tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313708032024-03-06T23:21:53.457-06:00Everybody Is Free to Wear SunscreenCharanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-42404234822527235072011-06-03T13:27:00.012-05:002011-06-04T09:23:33.354-05:00Back in Tri Mode.....as part of Team SirCha! :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YFTrtO6ir-Y/TekG6o6Q9iI/AAAAAAAAX34/edsgdrMc3vQ/s1600/sircha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YFTrtO6ir-Y/TekG6o6Q9iI/AAAAAAAAX34/edsgdrMc3vQ/s320/sircha.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Picture courtesy Sirsha)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello! I am back....after a long long time! I don't even know if anyone checks this blog anymore, but I am still excited to be back! :)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So since August 2010, when I did my last Tri - I had gone for just one ride with Vish, and during that ride, I ended up with a flat barely 3 miles into the ride, after which I gave up. Since then, Scarlett II, my precious bike, has just been sitting "vettily" in my bedroom not doing much. Even in the 2010 Tri season, although I did a Triathlon, it almost felt like I did it for the sake of doing it, and my heart wasn't really in it, and the results definitely reflected that as well.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Earlier this year, my super enthu husband <a href="http://iamnotfreezing.blogspot.com/">Vishwas</a> signed us up for a 70.3 Half-Ironman Triathlon - <a href="http://www.redmantriathlon.com/">Redman Triathlon OKC</a> - Vish is an excellent biker and runner, but swimming is still pretty alien to him. Although he has done one Triathlon in the past, his passion lies with Duathlons. Ever since our superman friend <a href="http://austin-triathlete.blogspot.com/">Amit Bhai</a> did his first ever Ironman race, he's been itching to be part of an "Iron" race....so that's how I got roped into doing the swim portion of the 70.3 for him, while he raced the bike and run portions. I was okay with this - I enjoy swimming and being able to just swim without the stress of biking and running after was something I was even pretty excited about. I had planned to start training in the mid-June timeframe, once I got done with some of the other commitments I had. Meanwhile, Vish has been training properly in San Antonio, with<a href="http://www.trisitionarea.com/">Tri-Sition Area</a>, in preparation for an upcoming duathlon, so I am constantly fed with stories about training.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A few weeks ago, a dear friend and Team Asha running mate <a href="http://chatteruns.wordpress.com/">Sirsha</a>, signed up for her first ever Triathlon. She will be racing <a href="http://www.danskintriathlon.net/">Danskin</a> this weekend - an awesome all-women Triathlon. She also borrowed my bike Scarlett I for her training program. Her enthusiasm – especially outlined in all her blog posts (which I highly recommend reading for new runners/triathletes) – throughout this training program had been slowly rubbing off on me, even though I did not really realize it. Early last week, she sent out a SOS note to the informal training/support group we have <a href="http://www.tri-oomph.blogspot.com/">Tri-Oomph</a>, expressing concerns about open-water swimming during the Triathlon. Almost instinctively, I replied to her email and asked if she would like me to sign up and do the race with her, especially the swim portion. I did not really expect her to reply and say yes, but when she did, I knew I had to keep my promise and promptly signed up – 10 days before the race! I have to thank (or blame :p) Vish for pushing me to do this!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have done a couple of Triathlons in the past without any structured training, but had typically always been in good shape, and had also been swimming, biking and running somewhat regularly. The last 6 months though, I have been living a very sedentary lifestyle, with almost zero exercise and physical activity and poor eating, due to multiple reasons. The only good thing I have done in the last few weeks is lost ~6lbs as part of a weight-loss program I had signed up with at my gym. This was mainly via restructuring my diet and eating habits, and not really through a rigorous exercise program. Given this, this weekend’s race is definitely going to be an interesting test for me in gauging my physical fitness! But regardless, I am excited! Excited to finally be getting off my ass and back in training mode, and excited to accompany a friend as she loses her Tri virginity. :p I am also pumped to train through the Summer for 3 different events I have signed up for in the Fall timeframe (Austin Tri – Oly distance, Redman Relay and Philly Marathon) and most off all, I am just so darn glad to be back on track towards become more healthy, fit and toned after being a slob for so many months! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks much to Vishy and Sirsha for inspiring me to do this!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And……Go Team SirCha….I can’t wait for this weekend!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-C </span></div></div>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-11766626224048595022010-08-17T08:17:00.001-05:002010-08-17T08:18:36.680-05:00Gator Bait Memorial Tri<div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7mmkJLjXBOo/TGqL7zihghI/AAAAAAAAVYs/mNuF60jTCVQ/s1600/sat-horz.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 399px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506367353977405970" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7mmkJLjXBOo/TGqL7zihghI/AAAAAAAAVYs/mNuF60jTCVQ/s400/sat-horz.jpg" /></a><strong><span style="color:#cc6600;"> At the Gator Bait Memorial Tri in Boerne, TX</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#cc6600;">Vish did a Bike-Run Du and I Tri-ed! :)</span></strong><br /></div>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-12586930166162713992009-07-06T13:12:00.000-05:002009-07-06T17:19:40.747-05:00Captex - My 1st Olympic Triathlon<span style="color:#000099;">This race report is looooooooong overdue - it's been almost 40+ days since I did the Captex Triathlon, and I already have my next Tri coming up this weekend! Yikes!! I have been completely swamped though the last few weeks with work, wedding planning, my engagement ceremony, rehearsals for a drama that happened 2 weekends ago, other Asha-related stuff etc etc. I don't think I can remember all the details from that day since it's been a while, but I'll try my best to provide the gist of everything that happened!<br /><br /><strong>Pre-Race:</strong><br />On the Sunday before the race, I went to check on my bike and wanted to prep to take it to transition for the pre-race dropoff. To my horror, I discovered a FLAT on the bike! I made an SOS call to Amit Bhai, who told me to call down and take the bike to J&A. I did just that. The bike tech there could not find anything wrong with the tube and was a little perplexed on how the flat happened, but nevertheless, he changed it for me and declared the bike to be race-ready! I was more relaxed after that and went to get my race packet and dropped my bike off at Transition. Since I got there pretty early, I was able to get a nice corner spot. I then went to scope out the swim course, and the various transition entrances/exits. The swim -> transition and transition -> bike distances were pretty long I met Amit at the Transition and we discussed the course a bit more. I then went for a drive along the bike course to check it out! Overall, I felt pretty relaxed about the race. My main concern was the weather - it was going to be HOT on Memorial Day and I am just not a fan of the heat at all!<br /><br /><strong>Race Morning:</strong><br />On race morning, I hitched a ride with Amit Bhai. Amit likes to be at the race site as soon as Transition opens, and I decided I would try that out this time, after the fiasco at Rookie, where Vish and I got to transition 10 minutes before it was going to close due to parking challenges! Going early gave me enough time to set everything up, visit the port-a-pottie, fill up air in my tires. This is definitely something I am going to strive to do in all races! It's amazing what it does to keep you calm pre-race! I then walked over to the swim start and hung out with Amit, Steph and Bradford there till the race started!<br /><br /><strong>The Swim - 1500m</strong><br /><strong>Total Time: 37:40 min</strong><br /><strong>Pace: 2:31/M</strong><br />The swim was one big loop in Town Lake. I have never swam in TL before, and the closest I have coming to experiencing the TL water is in Barton Springs Pool. Everyone around me was wearing a wet suit, something that I didn't have and didn't use! As I entered the water, I was a little taken aback by the coldness of the water! It felt like it was freezing...I started treading water to warm my body up before the gun went off....As the wave started to leave, I was still feeling a little cold and it me about 200m or so till the first buoy to get semi-comfortable with the water. I wasn't able to swim freestyle at this point at all! After about 400m or, I felt a lot more comfortable and switched to freestyle, and swam steadily parallel to the auditorium shore, switching to breaststroke only if I had navigational issues (which i did a few times!). The rest of the swim went pretty smoothly, and I even managed to enjoy it somewhat. My swim pace was about the same that it always has been, not faster, but not slower either.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>T1: 7:13 min</strong><br />T1 was long for me for 2 reasons - one due to the fact that the actual distances from swim exit to my bike in transition and the run from the transition to the bike start were pretty long, the 2nd due to the fact that I really had to pee and so was stuck in the long port-a-pottie line! It's amazing how long the line was in just T1!