our way to the finish line - holding hands, for good measure, just before we stepped onto the timing mat at the finish:-)

I unwound and paced around while my fellow runners went for lunch and decided to wait for Roshni and Madhu. Each of them came in completely exhausted and beat up. Madhu was the braveheart that ran this race despite a serious injury to her tibia, showing degeneration in places. I was amazed that she lasted the 37.5K that she ran before I convinced her that pushing for 50K was not worth it. Our entire group from Mumbai rocked at the Ultra and we got accolades for it. To my surprise I got the third position in the men' senior category and Roshni got a similar position in the female open category. We returned to our rooms at the apartment and had a brief but fun-filled tipple. Our flight back to Mumbai was delayed by more than an hour and we reached Mumbai at 1am, realizing that we had been on our feet for 22 hrs!! Amit commented that most people that do not understand us runners would wonder as to what it is that drives us to flog ourselves in this manner. Only a real runner will understand this:-)

Mood enhancing hues

My house is being painted and the mess that you have to bear with makes it seem that you could go crazy. Furniture moved, clothes in a heap, white "primer" dust everywhere and you can't find your things because you had to clear them from their normal place. However, when its all done (and we are not done yet), it all seems worth it. The soft hues make the house seem homlier and brings on some much needed cheer. Dojo has been the most affected because he can't seem to understand why he is locked up in a room the whole day and he is petrified of the sound made by the floor marble polishing machine. Poor chap, he wimpers when I get home, telling me that he can't cope with this mess. How do I tell him that I too have the same problem?:-)

I have prepared a collage of postcards with retro stuff comprising Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Chuck Berry, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, the Woodstock festival etc. It has a black background and looks precisely that - retro. I am happy with the handiwork of the frame maker and I toasted a Jack Daniels to it. What remains now is the medals, pics and certificates I have of many marathons; but, that will take up an entire wall!

I managed a quick 19K run on Saturday; much less than what I should be doing if I want to be prepared for the 50K Ultra in Bangalore. I seem to be the only person in the group that cannot train sensibly due to lack of time. I am not happy about my preps for this race. But then I have to make a lemonade with a lemon - as usual. I will not be able to train with a long run in the run up to the race because I have too many work related issues for every weekend. In comparison, my runners have planned 38 - 40K at Amby Valley and other places. Well, as Lone Ranger I will just have to count on "Kemo Sabay":-) I have to add this to my increasing list of disappointments. Maybe a nice stiff Jack Daniels will help - its the only antidote. That, the mood enhancing hues and the promise that......

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

A Thousand Splendid Suns

I read the book by Khaled Husseini and it is the poignant story of desolation and sorrow, of a woman named Mariam. It is possible to identify with her heart rending emotions as the author takes you through her blighted existence. I finished it and felt a deep sense of melancholy. I then pondered about our lives and the lives of so many in this world, of the hopes and aspirations; of joys and sorrows. Life is indeed hard and it doesn't seem like we are having a hard time when we dwell on Mariam' fate. It allowed me to brood over and take stock of my life on the weekend.

I plunged headlong into a foolhardy plan to do a marathon at Aarey with some of our runners and it turned out to be just that - absolutely foolhardy. I was in Jalna (near Aurangabad) and even as I turned over in bed the night before, I felt the dull ache of unrecovered trauma to the muscles. It was then that I felt the first pangs of doubt about this run. The next sucker punch I got was when I awoke at 4:30am on race morning and found that I had accumulated sleep deficit and was thoroughly exhausted. How does one cope with a situation where well meaning runner friends have volunteered to man water stations to help you finish this race? You don't; you just do it!

As it turned out the weather was a no-go for a long run, with its heat index in the "Heat Exhaustion" zone but who listens! We set out hesitantly at a snail' pace and soon enough I was feeling as if I was breathing in the same air that I was exhaling. At the 25K mark I decided that I would not do too much of this run in discomfort or pain - just not worth it. At 30K I threw in the towel which turned out to be a good thing because I checked my urine colour at home and it was dark orange! None of our group risked finishing the full distance of 42K and with good reason.

The next day was the meetup at the NIKE RUN CLUB' second season and I felt cheerful meeting familiar faces and new ones. After the meetup Dharam a runner from RFL treated me to breakfast at "Tea Centre", a speciality joint with a range of tea flavours. He is writing a book about his life and the transition he made with running as his best friend. I was envious and amazed to know from him that he is taking a 6 month sabbatical to train in the US (San Francisco Bay area) for a full marathon and to try and get a Boston Qualifier. He told me I figured in his book and that he had added a page on me and my tuppence worth of advice on running injuries. So much for my own plans to write a book:-(

The Simple Life

Lately I have been consumed with so many things and there have been lows in my thoughts. But then there is Bryan who I fret about and sensing my poignant mood, Dojo comes and parks himself against my body, snuggling up to me, as if to reaasure me that his presence and love is guaranteed.

When I look out into the distance I am buoyed by the feeling that there aren't too many things that I require to make me happy. I chanced upon this song when I was in one of my contemplative moods and it was playing on TV. I realised that it epitomises my requirements in life and wondered why I'd not heard of it before.

I don't believe in frettin' and grievin';
Why mess around with strife?
I never was cut out to step and strut out.
Give me the simple life.

Some find it pleasant dining on pheasant.
Those things roll off my knife;
Just serve me tomatoes; and mashed potatoes;
Give me the simple life.

A cottage small is all I'm after,
Not one that's spacious and wide.
A house that rings with joy and laughter
And the ones you love inside.

Some like the high road, I like the low road,
Free from the care and strife.
Sounds corny and seedy, but yes, indeed-y;
Give me the simple life.

Carbuncle

This is a large angry red boil, the size of a two rupee coin that suddenly surfaced on the side of my rib cage. I was told that a hair follicle got pulled out and the pore got infected. I'm not sure the doc was hinting at ideas about someone pulling out the hair follicles on my torso:-)

Well, coming to why it got infected, I surfed the net and found hygiene to be the cause and before you get any ideas that I don't bathe let me tell you that the probable reason is my obnoxious habit of lolling around on the floor for about 2 hrs after my long run on weekends - instead of having a bath first!!!

The carbuncle would not burst nor decrease in size despite medication and treatment with hot water fomentation. It just kept getting ripe and looking awful. Despite all this, I ran the Kaveri Trail Marathon with this tomato sized protrusion on my side. Finally the doc sighed and said, "You have to have it surgically nicked". I sighed too because it would mean getting poked, something that makes me break out into a cold sweat.

On the appointed day, I arrived with Bryan since Monsoon had to attend office work. The poor chap kept reassuring me that it won't hurt - imagine; it should be the other way round. But then Bryan has seen his father is a wimp when someone waves a syringe in front of him:-) I was taken to the operation theatre and made to lie down. Then they did the nastiest things, despite my sharing that I have a phobia of needles and that I have passed out several times when going for a blood test. They poked me six times around the site by way of anasthesia and each time I winced and squirmed and finally broke out into a cold sweat much to the alarm of the surgeon. He muttered, probably by way of an apology, that he didn't realize I was THAT scared!

The rest of the procedure was without pain and I could feel the doc slicing and scooping and rubbing and wondered about the nasty business. I was then shown the stuff that was extracted and it was a very unpleasant sight. The surgical wound is now painful and I have to go this morning for a new dressing. Last afternoon, when upon reaching home from the surgery, I fixed myself a drink, Bryan asked me in alarm, "won't it interfere with the anaesthetic?" and I winked and told him that alcohol is also an anaesthetic. Don't they show it in the movies when they have to extract a bullet and there is no anaesthetic? They give the guy a good long swig from a bottle of whisky:-)

The Kaveri Trail Marathon (KTM)

I had this marathon on my list of "To do" marathons in India. When I was afforded the oportunity to travel as a group, I registered without a second thought. The excitement of travelling together as a group for KTM was reminiscent of college picnics. We (Ashok, Ram, Bhasker, Raj, Mahesh, Kavin, Gautam, Amit, and I – Rahul joined us later) met up at the airport looking every bit like distance runners, except for Raj who showed up in party wear We watched Bhasker unleash his charm, flirting with pretty things in skirts and getting them bewildered and amused. Kavin’ endless repertoire of “Sardar” jokes were meticulously catalogued by Ashok while he got us all in splits. The drive to Mysore took all of 5 hours with a simple but delectable lunch at “Kamats”.

