Mixed marriages

I was one of a close group of friends of the bride' father, that was invited to a "sangeet ceremony" at "Saffron Spice". The wedding, which is scheduled for 30th is between a Bengali Hindu and a Catholic. I suspect my invitation had something to do with providing reassurance to the couple that " it can be done":-) I was informed by my friend, Aniruddh, that he frequently cited my case when he had discussions with the boy' parents about going ahead with the marriage. It was a nice evening with bollywood dance by the girl' relatives and some western jiving by the boy' people - a hilarious attempt to highlight fusion:-)

I managed to nurse the appertiff as a courtesy and also ate just enough to ensure my digestive system feels relaxed. I woke up feeling refreshed and went out for what I thought should be a recovery run. After my difficulty with my speedwork yesterday, I was prepared for a shuffle-cum-walk. I realised after just 1 km that I had a strength in my stride that surprised me. I went on to complete 8.2K at a brisk pace and even had enough time for some strength training. So what was it that caused me to feel strong and fresh this morning?? The search never ends:-)

Its raining parties

As soon as I'd set off at a shuffle to warm up before the speed workout that I'd assigned myself today, I could tell that it wasn't going to go off well. I felt the heaviness in my calves and my RPE would not recede as its supposed to, once the circulatory system has been kick-started. I set off at a VO2 max pace and ended up doing only 4 reps ie 2 reps shy of my target. I also finished each rep in a time that was rather disappointing but not surprising. It could be that I had not recovered from the 2-a-day (I seem to be over-doing this concept that is reserved for high mileage runners:-)) that I'd done on Saturday and the workout I'd done at NRC yesterday. I wasn't too disappointed as I still ended up stoking the fires in my mitochondria with that speed workout that produced a lactate burn. In comparison, my runner friend Venkat, who had similar misgivings, seemed to end up with a PB for the target distance he ran. Is it that he has yet to learn the art of listening close to his body or was he misled by the typical sluggishness that is not uncommon before one finds their "second wind"?

I have a rather busy week with three parties, one wedding reception and of course the new year celebrations. I have to find a way to shed the extra weight that I am certainly going to put on. I also have to find a way to do my long run on Saturday. It will be the last long run before the count down to SCMM. I wonder what kind of taper I should do, considering that my unconventional method applied pre-Istanbul had produced some remarkable results. I have to be careful though, because the heat at SCMM is the most significant factor in race plan and strategy.

Christmas cheer

I finally managed to get away a little earlier from work on christmas eve and get things done around the house. Midnight mass and the homily served to be thought provoking. The priest evoked a sense of deep contemplation in the congregation by emphasizing that tis the season for giving and not just merry making. He spoke about empathy and about just being there for people that need us - not in terms of financial or material help - but in terms of laying a shoulder to cry on.

I had put in a decent long run that morning fully realizing that I would not be able to do it anytime later in the week; christmas celebrations are rather unkind to our physiology:-) I was surprised that with just 4 days of abstinence (that I diligently forced myself to do) I had an RPE of 5 after the run. It means the liver smiles when it is not burdened with the task of processing spirits:-)

Christmas day was spent in replying numerous sms wishes, visiting my folks and mother, handing out gifts and a delicious lunch and dinner with a generous helping of appertiffs - making up for the abstinence Dan? I must remember to add to my "giving" list, a donation to Mother Teresa' home - a breakfast or lunch for all the inmates, both, at the one in Vile Parle as well as the one in Borivali. I must not forget the biscuits that I promised the strays in Aarey Colony, which will work out to be a few 10s of kilos. Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me this new year 2010.

Jackdaws

I have been glued to this novel by Jack Higgins which tells a story of six "brave heart" women that are parachuted down to France to blow up a telephone exchange that is a nerve centre for communication for the Nazis, between France and Germany. They are led by this extremely intelligent and gutsy woman named Felicity. She hand picks 5 women from common walks of life in London. The prerequisite being that they speak french and must each have a required function ie one is a telephone engineer, one a crack shot, one has handled explosives etc. They are all given a crash course in subversion, in two days!

As I went for a leisurely recovery run cum warm up cum strength training work out, I thought of Felicity and how she displayed "courage under fire" and resourcefulness. She has so many personal trials and professional commitments to deal with, and so little time; yet, she plans meticulously, evaluates situations, keeps her emotions under check, displays fortitude and faces the most dangerous and trying assignment with guts and gumption. I liken my current situation of being swamped with so much seeming adversity, to what Felicity was faced with - though hers was life threatening.

As I arrived at work, I was clouded in gloom but a thought provoking story, mailed by a close friend, followed up with some stock taking and a reasonably satisfactory review helped me to cheer up. I felt sprightly and jaunty as I took on some tasks that were long pending and needed my attention. It is amazing as to how a mind that is caught up in a depressive mood, can forget to attend to one' own basic priorities. It is only after my spirits lifted that it suddenly occured to me that I need to do this or that and OMG, how could I forget that:-) Lessons learnt and now I must banish all negative thoughts cause after all.......

This is Christmas season so there isn't any reason
we can't dance the christmas polka
Hear the sleighbells ringin', everybody singin'
and dancin' the christmas polka
Christmas trees and holly make everyone so jolly
and love just fills the air.........

That hammered feeling

The past week has been a tornado. I left for Delhi on Monday and thence to Hisar in Haryana, road. We then travelled a total of 1100kms in 4 days, covering Patiala, Ludhiana and back to Delhi. The weather was nice and the food was absolutely delicious, but the work pressure offset it all. I was not able to do any of my workouts as I am loathe to run in temperatures that are sub 15 deg C:-) The copious food and rum added to the obnoxious conditions necessary to plummet endurance.

I returned on Friday and decided to attempt my very first "2-a-days" equivalent. I went for a gentle run (a run-walk actually) of 14K on Friday at about 4:30pm. I came back feeling refreshed and ridding myself of guilt pangs for living the good life these past few days. The evening was spent at a lavish wedding with the glitterati (including Azim Premji, J J Irani, Keki Dadiseth, Anand Mahindra, Soni Razdan, Dolly Thakore et al) The delectable spread of food and wine was enough to send one dizzying without even tasting it.

I now have to figure out the absolutely daring that I mustered to set my wake up call on Saturday to do a long run. The debilitating precursors; a hard work out within 16 hours of another, Scotch whisky enough to rattle the liver, food and desserts that are confined to the category of extravagant, blubber that shows no sign of receding and sleep deficit thats making me a zombie. So, I go out on this run and attempt 31K and whaddya know; I stagger the last 10K like a doddering, foggy, consumed by age-related dementia, old man, listlessly reaching home to flop on the floor as if I'd just crossed the sahara without water:-)

I felt the effects of that run for a few hours and I had the misfortune to contract a virus that gave me the runs, when I, in a fit of low blood sugar, ate a meal of fried rice at the "Desi Deli" at Hyper City. I moaned and groaned, writhing in agony at the demon that seemed to be devouring my GI tract. The net effect was that the total calorie deficit due to 2 long runs in 16 hrs and the lack of appetite owing to the diarhoea, caused me to lose all the weight I'd put on thus far:-)) Not bad, not bad at all.

Of masters runners and failed time trials

Last week was a stacked schedule for me, with travel and commitments to Bryan and NRC. I was compelled to treat it as a "recovery" week on the running front. I was able to squeeze in some gentle 6Ks and thought I'd do a 10K time trial on Friday evening, in Coimbatore. Friday, because I wanted to have this run in place before the tippling sessions begin with my sales group.

I dressed for my run and stepped out of the Coimbatore Cosmopolitan Club, onto the "race course" (a 2.5K track thoughtfully provided by the municipal corp) to do a brief warm up. I am not sure whether the warm up was inadequate or whether my legs were still in recovery mode, but I found that as I zipped off, my legs suddenly started going dead. I held on to the scorcing 10K pace but had to ease off after just 1 km, throwing in the towel. I didn't allow myself to feel too bad about it as I told myself that this was recovery week, afterall. I just cruised thru' a gentle 5K and went to a sand pit where some local guys do strength training.

I met an old gentleman, who I recalled maybe touching 65 now. He and another guy are regulars and I have known them to be fighting fit even at this age. In fact they participate in the national masters athletics. The ol' chap came over and spoke in broken english monosyllables. He indicated his knees and said, "pain!" and grimaced. I asked him whether it was just one knee to which he replied in the affirmative. I realised it was ITBS and asked him to do a stretch which would confirm my suspicions. He winced as he felt the expected shooting pain as he did the stretch and smiled in amazement. I then gave him some strength and stretch routines to rehab the injury. He must have felt better because he pumped my hand and spoke some Tamil words. I think I just made him my "student":-))

On Sunday, the NRC had organized a press meet and it was kinda intimidating to address so many journalists. This was at the request of Nike because they wanted me to talk technical on the subject, although the lead coach, Melvin, is trained by NIS, but probably not articulate enough. Bryan watched on the sidelines in silent wonder and had a shy smile when he had his pic taken while doing some stretch routines, for a photo op. We enjoyed the experience and returned home to well-earned double half-fried eggs:-)

Weighty issues

I have put on some blubber; a result of enjoying my evening appertif and an overdose of carbo-loading:-) While, I can see that the effect is definitely deleterious on my endurance, I am told by my friends that it makes me look better (than the perennial emaciated look). I had consciously refrained from indulging myself on weekdays before I left for Istanbul; but, I now seem to relish, everyday, the relaxing stupor that a "small one" brings on, when I put my legs up on a "mudhaa" and tickle Dojo under the chin. I guess I will either have to cut back on fattening cuisine ( read roast pork, fried rawas and mutton shakuti) or add more mileage to my weekly runs. The later seems unlikely, given my already stacked up schedule.

