Item number?

               

                Am I thankful that Biscuit cannot read English? What provokes what is to follow is a friend’s comment that Biscuit has become an essential and integral part of my blogs and must get his own brand. Life in general and running in particular is in many ways like a serious Bollywood movie, to break the monotony what is an Item Number in the movie is Biscuit’s role in my blog. He would like to believe that it is like the Aishwarya’s ‘Kajraare..’ rather than a Rakhi Sawant one! Unmindful of all that is being said of him, he continues his strike from morning walks and expects to be given one on his own terms when he declares it is morning (today it was at 9 AM!).

                It was a still and humid morning that welcomed me at the gates of the colony at 4:26 AM. The number of people who call out from the shadows when I take my daily run forms an essential part of connecting with my constituency for me. Increasingly, people when they cross me on their vehicle instead of talking to me talk to their passenger/pillion rider, telling me that I have been acknowledged. Today when I was running with Kakinada express on the Sivananda salai, a driver of MTC bus number, 21G, leaned out of the window and greeted me loudly and left only after he was acknowledged. They say, the City transport bus drivers are the last to respond to Gandhigiri and this exchange today felt good as this means at least one driver who would not dangerously honk behind you while I am running!

                The entire flag staff house road and the road leading to Napier bridge from the War memorial is being relaid. I had to do a Basantiesque ‘Jab tak hai jaan’ to negotiate it. That made me take the second loop of Napier to Light house instead of the usual loop around Island ground, which would have meant the treacherous section to be traversed twice.

                I find all the Municipal Sanitary Workers doing a back breaking job assiduously during my entire period of my run. While the nature’s discards of leaves are but a small portion, the real load is from the irresponsible public. While the incidence of spitting is much less in this city as compared to good old Hubli, I was agitated to find a well dressed walker going in front of me spitting. Luckily for me he was walking barefoot. I told him politely that as one barefooter to another at least he should understand the nuisance spitting causes to people who walk barefoot. He was suitably chastised and apologized for his act, my contribution to the ‘Swatch Bharat’ campaign!

                I found a bunch of boys standing with their two wheelers outside the Girls College near Gemini circle. They stopped their star gazing and switched to taunting me. Fresh from yesterday’s realization of trying to be accommodative of all criticism, I gave them a big smile (did not even growl!). My logic was if they get to taunting me instead of teasing girls it is a heroic act of mine, the possibility of their ultimately getting addicted to running is always there! The pity is the entrance to college has a police booth bang next to it, hope the police crackdown on these guys instead of the people sleeping on the pavement!

                Finished the run at 7:56 AM, a full 3:30 hrs 32K! An official engagement in the evening threatens to disrupt tomorrow’s run, hope I can manage to squeeze in one even if later than the usual time!

When Faith overran Passion on Marina!

