Thursday, November 29, 2007

Holiday Running in Chennai!

So I am off to Chennai in just 9 days! I can't wait...it's been close to 3 years since I last visited and I have ALOT to catch up on...friends and family I haven't met in a while...new people to see (specifically a new niece and new nephew!!)...new places to see...new restaurants to try out....weddings to attend etc etc....and of course who can forget all the AMAZING SHOPPING!! The 3 weeks are just going to zip by so darn quickly!! I wish I could have more time there!!!

3 weeks in India however means a 3 week absence from Rogue Training....this is especially crucial because I have a 20-miler Distance Challenge race to do the weekend after I get back!!..This means that I have to get some running in during the 3-week vacation including at least one solid long run. Coach Stephanie suggested checking out gyms and running groups in Chennai....and the first one that popped up when I googled Chennai running was the following site:
www.chennairunners.com

Chennairunners is an informal running group consisting of a bunch of people who just enjoy running - be it long distance or short distance!

Quoting what appears on their website!
"Essentially a friendly lot, this group comprises, in varying fitness levels, the young, the young at heart and people whose youthfulness belies their age. Long distance running with the goal of finishing a marathon drives most of the members in this group. So we draw up schedules, train together, travel to races, exchange stories and experiences. Running in a group helps us push each other beyond our limits and alleviates the loneliness of running."

Both G32 and I contacted them - and will hopefully get a chance to run with them when we are in India in Dec and Jan respectively.

I was in general very impressed with all the results I got when I googled "running" "gyms" and "fitness" in Chennai....Just comparing to 3 years ago when I last visited, there are a lot more avenues available for one to get fit and stay fit in Chennai....Running especially is really picking up momentum not just in Chennai, but all over in India. I would defn. love to go run a marathon in Chennai sometime in the next few years!! Overall, this increasing awareness and embracement of fitness and staying healthy in India - is definitely a great trend, one I hope to see keep continuing.

I for once will definitely need to run in Chennai when I am there in December, JUST to compensate for all the binge-eating I plan to do!! ;)

Happy Holiday Running!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Charanya!!
I google { chennai + running + long and this page is the 3rd hit :)

Were you able to get "a running" ?

Good luck and have fun!! We had an 18 miler this weekend - was a killer but fun. The bake sale went great!!

-Gayathri ( aka G32)

Charanya said...

Unfortunately...NO!! :( Mostly logistics issues...oh well!

Have a fab wedding!! We can run your "thalai marathon" when you get back!! :)

Karthikeyan (KK) said...

hello !

I did a ( chennai + running ) google and yours was one of the pages!! I train with chennai runners as well.. next time you are here, you are welcome to run with us..

Charanya said...

Hey KK! I didnt get a chance to run with you guys during my last trip cos of my hectic schedule - but I did get in touch with Shumit!
Next time for sure!

Anonymous said...

Interesting to know.