The effect of some sleep deficit compounded by the weight of blubber seemed to show in my speed workout today. I was clocking 7 secs more in my 1000m repeats - a bloody depressing realization! I brooded the possibility of returning to pre-Istanbul abstention but found the prospect even more depressing. I need the buzz to blunt the effect of stress on the work front. I will resign myself to slower times in the Mumbai Marathon rather than endure the withdrawal symptoms of weekday abstention:-)

Sounds of Silence

The weekend was quite a packed schedule for me. I put in a decent long run by waking up a bit earlier than usual for me and then hurried home to wash up and scurry to office. What a life! I really wish I had saturdays off but then I can only wish:-) Anyways, I returned from work at about 2:45pm to relax with a glass of "Ouzo" and a lunch comprising fried fish. I managed to catch some "shut-eye" and planned to take Bryan out to his favorite chinese restaurant, "Mainland China".

The food at MC was very delectable and nearly authentic chinese; though, the prices are quite steep. I enjoyed two large pegs of "Old Monk" and could have purchased 2 bottles for the price they charged me:-) The drive back was relaxing yet a wee bit filled with anxiety, lest I be caught by some breathalizer wielding cops.

Next morning I rose at 4:30am to go to the "Nike Run Club" and I could hug my boy Bryan for waking up this early on a sunday morning to do a workout. It is indeed commendable for a 14 yr old to do this and gets full marks from me on this account. NRC was real good this time as there were a lot of beginners and I was able to introduce, for the first time, an extended warm-up, that everyone told me, they enjoyed. Bryan and I went to my ol' time favorite "Kayani's" and ate a nice breakfast of eggs sunny-side up, chicken frankfurters, bun-maska, Pau and irani chai.

The rest of the morning was consumed in a visit to my mother who stays with my brother in Borivali. I gave my mother a gift of the Madonna, which lit her eyes up. I caught up on Goa' gossip with my brother, while I sipped a beer. The evening was just spent lazing around and musing about the "sounds of silence" that fill my world.

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestones
Beneath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp...

People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
No one dare
Disturb the sound of silence

Coping with changes

Ever since I opted to work with the Nike Run Club, I have been doing an increasingly complex juggling act with my workouts. Like it is always stated: you have to give something else up if you want to add something to an already tight schedule. The guy that has suffered (and I feel awful about it) is Bryan. I have stopped dropping him at the bus-stop since the last one month and poor Minoti, who sleeps the latest, gets dressed to do this chore.

Bryan is now an adolescent at 14 yrs of age and I have spent the last 11 yrs waking up and helping him get ready for school. He acts grown up now and does not absolutely need me to drop him at the bus-stop but I do feel he misses this. And so, today I ditched my workout and spent time making his favorite protein drink and dropping him on the "bullet". He felt nice about it and I could see it in his eyes. I again felt a sense of melancholy as I was consumed with nostalgia at the times I spent with him during his growing phase. I think that my repeated bouts of melancholy are due to the fact that I miss these aspects of being the father that I have been to Bryan.

I went to Aarey and rehearsed the warm-up that I have sequenced for the Nike Run Club. I was interrupted by Rajesh, who has just completed the 50K Bangalore Ultra, for some guidance on how much recovery time he should be taking. I wound up my workout with a quick round of strength and flexibility before returning home. On the way out of Aarey, I saw that one of the dogs that was bitten on its neck, had died. I drifted into a pensive mood again as I recalled my intense love for strays. I truly appreciate the efforts that Rajeshwari does to take care of them. I support the effort financially and feel nice about it. I think I will go to church today - I miss the quiet moments at "Holy Name Cathedral".

Guitar Man

I had a nice time at Bangalore with the Nike Run Club, learning a lot of things to add to my repertoire of strength and stretching routines. They'd flown me down and had me lodged in a swanky hotel, with car and driver at my disposal etc. I had a surprise opportunity to visit the Bangalore Ultra bib collection-cum-pasta lunch venue, courtesy, "Runners for Life". It was a fine afternoon meeting up with runners, some of whom I'd known for years and others that I'd known from mails exchanged. There was Bhaskar, Sunil Chainani, Rahul Verghese, Srini, Amit and others that were introduced with a "Meet danzico" :-). I was really surprised that so many runners actually read posts and remember you. I am now not able to introduce myself, to the running community, as "Daniel" anymore:-)

There was the pasta lunch which had international class to it. There were olives, salads, pickles, aloo tikkis, veg pasta, spaghetti bolognaise, chocolate mousse and a nice fruit drink. It appears that someone with real knowledge of carbo-loading had gotten the chef to prepare this lunch. I don't remember when was the last time I'd eaten so well, with as many helpings:-) Thru' all this I drifted into a reverie as I listened to "Guitar Man", a track I used to play on the guitar at IIT-B, especially since my roomie, Percy used to ask me to play it every night. I felt a touch of melancholy for no apparent reason as I heard the words.

Who draws the crowd and plays so loud, Baby it's the guitar man.
Who's gonna steal the show, you know Baby it's the guitar 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 place to play.

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 the songs to play.

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

My beloved watch

I have this digital stop watch that I got when I realised that having a stop watch to track work outs made sense. It is now about 9 years old and I found out the other day as to how much it means to me. I was returning from the Nike Run meet last Sunday and I got a flat tyre. I am glad it was a Sunday morning with thin traffic and a lot of time on hand.

I got the spare out of the boot and went down on all fours to jack up the car and replace the flat. I must have lost my touch for being a handy man with tools cause I suddenly realised I had broken the strap of my watch. I muttered under my breath and stowed it in my pocket. I got the spare replaced and reached home in a jiffy. Bryan, my dear son, on seeing the broken strap said, "Da-da, you can use my stop watch". It was a piece I'd got for him since he too had graduated into a distance runner:-) Also, the numerals on his watch dials are a lot bigger and I don't have to squint like I do with my watch - age! (I'm rolling eyes:-))

That night, I wanted to set the alarm as usual and found to my dismay that Bryan' watch alarm seemed to malfunction. Imagine my plight when I realised that the watch thats stowed next to my pillow for comfort, assured by the certainty that I'd be woken up, was no longer there. I had a fitful night' sleep and had to wake up to a "fire-alarm" ring from a bedside clock that was a spare in the house. I grumbled that morning as I made my coffee since I was woken up rather rudely - signs of becoming an old grouch?

I went to work that day and immediately got a watch repairer to restore my watch to its pristine glory - and he did it for a mere 50 rupees:-))) There it was on my hand that evening and I set the alarm once again that night and woke up to its gentle beep. I smiled as I pressed the start button for the stop-watch before beginning my run. After all, it had tracked 14 marathons so far and I need it around for a while. I am hopeful it will last; afterall, its a Japanese "Casio". While it will keep time without losing too many seconds in the coming years, I am not certain about my own times in the marathons to come. Brace yourself Dan; you will shuffle across the finish line some time - not too soon Lord, please!

The desire to play

In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play. - Friedrich Nietzsche

I look at Bryan going out every evening, lobbing the football with its thumping "Dhup, Dhup, Dhup.." and I am transported to a time when I was in the lane. I used to do the same, arriving at 4:30pm in the hot afternoon sun, waiting for the guys to turn up for a passionate game of football. There were those frustrating moments when some SOBs used to take afternoon siestas and their moms were loathe to wake them up. I used to wonder, "How can these guys sleep when they know we have a match to play and its going to be sun-down soon??" Well, they probably did not share the same passion for football as I did.

I can understand why that game of football is so important to Bryan, even though his exams are round the corner. I know that its his release, his passion, his life! I know that if I stop him, he'd probably go crazy sitting in the house and may even lose his ability for retention and recall:-)) I am in a reverie now and I can see my exertions, my sweat, the grin as we get back and meet the girls who probably found us macho (wink); and, yes the clink of glasses at the local "cold-drinkwalla" where we pooled money for the sherbets. I remember my, now fat, friend Bamoo joking with one of the guys that never paid up, saying, "What will you drink?" and the guys goes, "I'll have a Rush" (an aerated drink in my time) and Bamoo says, "Please rush home":-)))) I am chukling now and the maid is wondering if my overseas tipple has caused me to lose my marbles:-) So much for memories. Time to pour a small one and dream a lil' more. Dojo comes trotting and curls up as he realizes my mood is mellow.

An unusual government

I was informed by an elderly gentleman at the Acropolis ruins in Athens, that the Greek Government cares for its strays. That answered my question about the number of dogs that I saw on the streets of Athens. All of them would wag their tails and turn over on to their back for a tickle in the belly:-) I noticed that the people that walked by were careful not to step on them. The most stiring sight of all was a poor old man that shared his food with one of the strays. The dog seemed to jump up and paw him, as if thanking and acknowledging him for his unselfishness. The man was patiently tearing open, what seemed like a quiche, and offering the contents for the dog. I wish every government would learn to be so kind hearted to animals.

Istanbul Calling

The Istanbul Marathon had all of 7000 runners in the marathon and it began without too much fan-fare. The run begins with crossing the Bosphorus which is so very breath-taking in its vast expanse of a calm but mighty river and tiny houses nestling on its banks. There are up-hills for the first 5K during which I kept a watch on my heart rate. There were no km markers and I was lost as to what pace I was running. I finally saw a km marker a while later and it said “7.5 kms”. I checked my watch and realized I was too fast. From here on there were km markers every 2.5K and I reached 10K in 54:16 – too fast Dan! I found my RPE was just about 6 and there was no need to panic. I then decided that I’d see how things turn out if I aimed for sub 4 hrs. I had no target time in mind when I came for this marathon and decided I’d play this one by ear. I had a horrendous travel schedule during my two week taper and I had one of the most unconventional tapers – with no runs for 7 continuous days, I ran a 29K on the Sunday before the race!

The rest of the course was flat and I ran strong enough to predict a 3:54 – if I could hold, what I think was a scorching and suicidal pace. I was running alongside side an elderly woman who was dragging her feet with a rustling noise and was surprisingly swift, despite it. I reached the half marathon mark in 1:57:26 – very impressive Dan! As you can see, if I double it, I’d get a 3:55; a slow down of only 1 min.