Biscuit has made his intentions clear, his younger days of night out on the streets are over. If I need his company, it better be for warm down after my run rather than before the run. I will take some adjusting with nobody to blame for my hitting the snooze button and curling back in bed. I bunked today and am man enough to take the responsibility! I must learn the maturity from Biscuit to take a break from run more stoically and not mope over it.
The lethargy today could be the after effects of back to back marathons over the weekend. The situation was compounded by the lack of rest on Sunday as I had to play chauffer for better part of the day.
I had a Eureka moment during the run this Sunday. It is normal for me to be the target of catcall by youngsters riding double/triple on their fast bikes. I respond to them either by waving/smiling or sometimes by wild gesturing in anger depending on the state of mind and body. When I was called to attention by a transgender person politely inviting me for a cup of tea, I disregarded him and continued in my run. After a few minutes it struck me that my apathy/antipathy to these people is no different from the youngsters who jeer me because of the way I dress (differently from other runners). I turned back and politely told him that I do not drink tea (did not complicate the matter with the excuse of Veganism!). I realized that tolerance or acceptance of difference is not as simple as putting up a rainbow on facebook profile photo!
Many of the runners from the city having gone to Hyderabad for the marathon, the number at Marina in their yellow top uniform were smaller than usual. I witnessed a sea of light maroon (I hope my colour blind eyes got the colour right!) dressed men and women walking on the Marina with a purpose. There was TV crew interviewing the walkers. It turns out that these are devout on their annual pilgrimage to the Velankanni church. Some of the younger ones in these troupes also sniggered at my attire and barefoot, I was more broadminded in my response to their action.
My thoughts during the run were on my decision to avoid organized and paid events. I feel goal setting or participation in such events were for me seeking validation for my commitment to running and the pleasure of meeting like minded runners. Now I find enough runners and appreciative audience in my daily runs and I find no need to travel for it. Met Venkat Venkataraghavan​ on my run on Sunday and our discussion (or more like my monologue!) was on the topic of participation in events only.
A regular pavement sleeper was sleeping with gay abandon with his feet pointing in the direction of the Venkateswara temple, as if, challenging the devout in us to move it to the direction where there is no Lord! M S Amma still had not decided the track for the day to be sung to awaken the Lord from his beauty sleep.
There was company all through my three loops of running with Chennai runners upping the ante for the forthcoming Chennai marathon. I met the power puff girls ( Sita Viswanathan​ and Harishankar Krishnaswami​) twice on Saturday and from the time between the two meetings and the locations, it must have been a very long run. They were running strong!
When I was waiting for the signal to turn red at Gandhi statue, three Muslim gentlemen of middle age stopped to talk to me. After the usual questions of my age, diet and distance routine were out of the way, they asked me if I do not need to carry water on my long runs. I told them that I drink at AVM kalyana mantapam if I feel thirst, as I was that day. I told them that while it is nice of them to admire my stamina, what I found amazing was for them to be able to give up food/water completely from Sunrise to Sunset for a whole month every year. Faith is always one notch above passion! They agreed, but, said they had God on their side in support of their effort!

Garib(i) Hatao!

                Biscuit, my seven year old Labrador to the uninitiated, has been going through a mid-life crisis. He seems to question the virtues of morning and evening walks. Or, maybe, it may not be something that serious? The weather gods have been kind and a shower or two in the wee hours makes him see the joys of cosying up in the bed rather than roaming the staid colony with not much of a night life! He has been able to affect my discipline and I have had a few days off myself.

                Since my last post on Friday last, I have been able to run my usual quota on five of the maximum seven possible. The most remarkable run was on Monday when I had a good drizzle all through the run. I remembered the query most people have when they stop me in my run to ask if I do not feel thirsty during my run. I just had to stick out my tongue to practice rain water harvesting! I was reminded of the Japanese running monks who are stated to reach such exalted state of living that they were able to hear the ash fall from the incense stick and are able to draw moisture from the atmosphere when on fasting (goose bumps!). My aerodynamic head post the Gandhi-cut last week and rain cooled body made the entire experience thoroughly enjoyable. The beach pavement was very slippery and I took to the road to have a better grip.

                On another day, I saw a bunch of policemen with lathis rudely waking up the pavement dwellers from their sleep to clear out. I was encouraged by the smile from the leader of the police team to ask what this sprucing up was in aid of. I was informed that the Honorable CM was to pass by and the place was being sanitized. I remember telling him the story of ‘if you cannot remove Garibi, the sensibilities of the empathetic leader can be assuaged by the removal of Garibs’ I do not think he got the black humour, but, he did go easy on the stick and climbed down to using his throat power alone. I have seen similar action of sanitizing the posh Chanakyapuri area during the President of USA’s visit and most parts of Delhi during CWG games to save the visitors the blushes! Our God’s own country has descended with missionary zeal to cleanse the place of the Men’s best friends to make the tourists feel secure!

                The start of the Marathon season with the much awaited Hyderabad Marathon next Sunday after the summer vacation after the Auroville has the runners abuzz. Wish all the runners all the best on the Hills of Hyderabad!

