Routine.. Routine..

Sunday, what a Fun..day

2011-02-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

I don't remember the last time I challenged myself as much!!

It was Ind vs. Eng on Saturday night - the first real match for India in the world cup. So, we had a little poker + cricket party at Bharath's place. We gathered at around 10pm and started playing and then the cricket match started at 1am. Thoroughly enjoyed Sachin's sixes :) and India's batting, but was a little disappointed with India's finish.

After India's innings, I headed off with 2 other friends (Jenny & Ishwar) for a ski trip to Tahoe. The weather forecast was sunny and there was supposed to be a lot of snow because it had been snowing the whole week. So, there was lot of anticipation about skiing on Sunday. While driving there, we had the luxury of watching cricket on Jenny's iPhone. That was something. It was awesome being able to do that. But India were terrible defending a huge score of 338 and we were glad we lost signal when the match was all but lost. And Jenny took over the driving. I predicted the match would be over with 2 overs to spare the way Strauss and Bell were going at it.

We reached Kirkwood a little bit before 9am on a beautiful sunny day and decided to check the score out. Surprisingly the match was still going on. England had dramatically collapsed and they needed 30 from 13 balls with 3 wickets to spare. Thanks to the technology, we were able to witness the drama and the thrilling tie!! Okay.. at least we did not lose the match. Not a bad start to the day we thought.

The weather was perfect, lot of sun and lot of snow. :) It wasn't snowing then and there was lot of fresh snow on the slopes. It was my first time skiing on so much powder (ski lingo for snow). This was my 3rd time to a ski resort and the first two times I had taken the beginner package with lessons and stayed on the bunny green slopes. So, the order of difficulty of ski slopes goes from green t0 blue to black (or diamond) to double-black (or double-diamond). After one run, we joined AP at the resort and the group I was with this time were regular skiers and Jenny and AP were daredevils, I heard from Ishwar. They would go on the blacks and the double-diamonds and also go off terrain. Whoa!! Anyways.. here I was with them.

I did not want to be on the green slopes skiing there by myself. The last time I was there at Kirkwood, I did that and was bored at the end of it and wanted to try something different. It was my first time with this group, so, they had no idea how I skiied or on which slopes I could ski. So, the first run with Jenny was more of an assessment. I think it was blue slope. There was so much snow and first time on a blue slope for me. I was intimidated. After a slow and unenventful run, we tried to find a run that I can go on repeatedly. I waited at the base of a lift while Jenny went up a lift to assess that run. In a few minutes, he had gone up to the nearest peak I could see and come down. And by this time, AP joined us. After deciding that would be a suicide for me, we went up a different lift. It was a difficult blue. It was a little steep and narrow at the top of the run and once I fell down I found it hard to get up on that slope. So, after trying in vain to get me back on feet, AP and Jenny went down the slope and promised to come back up that lift. I can't believe now that I just stood there at the edge of the slope waiting for rescue like a deer caught in headlights. I pretty much froze.

I stood there wondering if it was the shoes which had a bit discomfort. Or is it the excess powder on the slopes. Jenny was back in a few minutes and with his assistance I managed to come back down the slope this time. At the end of the run, I was more comfortable to negotiate that slope than before. I practiced slow turns & I also learnt new techniques to get up after a fall. After checking if I would be able to go on that run alone again, Jenny went off with AP to jump off a cliff, or ski down some precipice. That run was called "The Wall," so you can imagine how steep that could be. They had gone off to the highest peak I could see from where I was standing to do their stunts. I went back on that slope and after exhausting myself with some slow turning all by myself, I looked for company and that effort going in vain, I took the lunch break. As I finished up my lunch, I bumped into Ishwar & then caught up with the other guys too. During the break, I had refreshed myself and also adjusted my shoes.. so, I felt much more comfortable after it.

Post-lunch, I just wanted to stay with at least one of them. Well, I probably had to because my cell phone died. But either ways, it turned out to be tremendous fun. It was such a huge resort and Ishwar wanted to go a different side of the mountain. In order to get to those lifts, we either needed to walk up some slope a bit or go up a lift and ski down to those other lifts. We chose the latter and at that point these three guys wanted to leave me on the easier slopes while they were gonna tread some blacks. I refused to go to the green slopes and just stayed with them instead. :)

Best decision I made? Maybe Ishwar would not agree. Over the next hour or so, I negotiated my first few blacks and took umpteen number of tumbles. The first run was probably an easier one and managed to ski down it fairly comfortably falling only a couple of times. The second one was way too sleep and made me take a variety of tumbles -- on the belly, on the back, facing uphill, facing downhill, legs in a V position, legs in an X position. If there was a way to fall, I fell that way. Once I even lost the ski pole boarding the lift, and another time I lost the ski boarding the lift and had to hop off on one ski after that -- all sorts of adventure. Given the amount of discomfort I put my body to though I feel very lucky and thankful though not to have broken a bone or two. But after getting out unscathed through all the hell, I felt satisfied. Good workout. And enough for the day.

Few more blue runs and green runs, few more fast runs and fast tumbles later, I was back to the lodge, having explored lot of Kirkwood. It was a great day to ski - lovely weather and lot of snow. And a lovely experience overall!

After that, it was the drive back, to a sumptuous dinner @Ishwar's including mango lassi, parathas & kabobs all home made by Ishwar's & Jenny's spouses. Great way to end a great day. Now, if only India sneaked in on the victory, it would have been even more special. By the time I reached home at midnight, I had slept for an hour (on the way to Tahoe) in the previous 24hours and that was by far the fullest utilization of 24hours in a day I can remember.

The Faint Experience..

2010-12-13T18:12:00.000-08:00

It took me 30 years to realize how it would be to faint! When it happened though, I thought the experience was surreal.

I had gone in for my routine physical exam which entailed giving some blood samples for tests. So, I went to the lab after having not had anything in the 12hrs prior. The last time I had gone for the blood test, I had felt dizzy and was expecting something similar -- guess signs of weakening body? -- when the phlebotomist (cool word for one's occupation heh?!) drew out blood out of my right hand, I did feel dizzy. Since he could not collect enough blood in the last sample, he had to take one more sample from the left hand. (By the way, this was the first time one 'could not' draw out enough blood from my hand.. I was wondering if the blood pressure was not high enough to push the blood out but the phlebotomist had other explanations as well.)

For a moment, I wanted to take a sip of water before he drew the remaining sample but since it was just mini test tube I thought I would sit through it and then go have my lunch next door. I do not remember how I started to go unconscious but what I remember thinking was that my brain had completely shut off. I remember asking myself where I was and what I was doing, and my brain had no answer!!! NO ANSWER - my head was totally blank. That was some feeling. I can only guess that it lasted a couple of moments before I started to gain consciousness. I realized one of my flip-flops had fallen off. And I saw the nurse was around too, and they were applying some ice at the back of my neck. As I was regaining my consciousness I was told that I had fainted. I was so surprised to know that they had noticed that I fainted. I was still sitting on the chair but had totally lost consciousness. And then the person drawing my blood actually knew I was gaining my consciousness back. How? He told me the paleness in my face was going away! Paleness!!?? Whoa! Until this time, that was only an academic word for me. I still had not seen myself pale but that was some kind of an experience.

I then quickly grabbed lunch, all the while feeling miserably cold, and finally got home to comfort! It made me wonder -- what would we be without our brains!!??And just how the whole body works is just mind boggling!

A never-ending century @ Davis

2010-10-16T23:27:00.001-07:00

A culmination of training? Or a new beginning? Only time will tell. One thing for sure is that it was a job well done. And for that, hats off to TeamAsha coaches - Lyresa, Jeff & Stan - and all TA buddies. On my first ride, the very first ride, I had a nasty fall and scraped all my left side of the body. That I survived the entire season without another fall (well, there was one small one when I was stationary, but lets discount that) was surprising to me. And to think that at the end of the season I would have completed a 100miler would have seemed ridiculous at that moment!
Now for the Davis ride part..

Chasing Anshu

It's flat? Really? Sure, it was flat all the way till rest stop 1 @ 25mile but it wasn't easy. In all the rides so far, the roads were so smooth, the roads in Davis left a lot to be desired. :) It took almost double effort to tackle them. On top of it, the wind! After coach Lyresa's on-hands demo of cycle repair (no, she had a flat tire), we left in clusters. I took off & soon some more passed me. And then there was Anshu. For all his pre-race talk about him chasing me at Davis, I was the one left to chase him all the way to the first rest stop at mile 25. He caught on to a paceline and took off & just vanished. Looks like lot of people caught on to pacelines and had lot of fun. :)

I managed to get on to a paceline too towards the end of the first 25-mile segment (rest stop 1 was at mile 25). As we were approaching the rest stop, we had a right turn, and all of a sudden I realized how much headwind we were up against. As soon as we made the right turn, I felt the bike being displaced maybe a few inches. The girl leading our group was awesome! She was riding amazingly steady on her aero-bars and I just drafted behind her all the way to the rest stop.