Race morning had everyone scampering around for warm water, vaseline and some like Mahesh, for toothpaste. The bib pick-up venue was abuzz with runners greeting each other and blaring announcements. The first signs of something ominous in store for us came when Arvind (A1), CEO of RFL, declared on a sombre yet jovial note that, the morning is deceptively cool but the sun would come out blazing, so if you want to grab some sun-screen, now is the time; and remember guys, this race is not the one to choose for your personal best!.

Sunshine is delicious,
Rain is refreshing,
Wind braces us up,
Snow is exhilarating,
There's really no such thing as bad weather,
Only different kinds of good weather)))

The start was punctual with no fanfare. The course is a 21.1K out-and-back circuit to be done twice. The path is a trail, pock-marked with stones giving your ankles and calves a hard time anticipating the nature of the surface for your next stride. It runs alongside the river with rich verdant fields on either side; a beautiful sight if you can take in the time to stop and smell the roses. There were umpteen aid stations with food and electrolyte that had the hallmark of RFL’ flawless and efficient race planning.

The first quarter to 10.55K was fine and we reached cruised to our half way mark in 2:09even as the sauna began building around us - an indication of the shape of things to come! Amit queried me about our plan for the next half and I could only share my feeling of impending doom, as I looked up at the blazing sun - that a 5 hr finish would be a saving grace

At the 26K mark I saw Amrita along with Rishi (who were with us till then), find her groove and surge ahead. I could only rue my inability to stay with them. Amit and I looked at our time at 29K and we agreed that 3:15 was not too bad. Raj was now falling behind due to cramps. At 31.65K, the final turn-around, I surged a little ahead of Amit, who was now stricken with ITB discomfort. The sun was beating down mercilessly and I acknowledged that this was by far the toughest marathon in the country. Bhasker Sharma with his superlative endurance had passed me by with 8K to go, commenting on my folly of not wearing a cap in this kind of heat.

At the 36K mark I was delirious with heat cramps and extreme exhaustion. A wave of dizziness hit me and I held on to the tent pole at the aid station. I grabbed a mug of water and poured it over my head. I hung in there with the determination, that despite my condition, I would finish in sub-4:45; it helps to set a fierce goal if you intend to drive yourself thru’ pain. Run like hell and get the agony over with.--Clarence DeMar

My calves were twitching now and each step jarred my quads like I was leaping off a ‘box jump’. The road was shimmering in the mirage created by the hot sun and my eyes were stinging with the glare. After an eternity of pounding trail, Mahesh came to fetch me and he threw up delusions of “only 800m to finish” - although I estimated it correctly to be 2K. It is because of him that we zipped at 5:45 pace in the last 2K and I managed my sub 4:45. You will find that if you dig deep enough there is always something to give.

I reached the finish line and was glad to see Ram, Bhasker, Ashok and Gautam, who had finished their half marathon and were kind enough to wait in the heat with no shade around. Amit and I cooled ourselves at a makeshift Jacuzzi at the finish, as we waited for Raj to come in. Well they all came in ie Raj, Sundar, Kavin, Dr Oak, Veera and Rahul. When the results were out, Madhu informed that I had placed third in the Men’ Veteran’ category. You can fight without ever winning, but never ever, win without a fight. --Rush (the Band)

I returned home with fond memories to reminisce when I lean back in my armchair, in the evening of my life. Living together even for a day, teaches you so much about a person that was hitherto hidden. I was had taken some "quiet time" out for myself and that is why people commented on Zico being "quiet and matured", when it came to describing each person from the group for their gregariousness or otherwise. This quiet contemplation helped me focus not only on my race but the issues troubling me. They are now resolved.

Shapes of ever size
Move behind my eyes
Doors behind my eyes
Bolted from within
Every drop of flame
Lights a candle in

Moon River

I've been slacking off this week. But maybe I needed it because I felt good when I lazed in bed on those days instead of going out for a run. I enjoyed the nagging ache in my legs, a remnant of the Amby Valley long run. As I drifted in and out from a dazed sleep state, Minoti kept asking me as to whether I was taking an off - I wish:-) Its just that she likes it when I am at home because somehow Dojo loves to lie down belly up and snooze next to me.

The run that I did yesterday and today made up for the slack. I managed a swift set of loops around the pond at Aarey and returned with a heaving chest. Today, I enjoyed the meetup with the group. There were new comers such as Melvin and Atul. However, most seemed to have commitments or were injured or, like Raj, had dragged themselves from a late night. The first loop at Aarey was nice with runners giving a thumbs up to each other on every U-turn. I was the sole guy that ended up doing a second loop. I enjoyed it for the opportunity to sort out my thoughts. The 21.4K that I did today was cathartic and I had my decisive moments for the issues plaguing me.

I am now feeling relaxed with a stiff "Ballatines" soothing frayed nerves and the soft strains of "Moon River". Dojo too seems to sense the mood for deep contemplation and celebration - especially since he heard Monsoon order "Lollipops" from the chinese take-away:-)

Moon River, wider than a mile,
I'm crossing you in style some day.
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,
wherever you're going I'm going your way.

Two drifters off to see the world.
There's such a lot of world to see.
We're after the same rainbow's end--
waiting 'round the bend,
my huckleberry friend,
Moon River and me.

The Number Mysteries

I finally got the Math book I had ordered. It is an interesting analysis of the world of numbers. The very first chapter deals in Prime numbers and asks as to why David Beckham chose a jersey with number 23 on it, at Real Madrid. The reason? You guessed it; 23 is Prime. The top players in Real Madrid have Prime numbers on their jerseys. The book is rightly recommended for ages 1 - 101:-) The book has a problem offered at the end of each chapter. A problem that has eluded a solution to mathematicians the world over. As if someone reading this book will find it. Well, you never know:-)

I went out for a run with the Aarey group with all the intentions of doing a 21K but I had to cut it short because I just could not work out a pace. I hope I can recover enough to do it tomorrow. The group of runners was just a few because many are on tour. Srinivas is in Chennai, Amit in France, Madhu in Himachal and Roshni in Pedong. I do hope the group grows in strength as the build up to the Mumbai Marathon gains excitement. I am sure the article in the Hindustan Times on our group will draw attention from the running fraternity in Mumbai. There have already been a few curious queries from runners that joined our group on RFL recently. I felt disappointment at the end of the run. But then, I have been so since the last few weeks.

KTM taper

The Kaveri Trail Marathon is round the corner and although I now need, as a seasoned marathoner, a taper of 2 weeks, I am still contemplating starting my taper 3 weeks before. The "Nirvana" run was a blast on the endurance front and the crowd of runners showed how much the group has grown over the last one year. I somehow miss my solitary long runs though.

I am in much better shape now, both physically and mentally. It has been a stressful two weeks. I am glad its behind me now and I can handle anything that' thrown at me now. The bright spots were the meetups with Bamoo and Russell. Nothing like a few tipples with good ol' buddies from your youth. There is the mail from Val and Mal urging that we do some pubs but then they too agree that the loud music gets to you after a while. Well, I cannot handle loud pubs and I don't understand the people that go there. I'd rather that the music was a soft jazz piano playing the blues.

After KTM, which I will run as a long run rather than race, there will be the Ultra in November and the Nike Run Club (NRC) too will begin. I guess I will to give a miss to the runs that the group plans in Amby Valley or elsewhere. I think it is better to mingle once in a while. Besides, I have to plan a trip to Mahabaleshwar with the family including Dojo. This will mean I have to give NRC a few misses but then I'd rather miss these for the family than for the runs. I have had my fill of fraternizing and its better that way. I have taken a break from work as I am feeling a little under the weather and listening to Bob Dylan seems like deja vu and is also making me feel good;

How many years can a mountain exist,
before it is washed to the sea?
How many years can some people exist,
before they're allowed to be free?
And how many times can a man turn his head,
and pretend that he just doesn't see?

