The Beauty of the Bay Area

Finally a fruitful weekend - after bouts of fits and starts to this years training season I managed two decent rides on Friday & Sunday. Still wary about my strained MCL which had ruled out hill climbing for the past few weeks - I did test it out today with some satisfaction.

Friday - 60 miles followed by a 5 mile run
Saturday - Rest - some light stretching in the evening
Sunday - 66 miles including Old LaHonda in 28:48

I carried my camera with me today to capture the beauty of the route that I have been riding the last 5 years. Not great photographs but decent enough...

April 6-8 Long weekend:
Training Status:
The year started off with a 'sinus' set back which forced me to back out of the San Francisco Half Marathon. But I did manage a nice relaxed run at the Napa Valley Marathon (3:56 - PR) on March 4th. I have been far more regular with my running this year and I hope to continue to push through and make a bid for a 3:45 at Marine Corps Marathon on Oct 28th (there I said it)

17 Sundays to Ironman Canada - that means 17 more rides (best case)...I do have a trip to India coming up which will burn a few weekends...so that leaves me with 15 long rides!! The preassure is on....


Old LaHonda - on the way down

Crystal Springs (Canada Rd)

Crystal Springs

Stanford Dish (Palo Alto)

Looking back, looking forward

2006 - a look back...with a smile

Coaching TeamAsha for the second year was one of the highlights of 2006. 170 runners finishing what they started! Back in April, many were running their first mile and facing the daunting prospect of running 13.1 or 26.2 miles by the end of the season. It was fascinating...watching their transition from disbelief/skepticism to achieving their goals...in the process enjoying themselves and discovering the joys of fitness and health.

As for myself, I ran four marahons (including 1 during my Ironman). This the most I have ever run in a year - and certainly think I was overdoing it (of course my ultra running friends will scoff at this :-)) - Big Sur in April, Chicago in October, CIM in December and Ironman Canada in August. Apart from that a few of us did the Caliman half Ironman in June, the 2.4 mile Catfish Swim, a century bike ride & the Aquabike (1.2 mile swim/56 mile ride) all in July.

2006 was a year when a lot of my friends achieved personal sporting highs:

Rajeev Patel - Ran his first (of many) 100 milers - and showed up on the cover of the Ultra running magazine!
Vinod Herur - Jumped into world of triathlon with Alcatraz Tri, SJIT, CALIMAN half ironman dist & Ironman Canada!!
Rajesh Agrawal - Probably the most diversified sportsperson I know, finished Ironman Canada
Anu Singh - Like Vinod plunged into Triathlons with SJIT and the MiamiMan half Ironman distance race (next step Ironman!)
Manisha Ghosh - Finished her first half ironman distance race -Big Kahuna, CA.
Mark "Irondog" Williams - finished his 10th Ironman Canada!!
Alan Geraldi - Took a break from Ironman races and ran his first 50 miler (and is training for a 100 miler)
Padma, Kiran & Pradeep Das - Finished the Triple Tahoe Marathon (3 marathons in 3 days)

None of us can ever get to these achievements without the support from our family and friends....Renuka was once again the backbone of my events. Mom was with us as well for Ironman Canada. I cannot thank them enough.

2007 here we come!

Rajeev

Chicago Marathon

An interesting week indeed - after a flood of weather reports and updates that predicted rain and snow flurries...we ended up with a cold, windy but thankfully dry race day.
Huddled into our bus at 5:40 am we were all carted to the Asha tent - 70+ people in the tent at 6:30 am - the energy was flowing.

I checked the temp readings along the way and it was 39F with a decent wind - it was COLD! Ran an easy relaxed race - was wearing my bike leggings, arm warmers, ear band, two layers of quickwik shirts, a long sleeve cotton shirt (which I tossed at mile 5) and my rain jacket. Finished the marathon in 4:02:07 - happy with the time considering the lack of training!

All our runners finished - but it was a hard fought race - the cold really did not agree with a lot of us Californians!

We all owe a big thanks to all the family members and friends that helped cheer us, they braved the cold weather for >6 hours! Kalyan & Vivek did a fantastic job with the camera and with ensuring everyone came in and was accounted for. The entire team showed the selfless spirit that is coming to define Team Asha...mentors and some runners went back out to help bring in other runners and helped carry/support other injured/tired runners to the bus...great team spirit - great people - great race!

Swimming - What a feeling!