Judgment time for Foxy's Century

Until the rest-stop, there was lot of support personnel on cars and bikes. And there were arrows on the road at every turn, which was awesome! No need to look at the route sheet at all. But our group was pampered on Tour of Napa Valley with food. :) Rest stops every 15mi with lotsa awesome food. So, the first rest stop was where I was gonna pass my judgment on the ride, and also set my expectations for the rest of the ride. Didn't leave a good impression. There were bananas and grapes, and some more food. But not enough stalls & not enough variety. I knew not to expect much support over the rest of the ride.

Chasing Lyresa & Sriram

After a lesiurely wait at rest stop 1, I started out with a bunch of other friends. The roads had changed for the better, and after a few short turns, I could see a long flat road straight ahead. I went on my aerobars and like cruise control, I was going at 80rpm cadence for I don't know how long. It felt awesome! Aerobars, you beauty! As I was going past lot of folks, I also passed coach Lyresa & Sriram who promptly started drafting behind me. After having pulled them for a few miles, I was passed over by a faster paceline and Lyresa & Sriram promptly jumped onto their group. :) I guess that should be the strategy. Get on to whichever paceline you can. :) After that point, I was chasing them until the second stop at mile 38.

Leaving them in the wake, or should I say, leaving them at rest stop 2 that was a fake?

As I was approaching second stop, I was passing a few TeamAsha folks. The second stop was at a dangerous junction with not much space for bicycles to stop. There was some water and porta potties. I stopped momentarily, filled water and started back again, leaving everyone while they had stopped at the water stop. Stop 2 (rest stop / water stop) lived up to the expectations! The next stop was 18mi away. The road was so rough, I was on a hunt for the path of least resistance. In one stretch, there was a small trip of good tar on the shoulder and I got on to it. It felt like I had got on to a pace line. :) After negotiating some hills, coach Lyresa caught up with me. And then we were playing cat and mouse for a few miles. It is always fun chasing Lyresa. I love going past her on an uphill, but again she eventually outrides me. Couple of miles before the lunch she passed me and went ahead.

Lunch? It was more like breakfast.. peanut butter and jam! But they had chips too! Yay. Finally some taste. :)

Chasing Pavan & Naveen

After re-grouping with everybody, I started out with Naveen, Mukul & Pavan. Or at least that was how it was supposed to be but Pavan led everyone else off. So, I started a few minutes after they left, and I was chasing them. I yelled out to Pavan but of course he did not hear me. The next 18mi was known to be a climb! I was in for the long haul. We were all in for it! After a time that seemed looong, I passed Naveen at the top of a small hill, and went ahead on the downhill. I love downhills but soon I started cramping. When you get cramps, I realized even downhills are a pain! :| After some time, I got some help from Naveen as he handed me 2 salt capsules. I meant to gulp a couple at lunch from Anshu, but forgot, and it seemed to be showing the due effect. After taking the salt, I started riding again hoping the cramps would go away. However, after a few minutes, I had to stop. I stopped by the road, took a little nap, stretched and massaged my muscles hoping the cramps to ease out. Soon, Lyresa passed me and waited for me to get back on the bike. I was on my bike again, and soon after that rest, I was ready to ride again! My cramps were gone after a bit, and I was so thrilled.

~~Counting Numbers~~ ~~Lots of water around, no where to drink~~ ~~Staying within limits~~

Hills are fun!

After a long climb (before I had gotten cramps), I was just curious how much we had done after lunch. I thought I would have had 6 more miles to go, but alas, I had done 6 miles! All of 6 miles. At least 9 more to go? Or was it 12 more? I had no idea, but I was going to go after them anyways. And after getting fresh legs post-cramps, I enjoyed the hills again. At least, they were scenic and had good roads. :) I charged at them when I could and when the longest climb stared at me.. I counted numbers. 100 pedals at a time. After the climb, I was looking for my reward (which was a long downhill) but it never materialized. There were downhills that I enjoyed, pedaled at 43mph(!!) but still was greedy for more. It was not just the cramps that put me within limits. It was also the road traffic. At one point I was cursing the truck in front of me for slowing me down on a downhill. :) I dug into my innermost reserves of mental fortitude but found the reward elusive.

After the cramps and uphills, I ran out of water and was thirsty -- and very eager for the next water stop. There was so much water in the scenic beauty around, but no place to drink. I kept looking for the waterstop or a lovely downhill. But soon I gave up on the water stop and stopped at the first store I found to buy some water. After I freshened up there, I found the water stop a stone's throw away. Stopped there again and found watermelon. Finally! Pickle too! Probably the best food of all the stops.

~~Riding with Sriram~~ Riding without Sriram

Filled my water bottle & started the ride out with Sriram with a gentle climb. At the top of the climb though, I couldn't resist the downhill and took off. Sriram duly caught up with me and then we were pacing each other for some time until he found another paceline and I asked him to go ahead. After chugging along for some time, my mind shut off! Like it was telling me "that's enough!" As I reached mile 95, I heard someone say 7 more miles. I started counting again. I thought the finish would be 2000 revolutions away, but the organizers were teasing us. It just never seemed to end. And once I completed my 2000 revs (already close to 104mi done), I just decided to push on until the end. When it did arrive though, I had no idea that it was the end! Just another street, just another parking lot. Just like that, the finish was there! I almost lost it & rode right through! No fan fare, no finish line, it seemed like just another day in the park. And ironically, after having some pasta and freshening up, we (Pavan & I) were feeling fresh. It was a totally weird, yet, a happy feeling!

Maybe it was the familiar faces at the end, maybe it was the fact that everyone had a good ride, or maybe it meant that this is just a beginning!

Highlights

The weather: Beautiful day to ride. Wouldn't want any other way! Gotta thank the Gods.
The elements: Rough road. Wind helps, wind hurts.
The dilemma: If I don't attack the uphills, they will eat me alive. If I don't attack the downhills, I can't get momentum for the uphills!
The verdict: Cardiac hill is awesome! Hills rock, Flat roads in Davis suck!
The weekend: Worth the wait, memorable.

Conquering hills?

2010-09-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

http://beta.mapmyride.com/routes/detail/23270606/

Unexpectedly, just like that, we bumped into a long hill. After completing that, nothing seemed daunting any more for some reason. And then late into the ride, there was an optional climb. Of course I was gonna do it.

I was under the impression that the additional detour was 2.5mi. Now, I was not sure if it was 2.5mi round trip or one-way. :) Either ways, the total round trip was 7mi, and it was a fun hill. Long climb. And then at one point, I was even going up & down to stay with Kiran & Anshu. Wow. What was I doing?! It all seemed so easy at that instance. Hard to put how I felt in words. I felt I was conquering the hills!

This ride will probably remain my biggest strength in dire situations.

And you thought Ink Grade was painful??

2010-08-24T18:34:00.001-07:00

Fifteenth toughest ride in Napa. In Napa, that too!

15) INK GRADE 247 ft/mi. Total distance from Pope Valley Rd. to White Cottage is 4.5 miles and 1110 feet of climbing. Very nice ride with plenty of shade, lots of breaks especially at the start. One of the longer climbs in Napa but not as difficult as most. Also part of our righteous Tour of the Napa Valley.

247ft/mi?? chhii.. not even 5% grade.

how about this for a climb?

2) SPRING MTN (starting from St Helena) 526 ft/mi. I rank this second even though there are two other climbs that are steeper, but this one is longer and there are essentially no breaks. Total distance (from Y in the road to county line) is 4.5 miles and total elevation gain is 1560 feet. The major pitch however is 1.9 miles long and 1000 ft with virtually no breaks. It is covered in shade which helps but I've only attempted this twice in 7 years just to give you an idea of how much I enjoy this one.

excerpt from here: http://www.eaglecyclingclub.org/hills.htm

Tour of Napa Valley 100k

2010-08-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

Not a great preparation for the 100k.

- Missed last two weekend rides to Old La Honda & Kings Mountain

- My only rides in the last 3 weeks were the bike patrol during weekend Asha runs

- Car problem 2 days prior

- Lost TeamAsha jersey the day before (even before I tried it on)

- Trial by fire for my brand new biking shorts (no.. not for the shorts, more for me!)

- Amid all the forgetfulness, landed late for dinner in Napa the night before

But after that, things seemed to turn around. It was nice for all of the folks to have waited for me. The to-go dinner tasted good. The weather at the campsite was pleasant. The best part was of course that I got a sound sleep Sat night! All I cared was to be able to sleep well the day before, and the first goal was accomplished! Everything else, not a care in the world!

