I am running...the sun is blazing but I dont care....I am wearing my shorts and my sports bra...my six pack rippling as my legs move fast...my hands in correct coordination with my legs...my legs lean, muscular and sexy...
I wake up with a smile...
Now I am fully awake, remembering my dream. Wow! I looked great! I looked lean and and like a runner. And then I look at myself in my PJs. Well, better not continue with that saga...I would love to look like how I looked in my dream. I mean who wouldnt...
This is one of my fave topics. People look at me all the time and gasp in surprise-you run? Hmmm...then I am sure they gossip behind my back...she doesnt look like a runner. Arent runners supposed to be lean and fit?
I have been asked this question number of times. By many people. But last week, one of my colleagues asked me--- I see these Kenyans run. They look so different from you" He was playing it very safe by not saying they look thin. And then I thought' WOW. If someone as educated as he is can ask a question like that, then why should I even mind other people saying things like that. I am atleast 10 years older than that Kenyan he saw on TV, I have been running for only 4 years, while those Kenyans are training from the time they are 12. Finally, I work. Go home to my son. Sometimes, end up eating an Oreo cookie and just enjoy life. But the Kenyan (that he saw, most probably in the Olympics) runs all the time, trains and measures the food he eats. Probaly never eaten even a crumb of cookie let alone a full Oreo. To compare me with a Kenyan marathoner is downright stupid.
I know so many people who run now and am happy to belong to this special category of people. None of them look like the way a Kenyan marathoner does. They look like happy healthy individuals who can run 10k, 50K, 100K and even 200Ks. They train. Eat regular food. Gorge on beer and chips. Love their desserts. Some are thin, some are not so thin. But guess what? They are healthy and happy. I want to ask all these fools (yes, I am pretty passionate about this) if they can keep up with me for even 5kms. Forget 42...
So, please guys. Respect your level of intelligence. Dont talk like you have no brains. Yes, a runner is faster if he/she is lighter but a person who is not thin can also be a runner...
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Bangalore
Bangalore is my home town. I grew up here. Went to school here and met Sudarshan here. Most of my friends are here. When I was in the US, I used to always be very excited to meet a Banglorean. B'lore-the Silicon Valley of India...those were the buzz words may be 10 years ago and I assumed that because B'lore is so special everyone knew where B'lore was.
My co-workers in WF used to ask my friend (also from India) where she was from and she would start off "In south India, a state called ..., city...)
But when they would ask me where I was from, I never used to even bother to say India. Just Bangalore. I was cocky enough to assume that people knew enough about B'lore that they knew exactly where I was from.
I am proud to be a Bangalorean in many respects and associate so many memories with B'lore. I run in Cubbon Park almost every weekend. I have so many memories of going to Cubbon as a child and taking the train that they had for children that would go around CP. I love running in front of Vidhan Soudha. I think most times I run there that it is like running in Washington DC and just as beautiful. I love going to Indiana Fast Foods, to Sukh Sagar. Infact chaat has to be eaten only in Sukh Sagar according to me. I always ate chaat there almost all my life. Why eat anywhere else now. I love trying out new cuisines and restaurants but give me Tandoor any day.
Where is all this going you may ask...
I love Bangalore but what the F is happening to Bangalore? Forget about the trash on the roads, it was never clean ...Forget about the traffic...that has to happen with the growth...Forget about potholes...I really dont care... car...But what I care is the PEOPLE. What the F is happening to the people? I remember as a teen ager running in JP Nagar. I used to run for about 30 mins. And we used to have such a nice time doing so. People were friendly. Happy to see the youth being active. But now, running on B'lore streets is becoming a nightmare.
Yesterday, I decided I wanted to run 12K. Why bother going to Cubbon Park, I thought. Why not run near my house in HSR Layout. A few months ago, I had some crazy experiences with the guys on the road. I felt discouraged and didnt do any running on the streets. But yesterday I thought, this is B'lore. Its so cool. Cool people. Cool Cool Cool...
But guess what? B'lore hasnt changes in that aspect. B'lore cannot deal with a woman running. mind you...I was very properly attired. Just plain looking girl, running in tracks and a dri-fit shirt. And what happens?
