My first Half Marathon Saga: Dard Se Rishta, Part I

My good buddy Naveen tells me that he has signed up for a 200mile run. This is sometime in Feb. I am not sure if he is serious, I realized I was wrong when he would get up early morning when we were in Barbados & still go out for a morning run, when most of us are still recovering from the previous night's revelry. I was really impressed. Fast forward to April & Leena & I are driving to see Naveen finish the last leg of his 200mile relay. By now I am truly motivated to do something similar. I tell Leena that I should try running a Marathon & Leena is full of encouragement. I signed up with Asha, not sure what I have gotten myself into. I send a couple of emails to the Asha coaches/mentors asking them if a 200lb guy who has never run before can really make it. They assure me that they have seen worse & historically everybody who sticks with the program finishes it. Thats how it started.

First day with the running group

I didn't know what to expect. I went to the Baylands Park in Sunnyvale at sharp 6:30pm. There were 20 runners & all of them were very friendly & cheerful. It seemed more like a picnic than a run, which was awesome because it helped me cool my nerves. Our mentor Chakri came by & spoke to me, asked me my running history (none). I thought he was going to tell me to leave, but to my surprise he said that most of the folks in the group are like me & there is nothing to worry. We did a 1/2 mile warm-up run, I was still feeling good. Then we stretched for a bit (very important to do it before & after every run) & then were told to go for a 1mile run around the park. I barely managed the mile & was gasping for breath at the end of it, but for some reason I was really excited. The group was really friendly & we chatted while doing our cool down & went our merry ways. That was my first day..not bad I thought!

MTT (Mile time trial)

Chakri announced that the MTT is on Sunday @ Gunn High school. It sounded like some exam to me, I got nervous. After the announcement I went to him & whispered, "What is MTT"? He calmly told me that it’s a mile time trial & based on the pace they are going to divide us into groups for all our future runs. Phew, it still beats giving an exam..I thought :) Sunday arrived & I did the MTT in 8mins & 54secs. I am officially a beginner & my long run pace should be around 12mins, this is what I was told. I didn't ask too many questions..12mins that’s 5hrs & some for a full marathon..feck, that’s almost 1/3rd ways to Bangalore from Mysore. With these thoughts I left the track & went back home.

Practice runs

We have 2 weekday runs, Mondays & Thursdays. My group runs at Baylands around 6:30pm(IST), I have made a good few friends - Durgi Satish & Murali, to name a few. We run 2-3 miles on weekdays & then do some core strengthening. The whole exercise lasts about an hour & half. Oh..before I forget, this is a very time consuming hobby/passion..so, better have all the support from your partner before you sign up.

Tuesday Tracks

From the first week of June we have started track workouts in Gunn High School, Palo Alto. The main purpose is to improve our stamina & get into a crisp/clean rhythm while running. The first couple of weeks were tough because we were basically hurdling down the tracks like headless chickens not knowing the main aim of the workout & being dog tired by the end of it. From the third week I joined Rajiv Char's group as I could not handle the speed of the other group I was in. He is an awesome coach, he made it clear that the tracks are not aimed at making us run fast, which is exactly what I wanted to hear! He always says "its not about how fast you run, but how fast you recover from a long run" which tells you how good an athlete you are.

Weekend Long Runs

Every Saturday we have long runs starting exactly at 7am. The organizers choose the trails & send out an email in the middle of the week. We started of running a couple of miles & before the half marathon we did a couple of 10milers. Its a great feeling to get up on early on Saturday & go for a run. I didn't think I would ever say that..I truly enjoy the long runs. Feels like a perfect way to start a weekend. At first the long runs sounded boring because we would drive a good few miles to run a couple of miles & then drive back, but now we are at a point where we drive 15-20mins for a good hours run.

SF Half Marathon (July 29th 2007)

With all the training for the last 12 weeks, it was time for a reality check. I was running the SF half as a training run. The week before the marathon, the emails started pouring in from all the coaches & mentors. The emails were about the dos & don'ts during the week leading to our first long run. How we should hydrate ourselves(64oz everyday), add a banana(potassium) into your diet, no alcohol, eat carbs, don't take the stirs, no heavy lifting..etc.etc. Frankly, I was a bit overwhelmed. As the D day got closer it got a little nerve racking. I kept telling myself it was just a "training run", but then I would read one of the emails from the Asha members & get excited/anxious at the same time.