Clearing up the campsite went quite smoothly in the morning. It's a different matter we (Prakash & I) ended up late in the morning. By the time we got to the check-in point, it was already 7:30. After lounging around a bit, and adjusting my brakes, it was time to roll. It was close to 8:00 already! Was probably the last of the 65mi riders to start.

I was lucky to have coach Stan riding alongside, making sure everyone was rolling, and also taking pictures of us all. After a gentle warmup (for coach), he took off and left me panting. ;) No, I wasn't, but Stan really did take off. Pretty soon, there was no sight of him. I kept chugging along and after some time, I passed Praveen & coach Stan, who had stopped to fix someone's bike. And then, I saw coach Lyresa patroling for other bikers. It is amazing how all the coaches double and triple the climbs patroling for the bikers in the group. Taking pictures, egging us on, etc. Take a bow!

Reached the first rest stop @ about 14mi. Lots of awesome food!! (Had to be the first thing I mentioned about it.) Met up with the rest of the gang, and ready to roll again as it was still a bit chilly. Started out with a climb, and then there were some rolling hills. Nice shade, slow biking, it seemed all fine. Raja & I were rolling around pretty smoothly, and I even mentioned to him "it's been pretty smooth so far." That was probably around 20mi or so. Raja went ahead. I slowed down. It wasn't really a climb, but it wasn't easy as well. It lasted for probably another 3-4mi. I had no idea about this climb, how long, if there was a downhill.. no clue. By the end of it though, I was sick of it!! Sick of biking slow.

The first sight of a downhill / flat road, I started pushing on. I knew the second rest-stop was not too far away. And it looked like the climb had been negotiated. I caught up with Sriram & Prakash, but I had no intention of slowing down. i just kept pushing on, probably pedaling at 90-100rpm. Kept going for about 2-3mi, maybe.. touching 30mph. And to my surprise, Prakash & Sriram were right behind me. Good drafting!!! Took a small break, slowed down, and took off again.. it was amazing! The three of us, zooming past other bikers, keeping at it for a good 4-5mi. Terrific. Best part of the ride! Then I slowed down, Prakash & Sriram continued. I caught a glance of the dreaded Ink Grade Rd (this was the only thing about the ride that I had heard of) and met them again at lunch stop. Along with the coaches and the rest of the gang. Sumptuous lunch and bike maintenance followed. After a leisurely break, I started back, alone, to climb up the Ink Grade!

It's just a hill. Yea, what's the big deal? I kept pedaling. In my lowest gear on a climb, and shifting a few gears down whenever there was a little respite. The stupid climb never ended!!! Refused to budge. How long is this??!! Saw "half way there" on the road soon. Was excited. Then there was a relatively less steeper 'climb.' Yelled out "yoo-hoo, downhill!!" I thought I was doing fine.. trudging along slowly, when my quads cramped all of a sudden. Lucky for me, I had a place to stop on the side. Sat down for a while, emptied the gatorade bottle, stretched a little, walked a little, and got on the bike soon. And then I saw coach Stan patroling pretty soon. He rode up the hill with me again, like he did with almost everyone!! and clicked pictures. So sweet! :) Finally, was almost done with Ink Grade. At the water stop, looking for salt. But to no avail. Glad the cramps did not come back. After some more climb, it was downhill time!!

So far so good, negotiated shoe lace in the chain, and toe clip coming off without falling. Next stop was about 13mi away. And most of it was downhill. WOW!! Not much pedaling to do, and still coasting at 35mph+. It was awesome. Really awesome, and really pretty. Met up with Raja/Naresh/Prakash/Sriram/Praveen at the last stop. By that time, I was pretty much stuffed. Had a little food, and started out again. Started ahead with Sriram, but soon everyone passed. The last 13mi were full of anticipation of the finish line, knowing that the difficult part had already passed. It was sunny, but there was a gentle breeze. It was so close, yet so far. It felt nice, and at the same time sad that the ride was ending.. It was a nice day.. why did it have to end? A bunch of mixed feelings. After a long stretch of Silverado Trail Rd, I pushed on for one last time and slowed only at the sight of the finish line.

The sight of Chakri, holding the camera to capture the moment. As he has done on numerous occasions!! Finish line = Chakri! Kudos to you! And the rest of the riders waiting to give high-fives. And again, of course, the awesome food!! :)

It was a great ride. And a great first trip to Napa. Thanks to all the coaches and TeamAsha!! It was awesome, but it was all a stepping stone for hopefully many more rides to come.

When am I gonna do Old La Honda? What about King's Mountain? What about all those other places we haven't explored? Can't wait.. Thanks for the wonderful program so far!!!

Napa Preparation

2010-08-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

Calaveras was intense. The ride next weekend was to the reservoirs in San Jose. Relatively, it was a piece of cake. 45mi, but compared to Calaveras, this seemed like a flat course.

I could complete the whole ride without getting off the saddle. (although I would not advise that.. :) ) 3 more weeks to the Napa, and good confidence after Calaveras.

However, I missed the next two weekend rides. Looks like I missed some good ones too - Old La Honda & Kings Mountain.

At this point, I pretty much did not do any preparation specifically for Napa course. I just trusted myself to complete the ride in one piece.

The Wall

2010-08-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

Calaveras Out-and-Back on Jul 18th

Of all the rides I have done so far, this is the favorite one!! This is the first ride that gave the joy of a prolonged downhill. While on the previous ride, I learnt how "not to" fall in a downhill, this ride I enjoyed the downhill. :)

After a warmup 3mi stretch of flat biking, there is a 2.5-mi stretch of 6% climb on the way out. After that climb is what bikers affectionately refer to as "The Wall." It is a 14% climb for a short distance. (1% grade means 52ft of climb over a mile.) If you thought the 6% climb was tough, you encounter the Wall. I stopped mid-way and walked my bike until I could muster enough courage to get on the bike again.

After the wall, and then there was another 14mi of rolling hills all the way up to 84 (yes, 84 again) in Sunol. While heading to Sunol, I kept wondering if it were better in this direction or the other. The rolling hills were a pain. But the route was so scenic, I would give a little of myself to enjoy the scenery! So, just like that, we were at the half-way point. We had done 20mi, and 20 more to go on the way back. Ironically though, I did want to go further at that point instead of heading back.

The way back was grueling each time there was a hill. It was a grind, and the first time mental strength came into play. Was reminded of hitting the wall while running marathons. It was challenging. And it was awesome!! Even without realizing, I hit the 14% downhill. And once that happened, everything else did not matter. 14% down grade, and then another 6% downgrade over 2.5mi. Going downhill @ 30mph -- can't put that feeling in words. It was like the whole effort of climbing up that hill was paying off!! Just pure bliss. Imagine flying for 5min.

To put it in perspective, the climb took about 25min, and the descent took about 5min. :)

Came back two days later to negotiate the wall without stopping. :) Did a 14-mi loop for a good early morning ride and a glance at the Calaveras reservoir area.

After every uphill, there is a downhill...

2010-07-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

.. and then some more uphills, maybe. That's life! Or.. at least that's how hill training is. You just have to enjoy the down hill, make sure you don't go crazy and I guess brace yourself for the uphill that you are going to weather.

Speaking of which, it was a great weather to go out for a long ride. Not too hot.. and a gentle breeze.

If only I knew where I was going. I have never used a cue sheet so far for the rides (only because I am too lazy to get a cue clip?). So, I had a vague idea of the ride. Add to that, I was riding alone. I knew I had to go on Alameda Las Pulgas.. and the next road I remembered was Sand Hill Rd. I had no idea for how long though. That made for a really interesting ride on Alameda Las Pulgas. It kept going on and on.. and on. For 9 miles. At that point, I felt.. in general about life too.. that perhaps it was good to have some short term direction. :) Luckily, for me, eventually, I did end up on Sand Hill, but those 30-40min, I was totally lost!!

Thoroughly enjoyed the whole 'solo' thing though.

simple joys of watching TV..

2010-04-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a year since the transition to digital TV, and boy have I missed watching it!! :) I had a CRT at home, and got my channels using regular bunny ears but ever since the transition, I have been very lazy to get a digital converter to receive the digital transmission. Now, I have Moski's big flat-screen TV at home -- and I don't need a converter for that! :)

I get to watch all the local channels using my bunny ears now. Ah! good ol' days! The Frasiers, The Seinfelds & all those CSIs, SVUs, NCISs et al..

Life is good. Let me enjoy it while it lasts.. :)

ooh.. feels good

2009-12-18T16:43:00.000-08:00

Oh.. it felt so good to have cooked and invited friends over. It's been such a long time since I last cooked. I guess I should do it more often.

In the process, attempted a new dish -- beetroot paneer!! :) It turned out pretty good too, I guess the paneer does it to all dishes?

