Week 9 - Jan 14 to Jan 20

By this Monday, it was a week since the demise of my father and due to the passage of time it was easier to cope. Since we were crowded around with relatives and well wishers who were more than willing to share the burden with us, offer us encouragement and advice on how to proceed with the ceremonies and what needed to be done, it became that much more easier. Those who had already made the journey gave us solid comfort and were a great source of support and strength. It was a very refining and enriching experience to see that we mattered to so many people and that so many people really cared. I will be forever indebted and thankful to each and everyone and this period of my life will be deeply entrenched into the recesses of my memories. 

My sister and I continued to run together this week also. We did a 30 minute run on both Tuesday and Wednesday at the Jayalakshmipuram Park followed by the stretches and foot drills. This week I had severe pain in my knees, especially the left knee and also my foot. Both the days, I ran less and walked more and felt very tired. I do not know whether it was due to the mental state I was in or whether the fatigue was real. But I did keep up the stretches and the drills. Maybe I was experiencing more pain due to the fact that I was not icing my legs.

That week's Saturday run was planned to be the longest run of the season of 12 km. I missed running that run as I got deterred by the pain in my legs. But on Sunday I thought that I must not give up now. I have come this far into the training and I have run in the past two weeks through the most difficult periods. I must not stop now. Keeping aside all gloomy thoughts I just wore my running shoes and set out to run with my sister. We ran around the Lake 'Kukkanahalli Kere'. Its about 0.6 km from our house to the lake and its a   4 km route around the lake. So we covered 5.6 km that day. We sprinted the last 400 mts for good measure  and walked back home to gulp some yummy tender coconut 

and do our stretches, foot drills and Yoga. 

Week 10 - Jan 21 to Jan 27

By this week all the ceremonies were over. My sister left to the US. I could not run on Tuesday and Wednesday as I had some official work to complete for my mother's pension. I got back to Bangalore on Thursday. It felt good to be back to routine and normal life. I was all set to get back to running and was eagerly waiting for the Saturday run.

Santosh had formed buddy groups at the beginning of the training season  of runners with similar goals to finish strong. Eighteen of us who were put together called our Buddy Group 'Awesome Finishers'. During the past weeks we had all planned to get a T shirt made for our group. Mandhar took the lead to find a Printer, Bipra gave a cool design to the T shirt and the entire group chose a beautiful blue colour. The T shirt was delivered on Saturday.

The Saturday run was planned by the Ananya kids in aid of the children of Snehadaan Children's Home called 'Run Along Friend'. We had to run 6 km. It was a very chilly and foggy typically Bangalore winter morning and I felt exhilarated to be back. The Ananya kids had done a great job in organising the run and we had a very good run. After the run there was some music going on and a few of the boys were dancing beautifully. I joined them along with Rashmi and others and we went wild dancing with the boys. It felt really good to dance with young boys after a long time. As it was the Republic day, we had flag hoisting after the run and a wonderful cultural program by the children. The children had arranged breakfast for us and we distributed our buddy group T shirts decided to wear it the next day and show off in front of the whole community. 

The Sunday run was at IIMB and our entire buddy group turned up with our T shirts. We were the envy of the whole community and everyone admired our t shirt. We all felt really awesome and unique and special. We had a short warm up and form exercises. After which we did a 3 km run. I had a little difficulty in running and walked half the distance. I was among the last few to finish to great cheering and clapping from the entire group. It felt really nice and to be back and running and I felt that I am ready to run the distance of 10km. It does not matter if I have to walk or crawl, but I can do it. 

Week 7 - Dec 31 to Jan 6

Week 7 started normally like all new weeks. Monday or the rest day was the December 31st and we had a blast of a New year party to ring in the new year. After a night of partying, dancing and making merry, the next day morning, I did not do the Tuesday short run as I had a very valid excuse :) that I had partied hard last night, it was the New Year and blah blah blah, bluh, bluh, bluh. But added to all this, I had developed severe pain in my legs due to dancing and wanted to rest and added to that, after many days the hubby adn the kids were at home on a holiday and wanted to spend a lazy holiday with them at home.

The Wednesday quality workout (killer workout!) was the 400 mts strides. We are divided into groups according to our running pace and we all run as a group for 400 mts, wait for the last person to catch up, give that person 100 counts to catch her breath and then all run again at the fastest speed possible. So the person who reaches the group last, which is always invariably me :(, always gets to rest the least.  Our coaches really pushed us a lot and we all gave it our best shot and ran our hearts out. We had to do 8 laps. After the 7th lap our group was the last and we all started chatting and lost count of time. Santosh came in search of us and we ran like kindergarten kids who have been caught red handed and running away from their teachers. It was the most hilarious moment and we all laughed our heads off. Santosh really pushed me to run the last lap and not give up and start walking. But for his urging and encouragement, I am sure I would not have run the last lap but would have walked it through. 