<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>The Bike - 40K</strong><br /><strong>Total Time: 1:45:30</strong><br /><strong>Pace: 14.1 mph</strong><br />The bike leg was my favourite leg of the race! The 40K distance was made up of 4 10K loops around downtown. Hydration-wise, I was this time prepared with my camelback and it felt awesome to drink water anytime I wanted to w/o stopping or trying to do a balancing act to try to reach down for my water-bottle (sth I'm terrible at!). My folks were sitting at the interesction of 1st and Cesar Chavez and it was fun to wave at them and hear their cheers during each loop! Since the course consisted of loops, I was able to say Hi to Amit Bhai a couple of times as well, until of course he zoomed past me! :) Overall, I had a fun bike ride despite the 2 horrible hills on each loop, and 14.1 is my best bike pace till now!<br /><br /><strong>T2: 5:40 min</strong><br />T2 should NOT have been remotely close to 5 minutes, and ended up being that because of a stupid stupid mistake! :) I arranged my bike back on the rack, removed my helmet, had a drink of water with a Gu and took off running. When I reach the run exit, I realized that I was still wearing my bike shoes!! :D I don't know how I didn't realize that before because it feels really weird when trying to walk, let alone run, wearing bike shoes! :D I hobbled back to my transition area and changed it to my running shoes. This blunder however cost me a few minutes!<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>The Run - 10K</strong><br /><strong>Total Time: 1:27:34 h</strong><br /><strong>Pace: 14.06/M</strong><br />What can I say about the run?? It was hot, hot, hot, and I had a terrible time through the run! Somehow I didn't feel the heat that much when I was on the bike, but on the road, it was torturous. I ended up alternating between jogging and walking while struggling with the usual stitches I get in the heat. Even the salt tablets that helped me during my marathon did not help this time. Another reason for the poor run was also because to be honest, I didn't focus much on my run training at all! I biked a bit and swam a lot, but neglected running - and that really came back to punish me during the race. When I do the Olympic again, I really have to focus on running. In the Sprint distance, I can somehow wing it with the 5K run, but for a 10K run, I definitely need more training!<br /><br /><strong>Overall: 4:03:38 h</strong><br />Overall, I had a good experience with my 1st ever Olympic Race. I could have had a better time by doing some better prep work and avoiding silly mistakes, but I went home with a lot of lessons learnt and look forward to learning from this experience when doing future longer distance Triathlons!<br /><br />The remaining Tris for the season included the Couples Triathlon this weekend and the Sweet and Twisted Triathlon with the Tri-oomphers in August - both Sprint distances. I am not going to have the time to train properly for these, but hope to just have fun with my friends doing them. Hopefully, I will be able to incorporate the lessons learnt from the 2 Tris I have done so far this year in those races!<br /></span><p><span style="color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355447834725334866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 238px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7mmkJLjXBOo/SlJfbmnwP1I/AAAAAAAAOl0/-87Ksl6LaRA/s400/tri2.jpg" border="0" />Cheers!<br />C</span></p><p><span style="color:#000099;">7/6/09</span></p>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-54775970952506258642009-05-11T09:46:00.010-05:002009-05-16T11:19:08.608-05:00Rookie Rundown<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7mmkJLjXBOo/SgmWjUB2C6I/AAAAAAAAN-Y/iWZlRb0aFCg/s1600-h/IMG_4914.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334960767013096354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7mmkJLjXBOo/SgmWjUB2C6I/AAAAAAAAN-Y/iWZlRb0aFCg/s400/IMG_4914.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc0000;">The Rookie Tri this past weekend was my 1st Tri for the season. The Rookie Tri back in 2006 was the 1st ever Triathlon that I participated in. Back then, I didn't train much at all, got a bike pretty much 3 days before the Tri, a bike with maybe just 3 gear combinations, and had no clue about really anything - I was a true Rookie. It was not one of my best days in my atheletic history. :) My swim was ok. My bike ride was just hell. AND I lost my chip during my bike ride - and ended up with a DNF on the results board! The run was nothing to speak of either Quite a terrible 1st Tri...</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc0000;">Last year, I went back to the Texas Ski Ranch (TSR) where the Rookie happens each year as well, and while I had a much better overall experience, I still ended up with a messed up result on the scoreboard because for some reason, they marked my age as 13 instead of 26 (no clue how this could have happened!), and my swim leg was a ridiculous 32 minutes for 300m! :)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc0000;">I considered this course to be jinxed for me!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc0000;">I went back this year with much trepidation. But I wanted to do it since it would be a perfect trial run for my Olympic in 2 weekends. Also, Vishy wanted to do a Tri, and this was a perfect Tri for a newcomer like him! Here's my race breakdown:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#6600cc;">Swim - 300m</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#6600cc;">My goal for the swim was just to relax and swim freestyle throughout the 300m. I managed to swim freestyle for the most part, using breaststroke just for navigational purposes - so I'm pretty pleased with myself for that. It wasn't the most efficient of freestyles. And the water being extremely muggy and gross attributed a bit to that. It messed up my breathing and sighting a bit. Also, swimming freestyle in a pool is vastly different than swimming one in open water. There are no pool borders/lanes to guide you, and veering off the course is pretty easy in open water. Other than that though, I had a good swim and saw marked improvements in my pace, so was pretty happy. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#6600cc;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#6600cc;">Time:</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#6600cc;">2006: 12:01 min</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#6600cc;">2008: 9:32 min</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#6600cc;">2009: 8:43 min</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#6600cc;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#6600cc;">Areas of improvement:</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#6600cc;">Practice more open water swimming!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#999900;">T1:</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#999900;">My T1 this time was not as efficient as I wanted it to be. Vish and I reached the TSR pretty late that morning and pretty much had 5 minutes to set everything up in Transition and I didn't have much time to place everything I needed the way I wanted to. Defn some room for improvement here!</span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#999900;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#999900;">Time:</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#999900;">2008: 2:47</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#999900;">2009: 3:51</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">Bike - 11.1 miles</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">My 1st goal for the bike ride was to work on gear shifting, managing the gears properly so as to achieve the best possible gear combination for where I am in the course, either on a flat road, or hills with varying gradients. My 2nd goal was to hydrate properly, so that I am not dehydrated when I start the run! And my 3rd goal was to just not get stressed with the clips, and take my time getting on and off. I did pretty decently with respect to my 1st and 3rd goals...Because I was a little more familiar with the course as well, I was able to anticipate some of the hills and change gears in advance accordingly. I was also more focused when getting on and off my clips and managed to do both w/o any major mishaps. So that was good. My hydration plan on the bike centered around using the camelback I had purchased a week earlier. I was looking forward to trying it out during the Tri. But in my T1 excitement, I completely forgot about it! I remembered it half way through my ride when I saw someone else carrying it. Lucky for me, the weather was not too hot or humid, 2 things that really dehydrate me easily, and I was able to get through the bike ride without much hydration, and managed to improve my time as well!</span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#993399;"><strong>Time:<br /></strong>2008: 57:55, 11.50mph<br />2009: 51:45, 13mph<br /></span><span style="color:#993399;"><strong><br />Areas of improvement:<br /></strong>More hill workouts, practice hydrating on the bike!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color:#999900;"><strong>T2:<br /></strong>My T2 was not too bad considering that I had to do a shoe swap (bike shoes -> running shoes), something I didn't have to do before, and I managed to do it w/o any major hurdles. I plan to try out the easy laces for my running shoes next time to see if that helps make the transition quicker!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="color:#999900;"><strong>Time:<br /></strong>2008: 1:10<br />2009: 2:40</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#ff6666;"><strong>Run - 2 miles</strong><br />My goal for the run was pretty much to not walk! I did that for the most part despite my legs feeling like bricks right after the bike ride! I walked for about a 100m stretch to hydrate and take a salt tablet for a side stich, but felt much better after that and continued running. This is defn an area I need to work on and improve as I do longer distances though. Need more BRIC practices for sure!