Book Love - 2013

Continuing with the tradition of chronicling my reading journey on this blog (2011, 2012) here's my list of books I read/fell in love with this year. As a occupational hazard, I cannot really shy away from jotting down some reading statistics and analysis here.

I read 21 books this year. (goodreads list here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4760161?shelf=what-i-read-in-2013) much much much less than the previous years. But this year I also had to indulge my time in many exhaustive and time consuming, dedication testing activities. So I was not able to accommodate as much reading as I would have liked. Many books which I wanted to read were just pushed away because of their size and sometimes lack of attention. Anywho, I am happy I read some gems this year which just made up for the lack of volume.

My top picks being:
1. Contact by Carl Sagan - Science fiction woven with the vagaries of being a human. This book presents most bold ideas of world peace, progress in such a humble and visionary manner that one cannot help but love it. FANGIRL forever. Oh! Carl Sagan you make my heart giddy with your vision and ideas.

2. Mother of 1084 by Mahasweta Devi. - A truly multifaceted story in just 130 pages! Only a gifted artist can tell a tale with such courage and honesty and silently make you think about the hypocrisy of our society and the prevailing double standards, intermixing the political and the apolitical in a fine manner.

3. Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri - With this I have read the entire repertoire of JL. I loved it because the story sucked me in, made me care about the characters, even irritated me at times because no one seemed to find any solace despite the subtle drama unfolding in their lives.

4. Atonement by Ian McEwan - What a book! what a book! I was torn apart by the love story. I was also humbled by its humanness.

5. Born to run by Christopher McDougall - I ran a half marathon this year. And I got inspired by this book A LOT. That is a testimonial itself.

6. Kingkiller Chronicle (1 and 2) by Patrick Rothfuss - I was bored by the book in the beginning but the world of alars and magic charmed me like any fantasy fiction can! Kvothe I await your adventures in the final installment of the saga.

7. The last mughal by William Dalrymple - If one likes to read history I highly recommend Will Dalrymple to you because, he weaves stories out of simple incidences and takes you to a Delhi that was and probably still is. Fell in love with Delhi post this read.

As every year, I have grand plans for 2014 too! The idea is always to read a little bit of every genre.
Recommendations and suggestions and your favorite reads are welcome!

happy reading!

Malvani love

The moment our tavera (a chevrolet multi purpose vehicle) reached the homestay in Malvan at 3 am, all of us knew this was going to be a special road trip. A, R and I had gone crazy planning a road trip over the past 2 months. Sometimes the distance was the problem, sometimes the mode of transport, sometimes the location itself or sometimes non availability of tickets. When we finally did decide to do a roadtrip to Konkan (Malvan, Sindhudurg to be specific) we thought only 3 of us would make it boring. We asked a lot of people to join and finally with T and P joining the party it became an exclusive 'girls trip'. So cliches apart the journey from Pune to Malvan was a first time adventure for most of us. No one including the driver had any clue about the route from Kolhapur onward. So GPS tracking and consulting locals/acquaintances from kolhapur later we decided to take the Karul ghaat which goes via Gagan Bawda as that route had sufficient night traffic. In the middle of the ghaat the driver also told us to keep our windows closed, as there might be some robbery scene. Well as if not knowing the route well and traveling in the middle of the night was not adventure enough! A super weird wrong turn later, where a tourist bus also followed us, we got a call from our homestay owner (at 2 in the night) asking about our whereabouts. By this time all of us were wide awake hoping to make it to a bed in an hour. Another hour long drive later we arrived at Malvan, where our driver (Sarfaraz bhaiyya) confessed that we had driven him crazy with the GPS and our navigation skills etc etc.  

the aflatoon and pretty amazing Sarfaraz bhaiyya!

