Hello from Chi-town!

Indian chica in freezing Chi-town = disaster.

No big deal as far as running is concerned since I have decided to rest up my injured body till the new year in any case. But yayee to me for getting in 40 minutes of a moderate cardio workout today!

This is how it went:
- 20 mins easy running (treadmill, 2% incline)
- 10 mins elliptical (level 8)
- 10 mins reclining cycle (resistance 9)

But no, this workout wasn't all smooth-sailing but interrupted by pretty crazy bouts of breathlessness. Turns out, this was due to the change in altitudes ventilation failure in a 3X3 cubbyhole of a gym. So now this has got me thinking about le grand Chi-town marathon plan for 2010. Am I running it (or more like, will I be able to without busting my lungs)? I'm undecided yet...it all depends on how I train and more importantly, how 2010 lines up for me (big changes ahead!). But really, how does one train to run at a higher altitude without actually being at that altitude?


PS: I'm getting used to the cold now so no worries. The new, very elegant Jessica Simpson coat may have something to do with that. *sigh*

A sucky week

This has been a bad running week. Same old, same old. I ran just one day (Tuesday) and it was a painful 2.66 miles before I was forced to stop and limp my way home.

Today, I finally managed to get in the X-ray session. I’m to see the ortho on Friday, so (hopefully) we’ll know something then. But it doesn’t look like I’m getting back to serious training any time soon.

Anywhos, I’ll take the rest if it means pain-free running in the future. I’m just hoping this is all over soon. For now, this blog sucks because I have no exciting running stories to tell.

Weekly workout round-up

Here's my very low-key, injury-friendly round-up for last week:

Monday: 6 miles easy
Wednesday: 6.2 miles easy
Friday: 6.5 miles easy
Saturday:
15 mins. cross-trainer (full ramp, 8-9 intensity)
24 mins. easy treadmill (1% incline)
Strength training (chest, shoulder, triceps, abs)

Today, since I've had some work to get out of the way real quick, AM run has been postponed to the PM. The leg doesn't feel too fab, so I'll be making it an easy 6-7 again.

Back to work now!

A 30-second Stanza

Strange brilliance, blinding into oblivion,
A cacophony of congregational bliss.
This existential boundary of mediocrity,
Pompously wrapping itself unawares.
Still, through this unnerving chaos,
Emanates a glorious inexplicable calm...
I'm holding my own, my very own.

P.S.: Penned in approximately 30 seconds while waiting on a friend, over a cuppa of mint tea at German Bakery.

Yes, I've been living with this for 5 months

More than a month has gone by since I raced the Delhi Half and yes, things have changed dramatically on the running front. I’ve fallen off the wagon. Before kicking off this rant, let me put my debut race result out there: 02.01.24.

Ok, so I’m not thrilled with this but at least I can tell myself that this is only the beginning and it only gets better here on. I was secretly hoping to go under two hours, but oh well…let me just say that it was possible, even easy. I’ll save the details for a more complete race report.

As I was saying, this past month has been bad in terms of running. I tried to get back to it a few days after the race, but my right leg decided to give up on me. I’ve had a pretty rocky relationship with this leg of mine for some time now.

First a clicking hip, then ITBS-like symptoms, then sciatica-like symptoms, and now a ‘I’m-getting-rid-of-you-if-you-don’t-behave’ type of symptom. It’s been one harrowing journey that started a few months before the Delhi Half, involved copious amounts of ibuprofen, Bengay (and other Bengay-like gels), and has becoming awfully painful to live with.

Needless to say, I took two weeks off running after that one particularly painful recovery week. The rest did absolutely nothing for the damn leg and I gained two kilos in the bargain. That is definitely NOT the deal I signed up for! Seriously, I have only myself to blame for that. I eat when I’m miserable and not running makes me miserable.

This week, as I prepare for an X-ray the ortho advised, I’ve gone back to running. Not a great deal, but I’ve got four easy running days marked up on my calendar...two down, two more to go. My leg may be in pain after every run, but at least I’m at peace with myself.

I know, I need to fix the problem and yes, I’m onto it. More details on the mysterious leg ailment as soon as I get the ortho’s take on the X-ray report.

Dear God, I just want to run.

Pre-Delhi write-up

(Written on October 28, '09)

So, a little background and an insight into what I’m doing at the moment as far as running goes. I’m scheduled to make my debut into the world of racing and finally earn the title of ‘runner’ with the Delhi Half Marathon on November 1st. Honestly; I’ve been all over the place training for this one. I first toyed around with the idea of registering for this race around 4 months ago, when I had just about hit 8-10k runs. Bad choice for such a piddly mileage runner, but back then, it was for fun sake only.

I was doing roughly 10k distance about three times a week and two of those times were on a treadmill at the gym. I’ve been a treadmill runner for many years and always balked at the idea of running outdoors. Exposing myself to the elements (of pollution and sun) seemed the most preposterous idea ever. I’m a diva like that. Figures then that I never gave Delhi a serious thought.

But then things changed pretty dramatically one morning when I ran around a cricket field out of sheer boredom. 10k in approximately 56 mins.—I was stoked! I thought, “Maybe I can do this. Maybe I can race.” That was about the time I started training. No plan in place, I just did what I thought would work for me. And so I started running around the field every other day.

It’s been off and on training for the Delhi Half since then. At one point in the early days, I had to take a week off from training due to overtraining exhaustion and a sore hip. The last two months involved, what I’d consider; some form of “serious” training. Although I still wasn’t following a particular plan, my runs included tempos, strides, and the requisite long runs. The goal has been to first build a mileage base without falling asleep at work, and then worry about pacing. The results mirror the expected: I’ve managed to crank up the miles to 12 but am sorely lagging behind as far as speedwork is concerned.

Anywhos, at least 13.1 doesn’t seem like such a daunting number and that’s a relief. Of course, the champion that I am, I also have a goal time in mind. But I’m not going to let that out just yet. We’ll wait to see what happens on the 1st.

So, the way things stand at this moment in time, there are now ONLY 3 DAYS left to Delhi! Eeeps!

The Tan-O-Phobic Runner

Well, hello there! Finally, after much procrastination and stalking some fabulous running blogs, I’ve gotten down to the business of initiating one of my own. This running blog debut comes close on the heels of another big debut: my first race ever! On November 1, 2009, I ran the Delhi Half Marathon.

I have, on many occasions, questioned my wisdom on this decision. Shouldn’t I be starting off with a modest 5K instead? Maybe, but Looking Glass aside, I just want the experience to be fun (I may or may not be secretly coveting a certain finish time). I also have a tendency to go straight for the big ones. Teehee.

So, run away with me as I wend my way through life, ramble passionately about running, scribble random bits of poetry, balance a full-time job, dig into my not-so-splendid past, live the colorful Indian life, and lather on dollops of sunscreen. This is my marathon and there is no finish line.

Welcome to my life!

P.S. – Ok, so yes I’m not big on tans. I believe every runner’s allowed some eccentricity, right?