The day before the race Durgi, Satish & I drove down to SF to get our Bibs, t-shirt & to get some free stuff at the expo. We started bright & early around 9am, reached the expo around 10. Picked up our bibs & t-shirt & headed straight for the goodies. To our disappointment other than a few samples of some anti-oxidant drink & cliff bars there was nothing worth our while. So, we decided to head out. The Asha members had organized a carbo-load event that afternoon, I decided to skip it. Durgi attended it to get last minute tips. I got back home & went out for lunch with my darling wife. We had some crappy Mexican food. I didn't want to sleep in the afternoon, for fear of not getting a good night's sleep. So, we watched some TV, I got my running gear ready & laid it out on the couch. The day went by really slowly. We had sinner around 9am..Leena wasn't very happy that I had missed the carbo-load, so she made me eat some home made pasta (desi style)..it was good. We watched some more TV & I finally decided to hit the bed at 10pm. Like I had said earlier, I was already a bit nervous & I for one cannot sleep when I get worked up. So, there I am tossing & turning in bed & waking Leena up with all the noise. She was trying to calm me down, but it wasn't helping. I would close my eyes & my thoughts started to wander & I think I must have tried to solve a lot of the world problemsthat night, because my mind was going crazy with varied thoughts. I looked at the watch, it was already 1am..I hadn't slept a wink! I got up from bed & yelled out "FECK!!"..this of course woke Leena up too.(she was like, what? sex??now??..don't you want to be taking rest?) ...OK, that didn’t happen..it was my fantasy! I had read somewhere that Yannick Noah once had sex in the locker room before going to play the best finals of his life, maybe it’ll work for me too! Sadly, that wasn’t meant to be. So, I got out of bed & went & slept in the living room..that way at least Leena would get a good nights sleep. I kept looking at the watch..finally it was 2:30am. I couldn't wait to get out of bed. I had a warm shower, wore my running gear & was ready to leave. I kissed my wife goodbye & drove to Durgi's place to carpool to the Sunnyvale caltrain station. Satish came by in a few minutes & we were headed to the bus which was picking us up from the caltrain station. All the while I kept complaining that I didn't get a good nights sleep & the last time this happened I had a bad long run. So, it wasn't going too well. We got to the caltrain around 3:25am. The bus was already waiting for the runners. As we were boarding the bus, I met Santosh one more of our baylands running buddy..& I told him the whole story about how I haven't slept & it doesn't seem right. He looked at me & said "C'mon don't be a sissy..how many times will you do this? Go give it your all & it'll be fun" I thought to myself..that dude is right, no point being negative & after that I really started feeling better..the birds started singing, roses started blooming(all in my crazy little head), but I had a smile which I just couldn't wipe off.

The bus ride was fun..it felt more like a high school trip. Raman & Vidya were serving us breakfast bars, bananas. Coach Raman was giving us last minute advise..in all it was awesome! Everybody was happy & cheerful..for some it was their last run, for others like me it would be a reality check. All of us were excited. Murali & I talked the whole way about how crazy this is..a few months back we couldn't do a mile before gasping for breath & now we were trying a half marathon! We reached SF around 4:45am. We still had an hour ir so before the start of our wave(5). The whole Asha team was there, some covered in trash liners, some in jackets to keep from freezing to death! It was freakin' cold! Some of them had their cameras with them & were clicking away.

