The Emperor's new shoes

It was heartening to see, on the day of England's first World Cup match, lots of customers in a running shop.

I got my first pair of specialist running shoes today - handpicked for my feet.

Apparently, I've got slightly flat feet (good excuse for the bad dancing!) and I tend to overpronate when I run. I knew that already, so it was good to have that confirmed. My new shoes have cushioning to hold my arches in place and they feel good on.

The next run should be easier, faster and hopefully, pain free.

Diary of a Tuesday evening

A regular Tuesday evening - Autumn/Winter/Spring/Summer

4 pm : I'm on my way home from work. There are a few gray clouds hovering about, no sign of rain, unfortunately.

5.30 pm: A slight drizzle. My hopes rise.

6.20 pm : Mr R returns from work. I suggest 'Lets go for a walk instead of my run'. He sees through my offer. Declines.

6.30 pm: Surreptiously check the bbc website for the weather for our postcode. A shower is predicted for 7 pm. Yea!

7.00 pm: Clear skies. Biting winds. No sign of that rain. Mr R drops me off at the YMCA and ten minutes later, ten women are off on the road, grumbling about the increasing daylight which makes us more visible.

7.30 pm: We've already covered 2 1/2 miles with ease. It's taking a different route that has made the difference, I think. It is exhilarating running past new houses, new streets, peering into lamp lit windows when an occupant decides to check out the source of the pounding of feet past their house. Sometimes, we get a wave and a 'Hello!'. We 'hello' back and continue on, uphill and downhill.

7.50 pm : The promised rain comes. We are soaked to the skin, but it feels lovely running with stinging water beating down on you. Refreshing.

8.05 pm: Back at the YMCA, we stretch to cool down. Delighted with our pace today , we can still feel a tingling in our feet - we could have run some more.

8.10 pm: Mr R is waiting to take me home. I'm grateful for his support and his gentle way of getting me to the YMCA on days when I don't want to. Because he knows that every Tuesday by the time my run is over, I am SO glad I came along and didn't stay at home. It's something that has never failed to amaze me - how I feel during and after the run. Before - well, that's another story.

Next Tuesday (and every one after that) : Mr R to remind me of this post.

135 days to go...

Another new year's resolution that I've stuck to.

I've finally signed up for my first major road run in the UK.

The London Breakfast 5K Run for women takes place on July 2, 2006 in, yes, London. I've already got butterflies just thinking of it. Running races makes me nervous for some reason. I can easily do the distance when I'm with my running group, but with hundreds and thousands of strangers, it suddenly seems too much.

Between now and July (135 days!) I will practice. I really will. That's the only way to get out and prove it to myself that I can do it. It's only 5K after all...

I'm also running to raise funds for the Down's Syndrome Research Foundation, the charity I work with. If you would like to support my effort, please let me know and I'll send you a link to my online fundraising page on www.smartgive.com

Any other (female) bloggers out there want to join me? C'mon, you have four months to practice! Male bloggers may please come and cheer us!

If 5K is too easy for you, take part in the British 10K London run on the same day. If you don't get in through the public ballot and are looking for a guaranteed place, let me know.

Well, on with the training then. Watch this space for updates!

Waxing and Whaling

I had my first ever eyebrow wax today.

For a change,I booked an appointment with a salon I had not been to yet. For the past year, I have been going to a salon run by a Brit Punjabi family, to have my eyebrows threaded. My hair I wisely chose to cut elsewhere. Now, female readers will know how important having neat eyebrows is - it can make all the difference to your appearance. In India, threading is the universally accepted medium for eyebrows and not many parlours offer eyebrow waxing.

The threading here, was fine. It was the relentless conversation-making and answering personal questions that put me off. What does your husband do? Where do you live? No children? How much do you get paid? The questions are peppered with friendly, well meaning advice and pearls of wisdom. Some things never change.

Today's experience then, was a welcome relief. It cost me the same £4, but for that money, I got quick, efficient, yet friendly service. Waxing was less painful than threading and the end result was a lot neater and cleaner. I am pleased. And I will certainly be going back again.

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It's Tax Return time and I needed to get my act in order to avoid paying a possible penalty of £100. So I dropped into the local Tax Office after my eyebrow wax to check if I needed to file my self-assessment papers before the end of this month. Fortunately, since I've only started work about 6 months ago, as self-employed, my forms will be sent to me sometime in April. Whoo! That's a relief.

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It's 5 pm and I'm back home. Since it's Tuesday, I'm having lunch. It's cold outside and the Russian weather seems to be heading this way. Earlier, Mr R and I were thinking about that poor whale that died in the Thames and he likens it to King Kong and how they both must have been terrified with all the activity around them. I believe that the whale died of terror. The injuries it had did complicate matters, but to see the boats, people and all that noise must have given it a heart attack. Fear can kill, can't it?

