Picking up the Pace

Of late, I have observed that it is easy for me to fall into a rhythm when running and not push myself. No reason to push, just enjoy the moment, is what I say to myself.
As one of my students told me, in a different context, unless I pick up the pace, I will be left behind even if I am doing well.
Pushing oneself hard but intelligently enough to finish strongly- that is the Challenge.

Ob(ama)esity

Read an interesting story in the WSJ online edition.
Sen. Obama comes across as a fit individual, both physically and mentally.
The Rupert Murdoch sham paper tries to spin even this perception negatively-

"Too Fit to Be President? Facing an Overweight Electorate, Barack Obama Might Find Low Body Fat a Drawback"

According to this article, "in a nation in which 66% of the voting-age population is overweight and 32% is obese, could Sen. Obama's skinniness be a liability? Despite his visits to waffle houses, ice-cream parlors and greasy-spoon diners around the country, his slim physique just might have some Americans wondering whether he is truly like them."

So, the public wants to elect someone who is truly like them? Like George Bush?

It appears that there is no floor to the level to which the Murdoch gang will stoop to.

I, for one, will only go to a doctor who is fitter than I am. That is the only way I can get better.

Running Interest in Music

An article in the NYT titled "India’s New Partnership: Bollywood and Hip-Hop" describes Snoop Dogg's guest appearance on an upcoming Bollywood movie, “Singh Is Kinng.”
Music is a big part of Indian movies- good music can generate big audiences even for movies that are lousy otherwise.
Trying to guess the lyricist or the composer or the singers of a tune is one of my favorite pastimes- also happens to be a favorite pastime of many an Indian.

Chasing a genius

I just finished chatting with my brother in Google Chat. His knowledge of music, especially in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Tamil, is the greatest I have seen or heard or read about. He remembers even the obscure but wonderful songs.

Losing 'sight' of the goal

Today, I had a 11:20 appointment to see an optometrist for a new pair of glasses.
I went out running at 9:30, and in order not to be late, I put in a really fast run. I came home at 10:40 and had time to shower and go to the doctor. The downside was that I was sluggish the whole day.
Better to pace oneself.

Keeping Cool when the Running gets Hot

These days the temperature and humidity are fairly high even in early morning, so the runner has to innovate to keep cool. Dousing oneself with water, sharing the misery with others, etc. are some examples.

Running On FEAR

Sen. McCain has been jumping on Sen. Obama because the latter does not seem to appreciate how much McCain's vote for the 'Surge' changed the situation in Iraq. This coming on top of McCain's chief strategist, Charlie Black saying that another terrorist attack on U.S. soil " would be a big advantage to him" i.e. Sen. McCain.

Sen. McCain is sticking to the 'FHUD' script Karl Rove developed for George Bush and running on FEAR, spreading 'us versus them' mentality based on religion, i.e. promoting Hatred, and creating Uncertainty and Doubt. He might win the election... in which case I will have to keep experiencing "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner," a wonderful story by Alan Sillitoe.

A Runner's Optimism Run Amok

Runners tend to be optimistic- one HAS to be, to do something that is monotonous on a daily basis. I try to be optimistic about the potential for solutions to all the social problems facing the country. I enough creative minds work on the problems, they can be addressed. But at the core, the fundamental principle of caring for others needs to be established.

Habit or Addiction

Addictions are NOT good, according to the medical community. But good habits are supposed to be good.... The line between a habit and an addiction is fine.
I have been running every day for quite a while now, so not going for a run feels very hard, almost akin to withdrawal symptoms. I have not run for two days in a row now. While the body feels sluggish, it sends a reminder that running is not an addiction, just a good habit.

Walk, Don't Run

A confluence of circumstances prevented me from running today, so I went walking to the grocery store this evening to pick up a few groceries.
One gets to observe a lot more during a walk than during a run; on the other hand a run provides a much better feeling of movement than a walk.

Running is still the best leisure activity there is.

A Running Friendship

A good friend of mine JZ visited me yesterday. Beginning in 1983 or 84, he has run many marathons, in very good times, and has been the inspiration behind my pursuit of running and racing. While we both used to do 20 mile runs in the eighties, we have cut down our mileage substantially- we do a few miles every day and perhaps an eight miler over the weekend.

Distance And Dedication- what I learned from my DAD

Run

Running in the hot and humid weather today took its toll- I started counting hyphenated words that started with 'run' and got only four...

Down
Out
In
Off

A Marathon Mind

Today I met one of my students, MS. She intends to do a summer research Project.
She told me that one of her room mates did a marathon in 3:05 or under.'
Would be really interesting to run a marathon again.

A Musical Run

Out running this morning I was reminiscing about my recent affaire du coeur and my thoughts turned to music..some wonderful hindi songs from yesteryears with exquisite lyrics.

चोधो सनम काहे का गम
हँसते रहो खिलते रहो

and

रुक जाना नहीं तू कहीं हार के,
काँटों पे चल के मिलिंगे साए बहार के
ओराही.. ओ राही..

and

तेरे हम सफर गीत हैं तेरे
गीत ही तो जीवन मीत हैं तेरे

My eternal gratitude to my father for developing a love of music in all of us. He had the most amazing music collection of all the people I have ever known!