The answer my friend is blowing in the wind,
the answer is blowing in the wind.

Nirvana run for the soul

It is important for me to draw parallels with a quote that defines our collective experience on Sunday (29th August); an august gathering (though we qualify for this adjective only by virtue of inhabiting a Masonic lodge) of passionate runners of varying ability, bound together by a common thread of “aim for the sky and you will at least land among the stars”.

The quote:
"It's elevating and humbling at the same time. Running along a beach at sunrise with no other footprints in the sand, you realize the vastness of creation, your own insignificant space in the plan, how tiny you really are, your own creatureliness and how much you owe to the supreme body, the God that brought all this beauty and harmony into being."
- Sister Marion Irvine, 2:51 PR and 1984 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier
The run was conceptualised, a recce led by Ashok, to draw up feasibility and logistics, and to put in km markers, and a detailed plan for transport, accommodation, meals, water-stations and safety, drawn up a with meticulous fervour that only a die-hard, selfless runner like Venkat can.

The bulk of our runners arrived the previous evening to a damp and dusky sky and a Spartan but clean abode reminiscent of a Scottish dwelling, complete with red-brick walls and a fire place. There were introductions followed by the usual banter and then an enthralling screening of the movie, “The Boston Marathon”. It left everyone with hope in their hearts – there were many in our midst aspiring to graduate to the full marathon; a daunting prospect. It portrayed people from regular walks of sedentary life, suddenly but surely elevated to the shocking realization that they had finished a marathon. The tears of joy and embraces that the worst was over and the achievement securing their positions, admittedly in the elite list of those that crossed the finish line in a 26 mile foot race, left us all determined to give our all to the long run that is the single most important ingredient in our training mix for the full monty.

A sumptuous dinner of chicken curry, vegetable, rice, bread, salad and bananas and we wound down for the day. Pre-dawn alarms rang with varying intensity, stirring everyone from their fitful sleep and even though I tried snuggling in bed, the sounds of ablution, murmurs of restive runners, tinkle of ceramic ware made me shrug of the quilt in resignation. Refreshed with a morning cuppa, we all started out in a drizzle from our start point. Runners like Raj, Allen, Kavin, Dr Oak and others that had set out that morning from Mumbai, started out a while later. The first 4Kms being a steep and winding slope hit our runners the hardest and such pre-warm-up palpitations brought on a fearful foreboding about their fate for the rest of the way. But it all turned out to be superlative.

Runners passed each other on the return leg cheering each other despite contending with their own exhaustion. Each runner emerged intermittently from a glorious medley of rolling wispy clouds, cool gushes of wind, flashes of green landscape, dark woods and the rain coming down in steel grey lances. The grey heavens pregnant with boundless rain and the black undulating asphalt disappearing into the mist brought an exciting mystery about running into the realms of the unknown – a long run is just that. Each foot strike caused a splatter from tiny puddles even as water run-off over the lips brought the taste of salt from your sweat. As we ate up mile after mile, each slap on asphalt brought pain that rose through the arch, ankles and shins. The water, bananas, Lucozade and jam sandwiches handed out by angels such as Malini, Vighnesh and Venkat’ chauffeur (I reserve my deepest respect for these selfless non-runners that stood hours in the rain and chill to hand out water to even the last runner) were received with gratitude by exhausted runners, running on pure mental strength. Along the way there were limps from low electrolyte cramps, sprained ankles, glycogen depletion, ITBS and plain exhaustion. But this carnival of pain dissipated in the chilling rain; in fact, it distilled each runner to his essence.

Each runner crossed the defined finish line to applause and high-fives and embraces. Steaming vada-pavs were handed out, from a wayside eatery to grateful hands and beaming smiles. All had come home, revelling in the deep satisfaction that - the long run puts the tiger in the cat. Several returned to the lodge to a breakfast of eggs and Poha and to plain put up their legs. Others had a longing to return home and relax. Monsoon and Bryan paid me a pleasant surprise by driving down to cheer me on but were hampered by a traffic jam in the Ghats. As I relaxed in the car, on the way back, sipping from my hip-flask, I mused as to how well our runners had trained this year to keep their endurance on a razor’ edge in preparation for SCMM, hitherto not experienced by many of them. As the buzz in my head made my eyelids droopy, I remembered another quote;

"There are people who have no bodies, only heads. And many athletes have no heads, only bodies. A champion is a man who has trained his body and his mind; who has learned to conquer pain for his own purposes. A great athlete is at peace with himself and at peace with the world; he has fulfilled himself. He envies nobody. - Coach Sam Dee - The Olympian

Ramblings

It has been a while since I blogged. There were too many things that took me by storm and I couldn't catch my breath. Last Sunday I had a nice long run. Nice, because I logged 31K after a long break in training for long runs. It was however, an exhausting and dehydrating run. By the end of it I had weak legs, a doddering pace and "postural hypotension". It took me all of 12 hrs to recover from it. I later analysed and discovered that I had suffered from "heat cramps". I researched on the topic and then formulated my own action plan to counter this in future; including an excel sheet to calculate sweat rates.

On the work front, I am deluged with new projects, product developments and forays in new markets. While this is a welcome change, I am apprehensive about being able to manage time. The intensity of travel will pick up shortly and I guess it will be back to living out of a suitcase.

I have ordered two books on Mathematics based on recommendations in "The Economist". The brief on these books states that they would interest even those that hated Math in school. I found their examples on application in everyday circumstances, rather intriguing. Besides, I thought it would add to the passion Bryan has developed for the subject. I now spend several evenings doing Math and Physics (both subjects that I love) with him, by solving difficult problems from Guide-books.

I am apprehensive about recent reports on a make-over for Aarey, ostensibly with a plan to develop an Eco-Park! I can only smirk at the thought of our state government being so concerned about the environment. The entire city is undergoing a degeneration in its civic, intellectual and social fabric and they now come up with a scheme that reeks of venality. I have started a silent campaign on my own and can only hope that God saves the space that I love.

Much of the last few weeks have been swallowed in introspection on rights and wrongs of social and behavioural attributes in people. I reached exhaustion on several occasion and wondered why I was burdening my already enervated psyche with these trivia. I thought it was worth it to save something and then I realised that all was "lost in translation" and I am better off now, with my conclusions. Indeed I feel better now:-) Last but not the least is the tipple I had with bum-chums, Bamoo and Russell, at "Prataps". It made life worthwhile as the haze of "signatures" made me mellow. When it all wore out, I was still convinced about my conclusions - so, it wasn't just the "buzz":-) Cheers!

i-Race

It was very heartening to note that a race that started out with just about 70 runners in its first edition was now 550 strong. As part of the organizing committee and more specifically responsible for "Marketing", I felt that the time would soon arrive when I would be able to get a sponsor without having to move around with a begging bowl.

The assembly area at the start was a buzz of activity as runners from several running groups all over Mumbai Hi-fived each other. I led my small band of runners to a warm up because the 10K is a race one ought not to run without loosening up. The start was on the hour and I held back this time because I didn't want the rush of lactate to burn me up as it did last time. Srinivas kept pace as he had announced that he was going to use me as his pacer. I heard footfalls behind him and noted that Raj too had decided to tag along.

We finished the first loop and had settled into a groove by now. I felt my breathing to be easy and my strides strong. I was however disappointed that my tippling habits had cost me a lot in terms of weight gain. I was prepared to finish a full minute later than my last race. As we ran up the incline in the 8th km, I felt my blood lactate accumulation reaching its limit. I was quite winded when I crested the hill at my pace. The final km saw Srinivas and Raj leave me behind as they had the gas to give a final kick to the race. A well executed 10K requires that you be able to give a sprint in the last 200m.

I finished in a time of 50:26 and felt saddened that I was slowing down:-( The camaraderie post race banished the blues as we exchanged notes and ate the frugal post run snack provided. I could perhaps rest on the assurance that those that had finished even 2 mins ahead of me, had a marathon time that was 30 mins to 60 mins slower than mine. But then, the kaveri Trail marathon is coming up and maybe these guys, based on our group runs at aarey, would finish ahead of me. Well, maybe and let them! I guess its their time and they are much younger than I am.