I developed severe pain in my knee and shins after the run and iced my leg after coming home. I did the exercises given by the physios all through the day in the office.

My exercise week was cut short by the hospitalization of my father on Thursday. I had to rush to Mysore to be with my mother and father. He needed to be given blood and I got hundreds of calls from the running community and friends all over the globe through my message on facebook. It was overwhelming to see so many people responding and reaching to me. So many strangers came to give blood, to drop donors at the blood bank etc. An auto driver heard me speaking to people over the phone explaining my need and soliciting blood of AB+ and he organised for two of his rickshaw driver friends who had that blood group type to come and donate blood. 

Week 8 - Jan 7 to Jan 13

But alas! none of the efforts could save my father and he passed away on Monday, 7th January. It was a very sensitive moment for our family and all our friends and relatives reached out to us and helped us in many ways which enabled us to get the immediate formalities done and also helped us to get over our grief. Our house was filled with people from morning to night and not once did we feel that we were alone. Not once did we have a moment to feel helpless or hopeless.

On Tuesday I felt that at this time it was important for me to focus. Focus on the positives that I have in my life. I have many reasons to smile. I have many reasons to be thankful for. No matter how sad I am or how dejected I am, every opportunity to live, persevere and succeed are within my reach. I cannot let the darkness that threatens to engulf me to overpower me as I have to be strong for my sisters and my mother. Just when these thoughts were going on in my head, Santhosh called me and as I was talking to him I decided then and there that I will start running. maybe I will not be able to run or maybe I will tire out. But, I will just put on my running shoes and track pants and just go out to the park. Thankfully for me, maybe the whole universe was conspiring to ensure that I do not miss my runs for too long, I had worn my running shoes to come to Mysore as my feet were paining a lot and wearing my running shoes made the pain bearable and less. 

Since I had my running shoes and the blessings of Santosh, I went out to the Jayalakshmipuram park on Wednesday and ran for 30 minutes. My feet were aching a lot and there was some clicking sounds in my knees. I was tiring out too much and added to all this my phone did not have good songs and I had to switch to FM radio. I am not much of a music listener during my runs as I like all the noise around me and like to listen to the natural sounds going on rather than blocking it all out with loud music playing in my ears. So it was a first for me to run with music.  But it felt good to at least get out of the house and do something normal and routine again.

On Saturday, we were scheduled to run 7 km as a group.  My sister, who had come down from US and who is a half marathoner ran with me. She had tried to migrate to Vibram and had injured her calf and was on a long lay over and recovering. Despite all that she is in good form. We both decided to run around the beautiful lake called 'Kukkanahalli Kere' outside the Mysore University campus. The serene lake is home to many migratory birds during the months of September to December. So we did not get to see many birds of the feathered kind except for a few cranes. We also missed the sun rise by a few minutes as we had started late. But we were able to do the 7 km and my sister whose pace is faster than mine ran at my pace and gave me company throughout. Wee came back home and did the stretches and foot drills. She taught me a few yoga poses of the Bikram Yoga school which she practices regularly. Our one year old nephew gave us comic relief by crawling under us and climbing over us and giving us much needed cheer, joy and laughter by just being cute and cuddly.

On Sunday, we both ran at the Jayalakshmipuram park. It was a short recovery run of 30 mins and we came back home to  complete our stretches and foot drills. 

It was a week of great learning where I learnt that there there is nothing more to be done after all that is done. We have to just move on and move forward. Once we decide to do what needs to be done, the rest is just doing it. It is all in the mine, really! They say Kaya, Vaacha, Manasa has to be aligned. I say, let eh Manasa alignment happen, Kaaya and Vaacha are just corollaries that simply follow.   

Auroville Marathon Training : Week 5

December 17 to December 23

Sambandh Run
@ Mallehswaram
on December 16

After being in training and running long distances (by my standards) like 7 km and 8 km and with good pace and longer strides than what I have been used to so far, I had started developing pain in my left knee by the second week itself. The pain was so severe that I could not climb stairs and even to this day I cannot bend my knees. I can no longer sit in the Indian lotus position. Also, after the long run on Saturday and the recovery run on Sunday, when I go to the office on Monday, sitting at my desk  for a prolonged period of time used to stiffen my body in that posture with the legs feeling like two blocks of lead.

