Long distance running is no joke. In the initial stages of the 'training' atleast. Some history: Mumbai marathon is in Jan 09. TI India has formed a marathon club and we have an extremely fit and thoroughly motivating trainer in Keith Kuntz. I have been training for a couple of weeks now. A few short distance semi-sprints (3-4km in under 20 min)and one medium distance run (9-10km in 70 min) was my preparation level, until last Sunday that is. That is when we had our first 30km run. The emphasis was on completing it and not on how fast we complete it.

At 6:30am nine of us started on a 4 min run + 1 min walk strategy. Two rounds of 12.5km and one 5km round was to be completed at any comfortable pace. Drizzle and strong opposing winds were to accompany us for over 2 hours. The first 12.5km was surprisingly uneventful. All of us completed it in 75-80 min duration. 4 dropped off at this juncture. System evaluation showed that my legs were holding strong and I wasn't dehydrated either. After refilling our water cans we set out on the second round. 6-7 km into it, my right knee started reacting. It became increasing tough to restart after every 4+1 cycle. By then we were only 4. I kept pace with the front runners. But at the 20 mark the brain sent bright red signals to every body part. Screeeeeeech. 20 km in 2:15. I had to make it back alone to the entrance. That was aonther 3km in 00:30.

Total: 23km in 2:45. For a first timer, not bad.

One thing that Keith asked the team to remember every time we felt like giving up: How many people in my family have done this before? Believe me, this thought works wonders on your physical faculties. Another thing that kept me motivated: Keith is 39 and the fittest guy in the team is 45. If they can, I should.
Both of them completed 30 in 3:05. I was 4th at 23km.

And Saturday was a dream day too. Ofcourse there was a nice 7am sunshine and aiding north-east south west wind, but 2 stump uproots and 2 genuine outside edges in a single cricket practice session is something that has never happened and I can be proud of.

Climbing stairs took quite an effort. Had to take Monday off to recover. Waiting for the next weekend now.

A different Monday this one. French project managers on vacation. Japanese customers on vacation. Immediate boss on sick leave. Best time to do something about my writer's block.

Its been over 2 months since we returned from Darjeeling. With scarce water supply and filthy crowded streets teeming with Tata Spacio Gold pick-ups (Sumo look alikes. Havent seen them in B'lore) this 'hill-station' is just another K.R.Market at 7000 ft. Go there only if you hate your wife. Aah. MY wife. Let me say a thing or two about her here.

Affable
Beautiful: She looks best in white. Or is it green? I think it is blue. Nothing can beat red.
Chocoholic: Apt company to mom.
Delicate: Haven't protected anything more than her till date.
Emotional: Yet placid.
Forthcoming: I will hit you if you do this. Phutaak!
Gregarious: She will starve but wont eat alone.
Humble
Indecisive: Should I wear the ear-ring with white and silver beads or the one with silver and white beads? I
have an answer: The one in the left hand. What would she do in my absence?!
Jovial: Smiles always. Perpetual cause for her headaches.
Kkkkahani-lover: Ask her about the sixth husband to the fifth wife of a re-incarnated hero. Unlikely that she
wouldn't know him.
Kannada-handicap!
Movie-buff: I dont wanna talk about this.
PURE
Sensitive: Try calling her blind!
Temperate
Unpretentious: She is what she is and she loves being just that.
Vivacious: Ask mom what home feels like in her absence.
Wanderlust
Young at heart: I am jealous of this. Touchwood.
Zealous

I actually said 21 things about her. Thought I will write about some general stuff. No more for the day. My
fingers feel sweet. Let the sweet taste linger.

Mehendi mere naam ki

I've seen this photo on more than two instances today and every time the feeling has been the same.

"Wake up dude..See your name there?..Your dear girl has unconditionally shown faith in you.. Live up to it."


WOW!

But this came at a cost (that I was ready to pay). I wasnt allowed to play the opening match of the GREAT PTL CUP-08, which TI won.