At 5:30am, I went for a warm up run around the block. Came back & did some stretches. In the mean time I had lost sight of all my Asha buddies..now, I started panicking a bit. I started walking towards the wave 5 & in the chaos I spotted Coach Rajiv's fluorescent yellow jacket(did that come with sun glasses??). I was happy again..I went & joined the group. We were shooting shit for some time till we heard the PA system call out for our wave to start in exactly 5mins! Its amazing how we all got our game faces on & started walking towards the start line. The next thing I remember is I am running. Wow..I am running my first marathon..I am so cool! I buddy up with Vijay & Karthik. We are doing a 12min mile & are cruising. I am feeling really good about myself till I see this guy walks past me..he literally overtook me walking! I was shocked & wanted to race him..but better sense prevailed. I saw this guy with a prosthetic leg whiz past me..I knew then that what I was doing was nothing great! I was in awe of all the runners, some fast some slow..some young some really old..but they were all smiling & cheerful.

Now, I have been running for an hour & I can see the Golden Gate bridge. I am still feeling good. Time for the GU, I tell myself as per the coaches orders. I empty half a pack of GU & some water & start again. By now, Vijay & Karthik are 50mts ahead of me. I catch up to them. We walk a few hundred meters because the road is steep! We reach the parking lot just before the GG bridge. Just the sight of the bridge gets us all excited..with renewed energy we start running. Vijay & karthik are more excited than I am I guess, because they bolt through the crowd leaving me in their dust :) I decide not to chase them down, & instead decided to maintain the same pace. I have been running in the bridge for a good 20min when I look up & realize that the freakin' bridge is dome shaped & its like running up a hill. All my love for the GG bridge fades away & I am cussing at it like it had given me a low blow! I manage to run to the end of the bridge. Have another half a GU & some water & turn around By now, all the sweet smell of roses & singing birds are gone..I only brave a smile when I see the official photographer or a fellow Asha-ite! I didn't want to waste any extra energy by smiling at strangers!! Its been 2 hours & I have reached the 10 mile marker. The GG bridge is behind us & we have entered the Golden gate park. 3 more miles & I'll be done..I know Leena, Anjali, Amit, Chetan & Appu are going to be in the crowd. All I can think of is having a cold beer once this is all done! But alas, the last 3 miles are pure torture. It just doesn't seem to end. I manage to get to the 12 mile marker, now I am pretty sure my cheering squad is going to be somewhere between the 12 & finish line, so I decide to suck it up & run till I at least see them. Because I didn't want to look like a sissy walking past them..so, I walk a few steps & every time I see a big crowd start running again. Did this for the next 15mins & was really close to the finish line. I still didn't see them, now I am pissed, I am thinking they got stuck in traffic & all my efforts to please them went in vain. Just when I was about to stop I hear "DUMMA"...I look around & I spot the gang! Its amazing how it peps you up, I run slowly past them waving at them & I hear Chetan shouting for me to dash for the finish! I do it like a obedient dog..because by now my brain isn't working. Later I realized that the jerk wanted to see me finish & get the hell out of there because he had a brunch appointment! I finish the race, get the medal..give Leena & the gang a hug, then yell at them for being so close to the finish line, because of which I had to run the whole last mile!! Bastards..I thought..

Chet & Appu(who finished the same half in less than 2 hrs - for him it was like a walk in the park) left. We decided to go to Ella's for brunch. I downed 2 Bloody Maries...thats all I remember... Alls well that ends well!!

Dick 'n' Dubya

Felt like it had been a while since we went to any kind of show, so we headed off to see "Dick 'n' Dubya" last night. Not sure what category it falls in - play/show/cabaret(?), but irrespective of classification, it well worth a trip to the Mission to see it. Its a three man show, one of them being the director himself! The show is labelled as a "Republican Outreach Program" and takes brazen pot-shots at the above-mentioned political party and its most popular faces today. Dick and Dubya are both excellent, bearing uncanny resemblences to the "originals" - mannerisms and speech are on the mark. On the other hand, they are a class apart - very talented comedians, extremely quick on their feet. Between the vocabulary test for Dubya, "bustin' a rhyme" and a cheerleading performance, they'll have you in splits. One cannot help but admire them as they parry back and forth among themselves, as well as with the audience. Oh yeah, did i forget to mention its an "interactive" experience ? There are two real Q&A sessions! I almost got beaten up by Dubya as i asked "So, Mr.President, are you still allowed to eat pretzels?" My favorite question for the night was from a guy who asked "So, the third anniversary of our war with Iraq is coming up this weekend. I was wondering, Mr. President, what are we getting Iraq for the anniversary?" . You get the idea....Being in the city, there was no shortage of tongue-in-cheek questions for Mr.President.

