Sunday, October 12, 2008

Portland Marathon - Wet, humid, and still a blast!

So after a successful SF half and continued training with Team Asha putting in the miles and time, it was time to head on to the first Asha marathon of the season - Portland on Oct 5, 2008.

Portland - the name conjures up images of a beautiful green city in the Pacific Northwest replete with dreary skies and rains throughout the year. We had been tracking the weather forecast anxiously and the predicted probability percentage for rain on Sunday had been changing more often than the McCain economic plan :-) Well, we were trained to run in all kinds of conditions except rain this season - so, should make for an interesting time...

Oct 3, 2008 (Friday)
After having tapered, rested, and loaded up on carbs for a few weeks now, I was raring to go. The initial plan had been to drive to Portland with the family so they could come and watch me run. However, the wife had deep-sixed that plan and in any case, the kids had a bit of a cold. So, I had decided to fly out to Portland on an evening flight from San Jose.

Arrived at the airport and was sitting at the gate when I ran into Parag, who was on the same Southwest flight. We chatted for a while and discussed plans and strategies. The flight was fairly uneventful and they even served peanuts :-) Landed in Portland and picked up my bags etc. My friend Srikanth (from college) was waiting for me at the airport (with his two lovely kids, Anagha, and Krishna in tow) and took me over to his house to stay Friday night. His wife Priya had made a nice South Indian dinner rich in carbs for my benefit, and after feasting on it, and chatting and catching up for a while, decided to hit the hay to get a good night's rest. Oh and BTW, it rained pretty much all night!!

Oct 4, 2008 (Saturday)
The carbo-load dinner had been scheduled for 7 p.m. in downtown Portland (close to the Team Asha hotel). So, I decided to go to the expo right before then and pick up my bib and then head to the carbo-load dinner. The morning was spent with Srikanth and the kids at a science museum (which was quite interesting). The weather was wacky with bouts of rain followed by periods of some blue sky. After a nice lunch at home, spent some time on the Nintendo Wii with Srikanth playing golf! I then packed my bags and got things together to head downtown.

Around 5 p.m., Srikanth and I headed to the city and arrived at the expo. The expo was not much to write home about :-) (though definitely a step up from the SV marathon!). After picking up my bib (with D-tag) and walking around for a bit, we decided to head to Hotel 50 to meet the team. The funny thing with this marathon was that the T-shirts were not given out at the expo; they had to be collected at the finish!!

Reached the hotel at 6:30 p.m. and left my stuff with Vinay. Then, after saying goodbye to Srikanth, we headed out to Alessandro's for the carbo-load dinner. We met up with the rest of the group outside, and had to loiter around for a while till the tables were ready.

The restaurant had one thing going for it - ambiance! Too bad, the quality of food and the service did not match it :-) There was an interminable wait to even get the bread initially, and then the food orders were further delayed/mixed-up (Coach Tony got his soup after he finished his main course!!). Of course, the travel team picked the restaurant due to its proximity to the hotel and are not responsible for the service etc. Anyhoo, Coach Tony gave us a nice pep-talk and after finishing our dinners, we headed back to the hotel around 9 p.m. or so to get some shut-eye in. Oh, and it was not raining then :-)

Reached the hotel, and after pinning the bib on and fitting the D-tag on the shoe, said good night to Navneet and went to bed by 10 p.m. or so.

Oct 5, 2008 (Sunday) - the Race
It's funny how even if this was my 3rd marathon, I still had butterflies in my stomach, and the anxiety caused me to wake up at 3 a.m. (and then not be able to get back to sleep). Stayed in bed till about 4:30 in order to let Navneet rest, and finally got up to get ready. After the glide/nip-guard and other checks, was ready to go and had an energy bar and half a bagel around 5:30 a.m. (thanks Gurpreet and the co-ords team for the bagels and bananas - awesome work as always!).

The plan was to meet up with the group in the lobby at 6 a.m. and walk/jog the 4 blocks to the start line. Navneet and I got to the lobby, and of course, found no one there :-) We decided to wait a bit longer in order to stay out of the cold. It was pretty nippy outside and cloudy - but no rain! Finally, people started trickling in, and by about 6:20, we decided to head out.
Got to the start line, and picked up the sweats bag. Also stood in line for the port-a-potty and just about managed to get out by 6:45 a.m. There was a long line for the sweats check as well, but somehow snuck in and dropped it off. Started pushing through the crowds (6 hr finish, 5.5 hr finish etc.) to reach the 4 hours and below corral. I had planned to start with the 3 hr 50 min pace group and found the pacers with the sign and got to the back of the group there.