1. I get whistled at.
2. People were falling off a cab trying to look at me
3. A Indica driver wanted to scare me and came so close
4. A bus driver didnt even try to slow down. I had to run to the pavement
5. And if I wasnt listening to music, I would have heard all the non sense comments
So, what is happening to B'lore? Why are people acting so intolerant towards runners. Why are the men behaving like dogs in heat (sorry dog lovers)? Why are men behaving like penises? Common guys, grow up. Is it the lack of sex ( our society is so hush hush about that and develop such a holier than thou attitude towards virginity and such.) that is leading to guys being sexually frustrated to such an extent that a girl on the road arises in them this non sense behaviour. My friend, who is an awesome runner always talks about how to stop this behaviour as well as groping and molesting on roads when a woman is running and she is an awesome runner in Bangalore. Just dont get it. I see guys running. They wear their teeny weeny shorts. No comments passed. Here we are wearing something totally decent (mind you.. I havent tried running in a Burkha yet) and we are forced to deal with this non sense.
Bangalore has changed. The people have changed. In spite of all the exposure, the men have become dogs.
My co-workers in WF used to ask my friend (also from India) where she was from and she would start off "In south India, a state called ..., city...)
But when they would ask me where I was from, I never used to even bother to say India. Just Bangalore. I was cocky enough to assume that people knew enough about B'lore that they knew exactly where I was from.
I am proud to be a Bangalorean in many respects and associate so many memories with B'lore. I run in Cubbon Park almost every weekend. I have so many memories of going to Cubbon as a child and taking the train that they had for children that would go around CP. I love running in front of Vidhan Soudha. I think most times I run there that it is like running in Washington DC and just as beautiful. I love going to Indiana Fast Foods, to Sukh Sagar. Infact chaat has to be eaten only in Sukh Sagar according to me. I always ate chaat there almost all my life. Why eat anywhere else now. I love trying out new cuisines and restaurants but give me Tandoor any day.
Where is all this going you may ask...
I love Bangalore but what the F is happening to Bangalore? Forget about the trash on the roads, it was never clean ...Forget about the traffic...that has to happen with the growth...Forget about potholes...I really dont care... car...But what I care is the PEOPLE. What the F is happening to the people? I remember as a teen ager running in JP Nagar. I used to run for about 30 mins. And we used to have such a nice time doing so. People were friendly. Happy to see the youth being active. But now, running on B'lore streets is becoming a nightmare.
Yesterday, I decided I wanted to run 12K. Why bother going to Cubbon Park, I thought. Why not run near my house in HSR Layout. A few months ago, I had some crazy experiences with the guys on the road. I felt discouraged and didnt do any running on the streets. But yesterday I thought, this is B'lore. Its so cool. Cool people. Cool Cool Cool...
But guess what? B'lore hasnt changes in that aspect. B'lore cannot deal with a woman running. mind you...I was very properly attired. Just plain looking girl, running in tracks and a dri-fit shirt. And what happens?
1. I get whistled at.
2. People were falling off a cab trying to look at me
3. A Indica driver wanted to scare me and came so close
4. A bus driver didnt even try to slow down. I had to run to the pavement
5. And if I wasnt listening to music, I would have heard all the non sense comments
So, what is happening to B'lore? Why are people acting so intolerant towards runners. Why are the men behaving like dogs in heat (sorry dog lovers)? Why are men behaving like penises? Common guys, grow up. Is it the lack of sex ( our society is so hush hush about that and develop such a holier than thou attitude towards virginity and such.) that is leading to guys being sexually frustrated to such an extent that a girl on the road arises in them this non sense behaviour. My friend, who is an awesome runner always talks about how to stop this behaviour as well as groping and molesting on roads when a woman is running and she is an awesome runner in Bangalore. Just dont get it. I see guys running. They wear their teeny weeny shorts. No comments passed. Here we are wearing something totally decent (mind you.. I havent tried running in a Burkha yet) and we are forced to deal with this non sense.
Bangalore has changed. The people have changed. In spite of all the exposure, the men have become dogs.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Paradise City
Yesterday was my longest run in long time. It was ages since I did a 35k and yesterday I did it. It was exhausting but I had to do it. All in preperation for the KTM and Ultra. KTM on Oct 19th. Ultra Nov 19th
Yesterdays run was organized in Kannakapura trail. I love this trail. Its full of rolling hills that kill you but so satisfy you. Each loop was 10k in distance so this meant I had to do 3 full loops and one half. Ashika and I started off and we had a great start. One of the first hills is of a crazy gradiant almost a vertical line ( I am exaggerating but only slightly). We didnt stop. The climb was a slow one but we ran one foot after another. Finally we reached the top and it was worth it. Right in front of us was a beautiful lake. The sight is so awesome early in the morning. So breathtakingly freash and everytime almost unexpected. This lake was making everything worth it.