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff6666;">2008: 25:59, 12:59/M<br />2009: 23:37, 11:49/M</span></p><p><span style="color:#ff6666;"><strong>Areas of improvement:</strong> More BRIC workouts needed during training!</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc0000;"><strong>Total Time: </strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc0000;"><strong>2008: 1:37:23</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc0000;"><strong>2009: 1:30:46</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#cc0000;">Overall, I am happy with the way the Tri went. I broke the TSR jinx and it was a good warm-up Tri for the season, and helped me identify areas for improvement. I also had fun being with Vish during his first Tri! I still plan to do the Olympic in 2 weeks - I have no time goals, my goal there will be to simply finish, but I hope to incorporate a lot of the lessons learnt during the Rookie to ensure that I finish strong!</span></p></div>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-53444139095707928982009-05-04T20:12:00.002-05:002009-05-04T20:26:08.485-05:00Tri Training - Week 10 Schedule<p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">Last week was one hectic week @ wk and otherwise - so much so that I didn't have time to record my training! Vegas was a blast...but I needed a recovery day to get over the trip! :) I managed to get some good workouts in though - a 1600m swim, a 2hr spin class, a 12-mile bike and a 4-mile run + a Bikram session! I wanted to get a much longer bike ride in during the weekend, but my ride was disrupted when I realized that my front gears were not working well. So instead of continuing my ride (which including going up a nasty hill every 3 miles), I took my bike to Jack and Adams for some TLC instead. The good thing is that I was very minimally sore after the bike ride...usually I can feel the soreness a few hours later after a ride of that distance...so the intense spin classes must be doing some good!</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">T<span style="color:#3333ff;">he Rookie Tri is coming up this weekend - my first Tri for the season...I feel confident about the swim and the run - but the biking is going to be interesting. It will be my 1st ride using clips in a race atmosphere...and I really need to not freak out, especially when I have issues clipping on and getting on my bike (and I know I will have issues! :) ). I am not going to focus on time at all during this race - it's going to be my trial race, to ensure that I go through the right motions needed in a Tri, and note any mistakes or rooms for improvement I can then correct/incorporate into the Captex Tri.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">I am not feeling too good today....healthwise...probably from all the exertion over the weekend and the crazy ever-changing weather...so I am going to take it a little easy the first couple of days this week w.r.t training. Am also going to avoid the pool since it's where I can encounter the most germs! :)</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">Monday: No workout, recovery</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">Tuesday AM: LIFT Class (pending how I feel) PM: Spin Class</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">Wednesday PM: 4-mile Run</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">Thursday PM: BRIC - Spin Class + Short Tun</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">Friday: Rest</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">Saturday: Short BRIC - 3-mile Bike + 1-mile Run</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">Sunday: Rookie Triathlon - 300m Swim, 12mile Bike, 2-mile Run</span></p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">Wish me luck! :)</span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-35164480670567900452009-04-20T08:49:00.005-05:002009-04-20T13:08:15.341-05:00Tri Training - Week 8 Schedule<span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff9900;">This past week was a pretty successful week in terms of training - I managed to cover most of my planned workouts and also got a bit more comfortable riding with the clipped pedals! Had to miss a swim at BS pool due to the weather though. But I've signed on for a open water swim on Tuesday evening - so hopefully that will help make up for it!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff9900;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff9900;">I still have some trouble clipping on and off - and fell twice while riding this past weekend - OUCH! - BUT I have gotten over my fear off falling, and have now braced myself to the possibility of falling in the future - and that in a weird way has made me less fearful of the clips! :)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff9900;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff9900;">Amit Bhai aka Coach A conducted a Bike 101 session for Sha and I on Sunday morning - he used his bike and trainer to demo some biking best practices, including efficient ways of getting on and off the bike, riding position, riding cadence, gear shifting, tackling hills, etc. This was defn a very useful session and I learnt a lot of new stuff that I will be trying to apply on all my future rides! One good thing about biking during a race is - I will be biking in a closed course, so don't have to worry about stop signs, traffic lights and what not! I am also purchasing a camelback, because I am still very uncomfortable in reaching down to get my water-bottle while riding, and hydrating during a long ride is crucial - it will especially be the case during my 25-mile ride at Captex!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff9900;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff9900;">This week will be a short workout week - am trying to squeeze in 2 workouts a day as a result. Let's see how that pans <span style="color:#ff9900;">out.</span></span><span style="color:#ff9900;"> No T3 clinic this week due to issues @ the swimming pool!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff9900;">On Friday evening - I leave to VEGAS for a reunion with my Spore buddies! Not much working out there! ;) From next week onwards, I will start focusing a lot on long rides, bricks, and open water swims! </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff9900;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#ff9900;"><strong>Monday PM:</strong> 5-mile Run</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#ff9900;"><strong>Tuesday AM:</strong> LIFT Class @ 24hr Fitness <strong>Tuesday PM:</strong> Pure Austin Splash and Dash (750m Swim, 3K Run)</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#ff9900;"><strong>Wednesday AM:</strong> Spin Class @ 24hr Fitness <strong>Wednesday PM:</strong> 12-mile Bike Ride</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#ff9900;"><strong>Thursday AM:</strong> LIFT Class @ 24hr Fitness </span></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff9900;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff9900;">My 1st ever Marathon coach, Coach Amy is running Boston today. Here's wishing her a FANTASTIC speedy race!</span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-70412457700615551502009-04-13T14:01:00.008-05:002009-04-13T16:20:51.447-05:00Tri Training - Week 7 Schedule<strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Tentative Training Schedule for Week 7:</span></strong><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Monday PM:</strong> T3 Swim Clinic</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Tuesday AM:</strong> LIFT Class @ 24hr Fitness </span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Tuesday PM:</strong> 45-min Run around Duval Neighborhood</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Wednesday AM:</strong> Spin Class @ 24hr Fitness </span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Wednesday PM:</strong> T3 Clinic</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Thursday PM:</strong> 7-mile Bike Ride on Shoal Creek</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Friday AM/PM: </strong>Bikram Yoga session</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Saturday AM:</strong> Long swim at BS Pool followed by 3-mile Run around Town Lake</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Sunday AM:</strong> 14 mile Bike Ride @ Shoal Creek followed by 20min Run </span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Mantra for the Week:</strong></span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>"I love clips...I love clips...I love clips..."</strong></span><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Cheers!</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">:)</span></strong>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-49121020982255841342009-04-06T10:12:00.004-05:002009-04-08T22:25:17.116-05:00Tri Training - Week 6 Schedule<p><span style="color:#993399;">Last week, I had a short week of workout - but all the workout sessions were pretty productive - so I am really happy! I also ran 7 miles on Sat AM instead of my originally planned 4 miles and ended up finally getting on my bike after more than 6 mths! Vish and I went riding at Shoal Creek...it was gorgeous on Sunday morning...sunny and just a little breezy...we were glad to have gone in the morning, since it became really windy later on in the day! </span></p><p><span style="color:#993399;">After the bike ride, I went to J&A and got my caged pedals swapped for clipped pedals! I am super excited about trying them out this weekend! I will be taking my biking shoes to spin class as well this week to test them out! </span></p><p><span style="color:#993399;">With just 8 weeks to go before my Target Tri, here's my Week 6 schedule! I'm having a cold today - so will be cutting down 1 early week swim workout this week!