The announcer made some announcements and also noted that it had never rained during the marathon for the past 30+ years - should have known what was in store then :-) After the national anthem, the starting gun went off, and we were off. The elites and faster runners took off, and soon, we were moving as well and crossed the start mat (and I started my watch).

Miles 0- 5
Kept telling myself to start slow till I was warmed up. The crowd was moving and everyone looked like they were sprinting out of the blocks. Kept a 9:11 pace for the first mile and just about managed to keep sight of the 3:50 pacers. The next few miles were quicker (8:25-8:30 pace) and every time I looked up, I was still falling further behind the pace group! I had the 3:50 pace band on, and kept looking at the times. Something was definitely up with the pace group. Oh and it started drizzling around mile 2! So much for not raining during the marathon:-) And the humidity was around 95% (we found out later) - conditions were definitely going to play a part.

Miles 6-13.1
The rain kept getting steadier and was quite annoying to say the least. The roads were getting slick and some puddles were forming (had to focus to make sure I did not step in one). The 3:50 pacers were definitely off and going much faster (and as a result, I was going faster than planned/needed to keep up!). Hit 10K in 52:55, 8.9 miles in 1:15:48, and the halfway point in 1:52:50 (8:37 pace).

Just to put things in context - according to the pace band, the 3:50 group should have hit the half in 1:56:58; I was there in 1:52:50, and was at least a minute (if not more) behind the 3:50 pacers! So, they were off by a full 5 minutes or more! So much for them knowing how to pace us :-)

The humidity was definitely sapping, and despite the rain, I could feel that I was sweating a lot more. I made sure to drink electrolytes at every water stop. Compounding things, the marathon had 2 kinds of electrolyte drinks - Ultima, which provided mineral replenishment only, and Gleukos, which had sugar and electrolytes. I took them alternately, and sometimes grabbed both at a water stop. One of the things I had told myself was to be very careful with my nutrition during my race (having tailed off badly towards the end in my earlier races) - so, had an energy bar around mile 8, and some Liquid Gold (which was the honey based gel type thing that they offered - quite delicious I must add) at the next couple of water stops. I also looked around to see if I could spot my brother and his wife (who had flown in to see me race) but no luck. I did spot the Asha folks, and they cheered me on (thanks folks!).

Overall, I felt pretty good and seemed to be on track to hit my sub 4 hr goal.

Miles 13.1 - 20
What's that old saying about the best laid plans :-) I was moving pretty smoothly, when suddenly around Mile 15, I felt a twinge in my right hamstring and it started sending out signals of discomfort. I was keeping a good pace but decided to slow down to avoid further damage that might prevent me from finishing! 8:30-8:40 miles soon became 9+ minute miles. Still, I had over 7 mins in the bank, and I hoped that would see me through.

After looping through downtown stretches initially, we had moved on towards St.John's bridge at mile 17. This presented the only significant hill on the course - about a 150 foot climb but not too bad in itself - it was just the positioning in the race when people were close to the proverbial wall! I was now doing about 9:15-9:20 min miles and decided to be conservative on the hill. I took it nice and easy (I guess my quads still had some residual memory from Big Sur in April and SF half in August) and despite recording my slowest mile of the day (9:54), I made it to the top and across the bridge fairly comfortably.

The rain was falling harder, and the chill was also causing my sore hamstring to keep announcing itself! I had continued consuming liquid gold and also had a packet of Gu around mile 14 onwards. I reached mile 18 and felt a little tired, but knew that this was the 'wall' and I had to fight past it. I took another shot of Gu, put my head down and kept charging forward - the words of Coach Harry were fresh in my mind - 'As long as you keep moving forward, you will finish!' Reached mile 20 in 2:56:40 (now at 8:50 pace). Oh, and I had lost sight of the 3:50 pace group a while back, and was relying on the timing bracelet for guidance!

Miles 21-26.2
It was now pouring pretty badly and I was tiring a bit as well. I decided to unleash the secret weapon - 'Chocolate Gu with Caffeine' that I had picked up just for this occasion! Took the first shot of it, and soon felt it work its magic. Started keeping a steady 9:20-9:30 pace and waited for the downhill that was soon coming. I knew that if I could do better than 11 minute miles or so for the remaining distance, I would be home in less than 4 hrs!!

The crowds and bands (which really helped get the spirits up on a few occasions) had been awesome from the start and kept cheering us on as we made our way to cross the bridge back to the downtown side of the river. Soon, the downhill arrived at mile 22, and I decided to pick up the pace a little (as much as I could). After a 9 minute mile, reached mile 23 or so when I spied the folks handing out beer in the little plastic cups! Despite being a teetotaler, I was in half-a-mind to throw away that label, and imbibe the nectar. However, I decided that this was probably not the best time to experiment with alcohol (now drugs would have been a whole other story - one is definitely high on something when one decides to run marathons!).