Happy feet

When I laced up for the group run at Aarey on Saturday, I wasn't feeling strong. However, when we started out as a group, I realized that I had not put in any speed work during the week and made a spot decision to try holding my marathon pace. As I shot forward and overtook the group, I smiled because I was sure that Amit or Kavin would definitely throw their hat in the ring. As it turned out, both of them as well as Bhasker, chased me.

We ran at tempo pace for the first 4K and then at the turn around point I decided to ease up. However, Kavin and Amit were still cruising ahead of me and seemed to be doing fine. The run up the hill was too taxing for me and I decided to shift gears a bit and conserve energy. We finished 10.7K in a time that was lower than any of our previous times. I was happy to abandon my plans to do two loops because just this one loop had given me the "buzz" I needed. Besides, Ashok and King were celebrating their birthday and had brought some snacks for the group runners. I didn't want to be late for the treat:-)

Sunday was spent mostly sleeping because I had kept up late to pick a friend from the airport and had then also woken up at 5am to go to the Nike Run Club. As I lazed in bed, I mused about my life and in the course of family discussions, I was quite taken aback when Bryan mentioned that he needs me around for his studies and that he cannot do without me. I told him that I had passed up many an opportunity for his sake and that, for this reason, he always features in my decisions. It was a happy moment for all which called for going to the multiplex to watch a movie. Dojo too began to scamper around with the mistaken impression that he too would be taken out:-)).

Lottery

I woke up at 3:45am because of an urgent desire to visit the washroom and being the insomniac that I am, I couldn't go back to sleep. I lay on my bed with the usual storm of thoughts whizzing thru' my mind. I felt low for no apparent reason and then I felt a wave of happiness wash over me as I thought of Bryan. I was scheduled to do some speedwork this morning but then I decided in the wee hours of the morn that I would skip this and instead drop Bryan to the bus-stop.

My world was at peace and I sank into a slumber only to be woken up by Bryan, who was pleasantly surprised to see me. He hates walking the 300m uphill to the bus-stop, half asleep and having to trudge with his heavy school bag. I shot out of bed and into the kitchen and with my years of experience in multi-tasking, prepared his chocolate drink, my own cuppa java and packed him some cheese sandwiches. I then rushed to do my daily ablutions and pull on my running shoes.

It was a cloudy and rainy day with an incessant drizzle as I stepped into the Aarey forest. I managed an easy 7K which, due to my inadequate sleep, made me pant a wee bit when I ended the run. I made a silent list of the things I needed to do at office based on the thoughts that had troubled me last night. My legs are still sore from the 20 miler I had done on Sunday, running from Goregaon to Nariman Point. Most people shake their heads in disbelief, wondering why in God' name do I wake up at dawn on a Sunday morning to flog myself:-) They do not understand the deep sense of accomplishment in running 20 miles and earning the right to enjoy a single malt while watching the rain drench the earth:-) Simple and small pleasures.

Introspection

After the hangover and after, as I recall the song, the ball is over, I remembered some lyrics that are apt for my life and the way I've lived it and would continue to live it.

I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadows
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all
Is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
______________________________________________
Regrets I've had a few
But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption

I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way

Yes there were times I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out, I faced it all
And I stood tall and did it my way

I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now as tears subside
I find it all so amusing

To think I did all that
And may I say not in a shy way
Oh no, oh no, not me
I did it my way

For what is a man what has he got
If not himself then he has not
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way

A birthday surprise

When I arrived at the start venue for our long run at Aarey in my car, little did I know that some of my runner pals had a surprise in store for me. I felt sheepish considering that I actually drove there so that I could carry the "Anjir" and "Chocolate Barfi" box/es. We were a group of about 20 runners and it felt especially good to run since it rained hard in the later part of the run. I finished an exhausting 21K with the same goddamn hypoglycemia surfacing. I gotta do something about it.

The surprise was that my good friend Raj went out of his way to bring a huge (eggless) cake with candles that wouldn't blow out:-) Oh it was really touching to have them sing "Happy Birthday" and talk about birthday bumps in the wet sludge. There was a lot of laughter and banter on races, training and running in general. There was this magnificent card made by Madhu, all of 2ft x 1ft and it was a veritable catalogue of my running life. She must have spent hours putting it together. As my runner friend Venkat said, "What more can one desire more that the love and affection showered by friends such as these". It was the best birthday I've had in a long time.

The evening was spent at the newly renovated "Sai Palace" with its gourmet cuisine and prices to match. I had Allen' family and Rajni join us. The Old Monk, mixed barbeque platters, biryanis, lasooni palak, rotis and dal maharani was enough to floor me when I plonked on the bed that night. I wondered how I would join Srinivas and Raj for a run the next morning. Well, I dragged myself out of bed and took a while to get my breath back. I then went out and reeled a 15K. Dan, the force is still with you and you've proved your point on your birthday - now just rest up ok?

New begining

I spent the weekend (which turned out to be pleasantly long, thanks to the "Bharat Bandh") catching up on mileage and deep introspection. I had a nice group run on Saturday with about 22 runners turning up enthusiastically for that elusive PB, which, they have been made to believe by me, will come if they train on the undulating and unforgiving route at the Aarey forest:-) I am convinced that all of them will surpass their own expectations in their next race - as long as they are consistent in training with this group.

Sunday was "lazing-in-bed day" because I woke up at 5:25am to the sound of a howling wind, the roar of a heavy downpour and the gurgle of water spouting from the flooding terrace - I live on the topmost floor. I contemplated all this on the comfort of our porta potty and then decided that I am better off going back to snooze. I knew that setting out in this rain would mean running mostly thru' ankle deep water at the many rivulets that form inside Aarey. It was a good decision because I slept like a log and woke up refreshed at 8am. I then went out and belted out a scorching tempo and came home to a standard Sunday morning breakfast; ham and eggs:-)

In all this I have been searching my mind and heart for a break from everything. I would like to start anew with many things. Most of this is of course, wishful thinking. I'd like to can the corporate career and do something on my own; something as simple as teaching math, physics and chemistry. I also need to take stock of all the things that perturb me and put them aside with a refreshing look at life from a different perspective. Over the last two years there are about five people that left the running group that I coach and I am surprised that they (except one, a woman, who displayed real decency) didn't feel the need to show common courtesy and say "Goodbye". Maybe a coach is not a "guru" that deserves respect but someone who gets paid to do a job:-) Well, no point in fuming over it all; just do some spring cleaning Dan - although autumn is round the corner.

Biting more than I can chew

I returned from travel last week and feeling lethargic, I decided to go to the Gym and pump up my delts. The next morning, and since I felt I was going thru' withdrawal symptoms, I ran about 12.5K. On Saturday, I joined the group for our weekend run at Aarey and did a 10.7K. I wished I could have done more but then I was slacking off on Saturdays a bit too often and didn't wish our HR guys booting me in the **s. I had a hearty lunch and just one large swig of "Glenlivet" before drifting off into a deep afternoon siesta. I woke up and whaddya know, I went out and did a 10K run. I must be losing it but then I felt superbly refreshed! A non-runner will frown and say, "This guy flogs himself with two 10K runs in one day and says he is refreshed??" Well, thats our world and only the running fraternity will understand:-)

I woke up on Sunday at 5am for a session at the NIKE RUN CLUB. It was a day on which I was to demo "Boot Camp" fitness routines to the people. I was a bit disoriented with my sleep deficit and exhaustion thru' flogging my body these last 48 hrs. I sat a while after making my cuppa java and was suddenly overcome with melancholy. I guess it was the sound of the teaspoon striking ceramic that triggered nostalgia. I remembered my times in Goa as a school kid, with my brothers, sisters and parents. I remember the early morning twitter of birds and the first rays of dawn lighting up our french windows. The sound of mummy' leisurely chores in the kitchen; the sound of copper pots, the squeak of the pulley on our well as she drew water, the funny sounding horn of the "Poder" (bread-man), the arguments with the milkman that he had added too much water to the milk delivered that day and the gentle purr of the cat at my feet. The same melancholy dragged me back to reality with recalling the recent internal squabble in one of my running groups; I seemed to have been drawn into an unseemly and internal controversy on "credits". I was affected by it and it took me a while to digest it.