</span></p><p><span style="color:#993399;"><strong>Monday PM:</strong> Treadmill/Elliptical Hill Workout/Resistance Training @ 24hr Fitness </span></p><p><span style="color:#993399;"><strong>Tuesday AM: </strong>LIFT Class @ 24hr Fitness <strong>Tuesday PM:</strong> Spin Class @ 24hr Fitness</span></p><p><span style="color:#993399;"> <strong>Wednesday PM:</strong> Bikram Yoga Class @ Yoga Groove</span></p><p><span style="color:#993399;"><strong>Thursday PM: </strong>Easy 1.2K Swim @ 24hr Fitness</span></p><p><span style="color:#993399;"><strong>Friday PM:</strong> Rest Day </span></p><p><span style="color:#993399;"><strong>*Saturday AM:</strong> 12-14 mile Bike Ride @ Shoal Creek followed by 20min Run </span></p><p><span style="color:#993399;"><strong>*Sunday AM: </strong>5-mile Run around Town Lake </span></p><span style="color:#993399;">(* My Sat and Sun workouts might swap around depending on Vish's cricket schedule, since he's now my biking buddy! :) )</span><br /><span style="color:#993399;"></span><br /><span style="color:#993399;">A big kudos this week to the ever-fabulous Amit Bhai for completing his first ever half-ironman (70.3 miles --> 1.2mile Swim, 56mile Bike, 13.1mile Run) with a fabulous time of 6:07:08h!! You're truly an inspiration Amit Bhai - I am so psyched for my Olympic distance now! :D</span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-7220011162098232582009-03-31T16:48:00.005-05:002009-04-01T09:34:55.007-05:00Tri Training - Week 5 Schedule<span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I was not able to work out from M-W AM this week due to several happenings - but here's my schedule for the rest of the week. Can't wait to get cracking!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong></strong></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#006600;"><strong>Wednesday PM</strong>: Spin class @ 24hr Fitness </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#006600;"><strong>Thursday AM</strong>: Swim @ 24hr Fitness</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#006600;"><strong>Friday AM</strong>: Boot Camp @ 24hrFitness</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#006600;"><strong>Saturday AM</strong>: 4-mile Run</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#006600;"><strong>Sunday AM</strong>: Biking - 10miles @ Shoal Creek</span></span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-78938801554725089892009-03-31T16:28:00.005-05:002009-04-01T09:33:47.400-05:00A 10K to Remember! :)<span style="color:#ff6666;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Last Sunday, I woke up in the morning and got ready to run the Capital of Texas 10K, after a long Saturday filled with drama fun and a late night celebrating the success of the drama. :) I was not prepared for the run at all, and the additional tiredness did not help.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">However, this 10K race ended up being one I will remember for the rest of my life! Not because of the timing (it was in fact my worst timing for a 10K) - but for something very special that happened at Mile 5.2.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I'll let the following pictures explain what happened! :)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /></span><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/charanya0907/A_10K_to_Remember?authkey=Gv1sRgCIHF0JbN2uP2gAE"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff6666;">http://picasaweb.google.com/charanya0907/A_10K_to_Remember?authkey=Gv1sRgCIHF0JbN2uP2gAE</span></a><span style="color:#ff6666;"><span style="font-family:arial;">#</span> </span><br /><p><span style="color:#ff6666;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The Captex 10K organizers defn have 2 confirmed registrants for their race every year for the next many many years! :)</span></p><span style="font-family:arial;">Still Smiling....</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">ME.</span></span><br /></span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-57961383006740061242009-03-24T22:17:00.007-05:002009-03-25T07:10:46.193-05:00Theerndathu Kanakku<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7mmkJLjXBOo/ScofLs50IHI/AAAAAAAAM3M/BJLPBRWY3Lo/s1600-h/TK.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317096595956965490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 309px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7mmkJLjXBOo/ScofLs50IHI/AAAAAAAAM3M/BJLPBRWY3Lo/s400/TK.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7mmkJLjXBOo/Scoenii4dJI/AAAAAAAAM28/Rgx10Tnd1Qc/s1600-h/TK.jpg"></a><span style="color:#cc0000;">If you live in ATX and can understand Tamil - I'd better see you at the show!! :D</span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="color:#cc0000;">Contact me for tics!</span><br /></div></div>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-80088821448014015322009-03-24T13:14:00.006-05:002009-03-24T17:05:01.102-05:00Tri Training - Week 4 Schedule<p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">So Week 3 of training went ok. I managed to follow the plan for the most part. I still haven't had a chance to take the bike out yet. My cage is also broken. I am defn taking it to the bike store this week to get inspected and all readied up and I should start from next week onwards! The plan is to go for weekend rides with Pooja and Sha! </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">I signed up for a Stroke Technique Efficiency clinic with T3 (which Amit swears is the BEST tri training program ever.) It's a 6-week program and should hopefully improve my swimming pretty significantly. Check it out: </span><a href="http://www.austint3.com/t3/clinics.htm"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">http://www.austint3.com/t3/clinics.htm</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"> It will also ensure that I am swimming regularly twice a week!</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">This weekend, I am running the CapTex 10K. It's supposed to be a fun race, and I have not had a chance to run it the past few years! So I'm pretty excited! The drama gp that I am part of is also staging a show this Saturday - so I'll be bogged down all this week with rehearsals - so am going to try to get most of my workouts in in the AM. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">Here's my schedule for this week! It's going to be a pretty light one! </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"><strong>Monday</strong> AM: Nothing PM: Swim+Spin @ 24hr fitness </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"><strong>Tuesday</strong> AM: 5:30am LIFT PM: Nothing </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"><strong>Wednesday</strong> AM: 5:30am SPIN PM: If there is time - run. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"><strong>Thursday </strong>AM: 5:30am LIFT PM: If there is time - run. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"><strong>Friday</strong> AM: 5:30am Swim PM: Nothing </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"><strong>Saturday</strong>: Nothing </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"><strong>Sunday</strong>: Captex 6.1 mile Run</span><br /></p>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-39287387907567157682009-03-16T11:48:00.006-05:002009-03-17T06:57:49.585-05:00Tri Training - Week 3 Schedule<span style="color:#666666;"><span style="font-family:arial;">So Week 2 of Tri Training had some ups and downs. The major downer was the weather...a massive cold front ("massive" of course is in relation to TX weather! :p) hit Austin along with strong rains as well. This prevented me from attending 2 BC sessions. However, I did take the BC fit test and saw some significant improvements in my 1-mile Run and Plank timings, and also managed to do more leg lifts and push ups/minute than I could 8 weeks ago! So yay for that!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The weather also prevented my from getting a bike workout in. It was too cold, windy and rainy to venture out! So I had to go for a spin class instead. I also could not take my bike to J&A. I am out of town this coming weekend and the following weekend, I am running the CapTex 10K! It's also the weekend of my drama (more on that after this) - so this means I'll have to skip 2 long rides in the weekends. Looks like April is when I will be able to start my long bike rides! Meanwhile, I will try to get in shorter outdoor bike rides in the weekdays!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The strategy now is to try to go for AM workouts when possible, so that I have no excuses after work! Now that BC is over, this is more feasible as well! </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The plus points were successful swim workouts, including a great coaching session with Amit, and run workouts! Amit taught a new swim drill - that aims to focus on where my hands and head should be while swimming freestlye in order to swim more efficiently! You can read more about it on Sha's blog - </span></span><a href="http://triscapades.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#666666;">http://triscapades.blogspot.com/</span></a><span style="color:#666666;"><span style="font-family:arial;">. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This week's workout schedule:</span><br /></span><span style="color:#666666;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Monday AM:</strong> Nothing <strong>PM:</strong> 7pm Swim @ 24hr fitness<br /><strong>Tuesday AM:</strong> Nothing <strong>PM:</strong> Run @ Location TBD (probably my own neighborhood)<br /><strong>Wednesday AM:</strong> 5:30am Spin @ 24hr fitness <strong>PM:</strong> Nothing<br /><strong>Thursday AM:</strong> 5:30am Lift @ 24hr fitness <strong>PM:</strong> Outdoor Bike Ride - 7 miles<br /><strong>Friday AM:</strong> Swim @ 24hr fitness <strong>PM:</strong> Nothing<br /><strong>Saturday:</strong> No workout. Trip to Houston.