FTO - Faster Than Oprah

On my short run this morning, I remembered coming into my office in 1994 the day after running the Chicago Marathon. My good friend and former manager Bob had written FTO on the whiteboard in my office, with the sub-title "Faster Than Oprah." It cracked me up then, and I still smile when I remember that incident.

Running on Empty

It was one of those hot and humid mornings, and while I was running decently, three young high school runners passed me- something that would have been unlikely ten years ago. While I am a good runner, my friends put me down as one of those talented people who never realize their full potential. Reminded me of Christine Lahti in Running on Empty. One of the best actresses of the past twenty years in one of the greatest movies of all time.

A year ago....

I was running in the morning along the Kona coast on the Big Island in Hawaii. I had gone there to attend a conference. Also happened to sight some dolphins.

Ah...Hawaii...the home of the running gods!

A Runner's Heaven

While out running late this morning I reflected on my recent romances and the attendant issues. Then my thoughts turned to two lovely movies based on running and life.

Chariots of Fire- especially notable for an excellent Vangelis score, and

Bacheha-Ye aseman or Children of Heaven- a top-notch Iranian movie.

As Eric Liddell says "Then where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within."

Run down!

This morning I had a good easy run and wondered about all the time spent in running.

A LONG RUN- From St. Paul's to St. Paul...

I could not run this morning as I got up quite late and had to hurry to meet a student working on a research project. Consequently I went running in the evening, in the hot and humid air. As my legs propelled me forward my thoughts ran backwards to the first time I ever 'ran' in a race. I was a student at St. Paul's High School, and I was in the seventh grade, I think (circa 1973). The gym teacher organized heats for a 100 metre dash. I decided to run and qualified in the first two rounds but could not make the top three in the third round. After that race, I never paid much attention to running and never raced until I started running seriously in 1985. I have to thank my great friend and motivator Jim for pushing me to run seriously.

While I have run in many places around the world, I have yet to visit (and run in) St. Paul in Minnesota. When I do, it will be a LONG RUN, indeed!

Familiar Faces

Running had had an interesting effect one. Over the years I have come to recognize and acknowledge many runners. Some of them run on the same path I do, and roughly at the same times. We never exchange names, but recognize and acknowledge the other. It's a silent, anonymous friendship.

**My motto: Ask questions. **

Running Slow to Run Fast

When I went on my short run today I met two boys, probably high school kinds, at the water fountain. I asked them what distance they were doing and one of them replied 20 miles.I asked if they were preparing for the marathon and apparently one of them was.
It reminded me of my first marathon. I had trained very hard to run my first marathon in 1988 (Chicago marathon), but the marathon was canceled that year and I ran the half marathon that was organized that year. The following year, 1989, I ran my first marathon. I consciously ran a 'slow' first half because I wanted to be sure I had 'enough' left in the tank to finish. I did hit the wall, but survived and finished the marathon in 3:23 or so.
It does help to run a slower pace in the beginning when the temptation is to run fast. One can put on a stronger second half and pass many people. A similar example holds for life in general- it helps to slow down in order to go fast.

Running and Music

There are some folks who run (or jog) with their portable music player, often an iPod. I like to run without any wires or devices. However I do have music playing in my head, from memory. Occasionally passers-by will notice me smiling because I happened to remember a scene in a movie which featured a song. Music, the 'soulful' gift from the Running Goddess!

Making a Run at it....

While I was out running this morning, I thought about the various ways the word "run" has been used. Some of my recollections:

• Baby we were Born to Run.....The Boss.
• Run, in Sports- Cricket, Baseball, Football
• Running away together...an OLD song by Brotherhood of Man (popular in the 70s)
• Running on Empty...one of my Favorite movies
• Run-down places
• Running down somebody
• Running into somebody
• Running out of steam

More to be added later.

Undulations

Runners are a non-homogeneous, weird bunch. There are some who are obsessed with their 'times' and their PRs (personal best times) for various distances. Then there are others who run for fun and don't keep a log of their daily distances or times.
Many in the former group prefer flat terrains so that they can record good times. While I do pay attention to my times when I am competing, I prefer an undulating hilly terrain for my runs. Running is a rather boring sport, and hills and mountains provide some excitement, the joy of discovering something 'beyond.'
I have run in many places- my favorite ones are as follows:

1. Kauai
   
2. Hilo
3. Vancouver
4. La Jolla
5. Portland

Just as in running, romance and life are more enjoyable if they are undulating, have peaks and valleys and unfold mysteries beyond what the senses can perceive.

Running in the Past

The following image is taken from
http://www.justaminute.com.au/squiggles/popup.cfm?page_id=28498&section_id=154929

I have this picture in a large frame hanging in my office.

The Essence Of Survival
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed...every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle...when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.

While I was running this morning I happened to recollect the happy days of the early 80s when I was at Northwestern and I ran by the lake. I used to run early in the morning and I often saw a young Indian woman running along the same path and the same distance. One day I happened to catch up with her and introduce myself. She was working for the American Medical Association then.
Last year I ran in Central Park for the first time. That was an interesting event too.

Couple of my favorite movies:
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, and
Running on Empty