Its playing at the Marsh - another discovery for us. Their tag line is - "A breeding ground for new performance" and they support upcoming artists by providing them a venue. They also have a venue in Berkeley. They don't have any big sponsors or advertising campaigns. A lot of it is word of mouth.

So, if you're looking for a couple of hours of laughs, and want to come out feeling good about yourself for supporting the arts, head to the Marsh, at 22nd and Valencia. Be warned, though, that this is not your typical evening of art and culture - no well-dressed ushers, no hob-nobbing and sipping wine while munching on cheese. This is a bare-bones theater, and you might not even notice the place if you weren't looking for it. There's a cafe downstairs where you can get some coffee or hot (even white) chocolate while you wait for the doors to open. (You can take your beverage up with you.) The "theater" itself is tiny - there were about 60-70 people - and wooden benches it is - no VIP sections, no Orchestra, no Loge! Well, whaddaya expect for $15?

And if you're in the mood afterwards, head down to the Beauty Bar, 2-3 blocks down the road, and get your nails painted while you sip a drink.

Overall, two thumbs up for a highly entertaining, reasonably priced night out on the town.

-Leena

Our weekend getaway:

This weekend, at about 11 AM on saturday, we decided to pack an overnight bag, two pillows we just can't sleep without, 3 books and hop into our car and...drive. We didn't quite know where we were going, but we did know that we didn't want to spend the weekend at home. We'd had a long week and just needed a break. Granted, we did go out on the town the night before(friday night) and had a really good time - went to the Lion's Den and Solstice for dinner after. But by saturday morning (slow as i was at that time), we know we didn't want to spend the weekend in the city.

So we headed north - easy choice for us, CA1 is a block away. Ranjeet enjoyed the drive - all the twisties, not much traffic and no agenda for the day. We debated stopping at Stinson Beach, but something didn't feel right. So we drove on, slowed down at Olema and finally stopped at Point Reyes Station. There we pondered the question of shelter for the night. Knowing that a storm was headed our way early the next morning, we figured it was a good idea. Picked up a local paper in an art gallery, called about 4-5 B&Bs and soon began to get the idea that unless we were willing to shell out $150 or more, our good ol' BMW might be all that stood between us and Mother Nature when she decided to unleash her fury. Yet, we persevered. Went back to Olema and found a number for a motel in Inverness that was more in our budget. They said they had rooms, so we took a short detour to the Vedanta Retreat (Thanks, Amar!). Very short, albeit calming detour. Headed up to the motel, checked-in and then, headed to the one place we both really wanted to go all along - Vladimirs!

We realized soon enough that thats what this weekend was about, after all. We just didn't know it until then. Vladimir's is a Czech restaurant in Inverness that we had been to once before. Its owned and run by - surprise, surprise -a Czech man called Vladimir. From the parking lot, all the way inside, there are tons of personal memorabilia. The restaurant has a very czech feel to it - dark wood all over, wooden beams on the ceilings and light fixtures that you surely won't find at Lamps Plus or Pier 1. But there are two things that make this place worth visiting - the people and the food. Clearly heading the people section is Vladimir. Closely followed by his nephew Robert (Rob as he likes to be called) and his wife. To say Vladimir has led a fascinating life is an understatement. He grew up in Moravia, in then Czechoslovakia and escaped the communists by skiing across the country's borders! After a few stops on the continent, he ended up in the U.S., met his wife on a blind date in San Francisco and since then has lived in Inverness, running the restaurant he recieved as a gift from his father-in-law. He was apparently also really good at equestrian sports - just check out all the pictures on the walls. But this isn't what its about. He'll talk to anyone who walks into that place, and..not just talk, he speaks his mind. If he's in the mood, he'll rattle away. When we got there, hungry as hell and almost salivating at the thought of his Lamb Shanks, he was busy getting things ready for dinner. He cooks almost everything himself, even now at 75 yrs of age! He even showed me the lamb shanks, roast duck and the goose he was so excited about. Until this point, we were still too scared to ask him if we could get something to eat right then. Gingerly, we brought it up with his nephew when Vladimir wasn't listening and were told that he doesn't serve lunch anymore. Sucking it up, we downed a couple of beers, chatted with Rob and Vladimir for a while, went to the only deli/grocery store in town (across the street), picked up a couple of sandwiches and headed back to the hotel, with promises from Vladimir that he would take care of us when we went back for dinner.