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong>Sunday AM:</strong> 4-mile AM Run</span></span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-43458061491788197372009-03-09T12:54:00.005-05:002009-03-09T13:11:35.519-05:00Tri Training - Week 2 Schedule<span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">Week 1 of Tri Training went pretty well! Workouts that I had to skip were 1 weekday spin and the weekend bike ride! :( Vish and I went to Jack & Adams though and found a bike for him! He will be doing his first Tri - the <strong>Rookie Tri</strong> in May, so we're pretty excited! I am taking my bike back to J&A this weekend for a tune-up and to get my caged pedals swapped with clipped pedals! I'm excited but a little nervous about it. There's a learning curve to the clipped pedals and I am sure I will fall multiple times - but I can't wait to try 'em out! </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#993399;"><strong>Monday</strong> - AM: Bootcamp PM: 2-mile Run or Break</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#993399;"><strong>Tuesday</strong> - AM: Bootcamp PM: Swim Session @ 24 hour fitness pool</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#993399;"><strong>Wednesday </strong>- AM: Bootcamp PM: Break</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#993399;"><strong>Thursday</strong> - AM: Bootcamp PM: Spin Class @ 24 hour fitness followed by a 4-lap run around 24 hour track.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#993399;"><strong>Friday</strong> - AM: Swim Session @ 24 hour fitness pool PM: Break</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#993399;"><strong>Saturday </strong>- AM: 4-mile Run @ Town Lake </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#993399;"><strong>Sunday</strong> - AM: 9.5 mile Bike Ride @ Shoal Creek OR Spin Class (if I don't get my bike back in time), followed by a 1-2 mile run. </span></span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-37785472615465083672009-03-02T10:43:00.005-06:002009-03-09T13:12:49.287-05:00Tri Training 2009 begins!<span style="font-family:arial;color:#999900;">It's March...practically Spring...and time for Tri season!! :D</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#999900;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#999900;">I signed up last week for my 1st ever Olympic Distance Triathlon - the</span> <strong><span style="color:#330099;">CAPITAL</span> <span style="color:#cc0000;">OF</span> <span style="color:#330099;">TEXAS</span> <span style="color:#cc0000;">TRIATHLON</span></strong><span style="color:#cc0000;"> </span>- </span><a href="http://www.captextri.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://www.captextri.com/</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#999900;">These are the distances I will be training for for this Tri:</span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3366ff;">Swim: 1500 m</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">Bike: 40 KM</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#33cc00;">Run: 10 KM</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#33cc00;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#999900;">This is definitely going to be one challenging experience, but I can't wait! There is a lot to be done. I need to improve my swimming and stroke efficiency and become MUCH more comfortable with freestyle. I need to graduate to clipped pedals! 10K run might not sound that bad after a 42K marathon, but a 10K run AFTER a 40K bike ride will surely be something! So definitely more brick training needed! </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#999900;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#999900;">I start my training this week and this is what my tentative schedule looks like:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#999900;"></span><br /><span style="color:#999900;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Monday</strong> - AM: Bootcamp PM: 45 min Swim Session</span> @ 24 hour fitness pool<br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Tuesday</strong> - AM: Bootcamp PM: Spin class</span> @ 24 hour fitness<br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Wednesday </strong>- AM: Bootcamp PM: Break</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Thursday</strong> - AM: Bootcamp PM: 2 mile Run</span> @ Canyon Creek Middle School track<br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Friday</strong> - AM: Swim Session @ 24 hour fitenss pool PM: Break</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Saturday</strong> - AM: 10K Bike Ride</span> @ TBD.<br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Sunday</strong> - AM: 5K Run</span> @ Town Lake</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#999900;"></span><br /><span style="color:#999900;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">I'll make all you folks - my readers- keep me accountable for this!! :D</span> </span><br /><span style="color:#999900;"></span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-66381003624912239862009-02-10T20:27:00.008-06:002009-02-11T13:40:15.700-06:00Mardi Gras Marathon - Race Report<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7mmkJLjXBOo/SZMCo97XhFI/AAAAAAAAMaI/TcqyMryneEg/s1600-h/logo150h.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301584089186796626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 201px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 236px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7mmkJLjXBOo/SZMCo97XhFI/AAAAAAAAMaI/TcqyMryneEg/s400/logo150h.png" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">I've been meaning to write this report for about a week now, but work has been crazy and I had yet another busy weekend last weekend including a trip to cheer on some Team Asha buddies running their 1st ever 50-miler in Huntsville TX (more on that next time)!</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">The race weekend started off with a 9 hour drive from Austin, TX to New Orleans, Louisiana, via Houston, TX. We had planned for the 500-mile ride to take a shorter but ended up having a little adventure in the middle! The drive started at 7:30am with some yummalicious Eintein Bagels (Green Chile Bagel with Jalapeno Salsa...mmmm)...We drove the 2.30 hrs to Houston comfortably, listening to music and jabbering about everything under the sun...From Houston, we drove, what seemed like an endless distance, to the border of TX and Louisiana! New Orleans (aka NOLA) is about an additional 200+ miles from the TX-LA border. About 100 miles from NOLA, we hit a terrible traffic jam; the traffic was literally standstill. We were lucky enough to have stopped close to a freeway exit and took the exit. We talked to a local store owner who gave us an alternate route via some farm roads and dirt roads! I was hesitant as first because we were driving my little Corolla, but the prospect of being stuck in traffic for 2-3 hours was even less appealing! So off we went through the dirt roads...my poor car bouncing along...I felt like I was on a mini roller-coaster ride! It was especially "exciting" when a much larger truck would pass us and we both had to make way for each other! :) We finally got through the 9-miles of dirt road...and another 9 miles took us to a highway running parallel to I-10 and also headed to Nola! </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">We finally reached NOLA around 4pm, went to our hotel, collected the race packets and then got an early dinner in at an awesome pizzeria in the French Quarter! When we got back to the hotel, I got all my race gear ready and then went to bed! I needed as much zzzzs as possible for the next day!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;">I got up the next morning around 5am - feeling all nervous, but excited at the same time. We showered, ate, got dressed and walked the mile or so distance to the race start at the Superdome. The weather was pretty lovely - cool with a slight breeze blowing. LA is infamous for its humidity, but at that time, I could not feel a thing. I felt great! We checked in our race bags and headed to the race start. I love race starts! There's something very thrilling about standing among a large group runners (or triathletes), who have come from near and far, to do the best that they can! I had trained as much as I could given my busy schedule and was ready for the race to start!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#cc0000;"><strong>Miles 0-8</strong>: This was probably my favorite part of the course. We ran through the French Quarter for about 2 miles, including Bourbon St and Royal St, famous (or infamous), for their jazz clubs, bars, live music and lots of other entertainment! From the French Quarter, we entered Nola's Garden District. We ran a 4 mile distance on the historic St' Charles Avenue, which was lined with rustic NOLA buildings, charming cafes, and spectacular mansions. While we were running up the road, we got to see the elite leaders returning from the loop on the other side of the road. It was pretty exciting to see them - typically, because of the way race courses are designed, it's practically impossible to get a sighting of the race leaders - so this was definitely a treat! Miles 7-8 were around the gorgeous Audubon Park, which also housed a lovely golf course. I was feeling great at this point. I had been running about 10-11 min miles, which in hindsight, was probably a little faster than I should have gone, but I was feeling absolutely great! </span><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#cc0000;"><strong>Miles 9-13</strong>.1: From Mile 9-12, we ran on the other side of St' Charles Ave, back to NOLA downtown. At about Mile 10, the 5:00 hr pace group passed me. This was when I kind of realized that I was probably going a little too fast, and decided to slow it down a little! I was still feeling pretty good though....the sun had come out...but there was no real heat or humidity yet. I had been taking salt tablets - 1 every half hr and eating my Cliff Shot Blocks! I was enjoying the crowds and cheers and generally having a good time. At Mile 13, the 1/2 marathoners split from the full-marathoners! I could hear roaring crowds at the 1/2 marathon finish line. I myself reached my 1/2 marathon point at about exactly 2:30h (~11:27 pace). This is my personal best time for a half-marathon, so I was feeling pretty happy! In order to finish the marathon in 5:30h, I had to run the remaining distance at about a 13:45 pace. I felt that was a pace that I could maintain pretty well! Little did I know what was in store for me!