26 th march 2015
This is not a blog on running. There cannot be any new blog on actual running from my end as I am off running since last 2 months .
Every week goes by and at the end of it I have this weird feeling of “ missed something “
Sundays are not the same again.
Surprisingly I am not the regular runner who runs on daily basis (or 3 or 4 times a week types ) when compared to whole lot of known runners.
More of weekend runner and still these feelings of not running and missing something in life !
Something wrong with me ! ? Yes….. I realized this when one fine day I wrote two poems : with the theme :” running Oh my beloved”
One for all the good things “ running “ has given/done to me over last 3 and half years and “ oh dear running : I am missing you since last 2 months.
Once I wrote the poems I desperately wanted some bakras to vent out. Varun could not pick either of his numbers so poor Punit had to listen to my stupid outburst. Punit has a knack of playing a typical murrabi and vadil ( typical gujju words )so he played his role nicely and gave me ( not running boring poet ) the required shoulder .
On the other end two good things are happening simultaneously 1st ) Sheila has taken to the world of running seriously and looks like slowly but surely she will take running as her new found passion. Oh I am waiting for the day when she completes her first half marathon with me waiting for her at finishing line….. 2nd ) I have again started swimming and intermittently continued going to Gymnasium. I have never been comfortable with the idea of gym and it’s closed glass environment. Same machines, same faces , subtle pressure of going for exclusive trainers to exclusive packages….combination of all these simply can not match to the feeling when one is with nature while running on kanheri hills in borivli national park.
In last two months I have been to BNP only once for a long walk and could not get adjusted to the idea of walking for more than one hour and not running.
Today’s call by BNP GR for introductory session for half and full marathon is a welcome change.
Ever working and too sincere BNPGR managing team has decided to go for constructive collaboration with professional coaches for next level of training.
They have successfully managed 0 to 5 km and 5km to 10 km programmes “ in house” with selfless service of our own friends.
Morning :
I am at the gate and meet Aadesh who is waiting for Ankur.
Outside I have seen the Dumbelled team in their signature T’s but actual confirmation comes when Punit walks in with them as today’s chief coordinator cum big boss.
Aadesh decides to join me as today’s professional training team is already on move .
When we all gather at the big ground at 500 meters mark we are not more than 10.
It’s a young team and we start when it is still dark. Aarti Gill is guiding her team . She is the founder of Dumbelled and has impressive degrees . IIT Roorkee followed by INSEAD ( in BNP green runners’ life one more coach with IIT background !!) Mihir Gadani is the lead trainer for today. He is the co-founder and chief fitness specialist at dumbelled.com
Soon more members join in and towards end we must be around 35 to 40 participants.
From the start the pace of exercise regime in set on higher level. With initial body warm up exercises we are soon introduced to the world of core exercises.
At times I really wonder how many permutations and combinations are possible with our human body .
We have been fortunate to have great coaches like Dan Sir and Melwyn sir who have given us solid base to otherwise not necessarily wise self journey to the world of running.
Yet there are times when you are introduced to totally new sets of exercises for strength building , cooled down to even stretching. Post Satara run when I had done cooled down with Mulund team I could participate in a whole lot of different exercises than normally which I was following.
On internet you see a lot of different exercises but there is always a disconnect and it can never match to a group session.
Today is one of the day where we are introduced to whole lot of different or newer exercises or versions.
And there are team of 4 : observing us , correcting us , helping us to do it correctly.
So one is told to push the extra protruding bum down during the plank variation to some one being guided with the exact position of head ( by physically helping with the head ) to ease out the usual confusion during knees vis a vis toes alignment.
Periodically we are reminded not to use gravity pull while bringing the leg down during some core exercises rather do it very slowly. All the trainers are constantly moving and individually trying to address the eager students.
I am always amused when some one guides “ squeeze you gluts/buts. Squeeze them so that opposite muscle set feel the heat !!
Even though it’s quite visual instruction ( : one can give flight to own imagination.) I always find it difficult to implement to the best of its implied results. I do ask one trainer, he tries to explain…..does not work on me …..i again ask the same doubt to Mihir…he just demonstrates ……”Oh I see “ is my expression and we move one….Many of the exercises are given interesting twists so newer versions are created.
And yes some jargons which adds some zing to expressions and exercises…..Go for dynamic relaxation ( which simply means go for an easy walk ) to give bollywood thumkas .
The counting is usually one to 15 and than 15 to zero.
At the end we have some question answer session. Ours is fairly diverse group . there are 0 to 5 km members and there are our star ultra runners like Deepa and Ankur.
As a group we do not ask more questions .
The session ends and we have darshan of Har har Mahadev . Samjiskar sir meets every one . I give him jadu ki zappi and wish for Avataar kind of energy transmission .
After a gap I am able to interact with a whole lot of friends as we come out.
28 th march 2015 Saturday
Today’s session is meant to be a combined session for Sheila and myself. I have already attended the first session on Thursday and found it quite interesting and different than what I am used to , so I am keen that we both attend the same.
Sheila has cold and fever. Yesterday even with little fever and milder cold she did 9 km as part of her 5 to 10 km programme.