Down but not out

After a forced break of four days, the juicy reason for the break to follow later, Biscuit and I walked out to a slight drizzle. The weather gods had clearly spent themselves out and the scene was like a bedroom after a teenager’s loud party. We were clearly hell bent to recommence play and the stray dogs peeped out anxiously from the security of under the parked Government cars like the padded up batsmen to go in after a rain interrupted play. Colony roads after rain were clearly no match to the Hubli Golf course after rains and Biscuit headed me back in quick time after his hurried ablutions!
After missing the run on the Independence day due to mobile malfunction (must confess it was actually because my wife switched off the alarm before I could wake up to it!), Biscuit has to take the blame for my oversleeping as he forced me to walk at midnight (His tryst with destiny at the midnight of Independence Day!). When I was walking Biscuit at 6 AM next, a gentleman entering the Railway Club (whom I do not recognize) rubbed it in when he asked ‘why I did not go for a run today’, thankfully Modiji had enough on his I-day address otherwise the Hubli Passenger’s failure to run on I-day could have made it to his ‘Mann Ki Baat’! That I had to fast from my running when my friends were running for 12 hours at Mumbai Ultra was adding insult to injury!
Given the disappointment surrounding the Saturday miss, that I would run on Sunday was as much a given as a India comeback in the Colombo test, and, I did not disappoint! It was a hot and humid day which welcomed me at the start. It was an early start as I had some personal work requiring me to be back by 7:30 AM.
In my first loop of the Island ground, I stopped to talk to three men who were talking among themselves about my regularity as I crossed them. They turned out to be the residents of the slum on the bank of Cooum at the start of Mount Road and they said that they were working on the stage set up for the I-Day event opposite the Fort St. George. They settled the issue of the number of loops I run opposite their place of work. The quietest of them wanted to know if I do not get out of breath, to which his colleague itself answered that I am in full control of my breath as I run slow. He advised me to carry a water sachet. The respect and affection of the common people is really flattering. I later crossed them in my second loop outside Fort St. George.
Just when I was all puffed up with all the adulation, I did a Shibani​ when I was turning back after reaching KM 20, the intersection of Mount Road and Sivananda Salai. I refer to the incident of my fall as that not because I had scratches on my knees, hands and shoulder, but, because I could get up and complete my run like she did at Bangalore stadium run! I seemed to have proved the adage ‘Pride goeth before a fall’.
Since the injuries did not seem as serious as my previous fall on the Marina which required stitches on my sole, I was able to observe myself a bit detatchedly this time. The first reaction after a fall is to see if anybody has observed me fall (this I call the check for hurt Ego!), luckily not many on the road at that time and a few there were had more on their mind than laughing at my fall! I had tripped on the reflectors which protrude out in the middle and edge of the road. My left toe had indulged in a Mukka-Laat with a reflector. I checked for damages, there was blood welling up on both the knees and the shoulder had an angry bruise. The sole of left foot had been stunned by the impact. There was no break in the skin, but, it was the most painful.
I tried to run slowly, after a few steps, I was able to manage a steady run. I decided that I would complete the regular route and If I could keep running without a stop, I would reach home the fastest to lick my wounds at leisure. The bleeding points screamed when sweat started to course through them. I was conscious of every person crossing me on the return trip. Nobody seemed to have seen my bleeding knees. I got a wash at my watering point. Luckily my friend, the guard at Saravana Bhawan was not on duty as I would have had to make a lot of explanations. I reached home and the walk from Gate to the house made all the aches and pains grow multifold. My wife and Daughter must have been pre-occupied or I was brave, I could hide the injuries till evening when I made a voluntary confession before she found out and imposed a longer curfew/grounding This injury also gave me an opportunity to test my healing speed after going Vegan. The legendary stories of Scott Jurek taking much more serious injuries gave me the courage to stay away from reporting to a Doctor. It took me four days to heal enough to be able to go for a run again today!
I used this break to catch up on my spinning (longer sessions) and reading. I have nearly completed P Sainath’s book ‘Everybody loves a good drought’. I was telling my daughter that had I been a twenty years younger when I read this book, I would have become a naxalite instead of a Gandhian. The sensitivity and empathy with which the author has dealt the cruelty the conventional ‘Development’ is wreaking on the bottom of the pyramid is heart wrenching. I can never look at my runs with any pride knowing underfed people do much more routinely for eke out their daily needs. All the talk of Carbo-loading before a half marathon followed by a Beer thereafter  looks childish when I read about a girl weighing less than 40Kg lugs 40kgs of firewood for 30 kms twice a week on treacherous trails for keeping her body and soul together. The best thing about the book was the humour and heartwarming stories of courage and resilience of the common people in the face of natural and manmade extreme adversities! I really agree with the author, if only our people get their basic requirements the sky would be the limit of their achievements!
Today’s run was done at an easy pace in a pleasant shower. Even though I had to carry wet clothes on myself, the run was very enjoyable. I was missed by Ram Rajagopalan​ in his morning spins and today we exchanged notes about our injuries. I got a good pedicure for my feet and the soles were washed clean by the wet roads. I avoided the slippery sidewalk on the Marina and ran on the Beach road. The attendance among the runners and cyclists was really thin. When I finished the run in 3:26 it was the satisfaction of starting after a break and promise of more over the weekend!