At the 29K mark, as we ran across the chip mats, a Parisian asked the volunteer as to what km point it was and the guy replied, “25 kms”. I laughed and told the Parisian that the guy didn’t know what he was talking about. The Parisian was surprised that I had traveled all the way from India for this marathon. He seemed to be running strong and surged ahead with a, “I wish you good luck”.

The first realization that the pace was taking its toll came at the 30K mark which I reached in 2:49 instead of 2:45. I was hitting the “wall” now because I reached 32.5K in 3:04 – the first sign that a sub 4 hr finish was slipping from my hands. It would be a tall order to do the balance 9.7K in 55 mins; not with my condition. My breath was raspy now and my calves screamed for me to slow down. Well slow down, I did because I was now doing 5:55/km as I reached 37.5kms in 3:35. It was depressing at this juncture to see scores of runners reduced to a walk. It was tempting indeed to join them because I was now wheezing and using my arms to drive my pace. The pain in my legs made me wince and screw up my eyes. Every runner alongside could be heard gasping for breath. We were still 4K away from the finish; an eternity at this juncture in the race.

The Parisian was now way ahead and I rued about the fact that this part of the race was a telling story indeed – about the ones that grooved and those (like me) that gasped. The 39K mark made me look up in consternation as I saw a huge climb and runners were now reduced to a shuffle. I was aware, from the elevation chart that this climb would do me in; however, it was enough to shift the balance and make 90% of the runners walk. I shuffled on with my chin buried into my chest and saw that my chances of even a 4:02 were evaporating. I trudged up the unending climb and cursed the organizers for this cruel joke. I reached a sign that said “500m to the finish” and I found a new strength to my stride. I saw Monsoon and Bryan and waved out; I’d not failed them after all. I crossed the finish line in 4:07:23. A memorable race in the lessons it taught me. I limped and hobbled around reveling in the aches that seized my limbs. They were nothing compared to the challenge I’d endured in the last 7K. It was time for some beers, the Turkish aperitif “Raki” that I’d taken a predilection for and a delectable spread of meats with pita bread. Well, I wouldn’t mind a Turkish bath followed by a look see at some belly dance:-)

The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win. - Sir Roger Bannister

The Nike Run Club

When Arvind, from Runners for Life (RFL), called me a few weeks back saying, "Dan, we'd like you to train runners at the Nike Run Club, being started in Mumbai", I felt a sense of exhilaration. I had finally made reasonable distance in my quest to make running a popular sport and to be able to coach. I felt honoured and when RFL asked me to recommend another coach, I lost no time in mentioning Savio D'souza, the guy who lived in my neighbourhood and who is India' only international marathoner, now retired and coaching.

My earliest memories of Savio were his lean build and his skimpy shorts, as he returned from his runs on Marine Drive. I used to know of 5000 and 10,000m distances in Athletics in my youth and was really proud to know years later, that Savio had outrun a Kenyan to win the Pune International Marathon in 1985 with an impressive time of 2:35 - in those years when distance running was not yet a boom even in USA!

The first Nike run began on Sunday, Oct 4 and I was very apprehensive. I was asked to be there at 5:30 to meet the Nike people and get introduced. Fortunately, my credentials were appreciated, especially RFL vouching for my technical knowledge and my ACE certification helped too. Besides, most of the runners that turned up showed they know and appreciate me, and Nike noticed this. In fact, they went out of their way to check if I was comfortable. I had a cheesy smile on my face when they handed over Nike merchandise worth 10,000/- rupees and asked me to change to everything Nike:-)) I changed to a Tee and their shoes but left my shorts on as I don't like track pants. They seemed apologetic and informed me they'd get me a pair of shorts next time.

The runners were registered and assembled and Savio had disappeared to meet his own runners at Nariman Point. We waited for him because I did not want to steal the show by starting the warm up without him, though Arvind kept asking me to. I was a wee bit non-plussed at the warm up initiated by Savio as it was a bit old world and had stretches incorporated, contrary to fitness recommendations. I went along with it and was relieved when we finally decided to run.

I accompanied Jyothi, Director - Communications, DHL and Monsoon' friend as she is 53 yrs old and had turned up just because I was conducting the run. She had covered my Berlin and Lausanne experiences in their in-house magazine "Velocity" and has always been hesitant to ask me for tips on fitness. We did a 4K walk-run together which really set her spirits soaring. At one point of time, she was frantically wiping sweat off her forehead and she asked me, "Don't you sweat?" and I matter-of-fact replied, "Sweating depends on fitness level and effort", to which she stopped and roared in laughter saying, "My God, I should have known than to ask something stupid like that to YOU, Daniel!".

We finished the run with a cool down, hi-5s and a promise to meet next sunday. Bryan, who was very content with his time in the 4K, and I, returned home feeling a sense of achievement. I handed over the track pants Nike had given me, to Bryan, who promptly tried them on for a perfect fit. Nike had got my size wrong!:-) Do I look that puny?:-))

Failed workouts & good deeds

I have encountered my worst week of workouts. There is the speed workout that went south because I could not hold the target pace and had to cut it short. Then, on Sunday, I had made an elaborate plan for doing marathon pace in my long run and was excited about it. I had 3 of the Colpal runners for company and everything seemed to go according to plan except that I woke up with a queasy stomach. I have to hurl expletives at Bamoo because it was his idea to go to "Martin' Hotel" on Saturday afternoon and gorge on everything under the Goan sun. The end result is that the Prawn Pullao probably did me in.

I started my run and found it increasingly difficult to hold my pace. After 4K I realised that I would need to visit a porta potty:-) Heck! there is no porta potty in that jungle and I had to hang on for dear life until I had completed 9K before I could rush into the Aarey bushes with a bottle of water, gratefully taken from the nearby pump house. I realised after this, that my long run would have to be "canned". I did another circuit and ended up walk-running the last 2K. I threw my towel in, in disgust. I can ill afford to have failed long runs considering that I have a marathon to run in less than a month!

During the week I had handed over 5000 rupees to an animal lover that rescues strays. She was indeed vocal in her gratitude and I had to remind her that I was the one, only giving money; whereas, she was actually picking up helpless animals from the streets and taking them to the hospital. Three days ago, she found an abandoned Persian kitten that would have certainly died, had it not been for her kind heart. The event was reported on the front page of the DNA after which she was deluged with calls, from people wanting to adopt the dear little thing. Finally she acceded to the request of a relative of an Aarey walker who promised that they would care for the kitten. God will certainly bless her.

"Colpal runners, unite!"

Everything seemed to be in place. I had provided sufficient motivation for the Colgate-Palmolive runners' group to get together for a long run that was a long time coming. I had designed some customised workouts to fit the course at National Park and everyone had their distances laid out and target times set. The appointed hour was 6:15am on Sunday and the venue, National Park gates. I hurried over, having got held up at the parking lot for my "Bullet", only to find that 3 runners had dropped out. I was not surprised but I was certainly dejected.

We did not allow this killjoy to affect our enthusiasm and got our run underway forthwith. I was to pace Aalok and we had 2 loops scheduled with a tempo burst thrown in to prepare him for a fast finish in his next race. I found much to my disappointment that Aalok was running a pace faster than I'd set for him. Much as I subtly tried to coax him to a slower pace, he seemed to speed up even more. I somehow felt that he thought, it was I that was tiring:-). As soon as we got to the tempo segment of the work out, Aalok seemed to find some unnatural groove and I barely kept pace. My subsequent entreaties to slow down as a 2nd loop is coming up, fell on deaf years. Predictably, Aalok ended up walking the last 4 kms.

Madhu, Roshni and Manisha succeeded with their individual work outs, except that Manisha had a sudden injury to her knee at the 9K mark. I returned home to a well-deserved beer and some brunch comprising ham, eggs, cheese and croissants that I'd got from "Hyper-City". We had a large and typical Sunday lunch at home with all the meats one can think of and a nice snooze after that veritable banquet:-) Evening involved taking Dojo and Monsoon for a drive thru' Aarey Colony where Dojo decided to find a nice spot to answer natures call and Monsoon struggled up some slopes with a walk that she felt was much needed after the Sunday lunch:-)

Hard Lessons & the Novena

Last night, as I set my wrist watch alarm for 5:30am, my mind was spinning with the many things I had to do after waking up. I had to wake up Bryan and make coffee for myself and a protein shake for him, help Bryan get a "rick" to go for football practice, do a speed workout, cool down and wash up, and rush off to catch the 8:30am Novena at Mahim Church.

I had an ambitious (nay audacious) plan for doing a speed workout; little realizing that it would come to a grinding halt! It is rather distressing to realize that despite running 13 marathons and knowing that a thumb-rule exists, that for each mile run, one needs a day of recovery and that makes 26 days for 26 miles run, to reach full recovery. Why in God' name, Dan, do you behave like a dolt when you know this as fact?? It is exactly 10 days since my marathon and you zip off at VO2max pace! The short story is that the lactate buildup in my blood as well as the pain from partially healed micro-trauma from the 42K, caused me to have a stupid grin on my face upon finding my time was way off:-)) What were you thinking Dan? Don't emulate Emil Zatopek, when you are not exactly in his league. Thanks for trying though!

The quiet ambience at Mahim Church reminded me of how we need to humbly bow down to a supreme power that we cannot comprehend but acknowledge. I bowed my head in silent prayer, placing my petition in God' hands, as I mumbled, "....that never was it known, that anyone who fled to thy protection or sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I cry to thee....". I felt a deep peace descend upon me as I rode to work in the car.

