Mindframes
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Generation "gap?"
The blog by Saumya on nourish-n-cherish got me thinking. Instead of expressing my thoughts as a mozha-neelam comment, I thought I will blog about it. It is a topic that has been in my mind for a while. The questions are simple and is centered around the current generation of people in comparison with our previous generation. By previous generation, I mean people who were born in 1940s-1950s. Are we, as a community more social and friendly? Are we more selfless in our deeds than them? Are we smarter? Are we flexible and adjusting?
Call me old fashioned. But, in my opinion, our previous generation (I will restrict this to Indians) seem genuinely friendlier and sociable than the current generation. While I can't miss the touch of hypocrisy and sarcasm sprayed all over in the previous generation, there is a special sense of caring, that is unequaled. I have seen numerous examples of cases where a relative of some kind would be taken care of through their college till they get to work. As I grew up, I've never found anyone considering the act of cooking for others to be a chore. Even when an uninvited guest shows up, people used to go crazy about cooking them good food...
My question is not whether the current generation will or will not do what the older generation did? But, I don't see that as commonly as I used to, before. There could obviously be more reasons... Is it because we are more independent (esp., financially)? Is it because, our importance to just our family has grown exponentially? Is it because, we are wrapped up in a more competitive and expensive world where everyone needs to work to take care of their own family that there is no time for "others"? We do adore Darwin's theory and tout ourselves as being smarter than the previous generation. Does it mean that, smartness is inversely proportional to being sociable? Is it because, the community has overgrown from being limited to villages or townships to global? Should there be a dilution factor applied as the community size increases? Or, is it just being rational? Can I say that, courteousness superseded rationality in our previous generation... Is it just that the more closer we get to rationality, certain "random acts of kindness" disappeared? All said and done, everyone likes to be treated with kindness and be considered special, at least by a few... If rationality or being smart is what stands in the way, I don't know if it is a good idea to be rational.... Oops, I have gotten into an infinite loop in analyzing rationality now...;)
Call me old fashioned. But, in my opinion, our previous generation (I will restrict this to Indians) seem genuinely friendlier and sociable than the current generation. While I can't miss the touch of hypocrisy and sarcasm sprayed all over in the previous generation, there is a special sense of caring, that is unequaled. I have seen numerous examples of cases where a relative of some kind would be taken care of through their college till they get to work. As I grew up, I've never found anyone considering the act of cooking for others to be a chore. Even when an uninvited guest shows up, people used to go crazy about cooking them good food...
My question is not whether the current generation will or will not do what the older generation did? But, I don't see that as commonly as I used to, before. There could obviously be more reasons... Is it because we are more independent (esp., financially)? Is it because, our importance to just our family has grown exponentially? Is it because, we are wrapped up in a more competitive and expensive world where everyone needs to work to take care of their own family that there is no time for "others"? We do adore Darwin's theory and tout ourselves as being smarter than the previous generation. Does it mean that, smartness is inversely proportional to being sociable? Is it because, the community has overgrown from being limited to villages or townships to global? Should there be a dilution factor applied as the community size increases? Or, is it just being rational? Can I say that, courteousness superseded rationality in our previous generation... Is it just that the more closer we get to rationality, certain "random acts of kindness" disappeared? All said and done, everyone likes to be treated with kindness and be considered special, at least by a few... If rationality or being smart is what stands in the way, I don't know if it is a good idea to be rational.... Oops, I have gotten into an infinite loop in analyzing rationality now...;)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Eternal discussions...
Time to time, when I talk to my parents or relatives in India, one topic that surfaces is the criticism about the US institutions, not to mention the zillion others about the US way of life, divorce rates, etc., Every time the Indian stock market goes up, people go gungho on how India will outperform every other country in the world. At the same time, when the market went down, the entire blame rested in the hands of US financial institutes. This is one of those arguments where my patriotic self is torn between rationality and the usual emotional counterpart. Half way into the discussion, I often get confused as to which side I am on. Is it about nationality or market dynamics? Recently, when the SIFY scandal broke out, I was in one of those "I told you so" moment. I do repent for the millions who have lost their money and millions more, who are yet to lose. But, as Greenspan puts it, the Indian market is flooded with irrational exuberance.