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#cc0000;"><strong>Miles 13.1-16</strong>: This part of the course veered through the north part of downtown and led up to the State Park. From Miles 14-16, we ran on a gravel path and on a quite a bumpy road. My feet took a little bit of pounding during that time, but I tried to keep running. Cheer support had dwindled by then and the runner crowd had also shrunk down significantly since the half-marathoners were no longer there! This is one major advantage of running a race that has both half-marathoners and full-marathoners. After the split from the half-marathoners, you suddenly feel like you are all alone. And this is when the mind really start playing games with you! :)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#cc0000;"><strong>Miles 16 - 22</strong>: Miles 16-22 took me through a loop around the New Orleans City Park. This is one of the hugest parks I have ever seen - it had everything from tennis courts, basketball courts, playgrounds, swimming pools and even a golf course! The loop was pretty enough - but the weather gods decided to not be so nice anymore....the clouds opened up and the sun came out...bringing with some strong heat....the humidity level suddenly seemed to have gone up notches as well! I took a potty break at Mile 16, and then continued running till Mile 17. The heat and humidity really got to me by then and I had to slow down my pace considerably, alternating between running and walking! I took a gu, more salt tablets and kept munching on them cliff blocks (I love them btw! They are my new fave race snacks, except they are cumbersome to carry around! :( ) The water-stops at the race were located every 2 miles, and some of them were themed which was pretty fun! My favourite was one which was vampire-themed and volunteers were dressed as vampires, with the fangs and capes and everything! It was awesome! They even hung up bats on the trees next to the water-stop and offered "blood" - red gatorade! :p I tried to get through the run 2 miles at a time, looking forward to each water-stop! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#cc0000;"><strong>Miles 22-26</strong>:Mile 22 brought me back to the end of the park loop and the remaining 4 miles essentially followed the same roads back to the Race Start. I was pretty energyless by then and close to hitting the wall! I just do very badly in heat and humidity, and it's something I am really going to have to work on when I decide to train for a marathon again! Just when I was feeling really burnt out, at Mile 24, I had a pleasant surprise! I saw my running buddy Vish, who had completed his half-marathon earlier (and set a killer PR may I add!). This instantly cheered me up! It's always nice to see familiar faces show up during a tough race! I picked up my pace a little during Mile 24, and told Vish to not let me walk even a bit from Mile 25 to the race finish! And he did just that! With some renewed energy and Vish's support, I finished the last 2 miles, and even managed to sprint the last 100m to the finish! I love finish lines as much as start lines! You always feel like a rockstar running through the finisher's chute whether you had a great race or a not-so-great race! I crossed the finish line, got my medal (which is uber cool by the way!!) and went to get some drinks and met up with the other runners!</span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">One of my main goals during this race was to beat 5:30h - I did not manage to do that, but I did beat my previous PR time (5:53) by a whole 11 mins, for which, I am happy. I could have definitely done better! I'd like to blame the heat and humidity, but the truth is, I could have also trained harder, been more consistent with my shorter runs and Quality Workouts, and tried to get more long runs in. Given that, I'll take my 5:42! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;">Of course this also means that, I'm gonna have to do another marathon sometime to try another attempt at beating 5:30! :) But no marathon training for me anytime soon though! My goals from now on are to work on speed and running efficiency! I will focus on running some faster 10Ks and Half-Marathons before I attempt another Full! I'm also psyched up for Tri season coming up in a couple of months - and my plan is to focus more energy on getting more fit and toned for that! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;"><strong>The Final Numbers:</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;">1st 13.1 Miles: 2:30h (11.26min/mile)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;">2nd 13.1 Miles: 3:12h (14:38min/mile)</span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;">26.2 Miles: 5:42h (13.02min/mile)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;">Previous Best: 5:53h (13.28min/mile)</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;">As always, a big big thanks to all my family and friends and Team Asha for their fantastic support!! I could never run a 26.2 JLT without you guys! :)</span> <div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;">Pictures!!!</span></div><div><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/charanya0907/NOLAMarathon?authkey=zd8MXRdzimE">http://picasaweb.google.com/charanya0907/NOLAMarathon?authkey=zd8MXRdzimE</a>#</div></div>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-45325791105864539402009-01-29T18:33:00.008-06:002009-01-29T18:46:55.624-06:003M Relay - Race Report<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7mmkJLjXBOo/SYJMu0on5NI/AAAAAAAAMJs/GrfLKLZviww/s1600-h/3M2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296880479027848402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7mmkJLjXBOo/SYJMu0on5NI/AAAAAAAAMJs/GrfLKLZviww/s320/3M2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="color:#993300;"><span style="color:#003300;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I ran the 3M Half-Marathon relay this past weekend with another Team Asha runner Vishwas. It was the 2nd time that I was participating in a relay race – the 1st being the Silicon Labs Relay Marathon last year with G31 and G32. Relay races have a different dynamic to them – as a relay team member, you are not just focused on how you personally run, and how well you do, but also on how your relay portion contributes to the team’s success, and how your team members do. Vishy had been complaining about a knee pain the previous evening, but I knew that despite that pain, he would still run a great race – and I was determined to do my part in helping to acquire an overall good time! </span></span></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#993300;"><span style="color:#003300;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#993300;"><span style="color:#003300;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I was running the 1st leg of the race – and started off slowly, letting the crowds pass me. I saw the Asha cheersquad at the start waving our brand new posters – which made me smile. The weather was cold that morning, but that worked for me since I LOVE running in the cold. I took off my jacket after the 1st mile and settled into a comfortable pace. I was carrying my own Gatorade, and did not need to stop at any of the water-stops. By Mile 2, I was doing sub 11-min miles, which for me is pretty good! I was excited at Mile 3 to see that I was maintaining that and started to pick up my speed a little.. I ran past a few familiar faces along the way – and cheered on a couple of Asha runners as well. I was feeling great. We ran through the lovely Spicewood neighborhood and finally hit Mopac. I crossed the 5 mile marker right after the Mopac intersection and really picked up my pace. I had just a mile left and figured I might as well give it my all. Praveen – another enthusiastic Asha volunteer was cheering so loudly it really got me all motivated to keep up my speed! Before I knew it, I had crossed the 10K marker and reached the relay point shortly after. I had completed 6.4 miles in 1:07 h – which is a personal record for me! I was thrilled and gave a Hi-Five to Vish after taking his sweater and waved him off. I then rode the shuttle bus to the finish point. </span></span></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#993300;"><span style="color:#003300;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#993300;"><span style="color:#003300;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Vishy reached the finish just 54 mins after the relay exchange – which is quite incredible! We had an overall time of 2:03h! Vishy’s knee was hurting a little but we were both excited about how the race had gone and stayed at the finish to cheer on the rest of the Asha runners and our friends who were running the race.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#003300;"></span> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#003300;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#003300;">Here are Vish’s thoughts on how the race went! </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#003300;"><br /></span><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Vishwas:</strong></span> </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000066;">My race season has finally started - three races in a span of four weeks! Up first was the 3M Half Marathon Relay. I was running the relay with Charanya. Both she and I have our big races coming up next weekend and hence decided that doing the relay was the best option. I for one didn’t want to get a freakish injury and jeopardize my target race. The 3M course is famous for being a fast one. Being mostly downhill, the course offers good prospects of setting personal records. The relay is split up such that the first runner runs 6.4 miles and the second runner runs 6.7 miles. The plan was for Charanya to start us off and for me to finish the race.