Restive recovery

Post marathon I had to go on business tour to Salem and Coimbatore. The tiring road journey from Coimbatore to Salem and back, each way requiring 4 hrs, was too much for my body to handle. It compounded the latent exhaustion of the full marathon and my mental state of torment due to flagging revenues made sure that the endocrinal system was in sufficient turmoil. I ended up with high fever on the night I returned to Coimbatore. I did try to ward off the intense shivers by taking a tot of "Old Cask" which is again a rather foolhardy measure as an antidote. But then, how does one convince a seemingly intelligent guy but is otherwise a "country bumpkin" and who believes that rum is an elixir for most ailments.

I somehow managed to return to Mumbai and home sweet home, and took the Saturday off so that I could entertain Allen' family and Rajni, who were invited for dinner. Rajni made some delectable Biryani and there was roast pork and mutton kheema; all of this a non-vegetarian' delight. While Allen and I sipped on "Signature", we discussed, much to Monsoon' chagrin, existence or otherwise of morbid topics such as death, ghosts and black magic. She finally intervened with a "Can we discuss something more pleasant, please?":-)) The dinner was rounded off with a dessert of Rabri and Roshogollas. I had promptly hidden the "Phirni" that Rajni and made for me because I am possessive of just this sweet dish. Actually she had made enough for all but then any amount is not "enough":-)

Sunday morning, I woke up and looked out the window, stretched, did a calf raise to check whether my achilles tendon would take a short run and then walked out the door for a run. I did a gentle one hour run and met Pankaj who congratulated me on my marathon finish. By then dark clouds had gathered and it rained incessantly causing gushing streams to incapacitate running. I returned on my bullet drenched and in mortal fear of going down with a severe cold. How about a tot of "caju, Dan?:-)))))

Miracle Marathon

If I look at my running log and see the repeated and consecutive failed long runs, I'd think that I was possessed by sheer lunacy when I registered for the Hyderabad Marathon. However, it was a deep-seated desire to see myself thru' this and find out whether I could push the envelope and banish the failures of the past few weeks. Relish the bad training runs. Without them it's difficult to recognize, much less appreciate, the good ones - Pat Teske

I arrived at Hyderabad late evening and was met by an old friend, Kumar, who hovered around wondering whether we would do a few beers. I chuckled and told Kumar that beers are not the best thing for my present condition and that I need to sink into a meditative state for a race that is different compared to the ones I have done before. And so I ate a dinner of fried rice and curd (to help my tummy remain calm) and slept early because the alarm was set for 3:30am. Most of my friends think we, marathoners are a breed that revel in self-flegellation, an opinion that is not entirely ridiculous.

Race venue at 4:45am and I hi-5 Madhu, Roshni and their friend, Hema, much to their surprise. They are here to do the half marathon and have target times that are keeping them on edge. The race begins without much fanfare except for a group warm-up to loud thumping pop music before the start. There is a large contingent of the AP Police and everyone just zips ahead leaving me to wonder whether this race has an unreasonable time limit and whether I am the only plodder. It appears so as I look back and find that I, along with two other runners seem to be bringing up the rear!

We do a 5K loop around KBR Park which has inclines that shock and depress me. We come full circle back to the start point and I am comforted to find scores of runners now, many of them seem to be walking. It is then that I realise that the half marathon has been flagged off a while ago and the walkers are the ambitious lot that registered for the "kick" of saying they are "doing the Hyd Half":-) I wave out to Roshni who is returning from a out and back loop and catch up with Madhu, who I can tell from my watch, is quite on pace. At the 16K mark I hand over my water bottle to a woman that seems out of breath and whose entreaties for water in a UK accent unsettle me. At 23K I catch up with Rajat (IIT-Alumni) who is doing the HM (he is on his 18K mark) and we exchange muted greetings, allowing each to focus on the daunting task ahead.

The full marathoners are now required to take a diversion and do a 5K to reach back on the common route, thus covering 28K. The sun is out with a vengeance and its getting uncomfortably warm. I get a momentary scare when my legs slow down and I panic that I am not going to last. I am not sure whether it was the continuous nutrition I began taking in or whether it was the ample fluids I took at every aid station, thoughfully placed every 2K, that mitigated the exhaustion. I suddenly felt strong and was cruising at 30K when I suddenly realised I had the AP Police motor cycle escort alongside me. We were now at the Gachobowli stadium where the HM runners turn off to go in for the finish while we have to go ahead and do another 12K:-(

I am now apprehensive about the "wall" coming up but because of my strong strides, I am sure it will hit me later than the expected 32K mark. I am now passing by runners that were far ahead of me, hobbling because they have run into the "wall". The motorcycle escort, perhaps because of my strong condition, pull back to take care of the less fortunate runners. I am hi-5'ed by an RFL guy that is astonished that I caught up with him. Its not that I speeded up; its just that he slowed down and was in real pain. I cruised thru' the 36K mark and briefly lost my way but was corrected by a cop. The "wall" hit me now and I felt my breath going raspy and my legs suddenly feeling leaden. By the time I reached the 39K mark there were 4 other runners that I'd shuffled past and I refused to walk.

The next two km markers passed inexorably and after what seemed like an eternity. I was with bowed head now as I felt my gas tank going dry and I had to wrestle with my brain for that wee bit of glycogen that remains in reserve. The pride you gain is worth the pain - Denise Ogilvy. A fellow runner now moves ahead of me and mutters encouragement with "only 1K to go, c'mon". I would like to keep up with him but my legs simply refuse and I see him find his groove for a fast finish. I smile as I turn towards the stadium and know my good friends Madhu & Roshni are waiting. I did not keep them waiting too long, after all, as I turn into the stadium and speed up the last 100m to the finish line and cross myself after seeing my watch stop at 4:23:53. I had taken a risk and it had paid off.
To win without risk is to triumph without glory - Pierre Cornielle

Good deeds and race plans

As I walked down to Flora Fountain to pick up some dry-fruits, I saw a Municipal van pulling up at the kerb. All hell broke loose and some hawkers scurried away with their ware; however, I also noticed that the 'seasoned' hawkers were unfazed, probably because they pay "hafta". Then I noticed that the goons pick on an old man in his 60s who was selling bed-sheets off a bicycle. They tried to load the bicycle in the van while the old man begged them not to. With my penchant for intervention in the face of risk and with the bile rising to my throat, I held on to the bicycle and asked the goons to leave the old man alone. There were veiled threats and a cop asked me to "stay out of it!". I dared them to touch the other hawkers instead of picking on the old man. A crowd had gathered by then and seeing me take up cudgels with the goons, they hollered. Soon the cop and the goons realised that they'd have a scene on hand and let the old man go. I walked with a spring in my stride, triumphant with my good deed for the day.

The dry-fruits have been purchased, but I now have to develop a race plan for the Hyderabad Marathon: a race that I have been foolhardy enough to register for, despite my lack of preparation. I will go thru' my log over the last two months to understand the most reasonable pace that I should set. I have to draw a back-up plan for late race problem solving and can only hope that divine benediction will smile upon me in this marathon. All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go......

Glimmer of hope

Anupriya' birthday celebration was held at MIG club in Bandra and the venue suited me well since it was right next to the highway and I could easily avoid 'breathalizers' that are wielded by policemen nowadays:-) It was a small and jocund company, and the banter and tipple lasted till 11pm. By the time we got home and I went to bed, it was midnight. I hoped for the best since I was going to sleep just 5 hours and I had about 3 large shots of whisky for my liver to contend with.

And so I woke up at 5:11am and felt surprisingly spritely after my cup of java. Diluted orange juice and a granola bar and I was put-putting away on my bike. I started hesitantly and with lingering doubts about lasting this long run. About half way thru' I realized that I was going to make it afterall; albeit, with my ventilatory threshold stretched to its limit. The sky was overcast throughout my run and I was wondering when the heavens would open up and mitigate my exhaustion, when suddenly the rain came down in torrents. I smiled as I felt the salt and sweat being washed away and my inflamed limbs got a respite with cold rainwater quenching the burn that had gripped them. I had still some way to go but a sudden extempore spurt by way of a tempo run for one mile gave me a thrill and I decided that I could as well call off the rest of the run. I stopped to ponder, "Am I in shape for the Hyderabad Marathon?". I shook my head and thought aloud, "Only if you look at it as an extended long run". Hmmm....lets see if all other things, personal and professional, are in place.

Missed workout

I am not sure what caused me to wake up at 2:52am but it made me groan in resigned dejection. I was on tour to Madurai and Coimbatore since the last 3 days and was looking forward to doing a long run today. Accordingly, I had set my alarm for 5am and I now realised that it would have to be called off. Well, the fact of the matter is that last night, when I took stock of my situation, I assessed that not only was I running a sleep deficit, but I was exhausted and running a temperature. Besides, with only an egg dosa for breakfast and curd rice for lunch on saturday, and with no hydration whatsoever, I was sure to face a disastrous long run depleted of glycogen and hydration.

I am sure it was God' own way of telling me that I am better off turning off the alarm and resting today. The old adage of 'live to fight another day' floated thru' my mind as I felt sleep and exhaustion bring on a heaviness on my eyelids. When I finally woke up, it was 7:35am I realised that it was well past the time to run and voila, I was feeling on top of the world with a renewed vigour in my being. The warm furry form of Dojo at my feet made me smile and curl up for another 5 mins of 'snooze'. Dojo, who missed my presence, seems to understand how to divide his ministrations between Minoti and me, so that no one is left unattended:-) Well, there is enough time to hydrate and carbo-load today, but the only hitch is that Nihal' wife' birthday, and the ensuing 'celebrations' and late night, could be the damp squib to my noble intentions of doing the long run tomorrow.

Independence run

It was surely the right day for a long run. There would be no traffic and no walkers at National Park; the walkers somehow feel that they've earned the right to stay at home in bed and sip coffee on independence day:-) I rode my bike on a lonely highway with a grey sky and a soft drizzle of rain keeping me company. The wet and cold feeling made me uncomfortable but I dare not curse the rain because the city is headed for water shortage. The parking attendant, under the NP flyover gave me a knowing smile and told his colleague that "this guy runs for 3 hrs". I nodded acknowledgement and thanks for the indirect complement and took off for my start point.

