My pic

Finally figured out a way to upload my pic on my homepage and the only simple way is to first post it on the blog and then connect from there to my homepage... Hope it work properly...
As it turns out the pic is to big and I need to reduce it to 50kb, to be able to post it on the homepage. Hope to do it sometime soon.
This is me at the final stretch of Mumbai marathon in 2005.

And on and on....

Did a good time and distance on my long run today. Did 15kms in 1hr 33min 30sec, which is very good improvement, and this was despite the hot and humid weather today. Just waiting for the rains to come and it should happen by next week. Now I just need to keep the good working going over the next two weeks and then move into a higher gear.(the rain would the added bonus in this endeavour).
Plus the 4am run is also due, as soon as I can find some reflective tape!!

The good run continues..

The three good runs of the week, have given my mental and physical being a big boost. Am feeling much better and will start some resistance training for my legs from next week with some ankle weights and hopefully that should solve the problem for good. Will take some well deserved rest on Saturday and be ready for my Sunday long run of 13kms. My legs are feeling much better now .....

Celebrating my 50th posting...

I could not have celebrated my 50th post in a better manner. Did my third run of the week tonite, 5.5kms in a little over 33mins, this was my first mid-night run! I am feeling quite refreshed after the run, it went quite smooth (the soreness is at the same level in my left leg though), except for dodging some stary dogs twice during the run. It can be very scarry when a pack of 3-4dogs rush towards you.
Within a couple of week I think I should be in a position to do my 4am 2hr run, todays run was a good dry run for it. Looking forward to my Sunday long run now, need to crack that as well.

Another 5.5km done in 34min 30secs. Need to repeat it again tomm. My left leg is still feeling the same (no improvement or deterioration), will continue to run with the slight soreness. The pace was very comforting, as this was the first time when I had run on two continuous days and almost maintained the same pace (in the last two months). Which is a good sign, don't want to jump the gun, so will wait and monitor my progress... The big test will be on Monday, the day after my Sunday long run...

Did 5.5kms in 34min 20 sec yesterday morning. The weather continues to be humid though reasonably pleasant in the mornings. This was my first run of the week and I hope to do two more during this week and will try to stretch the Sunday run to about 13kms. I think, I just need to run more consistently even if I don't feel totally comfortable (due to stiffness & soreness in my legs) and my legs will start feeling normal on their own going forward. Lets see if this solution works....

I started at 8am and did my 10km run in 1hr 5mins. Which is pretty decent based on the way I have been doing in the last few weeks. Today's run was more comfortable and easier than my weekly runs, but am still nowhere close to my target of 35-40kms a week. A long way to go... My Sunday runs are the most enjoyable and its never a effort to get up in the morning, weekly runs are a totally different story. The strides seem to be better and things seem a lot easier on Sundays.
I am yet to hear from Singapore marathon or the GTM guys. But, with my current level of preparation it seems a tall order, but I have time on my hand...

Weekly runs... continue...

I have been able to run twice this week. Ran on Tuesday and did 5.5kms in 35min and ran the same distance today and did it in 34min 25sec, both these are a lot slower than my usual pace. Things are not going too well and am now just focusing on ensuring that I run atleast thrice a week (excl. Sunday long run) without bothering about the time I am taking and overall I need to manage atleast about 30km per week. The weather this week has been very pleasant during the morning runs, so can’t really blame anyone other than myself for things not going right. Not sure what is wrong with my legs, they just feel a little heavy and some amount of stiffness every now and then. Otherwise, I am feeling great and there is no reason why things should not improve.

Weekend runs...

I had a good 5.5km run on Saturday morning, did it in 33min 30sec and seem to be doing pretty alright inspite of some stiffness before each run. Sunday was the same but the heat was killing, one of the hottest days in May. Did approx 10kms in about 1hr 6mins, which is a good 2-3mins slower than usual time, thanks to the heat. Am slowly getting back to shape.
Am still to hear from the GTM and Singapore marathon orgainsing team, regarding registration. So that I can get down to planning my schedules.

Day 2 of the run...

Today was my second run of the week, it was slower than yesterday. Did 5.5kms in about 34.5mins. Which is a cause for some worry, but I hope my runs settle down and I am able to get back to my consistent times. And I did see the same guy running again, on my route. Its refreshing to see someone running regularly, things are definitely changing....

A new week, and a new beginning???!!!!

I seem to have continued the rhythm in my strides from Sunday, had a clean smooth run, even though there was some stiffness in the left leg. I guess I can now start running regularly and hopefully the stiffness would cure itself.
Today after a very long time I saw a guy running on my route, I usually only find people walking (with an aim to lose weight and to have some sort of exercise). Guess road running as a sport is catching on (even though its at a very slow growth rate).
I did my 5.5km in about 33mins and was feeling refreshed after the run. The weather was overcast, and I hope it will continue to be that way..