Made pulusu, beerakaya pachchadi, cabbage appetizer, beetroot raita in addition to the curry.

Now I am all set for Christmas, waiting for mom & sister and family..

Mile-time-trial

2009-05-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

Went to volunteer at the TeamAsha Mile Time Trial at the Palo Alto high school. Oh boy, what tracks they were... excellent surface. The kids here are pampered, I say!! Went there with my flip flops.. and couldn't resist running on the tracks, so, ran barefoot. It was great fun cheering runners on and pacing them - truth be said, running barefoot was so awesome (felt so light.. and more importantly the legs felt good). I was egging folks on, and just helping around, as we had sufficient volunteers for other stuff. And once everyone finished, the vols went for their time trials. I wasn't planning to do mine (first, I am not training with TeamAsha this year) but didn't mind running on that surface at all.. and if someone wants to time you and pamper you, grab it with both hands.. err.. legs. So I did that. And got a great kick out of it!

I ended up shaving about 21 seconds from my previous best to do a 6:36 mile. That means a sub-4hr marathon under ideal conditions. So, those hopes still stay alive.

After all, it looks like the legs are doing alright, with all the stretching and stuff. I have a 10k coming up in 2 weeks. Want to hit that in 55min. Let's see how that goes..

Playing to a gallery

2009-05-02T19:07:00.001-07:00

It was a fun participating in the hole-in-one competition at Deep Cliff Golf Course. This is an annual event organized by the Rotary Club of Cupertino -- they hold qualifiers for ~3 weeks and winner from every day qualifies for the event. The proceeds of the qualifiers went to a different non profit association every day. I qualified on Asha for Educations's qualifier with a distance of 4ft to the hole.

Including sponsors and organizers, a total of 30 people teed off on this 165 yard par-3 hole. Every one got just one shot at it, and out of 30 people, just two made it on to the green! It is quite a tough hole with two bunkers and narrow fairway. The first one to get on the green was eventually the winner for the consolation prize for 'closest to pin' -- he got 3.5ft away from the hole. 3.5ft was the distance between him and a Mercedes SUV!!

It was my first experience of playing to the gallery, obviously.. and it was lot of fun!!

on the run again..

2009-04-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

3 weeks back, to date, I had gone for a run -- this after a prolonged absence. Maybe even as far as October 2007 when I ran the Marine Corps Marathon. Picked up a hip/ITB injury during my training, and basically was taking a long break. I worked with a physiotherapist (not sure if it was during or after the marathon) but I basically refrained from going out running. I was out playing ping-pong and basketball once in a while but I was putting off running until I got myself a pair of sneakers. Finally, did that and ventured out to the gym.

It feels good be running again. I limit my running to only two days of a week though, don't want to stress out my ailing body too much. Thanks to my sneakers, I have ramped up the workout at the gym as well... and all of a sudden, just like that, it's gotten busy. At least it's not like the time when I signed up for TeamAsha training. Then, it was super busy! Mar - Oct seems to be the crunch time for projects around here at work, so, TA training coincides with that perfectly. So, that's some respite that I am on my own without commitments to programs like marathon training or Stanford courses or swimming classes.. just one commitment is the Asha SV chapter meetings & stewarding one project. At this point, that is pretty much what I can handle.

Oh, yeah! I am on the run again.. but I am not sprinting this time!

interesting rating I found on yelp..

2009-03-27T11:53:00.001-07:00

Indian Buffet Rankings:
1) Turmeric, Sunnyvale
2) Passage to India, Mountain View
3) Priya, Berkeley
4) Bombay Garden, Sunnyvale
5) Mehak, Berkeley
6) Sargam, Walnut Creek
7) Madhuban, Sunnyvale
8) Rangoli, San Jose
9) Maharaja?, Mtn View --- on Castro St., can't remember name but it's not Sue's, maybe Godavari?
10) Tandoori Mahal, San Francisco
11) Mayuri, Santa Clara
12) Khana Peena, Berkeley
13) Sahib, Richmond
14) Taj, Sunnyvale
15) Swarna,Walnut Creek
16) INDIA GATE, SANTA CLARA
17) Mezbaan, Santa Clara
18) Grand Indian Buffet, Sunnyvale
19) Tandoori Bites, San Jose
20) India Palace, Berkeley
21) Raj, Oakland
22) Nawab, San Mateo
23) Udupi Palace, Sunnyvale

Dr. Strangelove?

2009-03-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: Movie plot & some details included.

'Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb' -- that's the most ridiculous name that I had ever come across while playing charades. Upon hearing it first, I thought it was some thing like an Austin Powers movie.

Then, I watched it. It was a B/W movie. It was a war movie.. well, at least something about US carrying out an attach on Russia. I won't reveal much, but by the end of it, I wasn't sure what the movie was about. Maybe I should have read about the movie before watching it - I probably could have appreciated it more.

This is a userreview on imdb:

Stanley Kubrick's first and only comedic masterpiece is still the finest ever made. I love everything in the movie: the brilliant acting, sensational script, flawless direction, and even those quirky visual effects. Not only was this film hilarious, it was a breakthrough for the entire film industry when first released.

In the end, 'Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' is the best comedy. It's also another milestone in film making and another reason to be astonished when looking at the work of Stanley Kubrick.

Sure, there was satire in the movie that I had recognized, but I wasn't even ready for it & failed to have a good laugh. I thought it was supposed to be a serious movie! What amazed me (post-movie research) was that Dr. Strangelove, the President and Captain Mandrake were all the same actor!! I sure missed that.

It was another Kubrick movie that had failed to impress me - Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Dr. Strangelove. Maybe I don't get him. I heard Full Metal Jacket (another Stanley Kubrick movie) was the best war movie ever made. Now, I have to judge that myself! Maybe, read a user review first.

ekla cholo re

2009-03-07T07:48:00.000-08:00

Beautiful lyrics:
Jodi tor đak shune keu na ashe tôbe êkla chôlo re

"If they answer not to thy call walk alone "

A very nice harmonica rendering:

Complete translation:
If they answer not to thy call walk alone,
If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall,
O thou of evil luck,
open thy mind and speak out alone.

If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness,
O thou of evil luck,
trample the thorns under thy tread,
and along the blood-lined track travel alone.

If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm,
O thou of evil luck,
with the thunder flame of pain ignite thy own heart
and let it burn alone.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekla_Chalo_Re

Oscar night (feb 22)

2009-03-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

That was an eventful weekend for me. Got my weekly dose of basketball on Saturday and gotta play Scrabble with the big guys. And I had a flop-show in making double-ka-meetha for Oscar night party at Manju's place. Manju threw a party to cheer for Slumdog Millionaire at her place. She cooks great food, and in great quantities - biryani, bagara baingan (all the good stuff from Hyd) - and it was delicious as usual.

We were about 15 people watching Oscars and rooting for Slumdog, and it was almost a slam for Slumdog! Kudos to Rahman and Resul. I thought it would have been blasphemous if the award for original music score went to the other person instead of Rahman - somehow when they performed live at the Oscars, it didn't seem like any competition at all. AR Rahman has made some great music over the decades, and I guess it was high time he won the Academy award for music. We also had our own entertainment in the form of Oscar trivia from Manju and some charades.

There is always a hoopla (and a bit of going overboard) with everything (every success, and much the same damning with every failure) in India -- ranging from wild celebrations to wild media coverage debating how and why we should celebrate it. After all, it was a movie.. made by a British director with Indian cast, and it won some awards. That's about it . I guess the movie was a good one, even though it might not be a great one but surely worth celebrating the success of Indians who won the Oscars. It is surely a matter of pride that Resul and Rahman have won, and it surely opens up some opportunities for future collaborations. Let not celebrations mean putting people on a pedestal, only to plunge them from their heights when they fail to live up to the unfair expectations that we build upon them! I believe people should lead their lives on their own terms.

There is an interesting debate on NDTV (The Big Fight: Slumdog reality): http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/Ndtv-Show-Special.aspx?ID=11

I thought Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri was very negative about the movie and was surprised to look him up to find this profile. Having such a negative take from 'a management guru, philosopher and economist' was kind of surprising to me! I saw the movie, and didn't feel anything negative about the main story (about how Jamaal rises from his circumstances to lead a life of dignity) - sure Anil Kapoor's character was obnoxious, but I felt that was beside the main theme of the movie. I was more interested in what Jamaal eventually achieves rather than all the people and factors trying to undermine him. Other debaters had some very valid points.

I could go on.. but I don't see a big issue celebrating the success of Slumdog! I liked the movie. I did think it was over-hyped, but hey, what the hell.. sometimes movies are. I was particularly delighted for the kids from the movie.

