A Long Time Coming

It's been a long time coming, this post. There's been too much happening through the week and on weekends, I don't feel like coming back to a screen. More than anything, I think my blogging suffered a brief dip in motivation.

The marathon this year was challenging. I don't think I was fit enough or motivated enough. I found running an effort. I missed playing football, so while heart was on the football pitch, my legs were on Marine Drive. I guess it reflected in my time for the 21 km run, I managed 2 hours 11 minutes and 48 seconds. That's about 11 minutes slower than last year so it hurt my ego initially. At the end of the race though, I felt good I had kept my promise to myself to run the race and complete it. I don't know if I'll run the marathon again next year or ever again. I'll make that decision when I need to.

Otherwise, work is going reasonably well. Interesting projects, a lot of work for me and a fair bit of multi-tasking, something that is new to me. Nothing to complain about in these times of global economic gloom.

As for married life? So far, so good. :) That's my verdict. The happiness and the challenges it offers you are incomparable really. Exhilarating at times, frustrating at others... but definitely worth it. :)

I can say one thing for sure, marriage has done my football a lot of good! :) I'm just loving being out on the ground 3-4 times a week, running all over the place and scoring more than the odd goal. ;) I don't know what it is, but I'm just super motivated to play football these days. My long-term football objective is to get on the amateur team at my neighbourhood park next year. We'll see how that comes along.

I've been away too long to pack in all that's happened into this post but I think I will be more regular with posts. I feel like writing.

Current Reading

The book I've been reading for the past couple of weeks is called 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running' by Haruki Murakami. I'm enjoying it. If anything, it has stoked my desire to get back to full fitness soon and train hard.

As a fellow runner, I identify a lot with Murakami's experiences while running. In case I left you guessing, that's what the book is about. I love the little bits when he throws in some of his philosophy. Here's an excerpt I loved:

"Usually when I approach the end of a marathon, all I want to do is get it over with, and finish the race as soon as possible. That's all I can think of. But as I drew near the end of this ultramarathon, I wasn't really thinking about this. The end of the race is just a temporary marker without much significance. It's the same with our lives. Just because there's an end doesn't mean existence has meaning. An end point is simply set up as a temporary marker, or perhaps an indirect metaphor for the fleeting nature of existence."

The Road to Recovery

It's been a sad couple of weeks. Last Wednesday, I had my first real sports injury, a partial hamstring tear and on Friday, I lost my mum-in-law to be.

The hamstring injury keeps me away from running for about 3 weeks, just when I was beginning to get some rhythm after a considerable break from long-distance running. And poof! My hamstring goes bust. In the midst of dealing with it, and it is a HUGE deal to me to miss marathon prep, my fiancee's ma passed away.

That took the wind out of my sails. And it was so sudden! Everything happened in a day, just like when Papa passed away over two years ago. It was really sad, even more so because she'll miss the wedding in a couple of months.

I'll be honest here. I didn't get to know her as well as I'd liked to, but we got on well. We'd make fun of my fiancee together, talk about cricket a little and exchange pleasantries. She was extremely warm and treated me like a son. I'll miss not having her around.

My fiancee's been very strong about it and I'm proud of her, but I won't write more about that here to respect her privacy. I think people's feelings on the loss of someone very dear should be kept private unless they volunteer to speak/write about it.

We've spent the last week dealing with the loss as a family and it's been tough. Like all such losses, I know this is one we will never fully get over. That's just the way death is. It leaves you wondering what just happened. Especially when it hits you so suddenly.

You wonder if everything you shared was a big dream. Those family holidays, the day your parent slapped you for doing something wrong, the surprisingly good report card you turned in every once in a while (read, 5 years in my case)... it feels like a different life. Surreal.

Where did they all go...

Frisbee

I'm dying to play frisbee today. I think I'll step out this evening and find someone who is also interested in chucking one around.

Courage

This commercial drives me absolutely fucking crazy. I get such an adrenaline rush I can't even tell you.



It's what I feel when I'm running the 21st kilometre of a half-marathon I've trained for, it's what I feel when I'm chasing a football I know I have no hope of reaching, it's what I feel when I'm doing the last rep of a heavy workout exercise.

I may not win, but I got Soul.

Catching Up

I haven't posted here in the longest time and I've missed being here. It's busy working independently and I'm still enjoying it.

Apart from work, I've started playing tennis at the MSLTA which is close to home on some evenings. My friends and me really suck at it, but it's good to get the adrenaline pumping in the evenings for a change also.

The running is fun as always. I've started interval running with this enthu bunch of runners at PDP on Wednesday mornings. I haven't posted my latest running times here so I'll have to catch up on that too. Gymming is on in the mornings as well so my day always starts off with an endorphin rush. :) I'm also back to playing football.

I'm going through this phase in my life where I'm ready to play almost any sport. (I don't consider chess and carrom-like games "sport".) I'm dying to play frisbee with someone! I love playing frisbee! I could do it for hours. It's a trance-like activity. Meditative at some level if you're playing with someone who's decent. Any frisbee enthusiasts out there? Hello???

I've all this energy suddenly these days that I don't know what to do with it sometimes. I've even been called an "Energizer-bunny"!

Running #24 and 25

# 24 Tuesday's Run:
Distance: 8 km
Time: 48 min 52 sec

I've decided not to think about the timing on my runs any more. I just want to enjoy my runs like I used to earlier. I've started obsessing over the timing and have struggled to accept the slower times I've been running since stopping the protein supplements.