Dress rehearsal

                The mandatory Biscuit Puranam first! All this pampering is getting to his head. Today he refused to come out of bed for his morning walk despite calling twice. Third time just before giving up like the third and final boarding call when I entered at 4:10 AM, he deigned to look up at me and showed no intent of coming out with me. This must be the only second time in his whole life that he has done this. For the record, he is perfectly okay, had his normal meal and is behaving as if nothing has happened. Maybe, he has taken Dr. Kalam’s (or was it Chetan Bhagat’s!) advice not to take life seriously and that it is okay to bunk classes once in a while!

                Biscuit’s bunk made me feel uncomfortable, I am not much of a warm up guy, and the missed walk made me feel at the beginning of my run like a cold start. Added to this my right thigh has been playing up. Both yesterday and today, I was hell bent that slow run it shall be before the right leg agreed to co-operate and pull its weight. The engine started operating twin stroke somewhere before Gemini flyover.

                After reading Scott Jurek’s book, Eat and Run, I learnt that even though it is okay to breathe through nose/mouth or both, but, for a truly relaxed run, one must attempt while breathing through the nose only. Having decided to run only 32K and the starts of 4:26AM yesterday and 4:12 AM today meant, I could have a real relaxed run!

                I had the company of my RPF (Railway Protection Force) constable for my run from Lighthouse to Labour statue. He enquired about my absence the previous week and I was able to boast to him about my 24 Hour run in Bangalore. He was suitably impressed and there was no attempt by him to race me. As a result both of us had a steady but relaxed run.

There was heavy mobilization of Traffic policemen on the Rajaji salai opposite Fort St. George, the seat of power till the RBI. Today one half of the road was neatly stripped of the top layer, much like Hanuman with his chest torn open to show its devotion for the popular CM. At the RBI end, one of the traffic policeman came up to me and after the usual questions about age, mileage, tried to advise me to run on the edge of the road. Before I could give him the reply, his senior came up and gave the answer (that I usually give, it must have now been included in their training school!) and said that everyone knows me and it is okay as long as I keep close to the divider. I hope he does not get in trouble with his seniors!

As I was about to get on to the Napier bridge after my second loop yesterday, a policeman asked if I would come for one more loop. He was relieved when I said that I was done for the day, as CM was expected any time, so I can claim that Amma cut my run short yesterday.

Today after a long time I took the island ground loop including Sivananda road thereby avoiding the dug up Rajaji salai on the second loop from Napier bridge to RBI and back. The Sivananda Road stretch has been well laid out and is very pleasant to the feet.

I have been thinking to write about these two people one lady runner and another one a cyclist for a long time. The lady runs dressed from head to toe in the Muslim attire and effortlessly, the guy wears the saffron dhoti and rides equally comfortably. They seem to make a statement that we all are united in our quest for the morning dose of endorphins together. She definitely makes me feel very under-dressed!