First-time skiing (@ Sierra) - feb16

2009-02-24T02:15:00.000-08:00

Went to Tahoe with Pande & Mrudula -- we took the bay area ski bus, so, it was a pretty jampacked day. I spent the night playing casual chess with PC & Sridhar, and had to be at the pickup area by 4am. After boarding, I was 'out' in no time -- missed the breakfast and all the goodies on the bus, but when I opened my eyes.. it was like I came to a just a whole new different world!! I think that was the best part of the trip - realizing where you are. I hadn't seen so much snow in my life, it was a treat and so beautiful. Soon, it started snowing as well.

I heard horror stories from some of my friends, and when I bought expensive ski gear as part of last-minute shopping I had my own misgivings. I heard that one either loves it or hates it. For me though it was more of love. I had experience skating and ice-skating before, so, I was hoping I would be okay skiing. Hey, at least the shoes were comfortable -- much more than the ones you get at skating rinks. M&P took me first time on the lift -- it was quite difficult to stay still. :) Pande gave me the first lessons on how to stop - Pizza slice (have the ski blades like a pizza slice, tapering in the front) and knees inward. What this basically does is it reduces the area of the ski blade exposed to snow and hence you won't zoom forward. That was my first lesson -- but I guess it was the foundation.

I took the rental + lift + lesson package and after coming down the first slope (very slowly), I went and joined the lesson. I think the toughest part of that lesson was walking uphill (it was very very low incline, but still) sideways and trying not to slide down. It totally sapped me!! :)

The lesson was very useful - learnt about the equipment (jacket, boots, skis, etc.), correct skiing posture (all the weight is basically supported by the boot and the shin), how to fall properly, how to get up after a fall, walking with the skis, hopping with the skis, balance, and when we got on to the snow -- how to turn and how to slow. The lesson did not teach us how to stop, but without that initial lesson from Pande I think I would be dead scared :) -- not knowing how to stop. I also learnt how to get off the chair.

I fell lifting off the chair every time for the first 3-4 times and learnt how to get up correctly from the instructor. I also took down Mrudula once (she was the most accomplished skier of the three of us). The lesson was 2.5hr long and as the day wore on I realized its worth. It was totally worth it, and the next time I will take a lesson as well (intermediate this time). You learn so much faster with a lesson. Pande & Mrudula had gone on this big trail when I was at the lesson, but post-lunch.. we were all together at the same trail. What I liked best about my time on the slopes was my fall. Sure, I learnt how to fall in the lesson, but I felt I was mastering it on the slopes ;). The snow was so fresh that it probably felt nice falling - it definitely did not hurt.

As I started negotiating turns initially, I always used to end up in a pizza. As I saw Mrudula do her turns, I started imitating her a bit and my turns got better. I was still not able to control my speed though. I could still control myself and come to a stop, but I could not slow down while coming down. I was taking the flattest portion of the hill as much as possible and doing my 'S'es for as long as I could without gaining speed. I was too afraid to start out on the steepest part of the slope. Only in the last couple of lifts, I attempted and finally negotiated the steepest part. Much more to learn.. but it was a fun experience. Adventurous! Each time I trust others (on the planning part), I enjoy an adventure. :)

Overall, the experience was awesome. We got back to bay area only at 1030pm but the trip was total paisa vasool!

PC gets engaged.. (Feb 13th 2009)

2009-02-23T22:28:00.000-08:00

We had our first long weekend for 2009 (Presidents Day, Feb 16), and it was lot of fun. Pavan (my best friend from high school) got engaged during the Valentine's day weekend -- and I had a bunch of friends visiting from San Diego. Hari, Mallika, Pande, Mrudula & Sridhar accompanied Pavan as the couple exchanged rings here in the bay area. Rupa works in Arizona and her siblings and mom live in SF bay area, so, we had a small get-together on Sunday, Feb 15, at Rupa's elder sister's place.

All of my friends were put up at my place, and they were practically my first guests (ignoring the fact that Pande & Mrudula stayed over at my place a bunch of times). Whole of 2008 was scattered with trips to San Diego (my project was still there), and during all those times, I stayed at Pavan's place and caught up with the rest of the gang. So, it was nice to finally host old friends at new place!

Sridhar (there, in the picture with the 'Victory' sign) and I indulged in a best-of-3 chess tournament. The prize was '2001 American Open' trophy that Sridhar lost to me long back in an arbitrary one-off match. He had won it in LA in 2001 and it decorated my closet for a good number of years. Sridhar, I let you go easily this time.. next time I am in San Diego, I will win my coveted possession back! Enjoy it while it lasts.. and have fun with the teaching.

Pande are Mrudula are connoisseurs of good food (all my San Diego friends are quite excited at the number of desi places around in the area.. and rightly so I believe - I felt the same when I moved.) So, whenever they are around, I take them to some new place they hadn't been to. We covered Dosa Place, Amber Cafe & Temptations this time around. It was fun.

It was funny how many Qualcommers we were bumping into -- more from San Diego than Santa Clara!!

Apart from just hanging out, watching movies and chilling at home when we weren't out eating, I went out shopping and discovered some new stores, thanks to Mallika's brother for that. I also found a track pant!! Can you believe that?! We had to pretty much check out all stores at Great Mall before we found one, just when the mall was closing.. and in the last place we were planning to look before giving up. There is hope.

Sridhar, Pavan, Hari & Mallika drove back on Monday while Pande & Mrudula flew ou Tuesday morning.

So-long 2008!

2009-02-23T22:21:00.001-08:00

Didn't know how the last 3 quarters of 2008 went by -- they just flew, and I am happy to put them behind. It was quite hectic and I am relieved to have some spare time.

Went to India in December for a long break, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I landed in a new house in a quiet location away from the center of the city, had Mom & Dad's shashtipoorti celebrations over there couple of weeks after landing and met most of my relatives. It was a nice break! (I still need to upload the pics.)

2009 was a great beginning.. met a friend at Arun's birthday party & through him I found a basketball crowd, and surprisingly they play just a few blocks from my place. Basketball was dearly missed in the 6 months since we moved to our new office campus in Santa Clara (we were deprived of a basketball court). And I found a good balance for the local Scrabble tournaments as well -- I play once a month. 6 hrs/month, that's it. I think that works out well. So.. like that.. activities are all set.

And that's how 2009 started.. and brimming with a bunch of resolutions as well!

Spring Run 2008 (TeamAsha event)

2008-03-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

Here is the culmination of the first Asha (TeamAsha) fundraiser for 2008.

'Never Say Die' Sirivennela

2008-03-06T22:33:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest Telugu lyricists.. Telugu literature will forever be indebted to his contributions and his poems. Revolutionary songs!! He touched my heart with his Maaradu Lokam in Gaayam.. watch this if you are unfamiliar with Sirivennala Sitarama Sastri to judge the tone of his songs. Fantastic!!

Here is one of his other gems.. I thought it would be just just, if I translated this for the non-Telugu folks.

Eppudoo.. oppukovaddu ra otamiii.. Never accept defeat!!
Eppudoo.. odulukovaddu ra orimiii.. Never give up patience!!

Visraminchavaddu e kshanammm.. Never laze for a second,
Vismarinchavaddu nirnayammm.. Don't forget the decision,
Appudee nee jayam nischayam ra.aa.. Only then your victory is certain.
Eppudoo.. oppukovaddu ra otamiii.. Never accept defeat!!

Ningi enta peddadaina Regardless of how big the sky is,
rivvumanna guvva pilla it is small to the wings of a
rekka mundu takkuvenu raa.a.. (2) determined fledgling pigeon!
Sandramenta goppadaina Regardless of how great the sea is,
eedutunna chepa pilla it is little to the fins of a
moppa mundu chinnadenu raa.a.. fingerling fish!

Paschimaana ponchi undi Camping in the west &
ravini mingu asura sandhya swallowing the sun at night,
okka naadu neggaledu raa.a.. the evil twilight has never won!
Gutaka padani aggi unda The unswallowable ball of fire
saagaraalaneedukuntu will swim across the seas
toorupinta telutundi raa... and rise again in the east.

Vishaavilaasam enta sepu ra.aa.. ? How long is the denial?!
Ushodayaanni evvadaapu ra.aa.. ? C'mon, who can stop the sunrise?!
Ragulutunna gunde kooda Raging heart is also
surya goda vatideenuraaa.. like the wall of sun.
Eppudoo.. oppukovaddu ra otamiii.. Never accept defeat!!

Noppileni nimishamedi Where is a moment without pain?
jananamaina maranamaina either at birth or ar death,
jeevitaana adugu aduguna.aa.. (2) life's pain at every step.
Neerasinchi nilisipote If you tire and stay in the moment,
nimishamaina needi kaadu even that moment is not yours.
bratuku ante nitya gharshana.aa.. Life means an endless struggle!!