Chomped down the sandwiches and promptly fell asleep (at least i did). Woke up two hours later, watched some TV and headed back to Vladimirs. We didn't see anymore of him that night - he was at the back, watching a Sharks game with his family. We got chatting with Rob again at the bar, giving ourselves some time before we headed to our table. When we finally did, we knew what we wanted. Lamb Shanks and the Goose with Plum Sauce. Entrees come with fresh baked bread and butter, soup, salad and sides of red cabbage and radish. Enough to keep you busy for while!! While i chewed thoughtfully on the lamb, Ranjeet took the goose to task. It seemed a battle of wills, and apparently, Ranjeet won in the end. All this time, there were people walking in, asking for Vlad, fixing themselves a drink at the bar and walking to the back to join him and watch the game. It was amazing. Either you already know everyone there, or like us, you walk out making new friends (not to mention a really full belly). Oh, and we also came home with a chunk of bleu cheese - from the farm where Rob works! We couldn't believe we were under an hour away from bustling SF, where no one has the time or patience to just listen...

Headed back, very sated, to the motel. No weekend getway is complete without lying in bed watching mindless TV (channels you'd never watch at home) and reading a little bit. I had also taken my origami book along, so i contributed a paper sailboat, a jewel box and a table to the room decor. Went really well with the retro look, i must say.

Woke up the next morning, brewed some coffee and slowly faced the reality of coming back home. Uneventful drive back, but we did decide somewhere along the way that I was getting a Calr's Jr Jalapeno burger and Ranjeet was getting some Taco Bell Bean Burritos for lunch. Just wouldn't complete the "getaway" feeling otherwise, we decided. Sadly, didn't find any Carls's Jr along the way, so with much moaning and groaning, i walked into a Taco Bell/KFC. Ranjeet knew what he was doing, though - scooped up about 50 packets of "Fire" sauce and about 15-20 of the "Hot" sauce, while i tried to hide my face behind the plastic bag and walk out unnoticed. Came home, munched it all down, and hoped we'd live to tell the tale.

And so we did. I lived to see the Oscars that night, wishing i was back in Inverness, listening to Vladimir dishing out lessons from life, or ... maybe telling us how to cook a goose just right.

-Leena

World is definetly getting flat..but is it making the youth of India dumb!