I think I'm finally over both. This run was nice. Relaxed and easy. I don't have a runner's build. I've heavy bones. Most people can't believe I weigh 72 kgs. I don't look it at my height.

#25 Today's Run:
Distance: Unknown (13 km approx)
Time: 1 hr 17 min 42 sec

Outdoor. One of the most beautiful runs I've ever done. I ran with a couple of friends from the gym and we charted out a nice fun route.

Started at Marine Plaza Hotel on Marine Drive - Chowpatty - turned right at Kulfi Centre towards Opera House - then over Kennedy Bridge - Cumballa Hill - up the Hanging Gardens road up to Walkeshwar - down Walkeshwar back to Chowpatty and then back to Marine Plaza.

The weather was perfect. Overcast, windy and very few people out on the roads in the early morning. The most magical moment - the rain beginning to pour down as we struggled on the uphill past the Tower of Silence on the Hanging Garden road. The road is beautiful even without the rains, trees bending over the street to form a beautiful canopy with gaps just big enough to let a few rays of light through. And when it rains! Ohhhh!!! The smell was trippy.

There were moments during the run when I was in a trance, I had forgotten myself as I took in the sights, the smell of the wet earth and the cool rain hitting my face as we pounded away on the streets. I wish you were there.

P.S. Haathi, next time you're in town, get your running shoes! Mee, you're welcome to join the running group! :) So is anybody else! If anyone in Mumbai City wants to join us running on Saturday mornings, do let me know. Cheers!

The Hike

Fog, hills blanketed by green trees, waterfalls, a lot of sweat and heat, welcome drops of rain, yummy choco-chip cookies at the summit, slippery rocks, helping folks climb up/down, simple, beautiful village people, the gurgling stream, great company...

What an unforgettable Sunday.

Exercise Ideas

Now that I've quit my job, I'm going to have more time in the early mornings.

One of the things I'm definitely going to do is start swimming again. I went for a swim this morning and it felt great! There was only one other person in the pool, I got a nice big wide lane and I gave it a good go considering I was swimming swimming (that's intentional, like properly swimming) after a long time.

60 lengths of a 25-metre pool was fun. And not too tiring either. (I took three brief 1-minute stops after a set of 20 lengths. 40 freestyle and 20 breast-stroke.) I've really missed swimming and it felt so good to back in a pool again. Besides, it's great to cross-train with running.

Another thing I'm going to do is get me a cycle. One of the little things that annoyed me about my job was the amount of fuel I'd have to burn to get to work everyday. (I drive about 56 kms a day right now.) Contributing to pollution, global warming and all that. It may seem stupid to you but it was this little thing always sat at the back of my head.

So anyway, once I get my cycle, I'm going to try and cycle short distances. I stay eco-friendly and I get exercise.

On a completely different note, I think I've got the soul of a hippy. Sometimes, I think I belong a world that wasn't so fast. Like my parents' generation or something. Blues and jazz, people had time for each other, idealism, romance. It all sounds like a dream now. Everything is so fast. The food, relationships, dating, cars, reading, work, deadlines. Where are we going in such a hurry?

Time for Change

After a year, it is with great sorrow (okay, too much drama) that I move to a new gym. A few factors that played a part in this decision:

1. The new gym has a swimming pool so I don't have to go all the way to the other side of town just for a swim.
2. It has a nice garden view from all parts of the gym so that's a really refreshing change from the old one.
3. I've quit my job to work on my own so I'm expecting a financial hit in the first few months that I'm on my own. The gym that I go to now is crazy expensive but very good and walking distance from my home. Moving gyms will save me around 15-17 k a year so it's totally worth it right now. I can take the various routines I've learnt over the past year and use them at the new gym I guess.

I'm sad because the instructors at the current gym are good and are nice folks and I know the early morning regulars now. I guess breaking any routine is a small challenge.

But I have a good feeling about the new place too. Hope it works out.

Time for the Outdoors!

Prabalgad

After many months of waiting, it's finally here. The monsoons and trekking season! I'm not much of a trekker but I really love being outdoors in the rain.

Hilly landscapes covered in every imaginable shade of green all looking so clean and fresh, waking up early on Sunday morning to a calm, quiet Mumbai, the picturesque ride, and best of all, walking up the hillsides through the gleaming streams as they bubble and chatter away over rocks and stones.

Mountains, fog and trees uninterrupted by human intrusions are a sight for sore urban eyes. I could spend hours just looking into the distance from the edge of a mountain, just losing myself in the scenery. I really need a nice rainy trek.

I think we are closest to ourselves, when we are close to Nature.

I'm off to Prabalgad Fort this Sunday. Really excited! :)

Endorphin Junkie/Climaxing Professionally

Endorphin Junkie
I think that's what I am. I've realised, over time, that running and exercise are essential for me to stay in a healthy state of mind. When I don't go to the gym or step out for a run AND it isn't a Sunday, I'm a pretty cranky person.

I've tried various stimulants over time, but there isn't anything that comes close to a good workout. When I think about the time I weighed 92 kgs, it seems like another life.

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Climaxing Professionally
For the first time in several months, I've worked on a really fun project at work. For all of 2.5 days.

I'd liken my experience on the project to an orgasmic climax. You do a lot of work (in the professional context, mostly uninspiring), for those few moments of pleasure.

Yes, I am happy to declare that I've professionally climaxed.