Dehamundi pranamundi There is body, there is life,
netturundi sattu vundi there is blood & there is strength,
intakanna sainyamunduna.aa.. (2) can there be a bigger army?
aasha neeku astramauna Hope will become your armory,
swaasha neeku sastramaunu Breath will become your weapon &
aashayammu saaradhaunu ra.aa.. Aspiration will become your chariot!

nirantaram prayatnamunnada.aa.. ? When there is a non-stop effort?
niraasha kee niraasha puttada.aa.. ? (2) Won't the despair itself be despaired?
aayuvantu unnavaraku Until there is life
chaavu kooda neggaleka Even death can't win
shavamu paine gelupu chaatu ra.. and proclaims victory only on dead body!!

Eppudoo.. oppukovaddu ra otamiii.. Never accept defeat!!!

NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT!!!

p.s.: the translation is there just to provide the essence, it will not have the same effect. please feel free to correct me on anything there.

Long time... Long Long time..

2008-03-06T15:35:00.000-08:00

Whew!! It took me soo long to get to this, unbelievably long time. I had so much fun in the holidays that work got piled up! ouch..

So, what have I been doing lately? Not much.. the last I played Scrabble was in October. The last I played golf was probably a couple of months back. Asha involvement was not a whole lot. I enrolled in a course at Stanford and dropped it. Purchased a digital SLR, haven't yet really used it! Yeah yeah.. things got a little hectic and went out of control and things at work were getting really busy. One of those times!

And all this while, I was putting off writing down what I had done before I got so busy. :) Better late than never, here it goes.

Christmas time is lot of fun. I like being here (rather than in India) and enjoying the festive atmosphere, looking at the christmas lights and decorations, and so forth. This time (well, I had done it last year too, but without much company) I decided to celebrate Christmas just like Americans do. Boy, it was fun!

The decorating season actually started with Diwali lights. And bay area is a good place to be to experience both. (Even though the Diwali is nothing compared how it is back in India, you still get to see some diyas here and there.) And so it continued till Christmas. (Actually, I need to get rid of the Christmas tree, it's high time.)

The Christmas shopping, gift shopping, decorating the tree, oh, it was all so much fun. In the spirit of Christmas, the time was well spent. And I had one of my best times at my birthday bash + Christmas potluck. And it was lot of fun distributing gifts as Santa Claus. Sorry all folks who couldn't make it (or were not invited :P).

mm.. and the food.. Lovely (my cousin) is just fabulous when it comes to cooking, and especially for potlucks. She made yummy veg puffs. The food was great, ranging from a nice Middle Eastern salad to manchurian to baigan bharta and yummy mango lassi!! Of course, there was so much food, that I had eat the main items for a few days.. and the chips are still going on. :) (down to the last packet)

What was even better was the surprise I got.. Shraddha came up with this idea (only she can!!) of collecting video birthday greetings from my friends. That was touching, to say the least. She is always up to something or the other on my birthdays. :) In addition to the surprise, I got some bday gifts myself too.. a Scrabble clock (to time my games) - this will be inaugrated in a couple of weeks, remote helicopter - this is fun and it is actually my first remote toy! :) and a sweater for the season. Damn it was very cold here at that time.

The pictures are here; the video here (concept - Shraddha - it is missing in the credits section of the vid):

For the rest of the hols, Arun & Neeraja were in town and they bought a new family car. So, we had a good ride and a good trip to Big Sur / Monterey. That place rocks. We had a good time - some nice historic commentary from KP, ocean side restaurants, and the water was stunningly gorgeous!!

And spent the New Year's Eve quietly at home.. like back in India! watch TV, play cards.

Taare Zameen Par

2007-12-21T10:13:00.000-08:00

It has been such a long time I watched a wonderful Indian movie. The movie was exceptionally made, and the performance of the cast was excellent. TZP sure is a one to touch your heart, commendable Aamir!

It is not the usual entertainer, as has been the norm. Aamir brings out the sensitivities very well in his effort. The movie surely pushes all of us to our childhod memories and makes us nostalgic. It is a movie that every kid, every parent can relate to. Music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy doeesn't leave any complaints. And the screenplay was excellent.

I can not rave enough about the movie. It's a movie that can be watched any number of times. I felt so after watching back-to-back movies. Aja Nachle, followed by Taare Zameen Par. And no regrets for the decision. Two Thumbs Up to Taare Zameen Par!!

And yea, we all were up in standing ovation!!!

In contrast, Aja Nachle wasn't as entertaining as Shahrukh's Om Shanti Om, but the dances by Madhuri and the last musical drama were more than paisa vasool!! Storyline is a typical drama, but the dance is what the movie is about. The rest of the plot is not important.

great ideas come out of love!!!

2007-12-18T11:51:00.001-08:00

So, I came across this site. It was started by a dad to help his son prepare for SAT. And then he put it out there on the public space. If you are an NPR fan, you might have heard about it on radio. I saw it in one of my e-mails. And it's just a great concept I think. Here is the website: http://www.freerice.com

While you are playing and having fun, you are working for a higher cause. The way it works is..
1. You are playing a vocabulary quiz.
2. Each time you play, an advertisement appears at the bottom that generates revenue.
3. For every correct answer, 20grain of rice is donated to the needy, in association with United Nations.

I think this is a great idea, and I wish it was me who got that idea in the first place. :) Who gets such brilliant ideas!!!? I want to be in that company..

Losers look back, winners look forward.. simple

2007-12-12T16:21:00.000-08:00

Simple enough.. as said by Sir Ian Botham.

It's been a while I wrote anything on this blog. Even though there is not much to write about, I think this interview / conversation makes for a nice read.

why is cribbing so much fun?

2007-11-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

Of late, I have become one big-time cribbo.. Here is raising a glass to myself!! shhh..

It is not the failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs. - Confucius

Easy to comprehend - you can't be troubled by something you have no control of. Ah well! So, difficult to implement.

A 9hrs of my life..

2007-11-06T19:47:00.001-08:00

It was great, great fun taking pictures of Team Asha at the finish line, and just being there at the finish cheering people and seeing people finish. I don't think it will be possible to do this sort of a thing at a big marathon. Thanks to SV marathon and the small numbers, I could do it. Standing close to the official race photographer and clicking away heaps of photographs, sorting them, identifying Asha pictures with all the bib numbers. Great fun, got to wear the shoes of all those official event photographers for a day or two. :)

It was about as tiring as a marathon mentally, actually!, and I was drained & tired being up and on my feet from as early as 5AM till about 2PM. One good thing was MCM one week ago seemed a long time back, so, at least the legs were good enough to last me through. And the whole thing was lot of fun. There was disappointment at the end, in the sense the food at the volunteer tent was over by the time I was done with my coverage and by that time I was so hungry and tired that I was really pissed. Had a big chunk of dessert to keep myself happy. Got a ride home and crashed to my heart's content and my stomach's discontent!! I woke up in a trance, totally soaked in the experience. I realized.. as I was reliving the memories.. this is why:

I was excited for this event. I wanted to cheer people on. I wanted to go to different places along the course and egg runners on & take some pictures. Be there between 18-26mi. I knew what it would have meant. I knew it took a lot of effort for that, to plan the course, to plan the travel, to make arrangements & to co-ordinate. Of course, being with TeamAsha, all of that was really a piece of cake! I wanted to all this but someone up there had different plans for me. I had to be at the start/finish area since the need was there. I read this once somewhere - When you don't get what you want, that's what is called an experience! And a lovely one it turned out to be..

The day started early for us, even as it ended late for other Asha volunteers and co-ords the previous night. A bunch of us landed at the Asha tent in the morning, and almost required was neatly packed and taken care of. We just had to be there. :) There was not too much to do, really, early in the morning at the hospitality tent but for taking care of the stuff that was there and answering few questions some people had about Asha, and preparing for the marathoners. Soon, they were pouring in. By the time Raghav was back, we knew it was time to get ready for warriors to return home. The SAMOSAS were there, and the work had begun. And soon I headed off to the finish line to take some pictures.

Waiting at the SV marathon finish line for the runners to finish, I was looking at all the high school children who were so happy for the finishers, cheering them, congratulating them, handing over the medals to them. It would not have been possible without them. It would not have been possible without ALL THE VOLUNTEERS. The whole atmosphere there was so festive!! Three cheers to the race organizers who bring about this event every year. Silicon Valley marathon was celebrating its 10th anniversary and I think the race was a HUGE success. At least, that's what I as an outsider and as a spectator think about it.

The spirit at the finish line was unbelievable. What made it so special was all the families and the kids that were running along the last few meters (the green carpet). Slowly, one after the other, the Asha runners returned 'home' after conquering their challenge. They were runners of different categories - first timers hoping to finish, experienced runners aiming for their personal best, expert runners pacing the experienced runners, coaches and mentors running with their mentees - they all came in at different times, but they all came in! They all crossed the finish line.