Because the journey had become so tiring and exhausting we immediately boarded the big dorm rooms we had booked. Some lizard and giant spider spotting later sleep was a matter of seconds. 
The day 1 plan was to get done with Scuba diving near Sindhudurg fort in the first half of the day. We left home as early as 9 am and headed to the bay where boats to Sindhudurg could be boarded. Along with 2 more families we hopped onto a boat with scuba instructors and crew. Turn by turn we all took to the 30-40 feet water with our instructors and had an amazing time being an explorer of the sea.

P with her share of sea life

Personally I was a bit scared as I started off, but the feeling of being inside water suited me well and then there was no turning back. It was a great beginner experience for a cost of 1500 Rs. per head. We also got under water videos of each of us for some extra cost which made the memory lasting.

We then headed to Sindhudurg fort which still stands majestic and strong despite the years. Its one of the few water fortresses that Shivaji Maharaj constructed and added to his arsenal. The vistas of the Arabian sea from the fort walls are quite something. I was taken by the scenery around.

the ageless fortress of Sindhudurg

surmai fry. yumness!

We then headed to have our first lunch in Malvan at a local joint 'only fish' recommended by our homestay owner. A lot of waiting later ( its a small place, so make sure to give your orders an hour before you are
hungry) our delish food arrived. Malvani cuisine is a treat for the stomach. My personal choice was the fresh sea food served with typical malvani curries and solkadi rich in coconut milk. 

Some rest later we moved to Tarkarli beach which is 7 km from Malvan to watch sunset and relax which we had forgotten was on the agenda. So much constant activity later just sitting on the beach was a respite. It was one of the cleanest konkan beaches I have visited. The tarkarli beach also houses resorts along the shoreline. Its a perfectly peaceful getaway from the routine lives of us city dwellers.

sometimes beauty is captured by staring into thin air

With lots of ifs and buts later, Sarfaraz bhaiyya got ready to take us to Goa on day 2. The distance from Malvan to Goa is hardly 40-50 km. We took the 'Sagari Mahamarg' SH4 via Vengurla. Its a very rustic and scenic drive where in the direction sense of the locals every road goes 'straight' despite the turns and twists. Quite interesting and profound I believe. 

essentially straight roads

We spent some time at the surprisingly less crowded Harmal beach, near Arambol in Goa. We then headed to Baga beach for an afternoon of lazying around and lounging in the sun. Electric cats at Baga (other branch is in Calangute) is the best and highly recommended place for food. It was my second time with them and I totally endorse their food. Even Baga beach was not that crowded which made moving around easy and hassle free. We returned to Malvan in the evening to wrap things up.

some sun and some shisha

On day 3 we went to Devbagh which is 12 km from Malvan. It has the sangam (confluence) of Karli river and Arabian sea. The entire area is surrounded by peaceful and serene natural beauty. The touristy things to do here consist of dolphin spotting, seagull island, tsunami island (for watersports and parasailing), sangam point. We sailed onto a boat which took us deep in the sea to experience all these beauties. When the motor had stopped and we were just sailing in sea water was the most amazing moment of the trip for me. It had captured the essence of all the movement in life. The fleeting peace that I experienced in that moment would stay with me for a long time.

Surreal beauty

My half marathon training with Running Potential

Training is a very important aspect of any half/full marathon aspirant or participant. 

When I registered for the Pune half marathon, I knew I had to train hard given I was an amateur runner. To top that its 21.1 km I was thinking of running, my longest ever. If one has to finish a book before a deadline, one doesn't start writing a day before. It takes work. I think as great writers write everyday, even great runners run (must be?) every day or train on a regular basis.

I was pretty ignorant of running techniques, training, how much to run, how long to run, whether to monitor my heart rate or my pace, etc etc. I had jumped in thinking google, fellow runners would help me find a way. On one of my Sunday runs I met Anand (we work at the same place) from running potential who is an accomplished runner himself. We talked about my 'running' plans and he suggested I attend a talk he was going to give about 'Physiology of running'. I was welcome for any insights and went in to attend, a bit hesitant. It was a super informative and illuminating talk which focused on the science behind running and its aspects. 