I spoke to our coaches and physios about this and they gave me a set of exercises that I can do even when I am sitting at my desk in the office and also advised me to ice my knees 3 to 4 times on the days of the run. I have been following their advice regularly and the icing really helps. It helps to reduce the stiffness of the knees and the recovery is hastened. The stretches that we are advised to do after the run and the foot drills also help in the recovery process and I have noticed that the days that I skip these are the days when the stiffness is more and the days that I follow the routine are the days when I feel much more relaxed and agile.

Apsara and Tanvi
@ Sambandh Run

On the flip side, I have started noticing that my lungs have started working better. I might have left more than 50% of my lungs unused during my couch potato days. But now I am beginning to realise that slowly the lungs are opening up and their efficiency is increasing. The other improvement that I have noticed is that my muscles might be getting strengthened as I am able to run longer distances before I have to slow down and walk a bit to catch my breath and give my muscles a short rest. Running also leaves a tremendous impact psychologically. The mind feels refreshed and the heart feels a sense of having done something. I suppose that this sense of well being felt is known as the Runner’s High. In the end I suppose it is different strokes for different folks. Each individual’s experiences are different.

The week 5 again began with the arrival of Santosh’s mail. It was very exciting to see what he had lined up for us for Saturday and Sunday.  Monday was the day of rest and I completed my Tuesday short run of 30 mins around the storm water drain. The Tuesday runs have become very important to improve my endurance and stamina as it is followed by the Intense Wednesday workout which develops our strength.

Sambandh Run to create
awareness of the needs of
children with special needs

On Wednesday, my daughter and I reached Cubbon park at 5.30 and did our warm up runs. The rest of the folks started arriving early as there was a 10 minute session of Pranaayaam that was scheduled before the run. But we two were not able to attend the pranaayaam as we had to finish our runs and she had to catch a bus to her college by 6.45. Coach Srini hwlped us to do our drills and after the drills we both completed our 8 laps of strides and stretches and left.

The Wednesdays are very tough as I have to go to the office after the run. I developed severe pain in the knee. I did continuous icing and also did the foot drills at home. The pain was most when I climbed stairs and even on Thursday the stiffness of the thighs and the knees continued. Despite continuous icing, it was only on Friday that the pain in the knee reduced but did not disappear completely.

Saturday was the long run. This week it happened at Decathlon, Sarjapur Road. This time we had to run 10Km. It was a different route that we had to take. The weather was perfect. Chilly Bangalore winter morning with thick fog.   The temperature was 12.5 deg C when we started from home. I usually start running with a jacket and a cap to protect myself from the chill as I have low tolerance for chill and winds and catch a cold very easily. After I am nicely warmed up, I remove my jacket and tie it around my waist. But as we were running in the open with no houses, buildings or trees to act as screens and shelter us against the cold breeze. After I was warmed up and removed my jacket, I regretted each time I ran through open space.

The trail was very soft mud with patches of tarred roads and the run was easy. My had a slight niggling pain in my knee and the right shin. There were a few ups where the running was tough and I had to walk. I completed the distance in 92 mins which is consistent with my time trail of 9.13 mins / km. I was in enormous pain after I came home. My knees hurt a lot and I iced my knees twice. I tried to massage my legs using the foam roller, but it was very difficult and painful. I could not continue the foam roller exercise.

IIMB on a cold foggy morning.
Pic courtesy Apsara Ashok

On Sunday, we had the run at IIMB. It was a short run for the recovery after the long run. We started with a short warm up and then did the foot drills. The morning was chills and there was a mist. Since the foot drills are in the open football field, it was all the more cold. But we had a lot of fun dong the drills as there are some comics among our midst who make each and everything that we do fun. After that we continued with our run of 3 kms. It was fun to run along side coach Ajay and we chatted about my school and the work that we do. We had core training where coach Chandra and coach Srini V. made us do specific exercises to strengthen our glute muscles. Finally we had a cool down session with pranayam and a couple of yoga asanas.

It was one more week of fun and frolick at training Its so much fun to run with friends that I find it least difficult to wake up at unearthly hours. Sharing a cup of tea with friends is also the most calming experience that there is on earth. The mindless babbling that I subjugate all my friends to and the continues blabbering during the car rides and finally sharing of my experiences with anyone who listens to me and who have been patiently reading through my blogs, all this support that I have been getting by family, friends and colleagues had really made this an enriching experience and a very enjoyable journey where the goal finally does not matter at all.