I could now see folks starting to struggle/cramp up/walk. There were several folks doubled up on the side of the road as well. I decided to focus and concentrated harder on keeping the back straight and the strides smooth (well at least I thought so - others may have seen me as the guy with the flailing arms and staggering feet!!!). The mile 24 and 25 markers soon passed by - and I had over 14 minutes to finish the last 1.2 miles. I decided to save the 'kick' for the last .2 miles just in case I ran out of gas (if I started sprinting at mile 25). Started hearing the cheering crowds and rounded the bend for the final .2 - picked up the pace as best I could and soon sighted the finish arch with the balloons - trust me - there is no sweeter sight for any runner than those damn balloons at the finish line :-) I passed a few people and finally crossed the mat and immediately stopped my watch - it read 3:57:02 - mission accomplished!!! I was drenched, soaking wet, but ecstatic and relieved! I had broken the elusive (well, for me anyways) 4 hour barrier, and shattered my PR by over 35 mins (previous best, 4:32:31 at Big Sur).

It turns out that for the first time ever, the time according to my watch and the official chip time, matched! Of course, the consequence of this is that my official finish line picture has me bent down stopping my watch:-)

I walked gingerly through the finish area and picked up my medal - they gave us a rose along with it - a nice touch! Then headed straight for the food and refreshments - they gave us cold Nesquik Chocolate milk - never had anything tasted sweeter! They also had quite a good spread of food, and I picked up a few things to eat in a bit (as I did not feel like eating right away). Finally spotted Ram (my brother) and Bindu (his wife) and went and accepted their congratulations. Headed down to the Asha tent where I was greeted by an ecstatic Gurpreet, and Coach Tony, and Raj (who had both finished ahead of me). The co-ords and volunteers had excelled as always, and in true Asha tradition, there were Samosas and also Lassi waiting for us in the tent.
After chatting for a bit and wolfing down a Samosa, I decided to go pick up my sweats bag - only to discover that we had to walk 5 blocks to get it! Limped down the streets with Raj for company and got our bags. Raj decided to head back to the hotel and I started walking back to the finish area to meet my brother. My friend Srikanth had also arrived in the meanwhile, and we decided to wait for a little bit - Vinay, Kiron, and Navneet finished in the meanwhile (and had all run awesome races given the conditions). Then, after congratulating the finishers and planning to meet at the dinner that evening, decided to head back to Srikanth's place (so as not to keep them all waiting) - went back to the hotel, picked up my stuff, and headed back.
Got to Srikanth's place, and after a nice warm shower (I know, I know - I am not a huge fan of ice baths :-)), and some ice-packs on sore knees and ankles, went out to a nice South Indian restaurant for a lunch buffet!

Oct 5, 2008 (Sunday) - evening
Arrived at the planned rendezvous (at Taj India/India Palace) after several phone calls and updates from Gurpreet (that included name changes, address changes etc. - they had apparently relocated the restaurant recently!). Had come along with Ram and Bindu and there were already some folks there at the restaurant (Chandrika, Shailesh, and others). Started on the pakoras while we waited for the rest of the crew to arrive in the shuttle from the hotel. They finally showed up, and we celebrated over drinks and dinner. Coach Tony congratulated us all, and we were also happy to receive a phone call from Coach Raman (who congratulated the team on speaker phone). Coach Martina had already called me in the afternoon (as had Rajeev Shankar, and a few others) - though Martina probably had mixed feelings as she now owed various people lunch and dinner (or worse - money :-)) - details not supplied in order to avoid corruption/betting charges :-)


We shared the victory stories, and it was especially gratifying to see the smiles on the faces of the first time finishers. Despite the weather, and various other injuries/inconveniences, Team Asha runners had braved the odds, and had all finished strong with a smile on their faces! The spirit of Team Asha shone through on that bleak, cloudy, rainy day in Portland - and we had all indeed conquered the beast and had tales of valour and courage to tell.

I am extremely grateful to all the Coaches for the training, advice, and support:

Tony - for pushing me hard at tracks and prepping me on race day.
Martina - for all her support last year (running with me at SV marathon, off-season Rancho runs etc.) and her advice this year.
Raman - for running with me at Rancho and introducing me to the joys of Black Mountain and other assorted hill trails.
Harry - for his injury analysis and input.
and last but not the least - Rajeev Char - for all the advice, injury prevention/recovery tips (when I had the ITB issues), for running with me and encouraging me at the long runs (Los Gatos etc.), helping me plan out a race strategy (pace groups).
Raj (asst.coach) - for the pep talks, and making me believe that I could crack the 4 hour barrier.