Yesterday, the BPCL outlet on Cathedral Road had gotten into I-day mode with instrumental music playing softly. Today, the music had fallen silent. I hope we get good patriotic songs to run on!

If I had thought I had befriended the traffic policemen ilk, I was mistaken. I was pulled up before Gemini flyover with the insistent guardian of law asking me to take the edge of the road yesterday. It was like a punishment for my then tired soles. The argument continues…

If I took 3:21 hours yesterday, I really had an easy one at 3:33 hours today. Looking forward to the I-day run tomorrow, hope the Khaas Aadmis leave some room on the Marina for us Aam runners. I shall be running thinking of the blast my runner friends would be having at the 12 hour run in Mumbai! All the best, Mumbai 12 hour runners!

Trying to get the rhythm going

                Must start with the customary and popular ode to Biscuit’s antics. Bowing to public disapprobation, Biscuit has gotten back to the traditional diet of Rice, pulses and vegetables. But, he is far from giving up buttermilk/curd. The familiarization process with the new additions to the colony canine population continues. Despite the overnight showers having forced the Biscuit baiters to the security of undercarriages of parked cars and garages, the intrepid black dog did register his protest which Biscuit disregarded with élan. Tiggy, could not be bothered out of his recommended daily dose of eight of the best! Biscuit is finding the concrete jungle of a colony a little cramping for his majestic walks, as a result, he is being economical with his daily walks. I on my part keen on the early start for my morning run have not been forcing him enough. The squirrel and crow have struck a compromise of a virtual ‘No war pact’ effectively cutting down another avenue of some aerobic exercise. If you call his shouting jugalbandi with neighbor Simba any exercise, that is all he is getting!

                Yesterday I had the ignominy of having to pull out of the run after a few steps due to a thigh strain. Wife had to be summoned on her mobile to let me in without waking up the household. It was a 4 AM start today and testing of the right thigh in the early part of the run signaled some tenderness, but, nothing which would not be masked by a few swigs of the friendly endorphins.

                Watched the vendors of Chukku-kaapi (a concoction of dried ginger, coriander seeds boiled in water, a healthy coffee!) pedaling back home after keeping the guards awake through the night. My respect for these good Samaritans has gone up after their losing battle against the popular liquor outlets of TASMAC has received a boost with the entire opposition in the state demanding prohibition. Some of these vendors have started recognizing me and we exchange greetings, but, they know they have no hope of marketing their produce to me!

                This incident from previous day’s run got missed out. I witnessed a policeman violently shaking an auto driver by his hair asking for his papers. The policeman seemed insulted at the amount offered by the auto-driver. It looked like a case of negotiations for the EWI (Equated Weekly Instalment!) having broken down. I stopped to intervene and was surprised to see both the victim and the aggressor getting together to assure me that nothing was wrong. I felt uneasy for quite some time. I asked a few dapper looking walkers (regulars and my waving acquaintances) if they could intervene. Sadly, this was happening right under the nose of S C Bose statue. I do not seem to have the courage to confront wrong doers, I guess copying Gandhi’s attire alone is not enough!

                Today’s start was later than affording me a chance for a full marathon, but, gave me the luxury of a leisurely 32K with lot of time to linger over the newspaper and bath on return.

                Usually, a big van ferrying chicks to their doom crosses me every day and I am only able to make it out from the stench of their feaces. Today, the vehicle was parked near the war memorial, the tired and cooped up hens next to the war memorial decking up for Independence day made a somber and ironic spectacle. In my endorphin heightened state of doing good to all and sundry, I was tempted to request the driver to let them off and not be a party to the mass slaughter. Better sense prevailed!

                The overnight rain, clouded weather and a light breeze made the run very pleasant. But for the late start and the fear of a busy road in the return direction, I was tempted to carry on for a full marathon. I settled for a relaxed run to reach the colony gates at 7:29 AM. Good news is that the I-Day celebrations at office are scheduled at 10 AM, that should give me enough time for a leisurely full on that day! Personal work on Sunday means I have to miss the Independence Day 12 hour run at Mumbai. All the best to all 12 hour runners on August 15^th, will run here thinking of you all!