The routine at NRC of which I partook, seemed to have enervated me completely. I woke up on Monday morning, thinking that I should go out for a recovery run and little did I know, how much two-a-days affect the body; I was brought to a grinding halt after just 2K into my 7K run. I felt humbled by this realization and decided to do a sensible thing; walk more than run the rest of the distance. I guess I also saved myself the ignominy of doubling up in extreme exhaustion, had I persisted with my usual but deplorable penchant for risk-taking. All in all a well "spent" weekend:-)

Ambivalent forerunners

We were four runners and it all began with a plan to do a recce of the route for a future group run in Lonavala, on the road leading to Amby Valley - and that' the origin of the title:-). So we piled into my car on Sunday and set out at 6am with our kit-bag comprising a change of clothes, towel, umbrella, electrolyte and of course, I carried my hip-flask for good measure:-) We stopped for a snack on the way because Amit complained about rumbles in his stomach. The snack was an expensive one costing Rs 20/- per Idli!! Well, it is the most expensive pre-run carboloading any of us had ever done.

We reached Bushy Dam and pulled into a wayside restaurant that offered pay-n-park. A quick check on water, belt-bag and vaseline, and we set out at a canter. As it turned out, the first four kms were a steep and winding climb; something like what you see when you do the Ghats on the Bombay-Goa road. While Amit and Raj seemed to float up this tortuous path, Ashok and I could barely shuffle even as we heard each other' raspy exhalations. I wondered whether, after the two loops at Aarey yesterday, I was set to disappoint the group. After an eternity the road levelled out a bit and I felt my "groove" set in. We were now running in wispy clouds that seemed to kiss the road and the adjoining meadows. The air that seemed to be below its "Dew-point" shed its cool moisture on our damp bodies; pure bliss suffusing our being, allowing us to shift gears a notch upwards. It was heavenly in every sense of the word. I quickened pace to catch up with Amit and Raj. We were now cruising along and the wayside eateries had hordes of girls and guys watching us in awe. I'm sure they had never seen people come to Lonavala to "torture" themselves, cause that' what they surely felt from the expressions on their faces. Raj' skimpy shorts elicited hoots from the girls as well as the guys:-)

After about 50 mins we stopped to allow Ashok to catch up so that we could check on his Garmin for the distance we'd done. He announced that we were at 8.16K and that was the plan; to do a loop of 16K and then allow runners to do it twice, if required. But our ultramarathonman, Amit had other plans:-) He coolly suggested, "Lets keep going and do at least 10K" and in a lower whisper to me, "Chalo, Amby Valley tuck jayenge":-) I gave him a looney look because AV measured 17K from where we started and he was certainly not suggesting that we do 34K! I realized he meant it when spotted an ST bus coming towards us and suggested, "Why don't we go up to AV and return in an ST bus?".

We reached what we thought was 10.15K but there was a lot of confusion as to whether Ashok' Garmin was accurate. We turned around now and the going was a lot easier. Amit and I were now flying at close to 5:15 mins/km and he seemed to quicken pace everytime he got an uphill:-) At one point, he turned and said, "I don't feel a thing and I can keep going for hours!". I had to agree because despite doing a close to tempo pace, my RPE was just 5, after 15K of running with steep uphills. We managed to shave off quite a few minutes on the return leg and met up again in the car park feeling as Arthur Lydiard puts it, "comfortably exhausted". A quick change of clothes and we settled in the restaurant to eat a breakfast of egg omlette, Poha and mixed bhajias.

On the way back, Raj stopped and brought back some beers to share with Amit and an Apple juice for Ashok. I emptied my hip flask into my "Gatorade" bottle, added some dilution and settled in. Time flew by with inane banter to the accompaniment of songs from Bee Gees, Eagles and finally R D Burman, to which Amit seemed to feel that, "Jaam mein dub gayi hai yaaron mere, jeevan ki har shaam". It was time to say "See ya" and shake hands a tad too vigorously, as each runner got off. All in all, a memorable (nay trancendental) run. Cheers!

Eyes wide awake

I drifted up from the depths of a slumber and seemed to hover just below the surface for a while. Finally, I broke thru' and was wide awake. The room was dark and quiet and I just heard the wind making a muted howl at the window. I turned to look at my watch and mouthed a silent entreaty, "God, please let it be 5am" but I had to muffle a groan as I saw it was 3:30am. Well, I would have to wait this one out:-)

At 5:30, after a stormy sesssion of thoughts and zilch sleep, the alarm beeped. I made Bryan his cup of chocolate milk and headed out the door. The rain was a steady drizzle and I did not spend too much time wondering how cold it would be, as I stepped out to get wet. The first two kms made it seem like I was doing fine and then suddenly, I felt this slowdown; as if my muscles were being restrained. I realized then that it was the lack of sleep and my HR was high because of it. I finished a loop of 11K and headed home for a hot cup of Tea and some chappatis. Today, I'm going to feel tired at work!

Thundering hooves

I rose this morning even before my alarm went off, to the pleasant pitter-patter of rain drops. A quick cuppa and I was out the door. In the lobby I met my neighbour and even as I assumed he was back from his walk, I noticed that his Tee was crisp and starched. I brooded this in my cloudy state of mind and realized that the guy was a wimp and had just turned back after deciding not to walk in the rain. I guess the newspaper and a hot chai was more attractive. I then thought that I have been a bit harsh in judging him. Afterall, not many want to walk or run in the rain and perhaps their point of view that eating hot Bhajjias and drinking chai is a better buzz, may be the view held by a saner populace.

I shook these thoughts off as I had a lot on my mind and rued their misfortune in not experiencing a buzz, by running in a forest when its raining hard. I saw a monkey that has made an appearance over the last one week. He was sitting quietly on a culvert with his eyes darting around. He watched me zip by and didn't respond with any aggression. He has seen me doing this and perhaps feels he is better off having no truck with me. I ran a bit longer than I had planned because it felt bloody good. I was able to analyse and corroborate, on the run, what I'd always believed in; in life, nothing is as it seems. With such a philososphy, you avoid "being had". I clip-clopped back to my start point and smiled at Sohanlal who was waiting for me. I'd forgotten that he wanted some money for his travel to his native. I called him over to my place, handed him the amount, turned and walked back to the elevator. The truth, even if you expect it, is always bitter.

Tough weekend

Watching world cup football and running back-2-back runs took my breath away. On Saturday morning, I met the group for a run at Aarey and with just 3 hrs of sleep, I felt even two loops was ambitious. In fact, it turned out to be so for me. I did a walk-run in the last 4K, including the hill climb. My blood sugar was extremely low and I must have looked pretty beat up because Srinivas exclaimed that I was looking pale! The post-run chit-chat was fun with jokes and anecdotes. We must have rested and talked for more than an hour.

On reaching home, I quickly ate a decent breakfast and tried to sleep. My HR was high and I felt extreme exhaustion. An hour later I woke up to hunger pangs, ate lunch and went back to sleep. I felt refreshed in the evening but then there was the meetup with Ryan and Malcolm, with family at Bandra gym. We had a fine time eating only meat from a "world cup" menu, comprising spare-ribs, beef chilly, mutton chops, lolyypops, chicken crispy, etc. The rum did a lot to prevent inflamation ( :-)) in my leg muscles. It must have worked because the next day' run was a cake-walk. I reached home at mid-night and was out like a light.

I woke up at 5am feeling like I had eaten rust; my mouth felt wooly and sour. I dragged myself off the bed and quickly made a cuppa java. I had to meet Raj at 5:45 at Goregaon. I was not sure whether I would be able to run at all. It was nice meeting a large group of runners at National Park. I started out with Apurba and soon realized that my legs had recovered enough for me to zip along. I don't know how this could be! Yesterday, I was completely beat up and there was no way I could run this fast today. Does alcohol really help recovery?? I hope not; I don't need anymore encouragement:-)

First rain

Its been an exceptionally hot and humid summer in Mumbai and although, I enjoyed brief respite in Germany, it was as bad in Paris. So, it was with a song in my heart that I woke up to, when I drew back the curtain and saw the rain coming down in steel grey lances. A dark overcast sky told that the drizzle would last a while.