<br /><br /></span></div><span style="color:#993300;"><span style="color:#003300;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><div><span style="color:#000066;">The pre-race events were good. I got to see the start of the race, I saw the elite runners jet by and then the ASHA runners followed. I then was dropped off to the relay exchange point by ASHA volunteers- Murali, Gaurav and Bharat. It was a bitterly cold morning; I managed to stay warm by constantly moving and stretching. As I waited I cheered on the runners who were passing the relay exchange. I struck a conversation or two with some of the other folks who were also waiting for the racing partner to get to the exchange point. Around 8.20 or so Charanya appeared from the turn, and this was my cue to take my layers off and get ready. She gave me Hi-Five, I gave her my hoodie and off I went.<br /><br />It took a long time for my body to warm up. My toes felt numb, my gloves didn’t help much but my brand spanking new shoes felt great! I had been battling some left knee issues, but it felt okay at that point. I was zooming past people, partly because I had just started the race and they were more than half way through it. I was running 7.5 min/mile pace for the first two miles, at which point I decided to slow down a bit in order to conserve some energy for the finale. This was about the time that my knee pain kicked in. This knee pain is a strange one, it happens on the inside bone on my left foot and no stretching/exercise makes it go away. I decided to suck it up and keep going. I passed the 10 mile marker and before I knew it, my pain was increasing. I decided to totally change my running form; I changed the way my foot landed - but it still didn’t help. So I decided to run by just straightening one leg- the right one. I somehow managed to keep the pace up in spite of a strange running step. Once I got to the 12 marker I forgot about the pain and dashed to the finish line.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;">All in all, it was a satisfying race. The course was easier than some of the other routes I have run in Austin. I managed to run a sub 50 min 10K, which is a PR for me. Mentally it puts me in good shape for my target race ahead. But the same cannot be said about my left knee. I have been icing/rehabbing it constantly for the past 4 days. It feels better, but I will not know for sure till race day Sunday!</span><br /><br />Overall, Vish and I had a really great race and truly enjoyed ourselves! We are both extremely grateful to the awesome Asha volunteers for cheering us on at the various points of the course – despite the cold, and boy was it cold!! We are both now looking forward eagerly to our target races this weekend in New Orleans! Hope we have a good time there as well!</span> </span></span></div>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-41117024785069217762009-01-28T21:29:00.004-06:002009-01-28T21:32:26.061-06:00Why do you run?<span style="color:#3333ff;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I can't stop watching running videos on youtube! :) Here's another neat one!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eXqAWjJ_dE"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eXqAWjJ_dE</span></a><span style="color:#3333ff;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Love the last reason...</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Why do I run?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Because when I do there is always the chance to be extraordinary!</span></span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-5016677394611545052009-01-28T10:34:00.005-06:002009-01-28T14:01:14.761-06:00Are you going to finish strong?<span style="color:#993399;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Here are 2 pretty awesome videos that I watched this past week - both inspirational in very different ways! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1. Amit Bhai posted this video. It's about an hour long but totally worth the time! Like Amit said "Forget those stupid motivational self-improvement books and workshops.....just watch this video!!" :)</span><br /></span><a href="http://www.hulu.com/ford-ironman-world-championship"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">http://www.hulu.com/ford-ironman-world-championship</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;"><br /><br />Oh..and by the way, I have a huge crush on Chrissie Wellington now - my new heroine!!! :)<br /></span><a href="http://www.chrissiewellington.org/pages/index.asp"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">http://www.chrissiewellington.org/pages/index.asp</span></a><span style="color:#993399;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2. This one was fwded to me by a work colleague and moved me to tears! It makes me really appreciate the fact that I am able to do crazy things like run 26.2 miles and take part in Tris - and will defn be something I will look back on when I have a bad training day and all I feel like doing is whining!</span><br /></span><a href="http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#993399;">http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html</span></a><span style="color:#993399;"><br /><br />4 days to the New Orleans 26.2! Can't wait! :)</span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-67528918728420635912009-01-19T09:46:00.003-06:002009-01-19T10:36:36.387-06:00A fabulous 20!!<span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc0000;">It's amazing how the body can cooperate once that mind sets itself to do something! And its amazing how a simple change in weather can make an amazing difference to a training session! I had to run 20 miles last Saturday, and was nervous all of last week about it! I had not been training consistently, I had not run the 20 miles I was supposed to the previous weekend, I'd been sick early last week, the weather has been fluctuating like crazy all week, and my target race was just in 2 weeks - the New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon! The longest I have run this season is 18 miles and I had a miserable time running it! Given that, I was not feeling good at all about running the 20 this weekend!<br /><br />The run started slowly...we ran up Rio Grande from 4th St to 28th St, and when I say, ran up, I literally mean it, it was a constant upward gradient. The first 3 miles were painful and the weather was humid...and I was already dreading the remaining 17! I met Coach Peri at the 1st water-stop at about 3.5 miles and she told me I looked great! I know coaches HAVE to say that, but it's still somehow uplifting to hear someone say that, especially when you feel crabby! I drank 2 cups of water and headed off....the next few miles took me to Bull Creek and then on to Shoal Creek...I am not a big fan of running on Bull Creek...but the weather had become better and there was a cool breeze along the route....so I just kind of zoned off and ran till I hit Shoal Creek...I love love running on Shoal Creek...it's a very pretty road, and has a nice wide bike/run path...met Coach Geezer at about Mile 7....drank 2 more cups of water and swallowed a salt tablet....continued on Great Northern and then past Northcross Mall....by now, I had settled on a good momentum and was also enjoying the cool weather!! The humidty had also kinda disappeared!<br /><br />The run then went onto El Arroyo St, another long Road and then towards North Loop....I took a Gu at the Mile 11 water-stop....I literally sucked parts of it and washed it down with Gatorade...and barely tasted any of it...and then took off...I was at mile 13 now....I had been avoiding looking at my watch all this while...but was curious to know what my half-marathon time was...I was clocking about 2h 46 min....about a 12:40 pace...I was pretty happy with that since I was running sub-13 mins....it made me a lot more excited to get the next 7 miles in!! The next few miles involved a relatively downward descent on Duval Road...another road I quite enjoy running on...For those of you who are running 3M, you will spend at least 3-4 miles on this road, and it's where you will really pick up speed!! I reached the end of Duval and was feeling pretty good when I got to the last water-stop....I looked at the map then and saw that we were going to run left on San Jacinto...and then right on Dean Keaton, and do a loop around campus, Dean Keaton - Guadalupe - MLK and then back to San Jac....Deak Keaton is a horribly uphill road - with a steep gradient...I decided to skip it, since I didnt want to risk doing anything to my knees just 2 weeks before the race....and decided to make it up by running a couple of smaller loops in the downtown area...which is relatively flat.....<br /><br />I ran continuously without stopping for the remaining 3 miles...and reached the Rogue Store with quite a strong finish....I felt great....I could have run more....which I was happy about since on race day, I would have 6 more miles to run!....I looked at my time....4h14min...a 12:42 pace exactly!!...I was really thrilled!! My goal this season is to break 5h 30min....and for the 1st time this season, I actually think that I have a shot at doing it....I took 5h 53min for the DC marathon (13:35 pace)....and really want to reduce that by at least about 25 mins!!....And hopefully I will!! I am pretty psyched now about New Orleans!! And will spend the next couple of weeks tapering off and resting my body in preparation!! I just really really hope that the weather cooperates, because that really made a big difference in yesterday's run! But more importantly, I am going to focus on keeping my spirits up and really enjoying the experience, because that is what truly determines whether you have a great run or not!!</span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-71696865922232599312009-01-06T10:21:00.006-06:002009-01-06T21:02:20.748-06:00All Gu-ed out!!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7mmkJLjXBOo/SWOFjejrGQI/AAAAAAAAL8k/xgQmk9nEus4/s1600-h/GU.