I also owe the Rancho group a vote of thanks! Being their mentor, and being responsible for their progress, and to get them to their marathon goals, has instilled a sense of discipline in me (and caused me not to miss any runs this season); well that, and the fact that I am the only mentor for that group with no back-up :-) I have also enjoyed the fun and camaraderie - thanks a bunch guys and gals!

Epilogue:
Oct 6, 2008 (Monday)
Flew back home on Monday morning (after thanking Srikanth and his family for their excellent hospitality and saying goodbye to Ram and Bindhu - it was excellent to have them all share the experience). Was really glad to get back to the wife and kids and they were all thrilled with my achievement and to have me back (well, even little 9 month old Rohan gave me a high-five (or so I thought - he was probably just waving his hands:-))).

Oct 7, 2008 (Tuesday) - track workout
Some of us Portland finishers showed up at tracks on Tuesday evening. We wore our Finisher T-Shirts (awesome BTW - Nike, full-sleeve, wicking shirt) and medals in order to inspire the Chicago and SV runners. A couple of us gluttons for punishment even ran a few laps (to get in a recovery run I guess).

Oct 9, 2008 (Thursday) - weekday Rancho run
Back in action to fulfil my duties as mentor. Ran with the guys - some things never change :-)

Running is not a chore anymore - it's a lifestyle choice, and I am proud to be a card-carrying member of this Marathoner's club! And, the fact that I am where I am (being able to make the above statement) - I owe it all to the family called 'Team Asha'! And for this, I will keep coming back year after year to share new experiences and forge new bonds and friendships!

Monday, August 4, 2008

SF Half Marathon – Part Deux – The Revenge of the Geek Runners!

Starring: Team Asha 2008 runners, Coaches, Ops folks, cheerleaders

Also Starring: City of San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge, Weather

Co-Starring: Malati Gadgil

Also Ran: Bharath Prabhakaran

Logline (for the busy moguls, those with ADD etc.):

Team Asha 2008 with its army of geek runners descends on the City of San Francisco during the early dawn hours. After several hours of ferocious battle, pavement pounded by feet, bridges trespassed, hills captured and surpassed, paper cups being flung about, and general mayhem, the city proves no match as Team Asha 2008 returns victorious after having captured the dangling gold (like) medallions J

Rating:

Karnazes and Galloway give this film ‘Two ITBs up’ !!!

Details:

Aug 3 2008 dawned like any other day in the San Francisco Bay area. The weather was not as cold as usual, the fog mostly dissipated – there was an aura of calmness – almost like the calm preceding a storm! Little did the City of San Francisco know what was about to hit it. For unbeknownst to the city by the bay, a band of finely trained men and women (pretending to be engineers and accountants as their cover) was about to descend on it with the goal of conquering its hills and bridges and returning to their homes with the gold(plated!) medallions as loot. And this band of warriors was unlike any the city had seen – they were finely trained (by a group of excellent coaches and trainers with a great supporting staff) running machines (well with a few rickety parts J) - committed and driven by the noble desire to make a difference to the lives of underprivileged children. It was a heated battle between two worthy adversaries and like with any story, multiple accounts exist (without this concept, Bollywood would have to stop releasing films with the same storyline over and over again!). The following is the narrative in the words Geek Runner 10126 – an also ran called Bharath Prabhakaran (who only managed to get into the movie because he was able to survive weeks of rigor at Sergeant Tony Patel’s Tracks Group 1 boot camp, bribe Coach Raman with Samosas and Lassis, hold Coach Martina’s bib at ransom, and dutifully following Coach Char’s injury rehab strategies!). No names have been changed to protect the guilty parties – any resemblance to characters living or otherwise is purely intentional (who cares about litigation - lawsuits filed against the zero overhead non-profit Team Asha will yield absolutely nothing J)

Geek Runner (GR)10126’s log on that fateful day:

Aug 2, 2008 – 2000 hours

  • Military rations consumed (a concoction consisting of gruel, beans, rice)

Aug 2, 2008 – 2130 hours

  • Combat fatigues neatly laid out
  • Location sensor detached from number-tag and attached to combat boots
  • Number tag (for GR 10126) attached to Team Asha uniform with clasping devices
  • Hit the Hay early to get 5 hours of shut-eye
  • Failover mechanisms in place – alarm on cell phone, clock radio, electrodes strapped to temple wired to deliver stimulus at precisely 0230 hours!