I poured myself a cuppa java and brooded as I sipped it. I reviewed the last few months since the Mumbai Marathon and saw that I had a better time this summer, than last year. I even put in a fast marathon quite early in the season, for me. I laced up and stepped into the rain, feeling the cold drizzle on my face and back. The gentle shuffle that I break into at the start, served to warm me up quickly enough and stave off the chill I normally feel, when running in the rain.

The aarey forest was oh so green! It had that wet look, a cool dampness and a quiet stillness to it. There was the solitary walker that I pass and greetings were exchanged with smiles that seemed to imply that each could read the joy in the other' heart - joy that the summer heat has been quenched. My run was a canter that hardly caused a blip in my heart rate. I soaked in the lush surroundings as I went past more walkers who too had a spring to their stride. Even the strays seemed to enjoy as they playfully pranced around and jumped at each other in light-hearted wrestling match.

I returned home drenched and beaming, to be greeted by a yelp from Dojo. He too has been complaining in his own way; drinking frequently from the bowl that holds a metal tortoise, sleeping near the bathroom and promptly trotting into the bedroom when the AC is swtiched on. I sat on the floor and waited for Minoti to hand me another cuppa java. I silently wished I could add some "Jameson" to it and make it an Irish coffee. Well, the long run is going to be fun tomorrow, if the heavens open up - I pray they do.

Summer Holiday 2010

Monsoon, Bryan and I embarked on our vacation to Germany and France, with the first stop being Wurzburg where we were to run races ie Bryan and I. The flight itself was smooth because we were flying Luthhansa straight to Franfurt, a relief from changing flights at airports with long stop-overs. Visa formalities were a breeze as we all had travelled several times to Europe already. We took a train to Wurzburg, armed with our Eurail passes. The journey lasted just 80 mins and we were soon welcomed in one of the small family owned hotels. Our room was spacious with mother and son plonking themselves on the bed and directing father to the cot that was placed on the side as "additional bed for child":-) Well, I'm known not to be too particular about these luxuries, so I just plonk the lugguage and settle down with a can of "Guiness"; an insult to the Germans:-).

Wurzburg is a small town in Germany (so much like what John LeCarre described when I read the book as a teenager). It had those narrow cobble-stoned streets with sidewalk cafes and a serene river front. We strolled around in the town square and ate German sausages with hot chocolate, cafe mocha and of course "Wurzburger Hofbrau" beer. The marathon itself was an exciting event replete with German revelry and tradition. The race that we ran has already been described in the blog earlier.

Our next stop was Heidelberg, which was very breath-taking with its ancient castle and church spires and typical German homes with chimneys, sprawled all over the town. We took a boat cruise and enjoyed German cuisine, actually Monsoon and Bryan did, while I sipped on fresh German beer off a tap. The castle grounds reminded us of raging wars in Europe in the 15th century with knights in armour and tales of gallantry. I again brooded on all this while surreptitiously sipping "Kirsch" (a German schnapps) from a hip flask, which I'm sure was not allowed on the castle grounds. Our evenings were spent eating at a Vietnamese restaurant which was a big boon considering that the three of us cannot survive without rice for more than 3 - 4 days:-)

Our sojourn continued on the high-speed TGV (Train a Grand Vitesse)into Paris, from whence we made a panicky dash for the metro as we had a connecting train to Lyon from Paris, Gare de Lyon. We lost valuable time in trying to figure out the ticket vending machines and gave up to settle alongside people standing in a queue to purchase tickets from a woman at a window. We made it in time and settled into our seats as we waited for our heart rate to settle too. The arrival in Lyon whilst initially less interesting than Heidelberg, we were soon to discover the bustling city centre and French Joie de Vivre. Lyon is supposed to be the food capital of the world with its delectable cuisine and choice wines but we rice eaters were not too impressed as we again discovered a Lebanese joint that served us rice with showarma:-) Bryan was particularly thrilled as he states, "I can eat Doner Kebab all year round!" and I of course find wine tastes like piss (yes I actually drank it once:-)). Our visit to the Basilica of Fuviere was very fortuitous because we ran into, what we believe was a God send, a nun who apparently grew up at Takhshila in Andheri(E), a stones throw away from our appartment! She showed us around the Basilica that was built to commemorate our Lady for her miraculous help in saving Lyon from the Plague and two wars. It seems the feast is celebrated on the 8th of Dec and entire Lyon is lit up with tiny lights; a sight I am sure I would like to see once, in the future.

The next stop was the very purpose of our vacation; to visit the shrine at Lourdes. We reached Lourdes late evening at 10:30pm and hurried to the shrine as we were to leave the next day by the train at 11:15am for Paris. We were blessed to hear mass at the grotto of Mother Mary; the place where she appeared to Bernadette. It was serene and peaceful and I felt stress drain out from my body as I prayed in quite contemplation. The next day being Sunday was even better because we were able to attend mass said by an Irish priest, in English, at a chapel on the grounds of the shrine. Our visit was deemed absolutely successful, in that, we were able to collect souvenirs of our lady' medallions, rosaries and water from the "water-way", besides of course the good fortune of two masses.

The journey to Paris was most exhausting because we were hurtling along at 300 kms/hr for 6 hrs in the TGV. Paris was not new to us as the three of us had visited the city in 2003. We had the feeling of deja vu as we visited the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. The highlight was the Thai restaurant that we ate dinner at in the evenings, like starved souls:-) I had my last fill of German and french beers before we said "Au Revoir". A nice holiday in Germany and France. My plan is now to run a marathon in Edinburg, Scotland because I can see the course wind thru' streets where wayside bars are shown serving scotch. According to Bryan, I will abandon course to stop over for a "Single Malt". The young lad really knows his dad:-)

Wurzburg

I am not sure what it is that helped me achieve a great timing. I can only assume it was the strength training I was regular with. The Wurzburg Marathon in Germany was an unforgetable race for the power I felt in every stride, even though I experience the pain that I do in every earlier marathon. It is also a special marathon because Bryan did his first 10K race (actually 10.55K) and finished within a minute of my crossing the finish line. His race started 3 hrs after mine and whereas I took 4 hrs for my full marathon, Bryan took a little over an hr and hence we met each other with 700m to go! It was an emotional experience for me.

I threw caution to the winds and quaffed some beers, unable to abstain from relishing the bitter-sweet after taste of the local ambrosia, the colour of sunset. The marathon expo itself was an exciting event with a percussion band in full Brazilian regalia, thumping a beat that got you to tap your feet.

I collected my bib and looked out for a race for Bryan but there was just the 3K for 8 – 12 year olds and the 10.55K for those above 16. Bryan was not yet 15 and I had to approach the organizers for special permission and after much deliberation they consented provided I sign a special disclaimer. This got Monsoon worried as Bryan had never done a 10.55K race. I counselled Bryan on pacing and an article in the “Distance Runner” copy that was handed with my goodie bag, almost played spoilsport; it warned of “Sudden Death”, a phenomenon well known in distance running. This enhanced the anxiety of father, mother and much to the chagrin of Bryan, the son.

I went to the race start and squatted on the floor in the enclosure that held the runner’ bags. I brooded about my race plan; I had none. I had only checked on the net as to what pace I would have to run for a 3:59. I had put in none of the statutory 20 milers in the last 7 weeks before this event. In fact, most of my long runs of 22 – 26K were finished in a wasted condition. I visited the washroom for a final leak and went to my coral. It said, “Full Marathon 3:30 – 4:00”. I looked at the man carrying a balloon with 3:59 written on it and placed myself about 10m in front of him.

The count down started with a “zen, neun, acht………drie, zwei und” and the Samba went “Bhuppa Bhuppa bhup…….”. The runners were now dancing in place to this contagious rhythm and I was off with “show time Dan!” after crossing myself. I went thru the 5K mark in 28:23 and watched my RPE for signs of distress; there were none. I crossed 10K in 56:28 and wished Ashok well for his 10K race in Bangalore, next Sunday. I then didn’t bother to look at my watch until the first half marathon. As I crossed the 18K mark I was thrilled to note that a wayside band was playing “Proud Mary” – I grew up on this tune and could have stopped to do a jiggle step I crossed the first half marathon in 1:58: 35.

