Week 2 - Travel and Office Farewell Dos...

So this was a busy week as I get closer to the end of my 8.5 year tenure with the Globus family of Brands. After an intense day of work on Monday, I pretty much spent the rest of the week in Mumbai -  meetings, farewell parties and such… Oh how I will miss the luxury of good gyms that come with hotels like the ITC Grand Central. I will miss that more than the food I guess because I can't deny that I would much rather eat vada-pao when I am in Mumbai!

Any way, this was not the week that I could squeeze in a long run during but had at least two days of 'getting out there'! Considering that the SCMM (Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon) is just 6.75 days away - the lack of long runs may as well have been part of the plan, though I get this faint feeling that I will be adding a longish run tomorrow morning!

The goals for SCMM are - have fun, run-walk-run and end at a sub 3 hours (apparently they will not be open to anyone who can't finish in 3 hours from 2015 onwards!)

Here's what was good this week - the weight is down to 71.1 kilos.. Muscles still feel quite tight - especially the right leg ones - right from the gluteus to the feet and I need to slot in (a lot) more stretching exercises.

Some more travel coming up next week connecting me back to Mumbai and then all the way to Kolkatta - plan to hit those chinese joints on Park Street.

Good luck to anyone else running the SCMM as I move into week 3 of 42 at 42 in 42… much love..

Week 1 – D day and count down to 19 Oct '14 begins…

04.01.2014 -  So it was a fabulous birthday, I saw the run rise and I was up till way after it set. Started with a 4.40 am wake up (in spirit with the 42 weeks I had set the alarm for 4.20 but it kept going into snooze mode till finally I got out at 4.40) and headed to GKVK with Anoop (Packemaker and rescue man for the transfers!)

With Brijesh - the other birthday baby! 

I wasn’t sure how much I would be able to run after all this time but I managed to clock a 11 km run and then just added a 3 km walk for the heck of it (since I was too hung-over on Jan 1 to do the 20-14 celebration run). I didn’t put any pressure on myself over the pace of the run. 

It's not all great – the knees seem to have become a bit rusty and surprisingly – both and not just the weak knee seemed to hurt – better not be a knotty at forty (plus) syndrome or such crap! For now I have decided to do nothing about it (as in pop pills etc.) - we'll see how it goes the next few days.. but let's not have the knee take away from the fact that I did do a 14 km – run-walk on the first day! The breathing was good and that’s something to be positive about – I also didn’t feel dehydrated during the run and could do without too much water. As always, carried a GU Gel that I didn’t use…. One day, I hope to..

Post run - pre breakfast with the PaceMakers

Dosa Time - only one half view of the team

The Pacemakers turn out for this long run (the last one before the Mumbai Marathon on 19^th Jan) was fabulous – we were 38 runners in all. After the boys and gals had finished their run a bunch of dirty, sweaty and scruffy runners made their way to New Shanthi Sagar restaurant for a birthday party co-hosted by Brijesh and yours truly. We were joined by two of our other pacemaker friends. I am not kidding - we ate over a hundred dosas that day – literally taking over the restaurant! And.. I have never had 40 adults sing Happy Birthday to me so loudly.. was awesome.

with coach Pani and Brojen - one of my oldest running buddies

Those pictures finally show what the +7 kilos have done to me.  I think they will make for great before and after pictures when I am done running the 42 on 19^th October. But it didn’t stop me from pigging out on biryani at the dinner party and hogging on cake.. I danced to equalize the calories (which added to the knee pain).

A day later the hamstrings, gluteus and calves also hurt. Did some stretching. The plan ahead is to cycle a little bit to cross train and squeeze in a couple of medium runs before next Saturday!  

Have a good week folks.. J

Stock Checking - 2 Jan

Here’s where we stand two days before we start the count down for 42 @ 42 in 42

• Weight – 71.99 (a lot for 165 cms. Total gain in 4 months – 6 kilos)
• BMI – lets not talk about that!!!
• Diet includes – frequent chocolate breaks, inadequate fruits and salads. I am not one of those who can go on a diet and I often eat as many as 6 meals a day but tremendous scope to replace the food I am currently eating with what I SHOULD be eating! Reasonable proteins intake (I love my meats).
• Supplements – none including protein mix and energy drinks
• Sleep – average of 8 hours a day and more when I am lucky!
• Last run – 02 Jan 2014 - 3.5 kms in 39 minute (yea not just a run but still)… 
• Last HM – June 21 2013 – a bit over 3 hours
• Personal best HM – 2 hours and 22 mins in 2012 April
• Injuries – Right leg Hamstring, calf and something that feels like the onset of Achilles. Was diagnosed with hip bursitis towards end 2012 / early 2013.. physio really helped.. Three herniated discs that don’t bother me since I took up running.  
• Training schedule – random – once or twice of running every week. Cycling 11kms commute to work and back 5 times a week. Swimming - during the summers (what's that?)

This is how I looked at my school reunion on 28 Dec 2013

And at the New Year Party on 31 Dec 2013

The plan so far, as discussed with Brijesh this morning, is to break the 42 weeks into 20 weeks focussed on weight loss and strength building with a few long runs, gym work outs and of course reducing chocolates.. Then spend the next 24 weeks on building the 42 km race plan!! 

Forget about NY resolutions!

Been there, done that and by 42 you know that you are unlikely to stick to even 50% of those new year resolutions and then another year will start and you will chase the same damn list and it goes on and on. Same thing with resolutions on birthdays (this part is actually almost the same for me because my birthday falls just 4 days after new year). So these days. I have a new thought process.. chase goals with landmark birthdays.

It gives you a lot of time to plan and not beat yourself about not getting there within that 12 month window.. Example, if you missed your 30th birthday goal by 25, you still have 5 more years to work towards it. The rest of the years in between - I call them all 'adjustment years' that will allow me to enjoy the flow - without the pressure of deadlines - you gotta do that too you know! :)

Its not lame - I used my 40th birthday to achieve many things that I had tried to achieve unsucessfuly for years before that - but by 40, I got back into that size 28 pair of jeans (this one is the most popular goal I think), ran all those HM races, started setting up my own company, walked to Everest Base Camp and.. you get the picture.

Picture Credit Treasurecast.com

Another landmark year (or should I say age) is coming up 42… now my new goals are to run 42,2 at 42 years with 42 weeks of training!

I am going to try to update this blog with my weekly progress towards that goal. I hope to populate it with progress on weight, BMI, running, strength training and all that jazz..  Hope you enjoy my journey and ah - happy new year folks…