And I have never savoured Filmfare awards either. Not the 1st. Not the 53rd. I cry foul play here!

One night in the morning..

It was quarter to ten when the bus finally started from the bus stand next to Maruti Mandira. I was in the second row aisle seat and there was company on the window seat. A colleague of mine. We were, for some reason that I currently can’t recollect, on this bus to Chennai that night. In the seat in front of me was this lady whom I thought I knew. Curiosity got the better of me and it was soon allayed at the sight of a couple of tickets in her hand that she was perusing. She wasn’t alone either.

I seemed to know for sure who she was with. Strangely she seemed to know that I knew. Invisible eyes at the back of her neck waited in anticipation.

“So you are taking him to your mother? An introduction session?”, I hated the sarcasm in my tone but it came naturally. Intention was clear: to prick with words. The attempt seemed futile though. “Mother is in the hospital. She has met him.”

I saw him through the open door by the front left Goodyear wheel of the red bus. There was sand interspersed with grass and for some strange reason he was shoveling on his haunches. I had expected it to be him and hoped it wasn’t. But it was him. The lump in my throat, and its involuntary formation, both were vexing. Amidst the irritation I realized the bus had started moving, but only a couple of meters later.

He was still digging and all he could manage in response was a glance from outside into the front seat window. He saw her. I saw him. She saw me seeing him with my right butt up. My mate was either fast asleep or not in her seat. I didn’t bother, for either ways I got a good look at him. His thick glasses gleamed in the street light but there was absolutely no sign of panicking. We moved a few meters further and he got back to his digging.

Guilty as hell

When it comes to making decisions in life, there are two categories of people. One is a category that gets to know once the decision is made. This group will give "oh ok" as a statement in return. The more loquacious ones here might say "Oh thats nice. I am happy for you".But the other is an integral part of the decision making process itself.

I want to be a good manager in the near future. And I learnt a very important lesson today, the hard way that too. People from the latter category are NEVER supposed to be moved to the former one. Doing that can be quite costly. Tears will roll, phones will be slammed and no matter how inadvertantly that might have happened, your intention will be doubted. In reality this might not be the case, but they will choose to believe that you have 'changed' and try to adjust themselves to you accordingly. They will never question why you changed this way, but will mutely hope that you haven't.

Not often do we get to make very important decisions in life, and in making those if we drop certain decision makers out, some real serious introspection will be needed. You can never convince them on why you did that because they have the reality in front of them. All you can do, and you HAVE to do, is convince yourself that you are still the same and let your actions speak in the future. Want to manage things better? Never repeat this mistake.

I wont.

Miles to go, promises to keep

No matter how long an empty stretch of road I see
No matter how tempted I am to rip at one twenty
I promise, my sweetheart, careless I shall never be
For it has dawned, my life is more important to you than to me

Let my empty stomach rumble, let my parched throat dry further
But in times when food sucks, how much ever interest you try to muster
I promise, my sweetheart, I wont eat or drink either
For I vow to stand by you always, and that includes thirst and hunger

There will be times when insanity will prevail and you would want to fight
Through the day you would argue, and prefer silence in the night
I promise, my sweetheart, I too will put up a good show with all my might
I shall succumb in the end though, for your happiness is what I prefer, to my being right

Passionate I am about a few things, which make me feel real happy and wise
Meetings and preachings I might skip, for the sake of these, I dont mind uttering a few lies
I promise, my sweetheart, but if it comes to choosing, I shall break all those ties
For only you are worth my dream, and on that I shall never compromise

The composition is only 80% complete. The rest will be scripted live, without rhymes or retakes, in the next 175 years .

Now how true is this?

"..Of the many things I was forced to realize in reflecting on the time spent with.., perhaps the most sobering and terrifying was the understanding that the strongest and deepest bonds we form in our lives are with people who know how to hurt us in the most devastating ways.."

I feel the other way is truer than this. You can get hurt only if you care.

Any opinions?