I immediately signed up for training with running potential as mentioned in the super long post I wrote earlier.

my training log for HM with reds and greens all over it :)

My training started in last week of September and my half marathon was scheduled for first week of december, an exact 2 month period. I had a 10 k run coming up in first week of october. So the first 2 weeks were about getting me to run that 10k without breaking myself. But I fell ill, missed out on the event and an entire week of training. So post that it was 'start from scratch'. Because I was an amateur runner, my training became about getting across mental blocks of long distances, and running for duration rather than distance. According to the training plan I was supposed to run 4/5 days a week and maintain a log (essential for any aspiring long distance runner) and update it in a shared google doc.

Also I was to increase my mileage gradually . So I started out with 23km per week and ramped up to 35 km per week. My runs were broken into easy runs of 3-5 km on weekdays (I had to go to work as well!) and longer i.e. 8-10 km runs on weekends. The longest distance I ran before the half marathon was 12km. So you can see the training never made me stretch myself beyond my physical fitness so that my body would break. It first of all aimed at getting me to a fitter level. It also concentrated on simulating the conditions of a longer run for my body to be able to learn and adapt. Within 3 weeks I could see that my aerobic system i.e my lungs and breathing had become much better. I had always run out of breath during runs, which used to compel me to take walking breaks to get my breath in control. Due to this short + long distance combination of running this behavior got better and now I felt like taking a walking break after 10 km on really good run days. The 2 month long training progressed and hit its peak 2 weeks before the half marathon. By that time I was half over my dread of longer distances and half tired of following the training routine. But it reduced in volume over the last 2 weeks before HM where I took it really easy and ran only 3/4 times a day.
It was like preparing for a huge exam (I know its nerdy and hence cannot think of a better analogy) without caring for the results. Of course, I cared as I wanted to finish and had set myself these 3 goals before the training started:

1. to finish the half marathon without killing myself
2. to get a decent timing (below 3 hours)
3. to be able to go to office the next day*

I achieved all the 3 with this awesome training program by running potential which was designed for me and was very personal and took into consideration my abilities, limitations and running background. And that too at a very nominal cost!

You can get all these benefits of running and realize your running potential just by following their facebook feed or twitter handle or even sign up for a training. You need not be a local.
running potential fb page: https://www.facebook.com/MyRunningPotential?fref=ts
twitter handle: https://twitter.com/RunPotential

*In case you are wondering I was mobile and active post run. But once I hit the bed I did sleep for more than 12 hours at a stretch. I went to work the next day with a few sore muscles. And my half marathon official timing was 2.36 (2 hours 36 minutes 03 seconds).

P.S. this is based entirely on my training experience. I am not getting paid for my endorsements :)

thoughts of a first time half marathoner

Yes. I joined the bandwagon, I ran a half marathon when I am just reaching thirties. I also must be one of those n people who are penning down things that flashed through their mind as they drudged kilometer after kilometer.

So to set the records straight, I have wanted to take up one sport and follow it continuously, passionately (at least with interest) and get rid of negativity in life and around it (at least shift my focus away from it) and hence in the pursuit become a better person. Cliched as it may sound this motivation has payed off well. The past year has been about running, training, developing endurance and fitness. I am still an amateur and may remain one but I am enjoying the feeling of well being that comes along with any rewarding physical activity. 

It all started earlier this year when a friend asked me to join her for a Sunday run. We did badly, ran walked, but we stuck to the plan of meeting up every Sunday for a run and breakfast afterwards. The breakfast bit is most important as that remained our motivation for initial 3-4 months. We would barely finish the 5k and then eat. A routine I started enjoying immensely. I also joined the gym in the wake of getting other body parts to become stronger. Some wrong running on treadmill and an injury later, my tryst with the gym ended. I have never been a gym person, so I was glad to put all this behind me. A good 2 month break later I was back to running. By this time I had made lot of acquaintances who ran on Sundays at the place I went running to. Questions started popping. They would see me do a good 5k and would ask why not run more ? Of course, I would reply running was not my thing. I do it cos its fun and the breakfast courses taste delicious afterwards. All in good jest. Deep down I was shit scared of doing longer distances, of pushing myself. What if I got injured, what if I could not do it, what if I failed.