Aug 2, 2008 – 2230 hours

  • Sheep counting currently stalled at 22,264
  • Sandman visit awaited
  • Neurons still firing contemplating attack strategies

Aug 2, 2008 – some point later

  • System shutdown

Aug 3, 2008 – 0228 hours

  • Ocular systems fired up and open
  • Electro-shock stimulus not needed J
  • Preparation rituals completed (further details censored to avoid court-martial J)

Aug 3, 2008 – 0315 hours

  • Frantic cellular communication with Comrade Venu regarding delayed arrival at pre-arranged meeting point for transportation to base camp

Aug 3, 2008 – 0325 hours

  • Comrade Venu arrives – finally! Has been engaged in own pre-race preparation (some obscure technique called Yoga – note to self – needs further research – is it a performance enhancing drug?!)
  • Rapid (and I mean rapid – 60 mph on city streets!) progress to pick up Comrade Preeti from her quarters

Aug 3, 2008 – 0340 hours

  • Arrive at base camp (aka Sunnyvale Caltrain station) – brilliant strategy I might add – launch an attack from a location 40 miles away!
  • Commander Gurpreet is standing on steps of transport (looks remarkably like a bus) screening the recruits (apparently entry into the transport vehicle required some sort of pre-payment of $15 J)
  • Commander spots me and assigns my chores – pick-up Bananas, bagels, and nutrition sachet (aka formula – GU) from his luxury vehicle and lug them over to the bus for distribution to the troops
  • Excellent arrangements as always by Operations Commanders (Esther, Srini, Asif, Jaya and others) to ensure ideal preparation
  • Have also been assigned duties to distribute rations to troops on board the bus – need to lead them well fed to battle!

Aug 3, 2008 – 0400 hours

  • Screeching tires shatter the deafening silence as several GRs scramble to reach base camp.
  • First busload of soldiers dispatched (with a planned pit-stop to pick up several more at Camp Belmont).

Aug 3, 2008 – 0415 hours

  • Second bus-load (with self on board) leaves for battle

Aug 3, 2008 – 0415 hours to 0510 hours

  • Atmosphere aboard bus strangely subdued (compared to expedition in 2007) – I guess we need a shot of Comrade Mehul singing the battle cry ‘Ek Chatur Naar’ to rally the troops!
  • Nervous energy abounds though. Hushed conversations taking place discussing strategy, offering reassurance and motivation; several catching a few extra winks to recharge.
  • Proceed with assigned task along with Comrade Vivek for assistance (having interrupted his secret routine of placing bullet-proof armor on chest to avoid chafing of chest protrusions which can result in the ‘shot-in-the-chest’ look post combat!).
  • Distribute bagels, bananas, and nutrition sachet. Receive mumbled words of thanks.
  • Warriors appear well fed and ready.
  • Sit with Rancho training division for last minute strategy briefings.

Aug 3, 2008 – 0510 hours

  • Arrive at destination
  • Team Asha 2008 Army congregates at Start area
  • Shout words of encouragement to rally the troops
  • Amazed at number of warriors from other divisions who have apparently descended on the City on the same mission!
  • Take a quick survey of the location – great views of the Bay, weather appears warmer than expected. Decide to discard outer-covering Kevlar jacket.

Aug 3, 2008 – 0515 hours

  • Troops start walking to Location C – ‘Sweats Check’ – to deposit protective equipment to be claimed after combat has ceased.
  • On the way, see large lines waiting to jump into large green objects (codenamed Port-a-Potty - some of these appear to be shaking – what’s up with that?!)
  • Get into one of these lines to avoid delays during mission

Aug 3, 2008 – 0535 hours

  • Still in line to attack the large Green monsters
  • Pre-mission plans going awry – inadequate time to warm-up and stretch; Team Asha soldiers going in all different directions! Chaos already!!

Aug 3, 2008 – 0545 hours

  • Two waves of combatants have already set off on their odyssey
  • Get into pre-assigned ‘Wave 3’ to begin combat
  • Frantically look for Comrades Kiron, Saumil, and Malati (who were supposed to be in my platoon!) Finally sight Comrade Malati just as the gun goes off