The run went off well except that my sports drink, that I'd painstakingly prepared the night before, got stolen and I had to walk up to a restaurant across the road for plain water! Then there was the pleasant surprise of meeting Giles and Ram, runners from the RFL forum, who for some strange reason, were walking instead of jogging. I was afforded some relief in my exhausting run, when the rain came down in torrents but then as quickly, it disappeared and the sun peeked out from the clouds. I finished in bad shape but felt satisfied that I'd finished at all.

Later that morning, we drove over the sealink for the first time and were in awe at the majestic sight of its engineering complexity and the vast expanse of the sea on one side. We drove to town and visited my sister who treated us to a typicall Goan lunch of roast meat, pullao and potato curry with chapatis. I must not forget the bottle of "Caju" that was offered me with so much love and which I was told was for me to keep even after I'd helped myself to two large tots:-) We drove back home in time to catch 40 winks. Real independence!

A lil' bit of speedwork and rain

The beep of the alarm clock going off at 5:04am really pierced the depths of my consciousness and jolted me awake. My instantaneous thought, after putting off the alarm, was to say, "To hell with the workout. Go to sleep!". Nonetheless, I lay in bed, my chest heaving from the sudden spike in my heart rate; courtesy the shock of the alarm clock. I looked out the window and saw that the dawn was just about breaking. I dragged myself to the kitchen and the strong aroma of coffee did me more good than the caffeine kick.

I took off, thundering on my motorbike and reached my start point to ease into a gentle warm up. I hid the bottle of orange juice I'd carried, to stave off the hypoglycemia that has often struck me. I have been losing too many bottles of my favorite drink to mischievious school children, that revel in taking them away. The moderate speed workout seemed to flow easily at first; however, just as I was feeling the strain, the heavens broke open and I felt relief at the sudden and unnatural cool down. The orange juice helped me stem the loss of glycogen. I reached home exhausted and just as I plonked myself on the floor, Dojo came trotting over for a customary tickle under the chin:-) Not a bad start to the day.

Karla - MTDC

It was the 2nd Saturday of the month and my long weekend. I was scheduled to drive to Karla (Lonavala) and spend time with my Company team. While, they had gone ahead, early in the morning, to visit Kamshet Dam, I thought I'd keep them company over appertiffs in the evening. Accordingly, I got enough time to put in a medium long run that stretched my limits a bit and I also had a nice cool beer to rid myself of dehydration.

I drove to Lonavala, listening to my favorite songs; Santana, Bread, Eagles, Cliff Richard and yes, Lorna' Goan songs:-) It was a nice relaxing drive and I felt at peace with my thoughts. The verdant landscape as I neared Lonavala was reminiscent of my times with Catholic friends in Pune, in the late 80s. It felt heavenly as I drove thru' a ghostly fog that rolled down the Ghats, making visibility a tad difficult on the expressway. I finally arrived at Karla resort and settled in with my team to some shots of whisky and a typical maharashtrian non-vegetarian dinner. I had fitful sleep that night as I was kept awake by the incessant drumming of rain on the roof of the cottage I'd been put up in. It also felt very eerie to hear the rain drops pitter-patter outside and a ghoulish wind howling all night long.

The next morning I woke up and as I went about my ablutions, I thought of all the friends that might have assembled at the i-Race in IIT. I wished I could have somehow woken up earlier and driven down to join them in time for the race. I realised that even I did, I would be in no condition to do a 10K, given that I had just done a long run 24 hrs back! Well, I'm sure just being there would have been enough. I had a nice breakfast of hot coffee and egg omlette with buttered bread - its nice to spoil yourself sometimes. Besides, what the heck, I can easily burn off the butter:-) I then drove back at a cruising speed, breathing in the crisp mountain air in the Lonavala Ghats, as I wound my way downhill, this time. Glad to return home to the family and Dojo and some delectable "Caju Fenny" sent by Joe, my bro-in-law. Simple pleasures:-)

Speed demon

The title is misleading, in that, it gives the impression that I have probably succeeded at a VO2max workout. Far from it; its just that I wish it were true. I am still a long way off from getting back into form. However, I must admit that I did feel satisfied with my attempt at doing some marathon pace running. I had to ensure that I gave myself some recovery time in between and which eventually helped me in completing the work out.

I walked back (instead of jogging back) to where I'd parked my bike. This was so as to give myself an extended "cool down". This is essential since the sudden cool down that occurs when I ride my bike, after the run, is not good for the lingering chest cold that rears its head now and then. A hearty breakfast and some time with Bryan (who had a holiday) and Dojo is sufficient to bouy my spirits sky high. I am learning a lot about myself in this period of deep introspection and the knowledge is certainly helping me cope.

Sabbath day run

Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day, says the bible. While, I could not make time for the church, I had to commune with nature and experience holiness thru' it. And so it was a Sunday morning, 5:30am, Western Express Highway, nary a soul, cruising speed on my Bullet, 55 kmph...gudugudugudugudu, scent of rain and the buzz from the caffeine in my morning cuppa. It does not take too much to feel happy.

I parked my Bike and began my run at national park. It was cool and I could smell the rain. I looked around and my heart sang paens about the beauty in nature; the glistening raindrops on green foliage, earthy odours, tiny rivulets, gushing torrents where hitherto there was a dry river bed, winding mud paths, walkers conversing while attempting a brisk pace and my own breath coming in gentle rhythms. I finished my run subtantially dehydrated and low on blood sugar but what the heck, the bike ride back home would be a thrill. I stopped at a nimbu sodawalla and guzzled a glass full and felt my parched throat easing up. Now for a plate of double half-fry eggs and toast and then to the ritual of a fortnightly bath for Dojo.

A tale of 2 puppies

I woke up with a mild feeling of exhaustion but as soon as I got into the groove for my run, it subsided. I was doing some speed circuits around the "lotus lake" when I noticed some soul stirring sights. As I was speeding towards a narrow pathway in the forest, I noticed this huge cow nuzzling a small puppy. I slowed down with a smile and a tender feeling in my heart. I watched the cow lick the puppy just like a mother' instinct reaches out to young ones - even if they are not her own. I was tickled with the sight as I watched the puppy actually enjoying the affection poured on it.

I was well into my circuits, part of which covers the main road wherein I have to be extremely alert as cars and buses go speeding on this stretch. I was again cruising at pace when I noticed this puppy happily trotting on the road, towards me. I was alarmed at this casual sauntering and realised that the puppy will surely be run over by a car as it could hardly be seen against the brown coloured mud path. I slowed down and "bajaoed" him and reached to catch him. Whaddya know; the punter tries to bite me! I then bajaoed him even more and he realised that I must mean business cause suddenly his bravado was replaced with a whine. He now allowed me to carry him and I had to complete my rep in an uncomfortable running posture. I seemed to sway from side to side holding the puppy away from my body and down. I had to make sure he does not change his mind and again snaps at me. If he draws blood, it would mean 6 goddamn anti-rabies injections! - so much for saving a life:-)

Sunrise, sunset; quickly goes the day

The title is part of the lyrics from "Fiddler on the roof" and I thought of it because I wanted to pen my experience of double runs in a day. The log lists them as am. and pm. runs. It all began when I concluded my run yesterday morning for a decent 2 hrs and returned home to a leisurely breakfast. I was feeling exhausted from the weekend I'd spent at Coimbatore and so I decided to take the day off.

Dojo was very pleased because, I understand that he looked out for me the entire day of Sunday. He of course knows its a Sunday because he gets to gorge on some delectable mutton paya. He also has seen that I give him a bath prior to the paya treat and this was missing on Sunday. He pranced around in joy and snuggled near my feet as I put my legs up to watch television. Bryan too was pleasantly surprised on reaching home, to find me lounging in front of the TV.

I had nothing much to do in the evening except take Bryan on my "bullet" to buy some stuff from the market. I dressed for a run and as soon as I reached Bryan back at our building gates, I took off on another short run. I wanted to check whether my legs would hold and I found that I could manage a decent 45 mins at a doddering pace. About halfway on my return the heavens opened up and there was a mighty cloud burst that drenched me to the core. I was worried about the cold that was tenaciously holding on to my lungs but enjoyed the shower anyway. Well, at least I don't need to do my run tomorrow morning when I drop Bryan at his bus-stop. Maybe I'll do a set of body weight strength training exercizes to get back in muscular shape:-)

I need to take a break from this work schedule that seems to be taking a toll on me, physically and mentally. I wish I could have called in sick for 3 days and continued with my break from yesterday. Well, I guess I have to toil for now for the good lord certainly has a desire to give me a learning experience in this time of hardship. As I've often stated, the lord is my shepherd.

Good ol' friends

Although my endurance is not at its peak, I had other develpments that added cheer to my life. There was the call from Gokhale to inform me that he was down in Mumbai and that he planned to meet up with us this weekend. I look forward to it cause its been a while since he and I clinked glasses. He does call me regularly and periodically, from Dubai. Then there was Bamoo calling to check on me and Bryan and enticing me with promises of Pork roast and beef vindaloo at his place. He also asked me to plan a trip to the Press Club which, according to him, was now a swanky place. Well, I'll have to ensure that I don't have to go to work the next day, if I do accept his invitation.

There were the flurry of mails from Russell in Washington, Seattle and from Malcomn who is on board a cargo vessel. Both guys sending me PPPs that I guess are what keep Malcomn occupied and busy since he is a lonely man on these 4 month long voyages:-) I enjoyed the humor about Goan escapades and our predilection for the "high" life whenever we meet up. Malcomn has promised to wear out the rubber belt on the treadmill on board his ship, in preparation for SCMM. Lastly, there is Vernon our "land-lord" (because of the number of properties he owns) though Russell likes to refer to him as "Slum-lord", who is going to finally marry Hyacinth (our Xaviers circle of friends). May God bless them and give them a happy married life.