I was on pace now and suddenly found that almost 60% of the 6000 runners had turned in for the half marathon finish. I was now following just three runners, with my attention focussed on “Anne”, who looked lean and reminded me of Ann Trason. I felt that if I followed her, she would lead me to a 3:59; it was a good decision. I realized at the 25K mark that fatigue was setting in. You can tell this if you have been listening to your body in races. At the 27K mark I saw a guy lean against a tree and thought he was stretching his calves but then he turned around, placed his back against its trunk and sank to the ground. He had thrown in the towel.

I now was focussed on just reaching the 30s where I had to come face to face with my fate. I cruised threw 30K in 2:49: 43 and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Anne was now 100m in the lead  I reached 32K in 3:01:07 and knew a sub 4 was just about possible – but would my reserves last? I felt the pain setting in as always as also the raspy breath that indicates the going will be tough I bit my lips and kept my foot strikes even for what I felt was my target pace. I dare not look at my watch now. The pain was now unbearable and I kept asking myself as to why I always insist on “racing” a marathon. There was no time to answer the question. I had felt a sense of elation at 35K as I realized that “3:59 balloonwalla” had not yet overtaken me. This meant I was still on pace. I had now reeled in “Anne” by the 39K mark and left her behind.

At the 40K mark, I found the pain and my breath was causing a roar in my ears. Then I heard the same band and this time they must be bloody joking; they were playing “Ballad of John and Yoko” How very apt!!
Christ you know it ain’t easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They’re gonna crucify me

As luck would have it, the balloonwala overtook me at the 41st km. I realized that if I did not keep pace with him my sub 4 would evaporate. I tried but my legs would not respond. I met Bryan at the 41.5K mark and felt emotion overtake me. He had made it in this race and his performance was more commendable then mine. He was underage for this distance and he had done it! I cruised through the finish in 4:00:43. I tried hard but the sub 4 was elusive. But then I had run the race of my life; there was nothing more for me to give. I was completely exhausted. Bryan came thru’ about a minute after me and we embraced even as we saw smiles from families around, nodding understanding. Aufweidersehen Wurzburg!

Crap Taper

I have a race coming up and have one of the worst tapers in the offing. I was on tour to Vijaywada for five days wherein, besides not running a single km, I suffered the debilitating effects of food poisoning and I tried to kill the virus with alcohol:-) I seem to be incorrigible on this front wherein I throw caution to the winds. Well, I am not sure why it happens and have stopped caring too much about it.

I thought I would then make up for it all by putting in a 20 miler at the National Park group run but as luck would have it, the weather played spoilsport and it was the worst 22K I had ever done; I was completely sapped. Imagine doing 22K in the taper week. How in God' name am I going to have a "cutting edge" to my training? I seemed to be doing well in the Aarey group runs until the humidity and heat took away the 20 milers that I relished.

Two weeks to go and I hope to do a medium long run mid-week to provide some semblance of endurance and race preparation. I am in the dark about race plans and strategy on this one but as usual, I'll play it by ear. Cheer up Dan.

Revelations

I wrapped up things a little early at work and as I headed home, I realized that it would be a while before the sun sets; enough time to put in a short run. I needed it to clear the cobwebs in my mind. As I wore my shoes, Dojo sulked and growled disapproval. Minoti gaped in awe and smiled at this dsiplay of emotion and exclaimed, "He is protesting! Look he understands!" Of course he does; dogs have keener emotions than humans and display them without inhibitions.

I began hesitantly with a shuffle because this was a "two-a-day" run and I don't want to exhaust myself, especially in this hot weather. As I found a little strength to my stride while crossing New Zealand Hostel, I mused about the vagaries of my business group and the undulating graph of revenue, very much similar to the course I was running. When its down the difficulty in facing board members is trying, to say the least. There comes a certain deeper sense of responsibility as an SBU head and this revelation stops you cold and makes you ponder. The lives and ambitions and families of the people working with you are dependent on your performance. Cash flows are required to pay duties and taxes and expenses and yes, salaries. It is fine when companies have cash flows that are in excess of these requirements; but, when it dries up, the real crunch and hollow fear sets in. I am glad I experienced the worst of this last year and was at the helm to understand how difficult it is. The forthcoming board meeting is going to be stressful - like it is for all who are at the receiving end. Fortunately, I have rounded up the year with a y-o-y growth that should be commendable.

I was now on my return leg of the loop and had fallen into a groove. I felt lighter as I pondered other revelations. Those on my running sites, that display puerile antics: solicitations, fake IDs, sabotage, one-upmanship, cheerleading, misleading posts on profiles etc. I am saddened by it all. I am sure all of this requires a lot of time and it amazes me that there are people with such "disposable" time. I learnt very early that jibes should be met with plain silence and blatant confrontation with fitting rejoinders. I miss my runner friend Mahesh; not because of the eulogies he utters in sychronous strides but because of his simple minded nature and humility. I am above flattery and even as I reach the end of my run, I recall Fermino' joke that evinced guffaws, some 30 years ago. We used to play carrom at the Goan Institute, more popularly known then as "Hall". Fermino commented mid-game saying, "Gordon is the second best player in the Hall". To this there was admiration, dejection, anger and hope in varying proportions in the rest of us, as we waited with bated breath to learn of who would be named "first best". When we heard Fermino say, "First best is rest of the "Hall"", there was an explosion of laughter and relief. Well, I learnt my lessons then and take any compliments with guarded modesty. You never know who is going to be "first best" :-)

I reached home and lay spread-eagled on the floor much to Dojo' joy of seeing I'd returned in an hour. He came over and flopped on the floor next to me, hugging his body as close as possible. I tickled him on his belly and smiled as I realized that I'd sorted out a lot on my mind. It was time to take a break cause I am tired now. With renewed vigour I set about my other pending tasks. Time to wrap it all up.

Sapped to the core!

It is important to emphasize the "core" in the subject because it is "core temperature" that did us all in today, in our medium long run. There were just 9 runners and we already had our Tee-shirts stuck to our back as we assembled and greeted each other at 6am. My legs felt stiff from the previous two days' consecutive workouts.

While coming in for the finish in the first loop itself, I realized, as I saw everyone reduced to a shuffle, that doing the second loop would be like finishing a 20 miler. I took in some water, ate a date and gestured that we should begin the next loop. Even as I covered 1K, I realized that, had I been alone, I would have returned from New Zealand Hostel, a meager 3K loop. But then, what is this group for, if not for goading each other to "over-reach" in our training?

When we reached the half way point in this second loop, I saw exhaustion writ large on Amit, Srinivas, Mahesh and of course, must have been on my face too. We stopped at the temple and poured cold water on our heads and joked that we were deceiving the body' thermostat, situated in the hypothalamus:-)) Mahesh and Amit had a good cackle on that one. Physiologically it is true that we did just that because the brain gets tricked into thinking that the core temperature has gone down. I told Srinivas that I need to walk and he was amazing in his "soft-voiced motivational pushes". He said, "At least lets jog to the base of the hill Dan" and I found new energy (there is always a reserve that we do not tap into) as we trudged on.

We stopped and drank some cold milk from a store at the bottom of the hill and I told these guys thru' gasps that I am done! Then Srinivas, the Psychiatrist, steps over to me and says, "Dan, lets just shuffle up this hill and then its down hill again - and you are the best at downhill running because of your quads:-))". I smiled and gave in and lo and behold, I reached the crest. My heart was now doing crazy things inside my chest as we sprinted down for about 500m and then Srinivas sees my absolute exhaustion and says, "Lets just jog up to where that man is standing" and I shake my head because I am going to collapse. However, as I said, there is always more that we can give and I did just that and then we were thru' and they (Mahesh andn Srinivas) zipped ahead like milers the last 600m while I was content doing what I felt was temo pace - where the hell did that muscle fiber recruitment come from!!