A close friend who lives in the US and had registered for her first half marathon, started sharing her training stories. Partly inspired by her and partly to test myself, I too enrolled in a training program (a dedicated post about that later). I started beating my own distances without pushing myself too far or stretching my endurance. I started clocking distances as long as 8km without breaks. The fear of the big 21.1 was still hovering over me, but at least I had developed stamina to imagine myself doing it. I ran a 10km in 70 minutes 2 weeks before the marathon day. And then just started gathering my will power and concentrating my energies for the half marathon. I had never felt so focused and nervous after the 12th standard board exams I gave.

These were the thoughts streaming through my mind as the race progressed.

• at 7.22 am in my watch: race start time was 7.20 am, they have not started the race yet. I have to pee.
• 7.25 am: the race has started. nice and steady. wow a boy with polio running with his father. wow. I have to pee.
• 8 am: how much have I run so far. is it 5km yet (I run with a pace of 7-7.5 km). Whee so many runners together. how exciting for the cops to manage traffic for us.
• 8.15 am: hi-5ved few onlooker kids. They are cheering for us. Yayyy.
• 8.20 am: Why cant I see any water station. I need water. I am walking now in hope of seeing a water station. Uncle stops by asks me to push it and tells me there is a water station along the corner.
• 8.35 am: all tricks. no water station yet. I am still pushing it. A nice fellow offers me his energy drink. Remind myself - you cant drink all that. Give it back after a sip. Curse myself for throwing off that water bottle in the bin.
• 8.45 am: water station. Yay. But they dont have bottles only disposable glasses. Its going to be ok.
• 9 am: spotted an aunty carrying water on her bike for runners. thank god for good people.
• 9.15 am: I am entering area of the city where I live, come on give them a run for their claps, run dont stop is what I am telling myself. I stop at a water booth, pick a small bottle, splash some on my face to get rid of the sweat and start running. People are cheering us by our names (bibs had our names printed). For the first time in life I am not conscious of strangers screaming my name.
• 9.20 am: I am in part of the route where it starts elevating gradually. Strategy change, I am walking fast now. 500 meters of this slope done. Running again. This has given me enough strength to run 1.5 km without break. 
• 9.30 am: only 4km remaining. I am in the busiest part of the city. All the traffic has been stopped and people are cheering like crazy now.
• 9.45 am: 2 km remaining. I see the 19km sign board. My feet have started to give up. Its like I have stones tied around my ankles. I cannot run anymore. I am walking. An uncle comes along and asks me to join him, to run together. I tell him I cannot feel my legs. He says dont worry about it.
• 9.55 am: I am 500 meters from finish point. Gathering whatever will power is left inside me, I make a run for it. See bunch of my coaches along, they cheer and tell me you are done, carry on.
• 9.57 am: meet a runner friend/photographer at the 50 meters from finish line mark. I am grinning as he clicks snaps. I am done and dusted in the next 2 minutes. As I hit the lawn to cool down and relax, I notice someone took away my water bottle. I am not angry or frustrated with those people. I am happy, enjoying the moment, not caring about anything. (no thought of 'I have to pee' after 5 minutes into the run, if you observed)

Because of running I have met the most amazing and inspiring people over the last few months from all age groups. I have made some really good 'runner' friends and gurus, with whom I can discuss any silly running insight. 
I am sure I have conquered the fear of running longer distances. Of course the big 42 still looms in the distance. May be in 3-4 years I will conquer that too. In a way I was looking forward for these 2.5 months to get over, because I was bored of living the routine life, eating the same proteins, sleeping early etc etc. But as the half marathon day approached, I had new questions about what now ? what next ? 

I think I have the answers now and a tentative strategy even if no sure way to implement it. 

~ A girl who became a runner and started a small change in her life.