Running with nothing!

The title may seem like "nothing on":-) but I guess I know better than to streak in the rain at this age. It seems like ages when I recall the time when I was told by Fr Bonet that a guy and girl had actually streaked across the basketball court at St Xaviers, in 1976! Well, its time to stop reminiscing and getting back to what I meant.

I slept just about 4 hrs and woke up coughing due to the mild chest congestion that has afflicted me from too many runs in the rain. I then decided that since I was sick and short on sleep, I might as well find out whether its possible to run without even having my morning cuppa. It seems like self-flagellation but I guess I like to do this to myself so that I can live some "spartan" moments in my own life.

I ran an easy 45 mins and returned in time to kick start my "bullet" and take Bryan to his school-bus stop. It felt nice to do the run before dropping Bryan. I could then enjoy my morning breakfast at a leisurely pace rather than the frenetic pace at which I go about my chores and end up eating in the car, on the way to office. The run must certainly have dropped my blood sugar but I guess I did not feel it cause I ran for just 45 mins. Dan, why don't you cut out the crap about spartan existence and just admit that you are doing a retake on what went wrong for you at Thane! Well, now that you've confronted me, I must admit its true; but, how did you know? Elementary my dear Watson.

Vacillation, Confusion, shouting and a truce:-)

It started at 8:30pm last night when Bryan announced that he has to play a football match and was to reach 'Mcdonalds' at 7am! There were arguments about Mumbai' floods, uncertainty on traffic conditions, reminders that his parents work and would be worried etc etc. He, of course, had his own reasons for first negotiating, then pleading, then shouting; saying that his coach would throw him out of the team if he didn't turn up. I understood his problem; it had to do, not only with his coach' ire but, also with acceptance in a peer group comprising the school team. What if they turn up and he doesn't? They'd call him a "durpoak". The arguments went on till 10pm and since I wanted to do a 1 hr run I was wondering how I would handle reaching him at Andheri station.

I reassured Bryan that if it did not rain heavily, I would drop him at Borivali (the venue of his match) by car and go to office late. He was relieved and called his team to announce that he would turn up. I guess he slept well:-) I woke up about 6 times last night and heard the roar of a heavy downpour. I realized that Bryan would have to miss his match. Heck! maybe his match would be called off. Well, he woke up at 5:30am and sauntered to the window. He asked, "Can I go for the match?". We watched the news which didn't sound very encouraging. Then there was confusion! Monsoon, stated that neither would he go to school nor go for the match in "this heavy rain". Bryan sulked and argued and...God!

Finally, I had this bright idea. I told him that if my driver turns up, he could go with driver and play his match - I would take leave from office. All of the furore settled and there was the truce:-) Well, the driver turned up, Bryan went and played his match, got accepted by his team for turning up and I went for a 13K run with enough time on my hands. Sometime the solution is simple - but it involves giving:-) Dojo was equally delighted to see that I had not worn my office clothes - how these animals understand!

Conversations in the rain

I woke up at 4:40am with a sudden start and realized that, given my chronic insomnia, it would be nigh impossible to catch another 40 winks before 6am, my scheduled wake up time. I decided to enjoy a hot cuppa tea and stare out the window at the falling rain. It was a rainy day alright and I wondered whether Bryan' school bus would make it in this downpour. Even as I watched Bryan getting ready for school, I saw that the rain was now a torrential rush. Time to take a call on whether to send Bryan to school at all. After much agonizing, I thought it best to ask him to stay put at home. He, of course, was delighted with the decision and broached running with me!

Well, that left me to decide as to what I'd like to do about my run:-) I wore my running attire deliberately and began steeling myself for the discomfort of running in this weather. A drizzle is nice; but, giant buckets of water from the sky and a roar of gusty winds? You gotta be kidding, right? Wrong Dan, you just take the lift downstairs and then we'll see. I shook my head as I stared out from the lobby, even as the watchman looked at me with a grin. I said, "one, two, three, here we go!", and I stepped out. There was no turning back now so I jogged along roads that had ankle deep torrents flowing across. I was now soaked to the skin in less than a minute and started feeling the warmth of my exertions counter the cold shower.

It took me a while to cross the JVLR road because there was a huge rush of waves, everytime cars went by - and there were many. I entered the environs of my beloved forest and suddenly I was transported to another world. A world that stood still and silent but for the chirping of birds; full of natural beauty and glistening raindrops and brown coloured rivulets in the mud paths. I grinned with deep satisfaction for having cheated my mind which had taunted me to call off today' run. I jogged the inclines leading to my route and felt liberated as I saw an overcast sky, narry a soul (except for the strays that shivered in the cold & damp) and God' voice in the wind. I finished a gentle 33 mins jog and came home to a yelp of joy from Dojo, who wondered whether this hombre, creating large puddles on the floor, had gone loco:-))))

Thane (Varsha) Marathon

I was well rested in the week of this Marathon but woke up on race morning feeling like I would not be able to eat anything. Due to a real bad experience on running a race with the wrong food in the GI tract, I decided that an empty stomach was a better option. Well, it turned out that it was a decision which was more between 'a rock and a hard place'.

The race had all the confusion at the start and after, typical of political involvement. Meaningless speeches and announcements, runners in disarray, ridiculous requirement of "reporting" to a guy carrying a sheaf of papers and general uncertainty about the start time. Thankfully, they curtailed speeches and the race began at 8:20 instead of 8am. I had decided to run an easy long run in this race and was doing quite well upto the 15K point, when suddenly I found my pace dropping. I realised that this had to be due to low blood sugar, the result of not having eaten something solid that morning. I immediately reached into my pouch and sipped the corn syrup I had carried and which was actually meant to be ingested much later, to get me thru' the 30K mark! The glucose from the syrup had to take time to get into the blood stream and by then I had started walking with Aalok.

Somewhere on the 19K mark I felt a surge of energy which was the glucose making its way into my blood stream. I managed to run the next 2K at almost my tempo pace and crossed the 21K point. I then trudged on towards my objective of doing a 30K but had to negotiate a pot-holed 1K stretch thru' slums. The requirement of spiking my blood sugar with corn syrup again seemed inevitable and I was now walk-running after the 24K mark. When I reached the Nashik highway and the lonely stretch with no one around but pasing trucks spraying slush on me, got me to decide I'd had enough of this race at 27 K and a time of 2:52. I pulled out, walked and found an autorick to return to the start point and thence, home. I stopped at the local wine store and got myself two cold beers which I sipped even as I analysed what went right and wrong for me in this race. Until the next race then.

Nostalgia

Today is the day my mother gave birth to me in labor, just as God had decreed, when he created Man & Woman, "In pain you shall bear forth your child". While I do feel old now, I must admit that the journey has been a pleasant one so far. I woke up feeling refreshed and went thru' an unusual routine of immediately going for a bath. This is because I usually set out for a run or exercise at the Gym first. This special routine for today was dictated by my desire to go to church; something I used to do as a child and well into my teens. It feels very calming and reviving to do this; to thank God for all he has done for me, to pray for good health and happiness and to keep harmony and peace in the home.

I sat astride my "bullet" and since it nowadays starts with 'half a kick', I revel in its immediate acceleration. I "dud dud'ed" to the church at a gentle cruise and found the ambience with its lush greenery (we have a very beautiful church and parish), overcast skies, wet look and the grotto in which mother Mary' statue looks with compassion on her congregation, very soothing. I felt at peace as I made the sign of the cross on entering the church which was pin-drop silent. I sat in one of the pews and closed my eyes.

I then retraced my life, as clear vibrant images flashed thru' my mind, from the earliest memories when daddy took me to see the trains at VT station, to my wailing, whilst being dragged to school, when my eldest sister did not buy me a new eraser (she still recalls and laughs), to playing football with a piece of wood during recess at school, to the thrill in the announcement of school closure due to heavy rains, to making paper boats and letting them sway in the city floods, to the tension during Xth std exams, to my hey days at St Xaviers, to the nervousness of IIT entrance exams, to my hostel life, to my working life, to dating & parties & dances, to marriage, to Bryan' arrival as a new-born, the time of his growing up, my professional achievement, trials and tribulations, to the present moment.

I felt a sense of peace as I recited a "Hail Mary" and knew I was in good hands. When I returned home, Dojo was pleasantly surprised cause he had assumed that I had gone to office. I ate a frugal breakfast and carried 2 packs of orange juice, in preparation for the hydration cum carbo-loading phase of my fun race coming up on Sunday. I look forward to our family meal together this evening. No one can avoid aging, but aging productively is something else - Katherine Graham

Meeting of the spirits

I had completed my speed workout on Wednesday and felt the desire to take a break over the next two days. This was even more imperative considering that I have a Marathon coming up next Sunday and need to ensure that I rest up enough. While, I did go to Aarey riding on my pet ("Bullet") and soaked myself in the drizzle that came down from an overcast sky pregnant with clouds, I stretched languidly at leisure. Today was different; I rode my bike in a downpour that drenched me thoroughly and I got a few smiles from walkers that were huddled together under a tree, waiting for the rain to ease.