I have been reading the "World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman for the last couple of weeks. It is really insightful & I would go so far as to say "a must read". In the book Tom explains the affects of globalization & how the IT boom has flattened the whole world. He speaks in great length about India & how the youth in India are contributing towards the global technology growth. Infact, last night I watched a Discovery channel documentary on the same subject. In this he concentrated more on the call center culture in India & how it has liberated the youth. This really got me thinking. I agree that the younger generation in India really have a lot more opportunities than in our times(damn I already sound old). By this, I mean that you don't necessarily have to be a Doctor or an Engineer to earn a living. On the one hand this is really good but on the same token a majority of these youngsters are gravitating towards call centers for work. The whole call center culture is very appealing to them & the money is not bad at all. One of the girls in the documentary when asked about what India has in store for the future said that "we will rock the world"! Will we really rock the world by having more & more call centers in India.
These call centers while providing a means of employement are also making these youngsters get out of school without any formal education. This is just making our educated class shallower. The only advantage India has is that our medium of education is English but once other countries like China & the Eastern European countries get proficient in English then these same call centers might go to the cheapest bidder. What if India loses out..we will be stuck with a large majority of youngsters with not enough education & now without call centers to employ them. I know I am exaggerating these things, but I have been known to do that :)
One more ill affect of this easy money is that the younger generation has gotten used to spending more than they earn. Now a days everybody wants to go to the fancy restaurants/pubs, wear branded clothes & have the coolest cell phones(with the most annoying ring tones). This has fueled the whole credit card culture. I have friends in India ho earn 20K a month & already have credit card debts running in the 100Ks. This is definetly not what we want.
When I compare India with China, I kinda like where China is going. Almost all the MNCs want to "offshore" their product manufacturing to China. This is helping the working class to play a more active role in their developement. Although I am not sure how much of the monetary benefits really perculates down to the normal working class :( But, once China starts eating into the "out sourcing" pie, they will really explode on to this global market. I was talking to a friend of mine who has his own furniture manufacturing unit in Mysore & he told me that to compete with other vendors in India they are being forced to import furniture from China. Can you believe that, India is importing traditional Indian furniture from China. Their labor is so cheap that nobody can compete with them right now. What I am getting at is that in China the "boom" is touching people of different stratas in the society, so the poor also get a small piece of the pie. Bit in India, the "boom" is still limited to the software industry & the infrastructure surrounding it. This is broadening the gap between the disadvantaged & techies which leaves them feeling disconnected from all the hype which is happening in their country. Thomas Friedman in his documentary touches upon the fact that this tech boom is idealizing the "techy lifestyle" thereby attracting more & more youngsters to be a part of it. While this is definetly a good thing as technology plays such an important role in our lives this may also undermine our advancements in other areas.
I know I sound really pessimistic. But c'mon atleast some of it is true. But, there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel. The Discovery documentary showed a school in the outskirts of Bangalore which was started by an expat who made it big in the US. This provides education to the disadvantaged children who are a vast majority. This is really commendable & I am sure there are a lot more people who want to do their bit to give back to the community. The future might not be as bleak as I make it out to be..we'll just have to wait & watch.

-Ranjeet

Waiting for the 20D..

I finally ordered a Canon 20d with a 17-85mm lens, last week . I am all excited & can't wait for it to be delivered tomorrow. I really want to get more serious about photography. My New Year's resolution was to be more productive with my time & not spend too much time in front of the idiot box & I am hoping my 20D will keep me away from it.
Meanwhile, I attended traffic school on Saturday. It was one of the most painful experiences I have ever had. Its right there with being kicked in the nads. The instructor was this old guy who needed a respirator, couldn't hear too well & had a real short term memory. I really don't have anything against old people, but c'mon..I didn't deserve this punishment for going 10 freakin miles over the speed limit. I think nobody in that class deserved it except for this big dude who slept through the whole class. He was snoring so loudly that he woke himself up a couple of times. This guy should be made to take the class again & this time be forced to stay up through the whole session. After that, I swear he will never get behind a steering wheel again.

Thats it from me..
-Ranjeet

This week has been a drag. Work has slowed down & that let me catch up on a lot of things which I was procrastinating. I finally got my BMW servicing done. Went to this place called German Motor in Sunnyvale,CA(www.gms.cc). They are far better than Phaedrus in SF. Awesome customer service & they did a good job. I can't believe I have 87K miles on my car in 4 years!! On a related note, I signed up for traffic school. Have to clean a point from a speeding violation. I have heard it is a very painful experience. I definetly am not looking forward to it.
Have been doing some research to buy a DSLR. I think I'll go with the Canon 20D with a 17-85mm lens. Dunno what I am waiting for... maybe its the $2000 investment. Have got a buyin from the wife :)
Almost forgot..we found this really cool bar in the Haight district called Deluxe. Its more like a Jazz & Swing club. They have happy hours from 6-9pm everyday!!! They make some mean Mojitos! Its our new favorite.
http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/904079/san_francisco_ca/club_deluxe.html

I have recieved 3 emails today with friends sending us links to their Blogs. So, I figured its high time we started one of our own. Talk about peer pressure :) I think it is a cool idea. Lets see if we can keep up the enthusiasm level. Leena & I really don't know what we will be writing about. Hopefully it'll be something interesting & fun.

-Ranjeet