Anu, Vinod and I swam for about 25 minutes at Coyote Point today - Man was it cold! Grey skies and calm cold waters...it was a lovely feeling. Anu (who is tapering for her first half Ironman) and I went for a short run after the swim.

Chicago Marathon is a week away - it is expected to be 51F! 70+ runners from Team Asha are going to be running Chicago - for most of us running in 50 degree weather will be a new experience - to say the least :-)

1998 -2000 - I remember running during the Chicago winters - seems like a lifetime ago! Ice on the streets, flurries, wind, temp in the 20-40F range! Now I find 51F cold!! That is what California does to you...

Ironman Canada Race report

We drove to Penticton , B.C .
All 1100 miles of beautiful scenery
Vinod the lone ranger drove alone
Speeding ahead already in "the zone"

Penticton is a lovely little sleepy town
Where many a lake and beaches abound
A short run we managed on Thursday dusk
A nice short swim on Friday dawn

Registration was done by Friday Morn
All met for lunch, Pasta and some corn
Mom, Sarita, Renuka our cheering gang
Vinod, Rajesh, Me, to our health we sang

Saturday was an easy day – slept late
Bike checked in – we await our fate
Dinner we cooked in our hotel room
Nervous...as if I were a bridegroom!

4:30 AM Renuka brought oats & coffee
Amazing woman was up before me
We walked to the start at 5:30
Lines were already long at the Porta Potty!

Wetsuit clad I danced on the beach
The music was loud & had a great beat
"Oh! Canada" we sang and the cannon went boom
2300+ swimmers & off we went - Zoom!

I was out in 1:23, faster than a year ago!
Jumped on to the Iron Horse, 112 to go
Had a feeling that I was dealt good cards
So started cranking out and biking hard

Dreaded Richter Pass, I attacked with a fury
Looking back I wonder, What was the hurry?
The swooping down hills were smooth & fast
Was feeling great and I was having a blast!

Somewhere along the way I stopped eating
No idea why, but the good feeling was fleeting!
Saw Vinod at mile 78 we whooped & cried for each others sake!
Knowing that a final climb awaited at Yellow Lake!

The cramps came quick and fast on the hill
Quads bunched up, where is the darn salt pill?
I biked with one leg, massaging the other
Until both cramped and could go no further!

Ah! the hills are gone the ride is done
Now just survive the freakin' run
Miles upon miles I walked on by
Chatting and meeting others flying by

Saw Rajesh at mile 16 jogging up hill
We were all heading for a finish, what a thrill!
Main street was full of cheering and lights
I had nothing to give, this was the last of my fight!

Hammered and wasted I crawled to the last mile
Sarita, Renuka & Mom...they did bring out a smile!
I jogged to the tape and the finish was Divine
We are all winners - you won't hear me whine!

I love the sport, the physical challenge
We have signed up again for 2007
Hopefully I'll train and practice what I preach!
A new personal best is what I intend to reach.

Thanks to Renuka, Mom, Sarita, Rajesh & Vinod for making it a great experience. Training with Rajesh and Vinod this year was a great learning experience for me, thank you very much guys. And we all thank the Asha family and our friends for all the support and best wishes! We are blessed indeed...

Rajeev

Tangent Moves

Running the tangents

'Cutting corners legally' - that is the way to run your race. In running, a tangent is a line that touches the inside corner of a turn. If you follow the route that is closest to the inside corner of a turn, you will be running the shortest distance in the race. As the image below shows, if you have a left turn followed by a right turn - the shortest distance is the diagonal line that clips the inside of both turns (the red line).  

Running the tangents may not be possible in the initial stages of big races like Chicago or New York Marathon. But once the crowds thin out, you can start looking ahead and clipping the inside of the turns.

By some estimates (another super post by DCR) - if you ran the outside of every turn you could add half a mile to your race (more turns, more distance you run)!

Running the tangent.

Here is a short video clip from Dixon's 1983 New York Marathon - he puts the point across very succinctly. 

Other than running the inside of turns, he also mentions other pearls of wisdom - such as - 'run your own race'. Watch the video - it is a classic from 40 years go! 

Caveat: As a middle to back of the pack triathlete, I do not try the tangent method during the swim or bike portion of a triathlon. The inside turn in a swim can be very crowded and pretty bruising - avoid the crowd, go wide. On the bike, keep to the right of your lane - let the type A folks do the curb hugging. Stay safe.

(Post updated on June 20th, 2023)

Ironman Lake Placid - July 24, 2005 - Race Report

“Sport is about adapting to the unexpected and being able to modify plans at the last minute” – Roger Bannister

Thursday - July 21st - Arrived Lake Placid, 88F Humid, went for a 40 min run. Felt good.