I arrived at our rendezvous; New Zealand Hostel and met up with Mahesh, Pankaj, his wife and Sohanlal. We pumped hands, touched base on our training, resolved to ramp it up in preparation for SCMM and planned on meeting at a restaurant in Goregaon at the invitation of Pankaj. Mahesh' father had a fall and was in critical condition. I felt sorry for Mahesh as he had to return from his touring job (with a leisure tour operator) and was now scheduled to go back to Manali on Sunday. However, my dear friend is blessed with good endurance genes; he comes back after months of inactivity and within weeks reaches the level of doing a 20 miler at 5 mins/km pace! Well, we all said our "see ya" and I returned home getting drenched all over again and a lingering fear that I might catch a chill. My mind was at peace as it usually is when I meet these uplifting "spirits":-)

Running with exhaustion and a bad stomach

After a hectic week of travel (on Friday I was on the road for 18 hrs!) with a stomach infection that I picked up somewhere in "Pollachi", I mulled the prospect of putting in at least a one hour run. I woke up at 5am on Sunday with a desire to dash to the Loo. When I'd settled down with a black coffee, I took stock. I found that my heart rate was Ok and I wasn't really feeling "under the weather". I pulled on my socks and shoes and set off on my 'Bullet'. The smell of rain and an overcast sky was enough to cheer me up.

I started hesistantly with a jog and watched my heart rate and breathing. All was Ok and I even managed to feel a spring in my stride. I knew however, that the dehydration from the visits to the Loo would catch soon. I met up with Diwakar, Priyankar, Aravind, Santosh, Sunil and Sohanlal; all fellow runners, most coming out of hibernation to gear up for SCMM:-) All in all a decent run considering that my physiological state was rotten.

Simply Goa!

Neville came down from Dubai for just a day and decided to meet up with us ol' chaps for a cuppa. After much deliberation on choice of a tavern we finally agreed to Val' recommendation for a new place called "Simply Goa". I am not in favor of eating at a Goan restaurant in Mumbai after my experience with "Goa Portugeza" which turned out to be a congame for unsuspecting non-Goans. Well, it turned out that "Simply Goa" was just my kinda place with anauthentic Goan menu, konkani speaking maitre d'hotel and yes, Lorna' songs being played on the audio system.

We exchanged nostalgic notes on our times in South Bombay and about the forthcoming wedding of our "Last of the Mohicans'" - Vernon' wedding. There was the toast to rum and beer and lots of pork, beef and fish. Val offered the courtesy of congratulating me on my promotion but it was with the ulterior motive of ensuring I picked up the tab:-) I would have done that either ways because its very relaxing to tipple with your school time buddies especially if you've had many escapades; some you would not want to talk about.

I'd had two runs in two days with two different RPEs. It was a welcome break from the repeated "bonks" and "junk miles" I'd been doing the last one month. Also, the cool weather allowed me to revel in the earthy odour of rain splashed mud as I went around thundering on my bullet. It was a nice weekend with nice people. A welcome break from the office drudgery thats been suffocating me.

Stepping back

I checked out a few research papers to understand the reasons for my long run fiascos and have more or less zeroed in on the cause-effect relationship for different parameters that may be culprits. I feel vindicated by all this and find it enlightening and exciting to discover the effects of temperature, humidity, glycogen consumption, pace and runner' body weight. The literature I'd read spoke on 'Temperature Regulation' and did not actually address my problem but from its content I stumbled on the solution. I think I could write a thesis on defining all of these and developing a nomogram to enable runners that are going to race the SCMM (or any race in hot weather) to find out their chances of keeping a particular pace after factoring in all the above parameters. Well, I have a lot of plans but I end up doing zilch about them.

I have now understood that it is indeed better for me to do two medium long runs on the weekend ie one each on Saturday and Sunday. I must advise and caution my wards at Colpal to also be wary of putting in runs lasting more than 2 hrs, in this weather. Hopefully, it will rain soon and all of this will have to be reviewed next summer. I have also developed a strategy to cover my overall distance by varying my pace so that the average still comes to the desired level. This idea too could sort of be either published or, I could include it in my long overdue book. Well Dan, you got to the bottom of it and thats important. Like I said, the force is still with you; hang in there:-) Does that mean the alcohol bugaboo was a false alarm. Maybe and maybe not but look what happened; you lost some weight ol' chap:-) I'd say its better to stick with the lifestyle changes you made as a result of this jolt that got you in the b***s.

Depressing failures

Over the last one month I have been battling one failure after another, both on the running as well as the office front. I have been unable to complete a single long run at the target pace since the last 5 weeks. Well, to tell you the truth, I have not been able to complete several long runs; period! I have stopped at 17K and 21k at an RPE of 10+. I am not sure whether it is dehydration or glycogen depletion. I need to find out, and fast!

On the office front, I have been contending with an increased intensity in office politics as well as poor financial results for the forthcoming first quarter. Nice timing:-), considering that I was just promoted. Well, when it rains it pours, doesn't it? I am not new to this depressing adversity but then, like "this too shall pass", I had thought that most of it had passed and I'd be seeing sunshine days. No such luck Dan. You have to fight it out and yes, this too shall pass.

As a small consolation, I had a victory of sorts in my run today. I had a rather tough work out scheduled and, considering that I had not slept enough (what with the office stress), I was in poor shape to finish it. Well, it really did look like I would have to abandon the work out midway. I guess, the revulsion I felt towards everything going wrong nowadays, brought up an intense desire to see me thru' this work out - at least:-) Finish I did - on my terms. The force is still with you Dan.

Home (coming) run for Bryan

When Bryan called out to me from the bedroom saying, "Da-da, I think I'm getting fever", I thought it was one of the routine and periodic cough and colds that he gets during the year. However, when after 6 days of treatment by the doc, the fever refused to subside, it was time to do a medical test. Given Bryan' phobia for needles, he threw a tantrum and refused to go for the test. This was the first mistake because as parents we tend to give in too easily; but, to do this with a matter that is of concern to the doc, is taking your love too far.

Bryan was finally diagnosed with Malaria + Typhoid, a dangerous combination and was immediately hospitalized. I spent the nights in the hospital identifying with his pain as his body burned with a fever that showed no signs of letting up all thru' the first night. It came as a relief when the medication finally showed results and my boy felt recovered enough to ask for a chicken mayonaise sandwich, which his doc okayed for his consumption.

We returned on the weekend and I was as thoroughly spent as Bryan having spent the nights at the hospital without sleeping a wink. Today I went out and did an upgraded 'ladder' speed workout. It was taxing enough to have me contemplate throwing in the towel on the '2nd rung'. However, I hung in there knowing that the pain was only mental and that I had it in me to finish it. Well, I did exactly that and came home feeling cheered by my conquest as well as the 'speed runs' that Dojo does everytime I return home. Bryan was lying down and watching TV and when queried on his health status he gave an encouraging shrug and said, "I think I can play football with these guys today, in the compound". It brought a smile to my face but I also advised Bryan on the folly of doing too much too fast.

Groan! - Groin!

When I completed my long run on Sunday, I felt this dull ache in my groin, reminiscient of my debacle in the 2009 SCMM. I wondered with increasing trepidation, as I walked home, about my fate in the coming months. I am now a seasoned runner to realize that such an ache is a real sign that my injury is rearing its head up again.

I went out for my 'up tempo' run today and could complete 80% at target pace and this had more to do with the heat and humidity than my condition. However, the alarming symptoms of the groin ache recurred and caused me to sit on my haunches, after the run, and comtemplate the fate of my future runs, shaking my head with rising depression. Stand up at the count of eight, Dan! Practice what you preach!

The learning process

As a runner, you learn a lot of things as you go thru' the process of training over the years. You learn about what work outs work for you and those that don't; you learn that haste (in training) makes waste and you come down with injuries; you learn from your every race. Today I learnt that coke mixed with water and salt does not work for me:-) I was in a hurry and could not prepare my usual cocktail of 'Tang' with salt and water. I opened a coke and prepared 3 liters of the stuff! I should have had the good sense to bring along some plain water. The result? I could not take in enough of the obnoxious mixture that I'd got along for this long run and got progressively dehydrated.

This had a deleterious effect on my system cause I could feel three things happening at the same time; one, the sun came blasting out and the humidity was way high; two, the lack of replenishment of water lost thru' profuse sweating caused my pace to take a beating; and three, the coke has caffeine which hastened the process of dehydration!. Nice experience for a fitness instructor:-) Don't let anyone know you have saw dust in your head:-)

Anyway, I survived (there was a moment when I thought of throwing in the towel) and completed my long run short by 2K, which wasn't too bad. I have to factor in the hectic travel of the last 4 days, combined with inadequate food intake as well as sleep. I had predicted that my glycogen stores would not be at their optimum and that this run would be affected. Little did I realize that I'd compound my misery by committing another folly, by carrying along coke and water - yucks! Also, I did the first 6K at tempo pace which Ol' chap, is certainly commendable. Well, the nice part is that I finished 3 hrs+ of running inspite of the 'tempo' circuit and that has its own effect on spiking my endurance. Live to fight another day Dan.

Ladder logic

The title pertains to something I learnt in 'Control Theory' but I thought it made sense in today' work out in a 'lateral' sort of way. I did a 'ladder' speed work out and managed it reasonably well. However, it is important to add that I felt well rested and that this workout is one of the easier progressions that I had done last year, before Lausanne. So, it wasn't a big deal; but, it came as much needed relief because I thought I was going to 'bonk'. What with all the alarm about having kicked my liver around and its apparently recent vengeance in pronouncing me a "failed" in my Half Marathon trials! So, its not entirely erroneous to conclude that 'logic' says, I'm fine - or am I?

I have to await the outcome of my next few workouts but until then I am going to be on tenterhooks. It felt nice to return home on my 'bullet' put-putting away in comfortable gear and getting a nice 'tail-wagging' welcome from Dojo. He seemed to sense that it was indeed a 'Good morning' for me:-) I devoured the 'native' fried eggs that were brought from Assam, from Minoti' village with the yolk a deep golden yellow; much like the sun rise that I'd seen today. All I gotta do now is ensure that I don't get drawn into the binges that are a standard in our evening tipples at Coimbatore, where I am headed tomorrow. Take it easy Dan.