When we both are up in the morning , seeing the condition we both conclude that she can skip today’s session as she wants to recover and complete the 10 km course as per the schedule.
Also as the lady of the house she has to prepare our daughters for today’s ashtami pooja ( part of chaitra navaratri ), where in both the daughters have to visit various houses in time to meet the schedule of host families.
Since I am ready I decide to attend today’s session. On way to BNP ( outside our complex )I see Vaishali about to enter/get into an auto . She is actually waiting for sheila as usually they go together for thrice a week session. When I drop her at main gate Varun and Sree are waiting at the main gate. By the time I park the activa in the raheja lane and enter BNP, Anant sir, Varun and Aarti are interacting near the security cabin at the entry. After the morning greetings we all move towards 500 m mark.
We have little interaction on the way . Aarti tells us that during her school years she was sprinter in her school and fondly called P.T Usha of the school.
She found her passion for contemporary dance during roorkee engineering years and has been part of Shiamak davar and Terrence .The Her love and passion for fitness has firm roots. During the very small chat she explained her sphere of activities which also included a reference of her father .
It gives a smile and lights up my thoughts whenever I see this kind of daughter – father relationship.
In most of cases daughters become equal friends with their mother . ( at times there are elements of comparisons or even subtle jealousy as the life takes its own interesting turns ) At times if there is brother , many of the mother drift towards son and the relationship of mother- daughter looses the “ shine” . Father – daughter relationship can become emotionally very strong over the years .
A daughter can give great emotional and mental strength to ageing father and over years this relationship can only become stronger.
By the time we all are at 500 m ground , a whole lot of janata is already waiting.
Aarti immediately stars the session . Mihir is yet to come .
The warm is fast and soon become intense. High knees, quick jog, jumping jack , quick lunges and various alternatives and soon the dust on the ground is also warmed up and we can see very low level cloud of dust.
Active rest is an interesting jargon for taking a walk breaks.
In today morning’s confusion I have forgotten the mat . Sheila had arranged one more mat i.e two mats for us ….but here I am without a single mat. Sanjay offers me his mat and we share the same.( We were room partners for most part of our Bhutan tour . )
The soon we are into the core exercises. The most of exercises are in position where we are lying on our backs.
Like star runners of BNP group today we have star performers ….. . Sidhi , Sree ,Jyoti ….they all have rubber / flexible bodies and at one point Aarti stops every one and ask us to observe and get inspired by Sidhi’s live demo. { later at the end when we all get up Sidhi has a lot of dust accumulated on her forehead. Most of us could hardly bend where as she could do beyond and touched her forehead many times to the brown soil . I appreciate with little masti “ you have become pacca “ namaazi” . (There are some muslim who show their forehead with almost permanent mark on their forehead as the testimony of their 5 times a day namaaz devotion)}
Soon we all are on planks and plank variations. Few more additions to Planks are given and the counting periodically gets extended beyond 30 to 60 seconds.
A session of air boxing is introduced with and without partner.
Sanjay and myself are partner. He vents out in leg kicks by saying “ ye le …..aur laga time bathroom mein “ When it comes to boxing to your partner he plays safe . he has been successful in selling the wrong notion to our Bhutan group that shailesh takes more time in getting ready in bathroom where as in reality he has taken equal or even more time . This is a common observation/ experience when some one shares room on a trip. Even during BNP outstation tours ( for running event) sharing the room with your partner can be interesting . Snoring, bathroom time , scattering and spreading your contents ( out of bag/s )through out the room so that maximum territories can be claimed, using maximum hook points / hangers so that partner is left with little or nothing can be frustrating for some.
Things can become more complicated if room is to be shared by more than 2 . I still remember one of the Goa tour where I had shared room with samjiskar sir and shetty . I had little fever so as precautionary measure I got one bed and samjiskar got one . Poor Shetty had to compromise with mattress which was soggy and smelly.
Holding plank position for more time has direct link with your core strength . Later we are told by Mihir and Aarti “ if you can hold plank position for 5 minutes you can plan any jump in your journey of running from 21 km to ultra. One statistic is also put forward : “The world record for holding a particular plank position as of now is 4 hours”
Few of the exercises where in left leg thighs are involved I restrain myself and take it easy.
Mihir comes just in time when it is time for stretching session . he starts ( and also ends ) with his style of inhale and exhale exercises. We have vertical stretch . stretches meant for different or combination muscles group. Quads, glutes, calves, hamstrings and other muscles group either in isolation or in combinations are targeted. Most of the stretches are static stretches .
One addition is a bhujangasan where in for first time we are lying on our tummy.
The pace remains fast when it comes to changing from one exercise to other.
We all have our group photo where the regular BNP brown dog also joins in.
Question+ answers are little more lively . Anisha in spite of her busy schedule has come today, asks about Sheila but leaves immediately. Maheshbhai like back bencher was last in his side. We have our own jaddu jhappi as we have met after a time gap. I come to know about his injury and get worried. Whether to rest more and be ready for finals or still keep doing practice runs is a million dollar question. He says “ I will go to lonavala but will avoid running”.
We all walk back together towards the main gate.
The end.
shailesh 