After a barren marathon earlier this year, I had decided that I would not run a small marathon again. After seeing (living) SV marathon, I have to take my words back. If it is the home marathon of Asha SV chapter, the marathon no longer remains 'small.' The Halloween outfits, the big hugs, the great cheering, the lovely water-stop-volunteers, the mentors, the helpers (people who get you through the last mile), the coaches, the assistant coaches, the friends, the family, the ultras running the marathon mainly to cheer, you name it... it was huge!! And from the pictures that I saw, I am sure it was fun all through the course. If it is TeamAsha, it ought to be fun!!! Go Team! I doff my hat to ya!!

This was just a small part of the story. The part I was witness to. The part I was part of, I was glad to be part of. :) It was not just Asha. Asha was a BIG part of it, yes. But I raise my glass to all the volunteers who were involved - Asha and non-Asha - and all the runners and their families. Metro Silicon Valley Marathon 2007 was a triumph of spirit, and my first experience as a 'marathon spectator' was memorable as hell!!

This is 'our' marathon!!!

2007-11-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

For all the times where I lacked cheering,
I do realize how much it means
to the people who are running.

The joy at the sight of a familiar face,
I would like to share
when the runners struggle for pace.

Be assured you will be cheered,
Hugs and love
And best wishes showered.

So Go Runners! Scorch the arena,
It's all too familiar floor, so
dance like the prim[a/o] ballerina.

Time has come to give back,
let's go cheering squad.
SV marathon is in Silicon Valley
... our very own backyard!!

A story in numbers...

2007-10-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

MCM time splits

mile 5 - 0:54:51 (10:58 pace)
mile 10 - 1:46:53 (10:24 pace mile 5-10, overall 10:41 pace)
mile 13.1 - 2:24:26 (12:07 pace mile 10-13.1, overall 11:01 pace)
mile 15 - 2:47:19 (12:03 pace mile 13.1-15, overall 11:09 pace)
mile 19 - 3:28:11 (10:13 pace mile 15-19, overall 10:57 pace)
mile 22 - 4:28:05 (19:58 pace mile 19-22, overall 12:11 pace) --> hmm these last two lines don't seem right! was that how I ran? wow..
mile 26.2 - 5:19:35 (12:16 pace last 4.2mi, overall 12:12 pace!)

Great run!!

2007-10-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

The following were the other contenders for the title of this blog
- Two Thumbs Up Washington D.C.
- An account of stupidity
- It was a breeze ;)
- The M-files, Asha SV chapter

It took 3 years to recreate my first marathon experience of NYC in '04. The crowd was fabulous!! And the marines were awesome. It had been a downhill marathon experience after the run in NYC but DC was as close to it as possible (both in distance and experience). Very glad to have run it. 5 stars for the organizers and the weather Gods.

Frankly, I owe one Biiig thanks to my body for keeping up for the last 2-3 months. So, when I started the marathon itself, I was not sure how long before one of my injuries showed up. I had my fingers crossed. And it was one fun roller coaster of a ride. The fact that I ended up with a 5:20 time when I was looking for something like 4:20 will not take away the sheer joy of completing my toughest challenge so far. This was one marathon where I completely utilized all the pre-marathon best wishes.

They say the real marathon starts at mile-20. Uh oh, mine started at mile-10! I started out slow, the fact that the first mile was uphill helped that bit but it was difficult to control the pace. It was like up-a-mile and down-a-mile. It was fun - I liked the downhill part of it. :) Few miles into this up&down business, my feet did not like it. I could feel it. I remembered Shraddha say "Listen to your body," and I was watching closely for the signals. Mile 4 was my first photo-op: host and friend Srikanth on the Key Bridge. Milestone #1. :)

I was motoring along, trying to use my hands as much as possible. It was around mile 8 or 9ish that my both feet began to hurt (heel of my left foot, ball of my right foot). And I had figured the end was near. And that this was going to be a disaster. So, I consciously was not putting too much effort. Took 2min walk breaks instead of my 30-second break. Some time before mile 10, my left calf started cramping and I of course did not know what to expect in the remaining 16miles!! It was not even half-way there! How am I even going to walk it all off?!!

At mile 10, I stopped. I walked a mile. Monitored my legs. And slowly started running. The 2-minute walk breaks became 2-minute run breaks! And I began to think of what Moningi said "If it is too difficult, think about us" (undergrad friends). I sure did. After mile 11 were first signs of life (Asha company) - Raman and Nitin passed me, looking very strong. Aaah.. good. I am not lost. And boy, the weather was awesome. Gentle breeze and sunshine. I remember thinking to myself, what a shame if I have to walk all the way through the rest of the marathon in such perfect weather for running. I picked up running and kept running until I felt like. At this point, I was just enjoying my time out there, running through the DC attractions - Federal Reserve, Washington Monument, to name a few. After a few slow miles the halfway mark arrived - wow! It was amazing! 13.1mi. now, that is a good distance to run. :) Milestone #2.

It was such a perfect weather for golf too, actually. And running around the course was just not justice. Past the halfway mark, when we were going around the golf course was not great fun. Not too much crowd, not too barren either - there was this occasional orange or a banana. hats off to DC crowd, really. However, I enjoyed my stroll on the grass. I thought I better use it to reduce the stress on my feet. I became part of 'the cheering crowd' and did my bit to some Asha folks and other runners. I was not tired for that. Only my feet hurt. Then, there was another milestone. I saw Coach Martina and Deepu. Milestone #3. Go Martina!! I tried to keep up with them until mile 19 or 'Beat the Bridge' - one of the cut-off points. Felt like.. oh.. now, we can walk this off. And still get a medal. :) Martina and Deepu took off, and I followed behind at my place.

Just under the bridge (frankly I don't know what was a bridge and what was a freeway there) was G3 vehemently cheering and running around with a 'Go Asha' placard. She was just jumping around trying to catch my attention. When she did, it was a big boost of energy. That part - let's call it bridge - was one thing I did not need. A gradual uphill, and I was looking for my other friends (they were friends until yesterday) who were supposed to show up and cheer for me. Didn't find them. But found Anusha. Good job you guys. Seeing G3, Anusha and the rest of the cheering squad see us through mile 19 - Milestone #4.

That mile was 'the' longest 'mile'!! Between 19-mile and 21-mile marker. I used up my sister's wishes, fighting with all my might. But I did not realize the next mile was the second-longest ;). That was because we were running alongside runners coming in the other direction - only problem was that the anticipation of the turn around point was sapping us of the energy. mile 22 was right at the turnaround point. Just 4 more miles to go! Impressive. Now, I was just looking for familiar faces. I was thinking to myself that coach Char and Madhu should be around and I should be seeing them before I completed that 2-mile loop. And I saw them just as I was beginning to get worried! Just as I was nearing mile 23, they crossed mile 21. "Yes coach, I am doing fine." - Milestone #5.

The last few miles, I had enough to keep me going. Plenty of crowd support and the feeling that I would do fine with my feet took me through to the finish line for some more photo ops. :) Veena and G3 capturing my last mile burst (well, not really a burst) and Srikanth providing coverage towards the finish line. The last mile was a real teaser. Half-mile gradual slope out and then back again with a steep ascent right at the very end. FUN. I just tagged along one VT girl and managed the mile non-stop and also a small sprint at the end. Good finish! End of my race!! I had to dig in to my deepest mental reserves to complete it. I remember telling Raman around mile 11 that I was going to stop. I couldn't have imagined this kind of a finish then. Somehow, it was possible. I don't know how! Here is my story in numbers.

The medal is the biggest I have seen so far! All-in-all, it was a great race for me and I was on my feet at the end of it, with no cramps. Took some pictures, went back to the charity tent, had some samosas and sandwiches, got a nice massage, and missed the Asha group picture!

All through the past few months, I wondered how stupid of me to attempt what I was doing. And that maybe I was not ready for it. Why all this?!! Maybe it was not needed. Maybe I was pushing myself. Maybe. In the end, it was fun. Lot of fun. Thanks everyone!! Cheers. Happy reading, and happy recovery! I am off to the pool!!

The summit (Arlington Cemetry):

On February 23, 1945, the fifth day of the battle of Iwo Jima, Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal reflexively shot a photograph that has since attained iconic status. The picture captured, in silhouette, six soldiers struggling to hoist, on top of Mount Suribachi, an American flag they had tied onto a flagpole improvised out of a water pipe.

On my way..

2007-10-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Check List

Fundraising
A bunch of thanks to everyone for the donations!! The FR goal has been met. And I have a spring in my step!!
Laundry race day clothes
Done. In the nick of time. :)
Call up hosts
Done.
Online checkin
Done. All set.
Hydrate yourself over the next 3 days. Do not do stupid things. :)
Hopefully, will do.