Oh well, it's Tuesday again and time for a run. Brrrr.
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C'mon, run along now

Now that the Mumbai Marathon has just concluded, either the running bug has bit you and you will pound the streets for a few more weeks or you are pondering the possibility of taking part next year.

Either way, here are some good links to get you going. To reach that finish line, all you need is to do is Start.

Run the Planet
Time to run
On the run
Cool Running
Running Times
Running Online
Kids Running

Running the world, one Tuesday at a time.

It's eight thirty on a Tuesday night. The BBC website tells me that my local weather is about 4 degrees. Yet here I am, with my blue T-shirt sticking to my back with sweat. My fingers are frozen, there's a ringing in my ears and I can't make a proper sentence because my facial muscles have come to a standstill.

I've just run about four miles (6.4 km) in 60 minutes or so. It is an exhilarating feeling once you are really into the run. Starting out is not easy. Dressed in only a T-shirt and a light sweatshirt, you are not prepared for the freezing temperatures and the cold biting winds. Yet in about five minutes, you're glad you didn't bother to put on more layers.

Today, there was no one on the roads besides the eight of us. The pavements beckoned as we took a different route up a couple of hills instead of the other way around. We passed by houses where families got together in the warmth and comfort of their fireplaces. We ignored them. Cars and trucks stopped for us at pedestrian crossings and we thanked them with a little wave as we went on our way without skipping a beat. Traffic doesn't bother us. Neither does the cold or the pain in our calves that tells of unused muscles complaining.

It's a Tuesday evening. For an hour, this group of women will run. The rest of the world and its problems can wait.

Done!

So, threatening myself works.

Article finished and submitted in record time after last post on blog. Must send out some more queries though. Seems such a waste of talent to just let the words stay in my head ;-)

My writing (and running) output has dramatically decreased after I've started work about 3 weeks ago. I worked and travelled much, much harder back home, but the sense of exhaustion and tiredness at the end of the day is still very much there - all you want to do is crash and sleep like Rip Van Winkle. I think that my tiredness comes from the fact that I get bored very easily when there's someone else making the decisions. I've realised long ago that working for someone else is never going to make me completely happy - I find it hard not to question decisions or reserve comments. I know that if I had been running a charity or a similar organisation, I would go all out to make the public know that we existed. And I would be good at it. (Hmmm, maybe that's my calling in life!) There are ways to do publicity/fundraising without spending any money at all. Bemoaning the lack of funds or non-cooperation of other people isn't the solution. That applies to here or at home. It's the same story. But well, what do I know....

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It's time to leave for work. Have rustled up a pasta and pepper lunch for myself (Mum, don't look so amazed!). Makes a change from the sandwiches and fruit menu. Hope you have a yummy lunch too. Have a great day and enjoy the sunshine!

Two medals in four weeks!

A good haul for someone who never even got a certificate in school sports :) The first medal is on completing the Graduation Run after the six week beginners course of the Running Sisters. The second one, was after the Jubilee Run this sunday. The Sisters completed 20 years this year and about 120 women took part in this run - a bobbing blue trail winding parallel to the Jubilee River. We had to wear our blue T-shirts and it was great fun.

It must be looniness

There is something exhilarating about being able to complete a set distance without stopping or taking a walking break. As the weeks go by, I find it easier each Tuesday, to stay with the front of the pack, running easily, without much effort. Last Tuesday, we clocked about 4.5 miles in about 45 minutes. The continued improvement has led many of us to participate in races over the summer. The Running Sisters are celebrating 20 years with a Jubilee Run on Sunday. We beginners will do the 5k run, while the more adventurous and experienced will attempt the 6k. Then on next Tuesday, the neighbouring town is having a 5k run and so on.

Funnily enough, on my own, I give up in about 20 minutes. I'm usually out of breath and my brain works overtime to convince me that it is time to go home and rest. I see a lot of the same in this very interesting book I'm reading called 'The looniness of a long distance runner'. It's an account of an 'unfit Londoner's attempt to run a marathon'. Somehow the same lethargy doesn't apply on Saturdays or Tuesdays when I run with a group. I bet there's already some study or some research on this. But for what its worth, I'm just glad to be out there in the park, in the woods, on the pavement, being able to run.

Thankfully, the English are very supportive of such endeavours and are nice to you when you are in their way. Fortunately, I haven't come across many people who think like this chap below :

"It's unnatural for people to run around the city streets unless they are thieves or victims. It makes people nervous to see someone running. I know that when I see someone running on my street, my instincts tell me to let the dog go after him. " ~Mike Royko

or this one;

"I don't think jogging is healthy, especially morning jogging. If morning joggers knew how tempting they looked to morning motorists, they would stay home and do sit-ups." ~Rita Rudner

Fortunately, the English just put on their shorts, running shoes and just join in celebrating the sunshine. Thank God for Summer.

The end of the beginning.

"Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop."

Lewis Carroll, from Alice in Wonderland

Six weeks of the beginners course culminated yesterday evening with a Graduation Run of 3 miles (5 km). It was not something I thought I could do, the words floating in my head telling me it was too hard, the pain was too much and not worth the effort. It's funny how much you can push yourself when you see others around you doing the same. About twenty of us, all women, all beginners, did the run yesterday. And survived. After the run, we all got medals (my first in a sport, so you know how special this is!) and our blue 'Running Sisters' T-shirts which we shall wear with much pride at future races. It was a tremendous feeling to complete the run and I am pleased with myself. Our subscription to the beginners course entitles us to run with the Sisters till the end of August, so every Tuesday evening, I can wear my new T-shirt and test the pain. In the meantime, there's homework to be done during the week if I'm going to be able to keep up the pace. Today though, is a day of rest and savoring the moment; the medal gleams, just like the smile on my face when I look at it.

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Sunil Dutt has passed away in the last hour. A pity, for he was one of the more decent people in politics.

Run for your life!

Running has always fascinated me. 'Run a marathon' was on my list of 'Things to do before I die' (discovered that entry only after I walked/ran the Dream Run in the Mumbai Marathon of 2004 -had forgotten all about it; funny how the subconscious works!). The past week, while the car was out of order, I started walking with Mr.R to work and then back on my own. The hills are alive,as the song goes, and yes, they bite! It's been an uphill climb, literally! My ankles ache by the time I reach home and I'm soaked to the skin with the effort. But once I'm home, the exhilaration hits and I'm glad I wasn't lazy.

Talking about the universe plotting for/against you, a trip to the library last week saw me picking up a leaflet for a local runners group for women called 'Running Sisters'. I loved the name so I got in touch with them and signed up for the beginners course which began yesterday. About 20 women - all sizes, shapes and ages met up for an introductory session which involved a 20 min run. It was such fun, I tell you. Running in a group is less tiring and helps push you to go the extra distance. Plus you meet new people. The group meets every Tuesday, every day of the year, but we were given homework to do for the rest of the week. I'm looking forward to the next meeting but I know that I'll have to do a bit of running if I intend to keep up with rest of the group and complete the Graduation Run of 3 miles at the end of the 6 week course.

Marathon Memories

The Mumbai Marathon happened again yesterday. Took me back to last year where I participated in the first one (okay, so it was more of a walkathon for us!) to support the Samaritans helpline, where I used to volunteer. The Dream Run took us a long time to complete - mainly because we kept stopping along the way talking to people who were curious about our T-shirts , a bunch of elated people in red t-shirts attracted more than a fair share of attention! Our reason for being at the marathon was publicity - we could do with every little bit - even if it meant reversing our steps on the route because someone belatedly spotted a tv camera (imagine the confusion for the runners behind us!) ; even if it meant stopping every few minutes to hand out cards and pamphlets; even if it meant tired,achy,sore legs at the end. That day was a memorable one, and I'm sure yesterday must have been as exhilarating for the 32 who ran in support of Samaritans.

Mw's out there,I hope you took part.It's an amazing experience to just participate - forget about winning! There's next year, in case you missed out the last two. Highly recommended!
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The Mumbai festival was supposed to start on the 16th ; haven't seen much news of it on the internet yet (looking in the wrong places, perhaps.) Anybody have a clue about what's happening or whether it's worth the hype?

Time to Run!

The 2005 Mumbai Marathon has been announced.

January 16, 2005 is the date for one of my favorite things to do. I've been bitten by the Marathon bug. 'Running a marathon' was somewhere on my list of things-to-do-before-i-die and I had forgotten about putting it on the list. Last year, I was in the Dream Run of the Mumbai Marathon. I walked/ran through the 7 kms for a charity, but I reached the finish line and I was very pleased with myself for having gotten over the laziness of training for the event. A month later, while rummaging through a old diary, I find my list and there, somewhere in the middle of 60 odd things is 'Running in a marathon'. Goosebumps suddenly. The story of my life. Coincidences, destiny, fate - call it what you will; there's something at play here that I don't understand.

Anyway, the Marathon bug has bitten hard. I may not be there for the 2005 run, but I'm training for it anyway, just in case. I've taken the first step already by making up my mind to train for the event :) Jokes apart, my running shoes were ready at my bedside for a 5.45 am walk , but it was raining so I had to postpone scaring the dogs serenely sleeping on the road. Maybe tomorrow. As the days get brighter, I know (from last time) that more prospective marathoners will join in my walks, I know that my e-group will go bonkers with training schedules and checking on each others progress and I know how much I'm already looking forward to being there knowing fully that I won't be. Well, you win some, you lose some. Maybe I can take part in the London Marathon instead which is on 17th April 2005.

Hope floats. And hopefully, with leaden feet lightened with training, so will I.