Friday -22nd – Overcast conditions – cooler

Finished with the check in & weigh-in at Ironman – drove the bike course. The start had a 6 mile down hill & the last 15 miles of the 56 mile loop was a relentless series of gentle climbs. The entire route was gorgeous – I felt good there were no serious hills except for a 3 mile stretch in between which would need some low gears. Decided to ride 12-15 miles mostly the down hill section. It had been 13 days since I rode my bike!! Legs felt sluggish – Renuka was to pick me up 15 miles down the road – as she drove by me she saw the pain on my face (there was a climb before the down hill portion) she parked 5 miles ahead just incase…:-) I hit the down hills averaging 33-35mph – high clocked at 44mph. It was pouring rain so I slowed down as the roads were slick & I could not see very far. Another biker zooms past me!!! Crazy bugger!! Note to self: stay on the right on race day let these “type As” go by. – Most important night: got to bed early & slept well.

Saturday -23rd – Warm day – high 80s, humid.

Checked in the bike at the transition (Bikes are checked in a day early). Walked across the road to Mirror Lake (that is where the swim was) and went in for a 15 min swim without my wetsuit, the water was warm (65-68F) & I had a relaxed swim – My friend had driven in from Boston, we all had an early dinner & tried to get to bed early but could not sleep – the body, mind (and stomachJ) were already in race mode…

Sunday 24th –RACE DAY – Up at 3:30 a.m. cool day (low 50s) (thank god!) – bit of mist – Had my Coffee, Oats & Banana – I was feeling good
5:00 a.m. Renuka dropped me off at the transition area. Went in checked my bike (good idea for all future triathletes as the heat on Saturday had caused a lot to flat tires) my bike was fine, I put in the Cytomax bottles & checked in my “special needs bags” for the half way point of the bike & run. Walked to the lake…
6:30 a.m. the place was crowded, thousands of spectators. As the lake was warmer than the ambient temp there was steam rising off the water – it was a surreal scene.
6:55 a.m. looked around could not see Renuka or Shiraz the crowd was going wild as all of us were jumping into the water 1900+ swimmers (the Pro Women were on their 2nd loop of the swim as they had started at 6:30 a.m.)
7:00 a.m. “The Start” the craziest scene in sports – almost 8000 limbs churning the water into froth – it was madness, I hung back, protecting myself from blows. I start and in seconds I am in the middle of this feeding frenzy as no one is moving – people pushing, kicking, pulling at your feet, it was NUTS!! – I feel my timing chip coming off (someone pulls at it) I stop to secure it – still looking around to make sure there are no limbs coming at me…10-12 mins later I get into a slow rhythm still being bumped around & in turn bumping people. The second loop was better & had time to wave at the SCUBA diver below us and the helicopter hovering a few feet above us…Amazing! I was loving every moment…
8:30a.m the swim is done – a volunteer pushes me to the floor, & strips off my wetsuit…hands it to me & I am off to the changing tent for the grueling 112 miles on the iron horse. I see Renuka, Shiraz & further down Mike & Lisa friends I have not met in years…I was feeling good.

BIKE: The start was nice, weather was still cool – since I was way back in the swim I had missed the crowds on the bike start – The down hill was great, high 45 mph – at the 40 mile mark I was at average 18.5mph (too fast I tell myself – slow down, calm down) – then the up hills start – I was still feeling good, there was good music all around people on guitars, boom-boxes, drums, it was all good – Nutrition on the first loop - GU gel every 45 mins with Cytomax & water & 2 bananas. I stop at mile 56 switch my empty bottles for fresh Cytomax (I had forgotten to put bananas in the pack – First mistake of the day). I see Renuka & Shiraz cheering – huge crowd cheering, so much for calming down! I take off. Mile 85 it is getting hot – the water stops have run out of bananas – I try a raw green one handed to me – yuk! That’s it no more eating. The climbs start I feel like I am riding in sand…my chain pops off (bad gear changing) I get off & in my hurry I drop my bike!! Finally the ride is over…someone grabs my bike & I am off to the changing tent.

