Drifting away!

The other day I was bored at work (yeah... in the miniscule amount that I do do everyday!!... or is that because I am a fast worker??... I think I have to stick with a believable storyline for the sake of credibility!!) and decided to pick a spring marathon (I figured.. if I like running as much as I think I do, then there could be no harm!). So I went on to ask my best friend, who has answers for any and every question there is (well!!... almost) - google.

Georgia marathon, Big sur (CA), New Jersey, Green Bay were a few that caught my eye. Also I wanted to use the marathon as a pretext to travel to some place new. I heard from a friend (this time it is a person) that the Green Bay marathon follows a very scenic course. Also it had the cheapest entry fee among others. But I had been to Green Bay before and wanted to venture out of Wisconsin! (so GB marathon, I'm sorry... may be later!). New Jersey was a double loop and somehow I was not thrilled about it (I don't know why and guess what.... google didn't know either!!!... OK seriously, get over google!!). More over I have been to Jersey a couple of times.

Down to 2, out of which Georgia Marathon in Atlanta was so easy to pick, simply because my cousin lives there and that saves a bunch of money on lodging. But then the Big Sur in California was hands down favorite on the internet for its scenic route. I read a few articles and blogs on Big Sur, that took me along highway 1..... starting with the down hill... then a few ups and downs.... the big hill at mile 9...... the beautiful panoramic view of the pacific below... waves lapping up on the rocks... the mystic fog.... the bands on the side of the road..... and I wasn't at work anymore... I was running sub 7 minute miles.... (and what a surreal transformation that was!!)... If I maintained the pace, I would qualify for Boston easily...... I was running past other runners... those poor souls... hahahaha...

Let's see... what happened next?? yeah! that's right.... reality struck back! Like a booming echo from the sky... 'First finish this flat course Milwaukee lakefront marathon before sunset!'

I am your quintessiantial day dreamer, so adept at drifting away from reality! (What was I doing now? Whatever it was I better get back to it!!).

I am Vijay Govindarajan and I approve this message!

-Vijayasarathy-

The running philosophy!

It is anyone's guess why most of my profound babbling's tangent off of one activity!

Yesterday I ran 14miles ... nothing great about it. Infact it was between bad and average! The week leading upto the run was miserable... I fell sick after eating out! I figured running is just like life. There are good days and bad days. And then some promising days that turn out to be not-so-good, just like yesterday!!

When you run 14 miles you have a lot of time to ponder over such things. So I did...........

I had 1 bad long run in the recent past (2 weeks earlier), the 20 miler and then this current predicament. But the 16 mile run a week before was great, arguably the best run I've had to date. For the 20 miler 2 weeks earlier, I ran with someone much faster than I was and ended up with a hamstring pull and had to limp to the finish 20 minutes short of my goal time. This one, I was running with someone slower than me. Still not feeling so good.

But why was the 16 miler so great? I ran alone with a group of 70-80 runners! That was the key! Running alone in a group! I paced myself according to my needs, goals, pains and strengths. I drew just enough inspiration from the others around me but didn't let the competition dictate the terms of my run.

That's it! You have to try and improve with reference to your previous performance, not based on some Mr.X. You can still draw inspiration from someone in a better place than you and reevaluate your goals from time to time!

Is this applicable to life? If it does it makes things so much more simpler. And you can still relish every step you take in difficult times. I'm going to try this philosophy in the coming days and try to do things better today than what I did yesterday. It's not like Einstien just discovered e = mc2 right? All of us must have thought of such "brilliant" things before! However this might just be what the doctor recommended. I think, I just rediscovered a pragmatic solution to my everyday rubik's cube.

And then the water stop interruped my thought.

-Vijayasarathy-

no pain no gain!!

It was the 16 mile taper run for the lakefront marathon on 9/16/07 (a day after my Al's run 8k@41:59) with the badgerland striders group at 8.00am. I neither felt like waking up nor running 16miles that day, but that is the advantage of committing oneself to a group run. I did go.

The congregation of about 70-80 runners had assembled by the time I reached. After a few minutes Dr. Meuller enthusiastically climbed up the park bench and gave away some free inspiration, instructions, enlightened us with the route and the location of the water stops and atleast got me psyched about the next 3 hours.

We began the run around 8:15am and I started at the back of the group since I didn't want to get caught up in the initial rush. Not withstanding the pep up talk by Dr. Mueller (the one man organizing guru!), I wasn't really warmed up for the run physically and mentally. So I started out pretty slow, I would guess around (11-11:30 minute mile). Luckily there were runners of all sizes, age and more importantly speed. Although a majority of them took off ahead of me, there were quite a few along side and behind me. Not bad I thought!