I will remember this run forever because I experienced something I have not experienced before - a mind-body connection in which the switch can be flipped either way - depending on how you train it. In conclusion, this blog is not complete without mentioning the deep bond I have with my Aarey runners like Mahesh. My mother is in hospital and he calls me up in Ludhiana to say that since I am travelling, he can easily make himself available for any running around that may be required, at the hospital. It stirs something inside you - truly like a blood brother - thank you my friend. Gotta rush to office and then do a beer at home, before I sink on the couch for a much needed nap.

Sukhna Lake

It was one of those business tours that I dread because I get hit by several double whammys. The tour was to north India and the weather is oven hot. I did a road journey from Chandigarh to Patiala and then to Ludhiana, on the first day, arriving my hotel at 10pm. The next day was spent meeting customers with long waits in reception rooms. The third day was the worst with a journey from Ludhiana to Kathua (near Jammu) and then to Chandigarh; a total travel time of 13 hrs! Then there is the rich Punjabi food and the endless rounds of "cheers" in the evenings. All of these calories that I load on the inside and the calories from the hot weather outside, play havoc with metabolism; end result? Blubber!

The fourth and final day was a respite because a runner from Chandigarh encouraged me to run at a place that I was sceptical about, at first - Sukhna Lake. However, when I reached the spot at 5:45am, I was amazed at the sight; it was a serene lake set in a valley and a soft runners' mud-track went thru' wooded gardens. What was even more surprising was that the chandigarh administration had thoughtfully provided drinking water fountains every one km. And then there was the pleasantly surprising early morning cool nip in the air that made it seem like the track was air-conditioned. I ended up doing a zippy 12K followed by an unscheduled 8K walk back to the hotel. At least that got some of the blubber to melt:-)

On my way back home, I pondered my life and the inherent push-pulls of work and family. I came up with a plan to spend as much of my time teaching Bryan, as is possible. I feel that it will add meaning to my life, besides running, and allow me to enjoy the subjects that I once loved; chemistry, physics and trignometry. I have a lot on my plate this year, in terms of my work assignments, travel, running and of course, the time I have to make for the NIKE Run Club. I ought to take each day at a time and not wallow in the maelstrom of commitments. I also need to focus inwards even more now. Well, first let me look forward to the vacation I have scheduled with another international marathon on the cards. I have not done a single predicted-marathon-pace workout because the weather will not permit me to do one. Lets play it by ear - as usual:-)

Summer Capers

On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow.
Friedrich Nietzsche

I woke up to see the grey dawn and checked my "inner GPS" and it said, "You are going to get wasted today, Dan!" and so it was to be. I received further confirmation when I felt like lying down a wee bit after drinking some diluted juice. I had to force myself off the bed when I realized that Srinivas would be waiting for me. This was a long run with a group that has grown; we expected 26 runners today.

There were 22 runners when I reached the assembly point and it was a cheerful group that cocked a snoot at the suffocating heat and humidity that pervaded the Aarey forest. There was a group pic and then we shuffled off down the road, each wondering as to when they would throw in the towel. I was miserable from the start as I felt a dull ache all over from the strenuous strength workout I had pushed myself thru' yesterday. I was now certain that I would not be able to do the target 3 loops of 10.7K - it would be sheer lunacy - well not really:-)

Mahesh caught up with me on my second loop and smiled as he boasted, "Mein ne socha tha ke ek loop karun to bahut ho gaya, lekin upke saat daud ke mujhe be dekhna hai ke kitna kar sakta hun, aaj" I could only grunt at this compliment, too petrified to inform him that the mere prospect of holding a conversation with him was taking my breath away :-) Well, many of us did the compulsory two loops and I reached last because I was, well - wasted! They were all happily immersed in deep camaraderie and eating the sprout salad thoughtfully provided by Rajesh, thinking that if Dan is not doing 3 loops, lets call it a day. Well, I am only the excuse - they were well and truly wasted too!!

I took in some fluid and back slapped guys that were perched on a parapet saying, "Get up guys we are doing 5K now". I could see the misery and yet the embarassment of refusing me:-)) They dragged themselves ie Srinivas, Amit J, Mahesh (the eager beaver for Daniel Sir!) and Rajesh, who would have said, "Over my dead body", about throwing in the towel. We staggered and shuffled as I took them thru' a loop of 5K and then they added a spring to their stride when they saw that Pravin and Ashok were going to take pics - no one wants to look like they are walking! And then we reached the finish to gasps and "Oh God!" refrains:-) Such is the hard to find alloy called guts, that they discovered is what makes a true marathoner! Freidrich Nietzche' quote is apt - very apt - they'll find the "truth" when they race:-)

Sunrise sunset.....

Sunrise sunset, quickly goes the day.......
When did he get to be so handsome
when did he grow to be so tall
wasn't it yesterday when he was small

I had to recall "Fiddler on the roof" again because it has now really hit me hard - that Bryan has grown. In the last six months he has added about 6 inches to his height. He looms taller than Monsoon and I actually look foward to the day, he looms over me - physically and stature-wise!

I recall, it wasn't long ago, that I stood in the queue at "Rajhans Balvatika" to pay Bryan' fees for his Jr KG and now he is in Xth std! He has replies like, "For Chrissake, I'm not a kid Mama!", when he is told to take Minoti along to the bus-stop:-) - on days when I want to go for a longer run. The only nice thing is that he consults me for tips on building "abs" and about how many "assisted" push-ups he needs to do before he goes on to the std push-up.

I stepped out the door for my run today with guilt feelings about not dropping Bryan to the bus-stop. However, I told myself that I had been doing if for more than 10 yrs now and I can do with the break. Don't you think 10 years is a big sacrifice? Well, I never thought it as such cause I enjoyed each and every moment.

I met Rajesh during my run and the entire 1 hour duration was taken in a discourse on kinesiology and biomechanics. Rajesh is studying to be a Personal Trainer and took this opportunity to get his "fundas" cleared - the only problem was that I was constantly gasping for breath:-) Well, ok - it wasn't that bad:-) I'm glad to be back from business tour and look forward to meeting up with the large group of runners that will join me on Saturday at Aarey. Gotta think about a name for the group like Kingshuk wants us to.

In the long run

It was, by far, the most enjoyable long run I've had so far. I wonder how it all fell in place these past few weeks. I think, that at this rate we will all end up, as a group, making each other strong marathoners. The only words that came to mind when I realized my love for running were;

I used to hurry a lot, I used to worry a lot
I used to stay out till the break of day
Oh, that didn't get it,
It was high time I quit it
I just couldn't carry on that way
Oh, I did some damage, I know it's true
Didn't know I was so lonely , till I found you
You can go the distance
We'll find out in the long run

The day began with a "beep" penetrating the Beta - waves sleep and I had to wake up with deep reluctance and a grumble. I sat and "listened" as is my wont and found out that I was not really up to the long run that we'd planned today. I was thankful for the off-day I took from running, yesterday or else I would have been even more miserable. Anyways, I had to meet the group of runners that were raring to go for this long run.

We began our run and there were 13 of us and a few dropped out after the first loop of 10.7K. Rajesh, who had paced up quickly, decided to call it a day, after the 2nd loop. I thought as much cause the heat and humidity cannot sustain going out too fast for a long run. The steep hill took everything out of us and then there was just Mahesh, Srinivas, Amit, Sohanlal and me for the full 20 miler, while Ashok was spurred on to do his first 25K. Oh God! the third loop was a killer and I could see our star marathoner, Mahesh struggling. He kept telling me, "were it not for you Daniel Sir, I would have given up after 2 loops". I told him what I tell my runner friends, "learn to overcome fatigue in training and your race will be a "winner"".

The steep hill on the third loop with the heat and humidity and the Tee sticking to my body, was a real killer. I could just about give everything I had to keep Srinivas about 10m ahead of me, within my sight. I had a brief moment of vertigo (about 2 secs) due to low blood sugar, at the crest of the hill. Then, we were thru' :-))))))), Oh heavens! It felt so super to run the last 1.5K to the finish, it was like a real "race"! There was the applause from the others that were in awe at the fact that we actually did it. This is because there was exhaustion on each and every face after the 2nd loop and going for a third one was - well - a looney idea! I reached home and was achy all day long. The single "Carlsberg" beer I had in the afternoon felt like ambrosia:-)