Aug 3, 2008 – 0545 hours to 0737 hours

  • Initial foray – the thundering herd charges onto the streets – pounding pavement into submission
  • Try not to get caught up in the initial excitement – keep to a 9 minute pace over the first mile
  • Resistance is futile – miles 2 and 3 are around 8:20 pace (pre-mission target it 8:30 pace)
  • Take in scenic views along Fishermen’s wharf and other landmarks
  • Start to turn into East Beach en-route to first hill capture. Pace remains consistent.
  • Arrive at first hill-test – months of hill training over previous winter with Coaches Raman and Martina have been mostly forgotten J - ITB issues and reduced hill running have made this a worthy challenge.
  • Push up the slopes – amazed to watch Comrade Malati glide over the hill as if non-existent. Comrade Malati is a finely tuned running machine! (note to self – need to get rid of a further 10-20 lbs of excess baggage – mostly around abdominal region in order to attain optimal performance).
  • Slightly labored breathing as this hill is conquered. The good thing about up hills – there is usually a downhill following it (well except at Big Sur where it seems to be all uphill!).
  • Arrive at familiar surroundings in Crissy field – pre-mission war-games there have left us perfectly prepared.
  • Breeze past laboring combatants (who were not as well coached!) – approaching obstacle 2 – big hill before Golden Gate – drop the pace a bit and make the climb – Comrade Malati as usual gets ahead and I work to catch up.
  • Arrive at base of Golden Gate bridge – last year’s recon did not yield anything due to the fog cover. Marvel in beauty of the bridge with the clearer weather! Glad to see Comrades Arun and Anu on photo-recon mission and wave to them as they cheer us on!
  • Run across the bridge taking in the views and keeping good pace.
  • Arrive at turn-around point and pick up refreshments (have been partaking of liquid refreshments at all re-fueling stations – liquid called Cytomax not as palatable as Team Asha offering ‘Gatorade’!)
  • Cross mat and hear beeping noises all over the place – aha – the enemies are tracking our every move – attempts to short-circuit the course will be rendered futile!
  • Head back across the bridge and left hamstring starts acting up again – this is what happens when pre-mission routines are not adhered to.
  • Keep motoring along despite discomfort – meanwhile Comrade Malati is striding along smoothly like a gazelle!
  • Pass the bridge and accomplish second objective.
  • Having been part of prior year’s mission, know that battle is not complete and there is more danger in store. Warn Comrade Malati to slow down a bit.
  • Reach Mile 10 marker at about 8:40 pace. Need to pick it up a bit to reach target.
  • Speed up a bit on downhill leg but have to back off almost immediately due to the rolling hills – a worthy adversary indeed!
  • Somehow make it through miles 11 and 12 – hamstring tissue sending stronger signals – need to pay close attention post-mission!
  • Finally the last half-mile – really pick up the pace here – goal in sight – pumping arms, furious feet fly all over the place – notice that fellow warriors also doing the same (with varying degrees of success).
  • Finally arrive at destination side-by-side with Comrade Malati! Timing device on hand that says ‘1:51:31’ – Mission Accomplished! (for real this time J)

Aug 3, 2008 – 0740 hours to 0940 hours

  • To the victors go the spoils – pillage for loot and pick up shiny round object, and raid the refreshment area – already long lines here!
  • Meet Comrades ‘Fly-Boy’ Sandeep Borle, and ‘Running Machine’ Raj to exchange congratulations.
  • Comrade Malati decides to step away to share news of conquest with significant other.
  • Spend next 2 hours close to finish line cheering and watching Team Asha combatants arriving at goal after having vanquished the demons (both physical and mental).
  • See Rancho gang – Anup, Vikranth, Ram, Venu, Arvind, Narinder, Preeti, Ruchi come in and finish – the expressions of joy, relief, and excitement fill me with joy and pride and make the 3 month journey training hard at Rancho worth all the effort!
  • Would like to linger on and await the few remaining Rancho ‘mentees’ but the last shuttle to the starting point where Team Asha has set up a victory camp and party is to leave shortly – so trudge off.

Aug 3, 2008 – 1030 hours to 1215 hours

  • Reach Asha victory camp with Comrades Venu and Preeti who sight the tent where the victors are enjoying massages from the vanquished –they immediately decide to partake in the festivities
  • Reach Asha tent and sight Coach Tony and several others who have come earlier after finishing – high-fives are exchanged and stories shared.
  • As always, the excellent Team Asha Ops squadron has arranged a lavish spread (including the secret weapon codenamed ‘Samosa’). Wolf down some nourishment – ahh the sweet (or should it be spicy and tangy J)taste of victory!
  • Talk to several fresh recruits on their first missions and share in their excitement and offer words of congratulations! Lots of hooting, whooping, and hollering happening!
  • Official photographers (and several unofficial ones) come by and several group pictures are taken to record the victory for posterity
  • Finally all the Rancho crowd (including Sumita, Aditi, Commander Gurpreet, and Kiran) come in and we all huddle together for a mini-victory huddle and group picture!
  • Stand by, watch, and enjoy the looks on the faces of the first-timers, and the expressions of pride on the faces of the Coaches (Tony, Martina, and Raman).
  • Congratulate the heroes who undertook the 26.2 mile mission – Coach Raman, Rajeev, Reshu, Vivek etc. – they have truly slain the beast!
  • Think about leaving for transportation back to base (Caltrain) – but kindly Rancho group family members (Saket, Mahalakshmi, Payal etc.) and injured comrade Arjun offer to provide transport for us (no doubt moved by the sight of the walking wounded J).
  • Make our ways back to base with plans for further celebration at Comrade Anup’s house at 1900 hours)