After about a mile the pain started. I was worried because it was the shin. I did not want to injure myself just 3 weeks before the marathon. But I just kept running. Then the left foot started hurting. Everytime I landed my foot it felt like a hard slap which was getting increasingly painful. It felt as though I wasn't landing my foot right. But I was not doing anything new. So I decided to overrun the pain. It lasted for another 3 miles. I tried not to think about it. I did try some goofy things to distract my thought from the shin and the feet that were'nt cooperating..... like experiment with hip extension during running to see if the swing got any better....... tried to push harder with soleus for speed..... experimented with different stride lengths..... looking at other runners and bikers on the trail...... looking up and down like the character in the song pon malai pozhudhu.... yeah!! whatever it took!!

Finally after what was quite a painful run, I got to the first water stop and there was Dr. Mueller with encouraging words, water, gatorade and gu gel. Four and a half miles in good time he announced. This time he had some espresso flavor gu gels, a welcome respite from the exaggerated sweetness of raspberry flavor last week. I fueled myself.

As I headed out, there was no more pain. It felt like someone had cleaned the slate in my head that screamed "PAIN". And I didn't feel no pain until the finish. I picked up speed and just kept running. I went past many other runners who I didn't see after the start line. The rest of this 16 miles was a cake walk. The pain during the first 4.5 miles was a lot to take. But I was happy that I did not give in to it. I ran through it. I fought the battle at a higher level - the mental battle. I successfully dissed the dis-comfort and finished strongly. 2:30 for 16miles... with gas left to go for more!

-Vijayasarathy-

Al's Run

Last year around the same time, when I saw an ad for Al's run on one of the boards at the alumni memorial union at Marquette, I said to myself that one had to be an elite runner to run a 5 mile race. But I had nothing to do with running then.

Times have changed since and so has my perception. In the past few months running has become THE mainstay of any conversation with my family and friends. To me it is not just a void-filler in a conversation. It has become the fulcrum that keeps my days and weeks in balance. It is like my warehouse of motivation to go on with the school work and job search which otherwise have the potential to drive me nuts.

This year Al's run is on a saturday (15th september 07). I am bifurcated between running an all out 5mile race or doing it at an easy pace to save myself for the 16mile long run on sunday with the badgerland striders running group. (am I lucky to have found them or what!!!) Whatever it is I believe it will be a great experience to share with 16000 other runners, unlike anything I have done before.

On a different front, I am trying to help raise funds for the Children's hospital of wisconsin. This is again one of the firsts for me!!! Honestly, I was afraid that I might end up being the only contributor on my fund raising page. But at the end of day 1 the pledges from friends went upto $25. I was truly elated!! I crowned myself for a grand success at my first effort!!! Even though this is not the reason for writing the blog, my fundraising page is still up and open for contributions :-D..... so feel free to take a look!!! I thank all of those who have pledged and all those who are going to in future!!

-Vijayasarathy-

My favorite interview from my favorite star!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the honest truth of God...... I hate star worship in cinema.... the only exception I have made and will ever make is Rajini.

I was born at a time and place where Rajini was beginning to cast a spell, a spell that would continue to grow and transform his stature from a bus conductor to a phenomenon worshipped by millions. Without delving into the making of Rajini I will say that I am one of those millions who have pledged their allegiance to him.

Why? He is the quintessential form of inspiration and hope. Let me explain!
Have you ever thought, why so many people go to the casinos every day? What does the casino offer people? It gives them hope, however insignificantly small, hope to make it big. But the casinos have a bad spin, because the probabilities are heavily tilted in their favor. To use the hope that the casino provides, you have to gamble with your money. Now imagine you get the same kind of hope for free, with more intensity and huge positive spin on it. Just looking at a person is all the inspiration you need. That is what Rajni symbolises for millions - Hope.

As someone who was commonplace, a bus conductor, and worked his way up to the highest paid actor in India, Rajini personifies success to everyone with a dream. He has a very special gift - the ability to connect with people. Every kid thinks of himself to be Rajni. Every kid mimicks his on-screen style and repeats his line.

And remember, 'once a Rajini fan, always a Rajini fan'. One summer while vacationing in the US, he shaved his head and a hundred Rajini fanatics shaved their heads the same day in South India. I know!! Until I heard that I thought I was the craziest Rajini fan. But these people defined new levels of craziness in Rajini worship.

Anyhoo, what I like about Rajini, other than his onscreen style is his offscreen humility. If ever I were to become .001% as famous as he is now, I would go berserk. But this man's humility and modesty are beyond anything I can fathom at this point.

This is my favorite interview of the one and only Thalaivar!!! It's hard not to smile everytime I see this!!!!!!