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288217232007698690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 336px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7mmkJLjXBOo/SWOFjejrGQI/AAAAAAAAL8k/xgQmk9nEus4/s400/GU.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#006600;"> "<span style="font-family:arial;">Gu" is an energy gel that I have been using pretty regularly during all my long runs and during my marathons and tris. The Gu gels are a great source of carbohydrates and during runs, I typically try to take one every 50 minutes or so. They help maintain my energy during the long runs and also keep me from becoming tired/hungry. I've never really had any major problems with them in the past and actually quite enjoyed the Chocolate Gus!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#006600;">Over the last 6 months however, I've lost the taste for Gus. I find it very hard to stomach them, and it's been a challenge trying to consume them during workouts. I've tried washing them down with water, tried different flavors and alternate brands but those have not worked as well. I switched to the jelly beans and the shot blocks - which have been good, but those just dont produce as much energy and are also quite cumbersome to carry along for a run. Gu packets - I can just pin on to my shorts! </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#006600;">When I'm out on the course for 4-5 hours, I really need energy replenishments. Otherwise, I tire easily. I carry gatorade or salt tablets typically to help with electrolyte replacements, but I am not sure what to do now about carb replacements. Any suggestions folks??</span></p><span style="color:#006600;">I'm all Gu-ed out and my race is just 3 weeks away!! </span><span style="color:#006600;">:( </span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-30858105113325445752008-12-15T15:19:00.003-06:002008-12-15T19:41:29.962-06:00Team Asha rocks Dallas White Rock!<p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc0000;">This past weekend, 2 of our Team Asha Austin runners ran the Dallas White Rock Half-Marathon! </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Vishwas</strong> ran his 1st ever half-marathon and <strong>Ganesh</strong> ran his 45th race! Both guys ran a great race - especially given the crazy weather conditions - it was HORRIBLY HUMID, the temperature was 17 degrees warmer than the average temperature, and it was insanely windy!! A big hearty congratulations to both of them!! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc0000;">In addition, a couple of us volunteered at the <strong>Team Asha Dallas</strong> water-stop at Mile 9.5 and had ALOT of fun! The Asha Dallas folks also had a desi band playing some awesome music at the water-stop and provided non-stop entertainment to all the runners! A big congratulations to all the Team Asha Dallas runners and volunteers as well for an awesome race and race support! This experience also made me realize again how much effort from thousands of volunteers goes behind into making the race experience a good one for every single runner! </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cc0000;">Here are some pictures from the weekend!</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/ashaaustinmarathon/TeamAshaDallasWhiteRock"><span style="color:#cc0000;">http://picasaweb.google.com/ashaaustinmarathon/TeamAshaDallasWhiteRock</span></a><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/charanya0907/TeamAshaAtDallasWhiteRock?authkey=GQ1x8JtAKdA"><span style="color:#cc0000;">#</span></span></a></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">Go Team Asha!</span></strong></p>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-40417248258864235822008-11-18T10:27:00.004-06:002008-11-18T10:29:50.101-06:00Truly Inspirtational!<a href="http://teamasharunner.blogspot.com/2008/11/first-ultra-in-india.html"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;">http://teamasharunner.blogspot.com/2008/11/first-ultra-in-india.html</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#990000;">Santhosh is one of Team Asha Austin's pioneer runners and his efforts are truly inspirational!</span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-47594547992679052602008-11-17T13:13:00.002-06:002008-11-17T13:21:25.792-06:00Rock and Roll – Lessons Learnt<span style="color:#6633ff;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I ran the San Antonio Rock and Roll Half-Marathon yesterday. It was my 1st major race since the Austin Marathon in Feb earlier this year. I was pretty excited about running this race with my Asha crew and also made some new friends sign-up as well! There was a lot of excitement leading up to Race Day, including planning accommodations for my friends, the pre-carb dinner party etc etc. And I felt like this might probably be one of the best races of my lives!<br /><br />I was wrong.<br /><br />It ended up being a really mediocre race experience. I had a lot of fun planning for the race – but barely any fun on race day. Here’s why:<br /><br />1. I started the morning with an upset tummy – and this pretty much persisted throughout the race day and ended up bothering my quite a bit.<br />2. The race logistics in terms of transportation to and from the race was quite a nightmare. The shuttle lines at the parking area were never-ending and the actual journey to the race village was pretty long as well. This mentally tired me before the race.<br />3. I had eaten a decent breakfast in the morning – but by the time we actually got to cross the start line (almost an hour after the gun start) – I was starving – starving to a point where my stomach was growling! I was saving up the supplies I’d brought along with me to the race for much later in the race, but had to consume them earlier because of this!<br />4. I got a stitch attack close to Mile 7 and those darn stitches did not leave me at all right till the end of the race. I tried salt tablets, drinking more Gatorade, stopping for a bit and taking deep breaths – but they just refused to go away – and really made close to half my race very incomfortable.<br />5. My ITBs started hurting a little again – I thought I had seen the last of my ITB issues – but looks like there are still some issues left! Time to maybe go back to AR again!<br /><br />I finished the race – but in a very mediocre time – I knew that I could have definitely run better! I was reviewing all these different reasons in my head after the race – and realized that the real reason why I did not have such a great race – was that I had been training very poorly this season. I have not been consistent with my marathon training at all. I have had valid reasons for missing some of the long runs and QWs, but I have not been good at all for coming up with backup plans in case I have to miss a long run – and neither have I been good about making up for missing those long runs on my own. I’ve also not been good about the “on your own” runs. The lack of proper training for a long race will definitely show on race day. Sure you might finish the race – but it will definitely not be your best finish. Being consistent with training not only helps you physically, but also mentally, and half the challenge of getting to the finish line is mental! This might not to apply to everyone – but it definitely does to me. I am not naturally athletic and in order to improve my running abilities, I need train and practice.<br /><br />This changes from today. I guess I needed a real “kick in the butt” to get me back on track – and this race was just that. I have downloaded the schedule for the rest of the season and pinned it up on my whiteboard at work – and have already planned my workouts for the rest of the week. Can’t wait to get started!!<br /><br />Having said this – I have to thank everyone who helped me get through the race yesterday. Sha – you were an excellent running partner and really helped me push through those initial miles!! Savi+Varsha, you guys were so so sweet to drive up from Austin yesterday morning to cheer us on! Varsha, you were an A-star pacer and I don’t think I would have gotten through the last 5k without your support! Vish – thanks for all the moral support! To everyone who wished me luck for the race – thanks so much! To the rest of the Team Asha runners who ran the race – congratulations on your excellent race finishes!<br /><br />I got forwarded a race report this morning from a friend about the Team Asha Bangalore runners. A lot of them ran trail races over the weekend – and 2 friends ran a 100-miler and 100K respectively. While I was reading their race reports, I felt ashamed at myself about listing reasons like “long shuttle bus line”, “late race start” etc as reasons for not having a good race day. We are so spoilt racing here in America – race organizers and volunteers really do SO much for us here – and still we are not satisfied and find something to complain about. Santhosh and Shumit ran through the night in the trails and all the organization for the race was done by just the running groups there and supported by all their teammates and families. They did not have any fancy race organization – but ran excellently and cheerfully with the support of all their friends and families! And really – that’s what truly matters! I have all that here as well – and should really not complain about anything else!<br /><br />I am extremely motivated about my long run this weekend now! 16-miles. Mount Bonnell. It will be challenging for sure. But I cant wait!</span><br /></span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31370803.post-39798121034195832092008-09-29T07:37:00.001-05:002008-09-29T07:39:06.185-05:00The Spanking New...<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Strides of Hope Austin Website!!!</span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br /></span><a href="http://www.ashanet.org/austin/soh/"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>http://www.ashanet.org/austin/soh/</strong></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">:)</span></span>Charanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957619665875206975noreply@blogger.com1