After about two loops (20) we stared feeling the exhaustion creep into our muscles. The climbs were getting tougher. So we tried and tried. Many times the hills got better than us and we would run half way up and walk the remaining.
After the 30K mark, Ashika had run what she had planned and I had 5 more left. Everybody from RFL had left except Anjana who was also doing 35K. We started up the same hills almost walking up the hills many a times because by now it was so hot and our bodies were burning up. We completed our half way loop and turned back. I was listening to music. All of a sudden I decided I needed a change in song and moved to the next one. GNR. WOW. Axel Ross started singing Paradise City...This song gave me so much energy and I started singing with Axel and this song just pushed me up the last climb. I had just hit the finish line when the song ended. Nothing could have been better timed yesterday.
Its really funny how something completely unexpected gives you the vigour you need on a long run. Be it a song, a friend who tells you you are doing great or a lake. All so beautiful. Makes you appreciate true beauty around you. Thats what like about running. You think you are awesome, you are so unbreakable and can do anything alone...well, running teaches you you are just the opposite. You are awesome but there is someone else who has run better than you, you can break---even the best runner has gotten crazy cramps and has had to stop and you cannot do it alone. Sure, I can run by myself, without a friend but the friend who runs with me helps me run that last km when I am tired, a stranger who cheers me fills me with encouragement and a song gives me the energy to run. Thats what I like about running. Every run (and every runner will agree) will get you not only closer and faster to the finish line in a race but will also get you closer to humility. A person who may be much faster than you will always have great things to say to you because he knows that running the 35k is not easy. He has gome through similar emotions, if not at 30k mark may be at 35k, 40k mark ...
Yesterdays run was organized in Kannakapura trail. I love this trail. Its full of rolling hills that kill you but so satisfy you. Each loop was 10k in distance so this meant I had to do 3 full loops and one half. Ashika and I started off and we had a great start. One of the first hills is of a crazy gradiant almost a vertical line ( I am exaggerating but only slightly). We didnt stop. The climb was a slow one but we ran one foot after another. Finally we reached the top and it was worth it. Right in front of us was a beautiful lake. The sight is so awesome early in the morning. So breathtakingly freash and everytime almost unexpected. This lake was making everything worth it.
After about two loops (20) we stared feeling the exhaustion creep into our muscles. The climbs were getting tougher. So we tried and tried. Many times the hills got better than us and we would run half way up and walk the remaining.
After the 30K mark, Ashika had run what she had planned and I had 5 more left. Everybody from RFL had left except Anjana who was also doing 35K. We started up the same hills almost walking up the hills many a times because by now it was so hot and our bodies were burning up. We completed our half way loop and turned back. I was listening to music. All of a sudden I decided I needed a change in song and moved to the next one. GNR. WOW. Axel Ross started singing Paradise City...This song gave me so much energy and I started singing with Axel and this song just pushed me up the last climb. I had just hit the finish line when the song ended. Nothing could have been better timed yesterday.
Its really funny how something completely unexpected gives you the vigour you need on a long run. Be it a song, a friend who tells you you are doing great or a lake. All so beautiful. Makes you appreciate true beauty around you. Thats what like about running. You think you are awesome, you are so unbreakable and can do anything alone...well, running teaches you you are just the opposite. You are awesome but there is someone else who has run better than you, you can break---even the best runner has gotten crazy cramps and has had to stop and you cannot do it alone. Sure, I can run by myself, without a friend but the friend who runs with me helps me run that last km when I am tired, a stranger who cheers me fills me with encouragement and a song gives me the energy to run. Thats what I like about running. Every run (and every runner will agree) will get you not only closer and faster to the finish line in a race but will also get you closer to humility. A person who may be much faster than you will always have great things to say to you because he knows that running the 35k is not easy. He has gome through similar emotions, if not at 30k mark may be at 35k, 40k mark ...
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
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