Update on my Sunday run..

I had a good run in the morning, did 11km in about 1hr 10mins. The rhythm in my strides was just perfect, its the smoothest run I have had in the last couple of months. The weather has improved quite a lot, the sun is not very hard though the humidity is close to 95%. Am sure the rains are not too far away, eagerly looking forward to it.
I need to get more regular with my weekly runs, get to the level of 20kms a week, excl. the Sunday run.
My hunt for reflective tape is still on, visited quite a few stores but could not find it. Not sure what sort of store would stock it.

Closure on the dates of GTM

Finally got a response from the organisers of Great Tibetan Marathon and the date is September 9, 2006. Looking forward to more details from them, so that I can plan the trip. I hope to do the half marathon there. Will need to devote atleast 10 days for the trip, hope I can make it.

Confusion on dates of The Great Tibetan Marathon

On the http://www.aims-association.org/Calendar.htm website the Great Tibetan marathon date is suppose to be September 9, 2006. But on most other sites including Runner's world it August 17, 2006. The conclusion, Aug 17, 2006 is the correct date for the marathon. Based on my homework done on various sites, the previous race took place in 2005 and in all likelihood it should take place in 2006 as well.
I have tried writing to the organisers to find out more, esp. the registration process but am yet to hear from them. Don't know why they are not responding to my emails.
If all goes well and assuming the race is taking place on Aug 17, I will need to reach Leh by August 10, so that I have a good amount of time to get used to the altitude. I am also trying to find out more details on how one needs to train for a high altitude marathon. This would be a good time to do a half marathon and prepare myself for the Singapore one in December (the gap between the two is just perfect).

Blogging can be contagious

I might not be able to have inspire people to take up running as a sport (till date), but have atleast managed to partly inspire two of my friends to start their own blogs. Guess it’s easier to start a blog, but the tough bit is to keep it updated on a regular basis. And that is not possible unless you start enjoying the process of blogging.
Coming back to my running routine, the left calf seems much better, but legs are a little tired, thanks to a stiff schedule over the last few days. Plan to run twice during this week, before the Sunday long run.

Health trip - Stroke Identification

I thought I should share this email forward that I got recently, very useful tip and will help save lives.....
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S Ask the individual to SMILE.
T Ask the person to TALK . to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE
(Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
{NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue... if the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke}
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call for assistance immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

2006 Marathon calendar

For those of your who want to keep track of the various marathons across the world, this is the site to visit

http://www.aims-association.org/Calendar.htm

As regards a quick update on marathons I plan to explore -
Lipton Bangalore Int'l Marathon - Sept 3, 2006
The Great Tibetan Marathon - Sept 9, 2006
Hyderabad Midnight Marathon - Sept 23, 2006
Hutch Delhi Marathon - Oct 15, 2006
Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon - Dec 3, 2007
Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon - Jan 21, 2007

I am trying to find out more on the Great Tibetan marathon, I would love to be a part in it, as it happens in Ladakh, one of the most beautiful place in India. And this would be an amazing opportunity to visit the place, the only problem (big one) would be getting used to the altitude! I might do a half marathon or something, but would need more details on how long it would take me to acclimatize to the altitude and other relevant details.
Do visit the site, its one of the most beautiful places on earth...

http://www.great-tibetan-marathon.com

New adventurous thought.....

Had a comfortable 5km run in the evening today and followed it up with climbing 21 floors (7 floors, three times) and some stretching. New experiment to ensure that all my leg muscles feel fit and normal, lets see if that works.
Another interesting thought came to my mind during my run today. The need to do something different to break the monotony of my regular runs. I have decided to do 2hr run at 4am in the morning on one of the forthcoming Sundays, as soon as my legs are back to normal (100%). I need to figure out a way to ensure that I have something reflective on my clothing during the run and need to carry some extra water during the run. I plan to come up with some similar ideas at regular intervals to make the training route more interesting and adventures (plus it will make my blog more interesting, as I will have more stuff to share!!).

May day holiday

Just recovered & posted my note, which I had written yesterday. My computer had crashed yesterday afternoon, but thanks to the auto recovery mode on Word, was able to recover it. Blogger does have an auto save feature, but it’s not very reliable.
Had a very good relaxed day, slept for good 10+ hours and am feeling very fresh. I guess I really needed the holiday!!
Plan to run in the evening today, they seem in better shape now. Have been doing some free hand exercises for my legs over the last 2-3 days and things are hopefully getting better. Will get a better picture after my run in the evening.