Epilogue:

Aug 3, 2008 – 1900 hours onwards

  • Wild scenes of celebration at Comrade Anup’s house
  • Traditional Marathi cuisine is served up thanks to Anup’s mom!
  • The wine and beer are flowing freely (and for once I sit back and abstain from stopping them in my role as Gestapo!).
  • Stories are shared, a few tears shed, friendships formed and bonds forged and strengthened by fire!

This in a microcosm defines Team Asha – where the spirit is strong with further conquests to follow!

Coming soon this fall (straight to DVD J):

  • Team Asha conquers Portland!
  • Team Asha does Chicago!
  • Team Asha decimates Silicon Valley!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Big Sur-passed!!

Well, better late than never!

Just a quick note to say that I passed the Big Sur test and almost met my goal (4:30). I finished in 4 hours 32 min 31 seconds (10:24 pace) - a new PR (Personal Record) beating my 4:39:13 at Silicon Valley last year and on a much tougher course!

Despite ITB issues on the left leg, a hot day (over 80F towards the end), and the never-ending hills and banked roads, I am glad to report that I finished strong. It was a very well organized race and a beautiful and scenic course, and I will definitely try and do it again soon.

Am now signed up for the Team ASHA 2008 program and am slowly building up and recovering from the ITB injury and am targeting the Portland marathon in October.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Ahh - Taper time - eagerly awaited and ephemeral

Hey - must be some sort of record - getting in 2 posts in a day - that's what happens when you wake up at 3 am and can't go back to sleep :-)

So after all those weeks of training, it's been taper time for the past couple of weeks. Got the 22 miler in at Dish with Chakri and gang and a 13 miler on April 12th at Rancho followed by a 6 miler this past weekend at Shoreline (just before the first Team ASHA 2008 session). I am glad to report that I have signed up for Team ASHA 2008 and plan to run a marathon in October (still deciding between Portland and Chicago - sorry Silicon Valley Marathon - no hard feelings :-)).

Hope to get a few short runs in and also as much rest as possible. That's the challenge with taper - while we want to stay rested and overcome niggles and aches/pains, one does not want to rest too much (and then be hit with the 26.2 on race day). Have also been trying to load up on carbs - again a fine balance between Carbo-loading and Overloading :-) Have to constantly remind myself that every pound gained will mean another pound that needs to be dragged across the finish line on Sunday :-)

Anyways, there are over 20 runners from the Team ASHA gang running various distances at Big Sur on April 27th. We plan to drive over there on Saturday afternoon to get to the expo and pick up our bibs etc. We will be staying at Monterey and have to take the shuttle (at 3:45 am no less!!) on Sunday morning to the start at Big Sur.

I think I have trained as best I can within the constraints (2 kids, work etc. - am glad to report that the wife has not left me or kicked me out :-) - am really lucky to have such an understanding spouse (or maybe she is giving me enough rope to hang myself :-)

No major goals at Big Sur - I mean, it's not a course to go for a PR. Given that this is my first Big Sur, and listening to veterans (and tons of reading on the net), the plan is to be conservative over the first half and have something left for the tough rolling hills at the end!

Wish us all luck - I am sure we all need it - will post a race report next week!

Run like the Wind! Run Forrest Run :-)

Well, first off, it's amazing how having 2 kids (with one being an infant) puts a big dent into your aspirations of being a rock-star blogger :-) With everything else that's going on, I guess I had to choose between allocating time to running versus just blogging about it :-)

Anyhoo, I am happy to report that I have been keeping up as best I can with the Big Sur training schedule (laid out by uber-mentor and motivator Chakri). Given that I live right next to Rancho San Antonio Park (and the double-bonus of it having a lot of hilly terrain), I have been running pretty much exclusively there for the past couple of months (weekdays, long runs etc.). Thanks to Coaches Martina and Raman, I now have an intimate knowledge of Black Mountain, Upper Wildcat, and several other trails at Rancho (including a totally undiscovered one which was the result of Coach Martina wanting to help us get a few more miles in while waiting for some runners to catch up).

So, given that Big Sur marathon is run on asphalt, I figured I needed to get some runs in on that turf. I decided to sign up (last minute) for the 'Run like the Wind' half marathon in San Ramon (which was on roads and also had rolling hills - perfect Big Sur training).