RUN: I start off the first mile at 9.44 pace…”too fast, slow down” I tell my self. The plan was to walk/run a 4:40 marathon…mile 6 I am chugging along at a 10:15 pace feeling good – still the same routine GU gel every 40 mins with Cytomax/Gatorade…mile 8,9,10 are uphill the pace slows. Mile 13.1 I dig into my “special needs” re-fill cytomax – and take off the crowds are cheering, Mike & Lisa are at the turnaround it was great to see familiar faces, a mile down Renuka is out there, my pace picks up (2nd mistake) Mile 15 the first inkling of trouble...a bit of strange fatigue comes over me…Oh! Oh! I have been here before & it’s not a nice place to be…I slow down. Mile 16 I look at the watch it’s been 3 hours – I start calculating my “what ifs” but instead of calculating for 10 miles I calculate for 8 miles!!! Mile 17 & I am wondering why I still have 9 miles left when I should have 7!! – well the mind is playing tricks…”Slow down Rajeev” says a voice inside me "walk 15 min/miles & you can finish." Mile 18-19 fatigue gets worse – I look for company (I wish Rajeev P was around) I find another person walking & I step along and we start a conversation…another person joins us on the up hill, It is bad but finally I get some cola at mile 22…Phew!! Sugar is goooood!!! We get into Lake Placid, the town is still out ringing bells, screaming & cheering and handing out glow sticks as it is getting dark...mile 25 I turn in for the final mile & I almost fall (No sudden turns buddy!!)…Mike & Lisa cheer me on - I start jogging again…I can hear the names of the finishers being announced “John XX from Tempe Arizona – YOU are an Ironman” – Rush of energy, I pick up the pace – I enter the stadium, the crowds are cheering…I run in to finish…14:50:52…just under the European cut-off of 15 hours…an hour slower than my previous Ironman - but I am happy…It was a great day! I fought the beast and just about beat it….!

As John Milton said “The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make a heaven of hell, and a hell of heaven” – so true…so very true…

Thank you Renuka, Shiraz, Renuka, Mike, Renuka, Lisa, Renuka….Thank god for Renuka...she is a true champion...

2002 - Ironman Utah and Ironman Vineman

2002 was my first jump into Ironman distance races. Until then I was content with short triathlons and Olympic distance races. All that was before I met Alan Geraldi - in 2001 Alan, Tandy, Ray and a bunch of us used to swim together at Coyote Point Park in San Mateo, CA. During one of these afternoon swim sessions - Alan mentioned that I should sign up for an Ironman event and just do it...on a whim I signed up for the inaugural Ironman Utah, to be held in Provo.

So from August 2001 I started putting in miles on my $15.00 road bike that I bought at a garage sale in Chicago. The progress was slow, averaging 13.5 to 14.5 miles per hour I was pretty sure I was not going to make the bike cutoff. This was my first ever road bike (I never had a road bike in India or in Muscat - My first triathlon in 1990 was done on an Atlas bike with no gears) so getting used to the 50/60/70 mile rides was tough. But after several months of riding - climbing hills (Kings Mountain) I was close to 15mph at the 112 mile rides!!

With several training tips from Alan I pushed through the season and finally thought I was ready for Utah. We drove from San Jose to Provo (about 1000 miles). We were an big group - Mom, Shridhar, Madhu, Navneeta, Renuka, Rajeev Patel, Raj & Priya drove in from Denver and Nandini flew in from Chicago and we had a great time in Provo.

Race day morning started pretty calm, then at around 6:30 am we had a sudden swarm of insects that came flying in...as quickly as they came they vanished leaving thousands of shed wings all over the shore! At 6:45 I jumped into lake Provo and started warming up. There was a slight breeze. At 6:55am the cannon went off for the start of the professionals race. But it was total chaos...everyone started swimming and suddenly the wind picked up...by 7:15 we were in the midst of a raging storm. I was swimming around with no idea which direction to head in. Several swimmers said the swim is cancelled - I just did not believe it...Cancelled!? not in an Ironman race...so I kept going - I was more worried about not making the swim cut off!! After about an hour and 20 minutes we were told to swim towards the shore. Several of us were about a mile off course. We were loaded into a pickup truck and driven back to the transition. I saw the relief on the faces of all those waiting for me (Mom was really worried Renuka and the rest were worried too but were pretty confident that I would make it out of the water)

After a long wait, they decided to make it into a 60 mile ride (it was closer to 70) and 13.1 mile run. The rest of the race was pretty uneventful. Ironman gave us the option of signing up for another race - I chose Vineman in Santa Rosa. After another month of training - I finally finished my first Ironman race in July 2002. It took me 13 hours 53 minutes. I remember John and Judy being there at the finish with Renuka and I also remember saying "never again"!!!!
Yeah right!