Squatting Now!

#gonetorun this morning and came across a bizarre happening.

I am trudging up the Waverock hillside and notice a chap doing squats in a perfect posture about 200-300 meters away. That he is doing so next to a car seems strange but not completely unbelievable. I have stopped the car in middle of long drives and did drills - push-ups and sit-ups - to get the Chi flowing again. To each his own OCD, I thought.

100 meters later I began to wonder otherwise. The form seems fine, knees slightly bent and  hips dipping perfectly to the ground but his hands, shouldn’t they be cross resting on his shoulders? From afar it seemed that was the case but now I see hands a little higher than the shoulder. Perhaps this dedicated fitness freak is making it tougher for himself.

50 meters away from him now and clarity emerges. The chap is no fitness freak and no, he isn’t squatting to tone up his quads and strengthening hamstrings. His hands are crossed alright but touching his ears, not shoulders. He is prostrating on the side of a car. Indeed, some people like to treat vehicles with godly respect but this is bordering on stupidity now, I thought.

10 meters away from the guy and I notice a bald chap sitting in the car. That’s when the real story emerges. Turns out that the boss is dealing out corporal punishment to his driver, literally counting the squats. Right in the middle of a busy road.

In 200 meters I go from admiration to disgust about humanity.

Pink-ed

Lady, Gaga!

#gonetorun yesterday. On the return leg of my route I was passing through a woman runner. I had noticed her earlier on the downhill and just by looking at her pace I knew she wasn't here for the first time. I egged her on as she made the way up the hill.

She reciprocated my nudge by telling me she wished she had my speed. I slowed down a bit and we got talking.

I mentioned that I'd read somewhere that running is the only sport in which you improve with age and it has worked for me, so it must be true. She told me it wasn't working that way for her - she had been slowing down over the last few years.

Turns out she had been running since 2001/2002. A few years ago, she ran Bangalore Ultra 100KM. She did 112KM in the Nilgiris a couple of years ago. She felt that while the endurance has gone up, her legs were beginning to slow down. That probably explains why she was trudging up and down the ISB road training her legs on the hill.

I was awed. Before bidding her good bye, I told her she has ran more than 2x of the furthest I have run.

And then I told myself, which I didn't share with her, that I need to gather speed because I have a long way to catch up with her. She is a superstar. Salute and RESPECT!

Pinkathon

It's that time of the year when swathes of pink come running out on the road. Yes, it's time for Pinkathon.

Several ladies I know, including my wife, participate in this event. Some of them are serious runners looking for their PBs. Most of them though show up because the lady next door - who has 2 young kids, or who is so-out-of-shape-yet-attempting, or who is so very popular in the community as a health freak - is also going. It is the same reason why the neighbors' neighbor also shows up. And before you know it, every 2nd women in the neighborhood is preparing for the event with evening 'brisk' walks. 

I totally respect the sentiments of the individuals running in these events. I just hope they know better than "neighbor's envy" as the reason for their participation.

While the reasons may vary, almost all the ladies have a common objective to show-up at Pinkathon. The ultimate prized possession for the most is to return home with a 'selfie-with-Soman' - Milind Soman.

Talking of the cause, I happen to recently speak to a bunch of ladies participating this year. None of them had a clue about the cause supported by Pinkathon. It's breast cancer, in case you were wondering too.

Speed Boat

Never let the mind goad you to believe that you woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Woke up this morning with soar limbs courtesy heavy-duty iron pumps at the Gym yesterday. For a good few minutes my mind swung between ‘why not skip today’ to “don’t break the habit”. Eventually I took the spin.

And glad I did. The return on investment made it worthwhile.

-        Fastest 1K @ 4:28 mins.

-        Fastest 5K @ 23:37 mins.

-        Fastest 10K @ 48:32 mins.

And to think I almost did not run today only because my mind was almost about to bend? Never let it goad your will.