I woke up bright and early on March 30th (Sunday) - hey I got to sleep in on Saturday didn't I :-) - and drove the 40 or so miles to get to San Ramon (I know I know - driving 40 miles to run 13.1 - must be insane (I'm sure we runners get this all the time!)). It was pretty chilly so decided to stay in the car for a bit. Soon it was time for the start - I was actually pleasantly surprised by the turnout - for a small city event, there sure were a lof of people!

There were 2 other runners (Satyan and Venkaiah) from the ASHA gang and I met up with them at the start. I did not really have any goals for the race except to get a good run in.

We were off and running and much as I had planned to take it easy and not run too hard (and get injured), I guess being in a race gets the adrenaline going. I started off at a 9 min pace and kept that up for the most part (with 8:20 or so being the fastest). The hill training at Rancho really kicked in and I did not slow down too much on the rolling hills (slowest was a 9:40 mile).
I was glad I was carrying a fuel belt though - the race, though well organized with water stops, did not have any Gatorade :-)

I reached the last few miles and was close to or under my PR pace - again, pre-race plans to take it easy somehow flew out the window! I began pushing it (especially the last mile) and finished in 1:55:43 - a new PR :-)

Stayed on at the end to watch some of the award presentations and was amazed by some of the times (1:30 or under in the 60 year age group :-) - I would be happy just to be running when I am 60)).

All in all, a good experience (barring a sore ITB on the left side - nothing some RICE won't fix :-)).

Sunday, February 3, 2008

NEWS FLASH - Finished Kaiser Half in SF

On a cold, rainy, and windy day, I am happy to report that I met my stretch goal for the Kaiser Half (sub 2 hour race)! Here are the results:

Finish time: 1 hour 57 mins 05 secs (just under 9 min pace)
Gun time: 1:59:59

Woohoo!

Not one and done!

Certainly, finishing the SV Marathon gave me the noted 'Runner's High' and it was hard not to feel a sense of accomplishment (and also oncce again start questioning one's sanity for doing this!) But a combination of reflecting back on the season that was, and the newly acquired fitness (and not wanting to let it go!) made it a fairly easy choice for me!

I am happy to report though that I have been keeping up with running in the 'off-season'. I took 2 days off after SV and thanks to Coach Martina, we were back running on the Wednesday after the marathon!

Since then, I have been running 3 days a week for the most part (except for one down week when our son was born and another due to a bad bout of the flu) and trying to keep between 20 and 25 miles a week. Also, one of the added benefits of being where I am now is the proximity to Rancho San Antonio Park - man, that place is made for Hill Training. I have been running exclusively at Rancho for the past few months and most of my runs have been hill runs.

Winter running is not for the really warm-blooded :-) Some days it was so cold in the morning that there was a sheet of ice across the puddles in Rancho. The temperature more often than not was in the 30s and it was COLD. After one foolish run without gloves or a cap to cover the ears (as a result of which my hands were so cold that I could not drive for 15-20 minutes), I invested in a pair of gloves and a ski-type cap. The other annoying factor has been the constant rain the past month or so - sometimes I wonder if I have somehow been teleported to Seattle!

So, in January, after a couple of months of running, I realized that it is hard to keep running (especially in the winter) without a goal. So, I picked the Kaiser Permanente PAMA Kids Half Marathon in San Francisco (on Feb 3, 2008) as a target to see where I was in terms of fitness and time etc. (I have not run a half since San Francisco in July). And after being on the fence for ever, I figured with all the training, why not give Big Sur a shot? I am happy to report that I have also registered for the Big Sur Marathon on April 27, 2008 (the tough hilly course which makes up for it with the outstanding scenery!)

Goals for the Kaiser half:
1) Try and better previous half marathon time (I finished the SF first half in 2 hours and 15 minutes - 10:20 pace)
2) Try and finish under 2 hours.
3) Enjoy the run and have fun!

I am positive I can achieve 1) and 3). 2) is a stretch goal as I have not had much in terms of speed workouts/tracks in the off-season. My hope is that all the hill training has added strength and also will help with pace on a fairly flat course.

Can't Hibernate Forever!

So a lot has happened in the past few months since I ran the Silicon Valley Marathon - and I promise that is the reason (and not sheer laziness on my part) for no recent postings to the blog :-)

We were blessed with our second child, a son, in December 2007 and we have named him Rohan. Things have been pretty hectic as you can imagine and we are having to re-adjust to life with an infant around!

Now that he is almost 2 months old, and we are able to grab a few winks at night, I will try and post more regularly as there is a whole lot of stuff coming up in the next few months on the running front!