Just pack my bags, fly to D.C. and enjoy the day I guess. Thanks for all your e-mails and wishes. I will post a race report when I am back. You can track me here.

Raghu

Marathon, Marathon

2007-10-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

First, my earlier marathon this year needs a mention. Orange County - Jan 2007. It featured a whole of 1500 runners! But for the cheering provided by 4B, Buss, Meher & Sridhar and company by PC, I would have utterly bitterly hated the experience. Those people made my day. Coming back to the marathon.. I have not seen such a barren marathon before, and it was really very hard to run those middle miles without any people in sight. Only things that were there were blazing sun and fields around. It was then that I decided that I am going to run only when there is going to be cheering. One way to ensure that (I hope) is to have large number of runners. That was how I picked up MCM - the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C.. I had read good things about it too. Now, it is within 7 days!! October 28th 2007 - the D-day is fast approaching.

This marathon is different from all other marathons I have run, in the sense that I am actually trying to stick to a training regimen. And I pushing myself just a little bit. (It would be nice to beat my time for the first marathon.) And all this brought its own share of injuries. What this means is that I am more jittery before the marathon than I was before my first marathon 3 years ago!!

First it was the hip. Now it is my foot. Part by part, my body is crumbling. It needs rest and recuperation. I can't wait till the season is over! (1 week from now.) I felt good in my last long run yesterday. But marathon is a different thing. And the after-effects are a different thing altogether. So, crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. And I need as many wishes I can get.

The one thing I am certain about is that I will not miss the cheering part as long as I am running with Team Asha. Also, it is great to be running among friends - Chicken, ADP, here I come!

Injury Time, Bad Timing

2007-10-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

You neglect stretching and strengthening, and the body comes right back at you!! I have developed heel pain. yea, new part of my body hurts! By taking part in this training program, I am experiencing all kinds of new feelings (pains)! :)

I seem to be getting hit at the most vulnerable points of my marathon training. Well, the signs do not look promising. But I am hoping the rest accounts for something. We will know very soon. It's been close to two weeks since I last ran, and this isn't a great taper going into the last few weeks before the marathon. It's been great so far moving to bay area, but I guess the law of averages is catching up (tongue-in-cheek). hope not.

I joined ASHA training little late. And I missed the all-important (in hindsight) stretching sessions. I think that is the root cause of all my injuries. Other than the fact that I am trying to push myself. Let's see how things go. As of now though, I am not sure how I am going to get across that marathon finish line!!

Chicago 2007

2007-10-10T17:51:00.000-07:00

This is the story of 2007 Chicago Marathon. Loads of my friends were disappointed. Having said that, it's a great experience.

2007 Chicago Marathon Disaster from Loonachic on Vimeo

Hip, Hop

2007-10-06T21:59:00.001-07:00

I finally had my WORST running day of my life! But yea, I live to tell the story.

I was out for a 22-miler, my longest of the training program - 3 weeks before the real one. The weather bore resemblance to how it would be in Washington D.C. I had done a 20-miler in rain two weeks back and felt great but I wasn't feeling great about my knee on the long run a week before. Moreover I was trying on new shoes. So, there were always jitters.

There were a few hills and that was good because MCM has a few hills too. But boy, were the hills killers. I barely managed to negotiate them. I started running with the whole gear - jacket and tracks, it was very chilly this morning - and got rid of them after 4 miles. May be I was doing okay till then. And may be I went slightly faster than what I wanted to.

After the 4 miles, I begun to feel pain in both my knees. Bottom and outer sides of my right knee and the bottom of my left knee. This was kind of normal to me however. And slowly the pain went on to the foot portion of my leg. Now, this I wasn't sure if it was because of the new shoes or my hip injury or if it was just that my body was beginning to crumble.

I trudged along okay, slightly in pain but managing to take gentle strides. At the 19.5-mile mark though, my body gave up. It could not keep up with my ambitions. My mind is YOUNG and stupid. And my body is old and WISE. Those 2.5 miles were through the most excruciating pain I remember. I could not land on my heel, and I walked all the way till the finish line using my left toe and my right foot. Either my hip was making me hop or the shoe didn't work out very well. Whatever it was, it wasn't a great positive ahead of the marathon. There are too many variables and I wish I had known better what the reasons for the pain were.

During this time did the thought of hanging up my boots first crossed my mind. So, will I finish on a high? Or will I finish on a low? Anybody's guess!

But hey, at least, I did not get cramps in the end! Cheers!!

Impossible? What's that?!

2007-10-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

The Joy of Injury..

2007-09-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

I have never been injured before, and that of course obviously means that I have not experienced it before. So, I never understood how it felt to be injured and I could never really empathize with people who were fighting injuries. But now, having come off a hip injury while training for my 4th marathon, I am happy to have had seen it off and being able to come back to running.

Injury (any setback actually) teaches you the importance of things like stretching and how to gradually come out of a bad phase. I have been running for a while now, not really training very well and at the same time some how managing to complete marathons. Yes, I have ran all these years without getting injured. But what is the fun if you don't know what your limits are! I might have been very much in my comfort zone running those marathons, and hence did not injure myself. Not that I was careful to prevent the injuries. It was just that I was not pushing myself. The finish times of 4:52, 5:24 and 4:58 speak for themselves. I am still yet to better my first marathon time and hope this is the time, and I will be happy with a 4:51 time come October 28th 2007. Hope it rains in Wasington DC!

It is one thing to learn from others' experience and a whole lot different learning through one's own experience. I believe there is a great joy to it.

I am really happy for the experience. I would love to have the opportunity to advise people on a hip injury, but again, people really understand something only when they have the need to. I have had a lot of friends and family who have been through knee injuries and that is one thing where I have learnt from others' experience (when I was closest to the person who experienced it).

Cheers! As one of my coaches signs off, Happy Trails! :) And Happy Comebacks.

Bingo!!!

2007-09-24T10:57:00.001-07:00

It seemed to be just the perfect weekend after I played Scrabble at a local club in Los Gatos. Aah! Finally, everything in life seems to be falling in place. :) Also, I had someone rooting for me. Bonus. Now, I will have my rating with National Scrabble Association, and can play Scrabble more regularly.

It was one of the things (one of the many things) I missed while living in San Diego. San Diego is great! but not my kind of place probably. Been missing out on too many things.

Bay Area rocks!!! Bustling with energy!

who puts the cat(s) amongst the pigeons?!

2007-09-22T18:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, so, I was running for 12600 seconds at about 8 foot per sec pace. how boring. But I kind of made it interesting by following a new pace model - kind of a ramp-up/ramp-down model. And I think it worked. I was looking strong towards the end. These practice runs seem to be a fun exercise. :)

My rant apart, today I had run on this trail in Foster City near Oracle headquarters. first time for me and in my mind I had complaints from people about how the trail not having shade and stuff. Luckily weather smiled and it was cloudy this morning. :) Well, only for a bit, maybe, more on this later.

As I was heading out, I noticed gazillions of cats on the trail. Really, a huge number! and kept wondering where those came from. And they were quite plump. Maybe this is the place where people leave their overgrown pets or something, but whatever, as I went further ahead, I saw a whole bunch of pigeons! Wow! Who puts the cats amongst the pigeons?! Heard of the phrase many times but this was the first time I saw it actually. However, both were happy in each other's company. :) So much for the phrase!

I was beginning to enjoy the weather and the trail (right beside the bay) when it started raining half-way through. So much for the weather smiling. Now it began to cry. Sorry weather Gods! Not me. But it was fun, and I wanted to get back to the hut as soon as possible. So, it kept me motivated to keep running. :) I hope it rains on my marathon day too. But.. hope it doesn't snow!! (I am running in DC in October).

When does hummus go bad?

2007-09-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

Hummus is easily one of my top picks for dips and snacks.. but do you know when hummus goes bad? smells kind of weird, and tastes a little sour? It still has that texture but it becomes a little more fibrous.

Yea, it does taste like that at times. At times when hummus becomes tuna!

Today, I ate meat for the first time! Did not even realize it could be tuna until I ate half of the sandwich, wondering why my hummus tasted bad.. hmm.. watch out!! Don't know how people eat tuna but my first NV experience wasn't all that great.

books

2007-09-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

I have come across these two cool sites:

http://www.bookcrossing.com/ - this is a great great site for book lovers. Books travel on this site!! Check it out.

http://www.shelfari.com/ - And this site is one of those community sites. for book lovers, you can get your recommendations here, and then hunt for your books in book crossing. I think book crossing is a great philosophy.

First Post

2007-09-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would create an eco-friendly blog site to keep up with the Global Warming buzz (since I hope this blog will be the most active one). So, all those with CRTs can save lot of energy. Come to think of it, I need to turn off my home PC.