Dojo to the rescue

The last two weekends have been disappointing ones because I have had two failed runs. I have been trying to do a Half Marathon trial and find that I crash after just 10K. I have several theories to explain this, the foremost being that somehow my Glycogen storing capacity has been affected. Further, I can only surmise in alarm that my copious 'tipples' over the last 2 months are to blame. I am trying out remedies and alternatives and hope that there is no serious damage.

I returned home yesterday morning, dejected from my Half Marathon trial disaster and prepared to leave Dojo (who I was baby sitting since the family went to Gauhati) with my sister, so that I could attend work for half a day. However, Dojo made it amply clear to my sister that it would not do, so much so, that she called me at work requesting me to leave early. I came home to a real cold reception from Dojo. He scolded me as a wife would do to an errant husband that had over stayed at the pub. Well, alcohol and its effects on my endurance be damned, as I made Dojo a 'mutton paya' and poured myself a "Tiger" in a tall frosty glass. I sipped the golden ambrosia and carressed Dojo even as I spoke and told him that I have to work hard for the money. He turned over on his back and promptly slept peacefully snoring as if in reply that all' well that ends well:-)

Making the grade

I made the grade: I got promoted to "Chief Operating Officer" with a portfolio and authority that I did not imagine would come so soon. I smiled and sighed as I recalled the tumultuous times I have been thru' over the past year. The lord is truly my shepherd. While I was keen on celebrating this occasion with my usual recourse to tipple as the first choice, I had to abstain as I'd promised myself that I'd give it a break. Reason? I felt that a lot of the current difficulty I have with my pace, has to do with the toxin from alcohol, which in a way constrains release of catalysts for fast metabolism.

I went out for my speed workout today and as if in confirmation, I breezed thru' it. I felt relieved but a wee bit disappointed too:-) I guess it is best to leave the tipple to aperiodic cycles instead of the standard periodic ones I follow. I had a spring in my step as I mounted my "bullet" and rode home, thundering thru' the society entrance gates. I have begun not only enjoying this "classic" machine but actually look forward to riding it around the local area every evening. I also enjoy the heads it turns (especially of the fairer sex) due to its deep throated throb. There is also the thrill when the "Pandu" Police constable stiffens when I go past, thinking that a "Saab" has arrived:-) Bryan enjoys this the most:-))))) He actually leaves his buddies alone and races towards me when I kick start it saying, "where are we going? I'm coming too". It is then that I know I own a beauty.

I made it - but just about!

I had a long run scheduled today but considering the kind of strenuous week I had with 2 speed workouts and 2 full body circuits, this ageing body was complaining. They say that after the age of 45 you usually need 2 full days of recovery between speed workouts. Here I was actually doing them with only a day' gap. Anyways, I am not some super "studwa" because the effects were showing on Saturday morning when I woke up.

First of all, I had not set the alarm and woke up at 5:47 instead of 5:15am. This would mean really running in the heat since I had a 20 miler planned. But wait a minute! I am in no shape; with my head in my hands and wishing someone would get me a strong cuppa java to mitigate the swooning drowsiness in my head. I realized that I had to do this run or at least attempt it. Blame Madhu and Roshni :-) because I had promised them I'd help them out in their Half Marathon Trial which they had yet to confirm. I dragged myself to the kitchen and made a cup of java that was actually out-of-limits because of my bouts of insomnia.

I set out on my run after taking my "Bullet" to the start point (yes, up to there;-)) and the throb helped to elate my spirits. But look at my state! The first 8 K felt like the last 10K in a full marathon. I am clearly in no shape to run another 24K! What do I do? I decide that since I have woken up and dragged myself all the way here (instead of snuggling in bed) I'd do my best. I finished 21.4K (I don't know how) after my brief entreaty with bowed head, to Lord Hanuman and had another 10.6K to go. You should have seen my state by now. I was drenched in sweat, I had run out of water and my legs had turned to jelly. I realized now how ultra-marathoners feel in THEIR final legs:-).

I took the next 10.6K in loops of 1.2K which I, in turn, broke into legs of 3 each and focussed on doing 27 such legs:-). God, how I talked to myself during all that pain. At one time I hit upon a real innovative mental game. I imagined that I was training Anil Ambani and that his aim was a sub-4hr marathon at SCMM (my assessment of his current ability is in the 4 1/2hr range) and that I was going to be paid a handsome bonus if he breaks 3:45. I, incidentally in this reverie, was running the same marathon, but much slower as I had done Dubai SCM 2 days earlier. We were connected on wireless headsets and I was providing encouraging quotes even as he complained that the pain had set into his body. I found myself thinking of all the quotes that would drive a guy to the finish at a trot instead of a shuffle. Little did I know but I had done 20 legs thru' all this, lost in my reverie:-) The next 7 legs were a breeze but at the finish I doubled up with my head stuck to my chin and some guy that was studying near my bike asked me with alarmed concern as to whether I was fine. I told him that I need a bucket of water to pour over myself. I was totally dehydrated and done in. Meantime, Anil Ambani had managed a 3:44:46 and announced a bonus of 1 crore for my incredible training methods:-) - vain, aren't you?

I had no luck with the water so I cruised home on my Bullet barely able to sit astride a 350Kg monster. I spent the next hour under the tap and 2 half fried eggs and 2 beers later at my sister Lucy' place and I was in fine fettle. I had actually run a marathon and beyond today - thanks Madhu and Roshni:-)

Cruise intervals on a "Bullet"

I recently got my "Bullet" (Royal Enfield), an old heavy version, upgraded to "CDI" (capacitor discharge ignition) - which is being able to start the bike without a battery. It felt good to ride it after 2 years. I let the deep throb vibrate thro' my body as I put it into "cruise speed". Bryan was riding pillion and was in awe at the latent power it exhibits even when you are doing a steady 30 kmph. I told him I'd get it spruced up when he goes to college so that the girls vie to get a lift. It is miles ahead of the "Karishma", "Pulsar" and other farts seen all over the place. I managed to get a shy grin from him.

I now ride it early in the morning so as to park it at my regular spot and then take off for my run. Monsoon says the bike makes too much of a thunderous roar in the morning and probably wakes up the whole society:-) I managed to put in a steady tempo run at Half Marathon pace and felt the pace get hard. Just as I was about to call it quits with 1.6K to go, my inner voice kicked in and said, "careful Dan, you are going to get used to quitting. Think of this as the last 6K in a full marathon". Before I knew it, some neurotransmitters made the necessary synapses and I actually cruised thru' and shaved off 15 secs from this mile! So much for quitting:-) I returned elated on my "Bullet" and wondered about getting such "restrained power" in my own endurance so that the full marathon would be like a 'walk in the park' - well it never is, so don't kid yourself:-)

Feeling Groovy

The feeling of well-being is for two reasons: One, I felt I'd got back my groove in the speed workout today and two, I'd got a mail from Russell littered with our favorite Goan profanities, enquiring about our buddies. As I strode on to my start point already drenched in sweat due to the warm humid cloud engulfing Aarey even at that hour - 6:30am, I was apprehensive about the way my workout would end.

The ladder speed workout which gets you to finish wheezing with arms akimbo was perhaps designed by coaches who train athletes in cooler climes and not this sauna that we call summer. Nevertheless, I am wont to throw caution to the winds just to check if I can wrangle a PR in my next Marathon:-) I finished the circuits at an RPE of 9 (expected in this workout and in this weather) and must have looked pretty done in with my chest heaving and my T-shirt stuck to my body, just as I heard one of the ol'timers at Aarey telling another walker, "Yeh Saab ko dekho. Kitne saal se daudtha hai." I smiled and returned a friendly wave. Little do they realize how many years of hard work endurance involves and then there are the starry eyed who want quick fixes.

Russell enquired about Bamoo and I told him that Bamoo is in fine fettle and filling his ever expanding form with raised toast and a sneer, when you raise an eyebrow expressing the probability that he could be stricken with 'angina pectoralis' at any moment. I dread to hazard a guess about his weight:-) I had recently given Bamoo some 'urak' (a Goan spirit - not the ghostly kind:-) - and which is supposed to be a 'cooling drink' - Goans do like to delude themselves, don't they?) which he relishes with a dish made from goat' intestines. I expectedly wrinkle my nose in disgust when he shares such tribal gustatory delights with a gleam in his eyes, like I would exhibit if I had, placed before me a plate of spare ribs in Barbeque sauce. But then my taste for cuisine is not primal like it is in the case of Bamoo:-). I even told Russell that I suspect Bamoo to have been a tribal chieftain (given his girth) in a place such as Burkina Fasso, in his earlier life:-))))). Nice to have found your groove again Dan.

Rum & Running

I have always wondered about the effects of alcohol on endurance though I do not like to speculate on its ill-effects or otherwise. I would, if I felt that corrective action, based on medical research, would substantially benefit me:-) You know I'm kidding and you surely don't want to believe the crap that I'd trade my tipple for better race times, given my proclivity (nay penchant) for the same.

I have been on tour for the better part of this week and have been quaffing a fair bit of rum even though the climate proscribes such "heaty" beverages. Imagine drinking rum in Vijaywada where the daily max temperature is 43 deg cent. Some would shake their heads in disbelief and others in disgust. Anyways, my rejoinder would be, recalling a statement I recently saw on a T-shirt; "F*** You, I have every thing I need". Now that is called living your own life and allowing others to live as they want. I returned on Thursday night and went in for a "tempo" workout on Friday with a sleep deficit and some blubber on the midriff. It did feel very strenuous. I not only survived it; but, I also hit my target pace. I must admit that I did feel like one of those "Alaskan Huskies" when left loose in the Sahara:-)

Cut to Sunday morning. I went in for a race pace run and by the end of it I wondered whether I was getting too old for this stuff or whether it was the alcohol - I'd like to think it was the later (wink). I did finish at better than target pace albeit with an RPE in the high 9s - shy of 10!! Well my take on this is that; if I could hit target pace, I think I have a ghost of a chance at actually doing this in a marathon. Don't make me laugh Dan!