Remembering Rekha

This Republic Day the actress Rekha was awarded the Padma Shri. A well-deserved award, brought back memories of many Rekha movies like Mr. Natwarlal, Umrao Jaan, and Khubsoorat. It also reminded me of a lovely Rekha I met online last summer. I remember teasing her with the famous Rafi song, Rekha O Rekha. It is doubly sad that we broke up, since this R was also a distance runner who did half marathons. Unfortunately, fear of dependence is the cause of many a break-up.

Fleet runners with fleeting thoughts

Great thoughts or ideas emerge at times during some good runs- runs when the body is really in another space. Unfortunately the runner, if not outfitted with TEARS (Thought Energising and Recording System) can cry later if he/she cannot remember those ideas. Given the number of runners and the number of runs, it is hard to fathom the number of thoughts that have been lost and the number of tears shed.

Baring it all...feet, that is.

Is running barefoot better than running with shoes? This topic is not to be tread lightly, as it is a weighty issue for runners.

DailyTech - Study: Running Barefoot Better Than Wearing Running Shoes: "Another study reports it may be healthier to wear no shoes while running

U.S. researchers published a new study in the journal Nature that indicates runners who run barefoot put less stress on the body than regular shoes.
'People who don't wear shoes when they run have an astonishingly different stride,' said Daniel Lieberman, Harvard Universityresearcher, in a statement. 'By landing on the middle or front of the foot, barefoot runners have almost no impact collision, much less than most shod runners generate when they heel-strike.'"

Students on a Run...

Having students who are runners adds interest to the educator's life at work. When these runners are on the track team, one is always wary of being challenged to a race...outwitting a student in the classroom is no match for outrunning a student on track.

Svet-ing old memories

Remembered going to dinner with a friend and colleague VW in 1993 and discussing favorite names...I like the sound of Svetlana - and Boginskaya and Khorkhina were two of my favorite athletes.

Solid run...

A fast run is always good, but is hard on the body if it is not in good shape. Yesterday saw one of those runs, and it ran me to the house really fast.

Running....on Auto-

News headlines these days are dominated by the run-away growth numbers of India and China. Car sales in India are just zooming forward. This is highly unfortunate and tragic. Given the density of the population, the size of the urban areas, the distance people travel between work and home, the severe shortage of space, and the abysmal air and water quality, mass transit is a far superior alternative. It is true that the sector is employing people, but at what cost? Better solutions can and should be found. In many cases, walking is a faster, easier, cheaper and healthier solution.

Doing it...with Saucony or Asics or New B

Runners are superstitious...they stick to the same routines and the same shoes. I have always liked Saucony, Asics and New Balance shoes, and use each make for a specific purpose. Asics are great running shoes and Saucony makes great training shoes. I use New Balance also to train, but prefer the lighter Saucony.

Marathon...of life

Rest is Rust...my father used to quote Swami Chinmayananda's words often.

On TV today a reporter interviewed a 92 year old man who took part in the Mumbai marathon recently. That is one gutsy chap.

On the other hand a student offered me his seat on the bus...the grey hair makes me look more gentlemanly than I really am.

Light of body, weighty in thoughts

Running consistently for a few weeks does wonders for the body- it feels much lighter and nimbler. At the same time, running also improves clarity of thought, which can help in analyzing an issue in a quicker fashion. The challenge - developing self discipline and exercising control over the tendency to be lazy and to procrastinate.

A rosy view....

Doing another end-to-end run made for an interesting morning. Hearing from a young lady who goes by the name of Rosy made it exciting. When the maid did not arrive, sweeping the floors made the morning sparkling as a rose.

Running...better at altitude, but a matter of attitude

Running on mountains or at altitudes is always more interesting and challenging. However running anywhere is good for the attitude- clears up the fog in one's mind, and makes for a pleasant rest of the day. However the effects do dissipate quickly, thus the necessity for doing this regularly.

Running out of the gate...to Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati

Finally managed to get a run in from the entry point to the dormitories area of IIT. Not a particularly long run by any means, but the hot weather creates a stiff headwind even for the cool runner.

Clubby and bubbly...

Today I was out running in the morning and saw a group of three runners going the opposite way. As I completed my circuitous route, I ran into them again. One of them stopped me and asked if I was a marathon runner. After finding out that I was, he remarked that he guessed it because I appeared to be a good runner. He and his group belonged to a local runners' club. It is always good to see fellow runners form clubs and make it a social event, with a little bubbly along the long way.

Runners supreme

Rosa Mota of Portugal and Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway- two of my favorite runners. It is a pleasure to watch them run- and speak. They are so graceful.

A difference of a few months

When I was in India in the summer it was hot in a number of ways- I had a romantic interest which was sparkling and brought alive the romantic feeling in everything. This winter, it has been a struggle to push forward. When one's attention is not focused, everything seems like a blur- even running.

Vaporizing the Runner

More than the heat, it is the humidity that can take a serious toll on a distance runner. Going out this morning for a run in the high humidity environment was challenging- a couple of miles felt like a dozen. However, the scenery always makes it bearable, and vaporizes the breathing problems.

The Arctic Freeze

is hitting North America...I had an interesting discussion with a German Professor on wednesday about German winters and how the German roads have multiple layers that enable the roads to withstand winters much better those in the U.S.

Facilities for running in Sweden or Germany are also better than those in the U.S. suburbs, especially in the harsh winter conditions.

When running was easy

Getting up and going for a 20 mile run was exciting a couple of decades ago- it was nice to see regular faces with whom one exchanged friendly hand gestures, and women who could run faster than the men...in this case it was better to be behind.

Cool run on a cool morning

Running is a lot of fun when one is out early in the morning and the weather is cool and the sun is just beginning to emerge. The hordes of people are not out in full force and there is space to run and space to think.

Missing the Cold Treatment

Chicago is going through one of the typical cold spells of winter- these are the times that test a runner's soul. However, one does not see many runners in the parts where the weather is warmer and nicer. Running is part of a society's culture, as is mobile 'whatever.'

Warm run, warm hearts

Hot temperatures make for hot runs- but warm people make for a cool and pleasant reality. The lovely Indian hospitality is simply the warmest feeling that can be given to anyone.

Starting a new edition- tomorrow

After a week of getting settled, the plan is to start running again tomorrow.