A runner to every Chennaiyan!

Some footage to Biscuit, my seven year young Labrador, is overdue. He has been a bit moody and is picking on his food the last few days. So, back to Pedigree it is for him. He is also quaffing on Curds like a reforming drunkard hitting the bottle with a vengeance after an unsuccessful attempt at quitting. A family of young dogs (four of them) with no adult has recently moved into the colony. They are giving vocal ground support to the atmospherics Tiggy (Biscuit’s combative Rottweiler neighbor from the other colony, familiar to the faithful following their epic exchanges!) provides from his first floor balcony. Biscuit has been giving them all a tolerant silent treatment. Biscuit has recently made friends with twin girls whose idea of friendliness at present is approaching him from the rear and placing green leaves on his back. They have got to the extent of brushing off the leaves without touching his body. Biscuit is giving them time to approach him at their pace!    

Back to my running saga, probably I wanted to satisfy myself that there was nothing serious with my foot. The moment swelling and pain went down and one day of rest without painkiller drove me back to test my limit on the 6^th August. After that I have been guilty of being irregular in my morning runs, I can only blame it on the long gap after the 24 hour run and the accolades getting to my head. The only other drug as heady as the endorphin is the ‘likes’ on facebook!

                I must have been a little low on motivation to run the usual daily distance after the marathon 24 hour run. I have been able to turn in two standard marathons one each on Saturday and latest today! The missing run on Sunday (blasphemy for any runner worth his salt!) was also Biscuit’s doing. He got me up in the middle of the night on a false alarm and after sniffing around for a while let me get back to bed after half an hour. In the process I missed the alarm and woke up too late. Sunday, usually a day of lazing and hogging turned out to be a day of guilt tripping while gorging on my Anatole’s delicacy (read my wife!).

The Saturday run was in a cloudy, but, breezy morning and I turned in a 4:21 full marathon. I was kept away from taking rest after the run as there was an official engagement between 1PM and 4 PM. The Sunday fiasco of oversleeping could also be partly due to insufficient rest after FM on Saturday!

Fully rested on Sunday and bloated with hogging, I decided to get even today. I started early at 3:48 AM intent on completing a full. This would be fresh ground broken as I haven’t been able to run a full marathon on a working day after moving to Chennai.

A pavement dweller sitting on the divider at the start of the Uttamar Gandhi Salai opposite Hotel Sangeeta called me to help him guide a truck driver who wanted to reach Mount road. After seeing him off on his way, my new found friend wanted to shake my hand. He told me that he has read about me in a magazine (reach of the vernacular medium!). I tried to be civil to him and enquired about his amputated foot. He mentioned it was due to accident, but, refused to tell me his age. I must tell my wife not to bother about my running in the early hours, I seem to have friends from all walks of life!

Today, a divider occupant near the slum at the start of the Mount road, took time off from his ‘Dum pe charcha’ with is friends and asked me why I was late. I told him I was running longer due to my bunked Sunday. I have now realized this is people’s way of showing off to their friends that they are friendly with me. He told his friends to try and run with me. I told him what I tell all others who try to pull the leg of their friends by daring them to run with me, You first throw the cigarette butt away and join me for a run, your friends will then most likely follow your advice!

Today my thoughts during the relaxed run was the book I am reading now, ‘Eat and Run’, by Ultra running legend Scott Jurek. Though I am not even a small candle to his exploits, I am surprised by similar results of quicker recovery and lesser soreness after run I have also been experiencing after turning Vegan. We, however, seem to differ on going barefoot. His prescription stopping short at landing sofly on midfoot/forefoot and practicing mindful running. I am in the process of first reading, will do an encore more leisurely!

With no competitor to rush me, I ran a very leisurely pace. I tried breathing in and out only through nose. I still finished in 4:23, reaching the colony gates as late as 8:11 AM. If good weather persists, may be able to turn in more full marathons on working days too! That way, I may stop missing Hubli runs, maybe!