Consider the Indian IT market. Most of the big companies are service companies which cash in money for every resource they have. It is almost a direct mapping. So, on one hand, the company executives started seeing a surge of money. With corruption being a norm and getting away from corruption being very easy, it would be an anomaly to find corporate executives who don't make use of the "system". We all know how the food chain feeds itself in the political system, one that is supposed to overlook any mishaps. In my opinion, SIFY scandal just surfaced the tip of the iceberg and there will be a lot more to come. Is it because incompetency breeds incompetency?
During the past 10 years, the number of colleges in Tamilnadu alone has grown from about 50 to a whopping 500+. I went to a reasonably good engineering college. But, let me tell you, the quality of teaching was very mediocre, the exceptions being a couple of professors. The quality of engineers produced were again very mediocre (including me..:)). Now, I see the overwhelming number of colleges and guess who is teaching, the same mediocre people who left from colleges like ours. Not to point fingers or ridicule anyone, but, the students who are now lecturers and professors were below mediocre, in my scale. And, they've been teaching for over a decade now. The more I hear from people, the quality of engineers produced is definitely bad. But, the overriding question is, does it matter? And, that too to land up in an IT services job? A big NO. For the mundane work that most IT companies sign up for, the qualification that someone is an engineer is all it takes.
When I passed out engineering, getting into MNCs or big IT companies was nothing but a dream. It was plain difficult. Now, except for a handful of companies, who still go to elite institutes for their recruitment, the need for quantity has definitely killed quality. So, if we have an enormous collection of low quality workers riding one on top of another, how do you think it will evolve over a period of time. Coupled with the web of corruption, the situation will serve as a perfect recipe for disaster... I think, Indian system is it's own worst enemy... Only time will tell, what the consequences are going to be...If you ask me, it is nothing close to rosy is all I would say...
Consider the Indian IT market. Most of the big companies are service companies which cash in money for every resource they have. It is almost a direct mapping. So, on one hand, the company executives started seeing a surge of money. With corruption being a norm and getting away from corruption being very easy, it would be an anomaly to find corporate executives who don't make use of the "system". We all know how the food chain feeds itself in the political system, one that is supposed to overlook any mishaps. In my opinion, SIFY scandal just surfaced the tip of the iceberg and there will be a lot more to come. Is it because incompetency breeds incompetency?
During the past 10 years, the number of colleges in Tamilnadu alone has grown from about 50 to a whopping 500+. I went to a reasonably good engineering college. But, let me tell you, the quality of teaching was very mediocre, the exceptions being a couple of professors. The quality of engineers produced were again very mediocre (including me..:)). Now, I see the overwhelming number of colleges and guess who is teaching, the same mediocre people who left from colleges like ours. Not to point fingers or ridicule anyone, but, the students who are now lecturers and professors were below mediocre, in my scale. And, they've been teaching for over a decade now. The more I hear from people, the quality of engineers produced is definitely bad. But, the overriding question is, does it matter? And, that too to land up in an IT services job? A big NO. For the mundane work that most IT companies sign up for, the qualification that someone is an engineer is all it takes.
When I passed out engineering, getting into MNCs or big IT companies was nothing but a dream. It was plain difficult. Now, except for a handful of companies, who still go to elite institutes for their recruitment, the need for quantity has definitely killed quality. So, if we have an enormous collection of low quality workers riding one on top of another, how do you think it will evolve over a period of time. Coupled with the web of corruption, the situation will serve as a perfect recipe for disaster... I think, Indian system is it's own worst enemy... Only time will tell, what the consequences are going to be...If you ask me, it is nothing close to rosy is all I would say...
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Powerless...
I've reading a lot of news lately. Though I resent the fact that many people are killed in various fights and militant wars throughout the world, I find a strange curiosity to get the updates. I don't know why.
As people contend about what the futuristic world holds in terms of technology and what not, I couldn't stop thinking about the fate of innocent people. As militants get their covers under the civilian population, I see that innocent lives are starting to look "disposable". It has almost become a norm. Though, on one hand, it looks completely ridiculous, I don't know what solution stays with the countries that have to defend it's territories and people at large. Consider the terrorist incidents back in India. If one has to make a choice of getting rid of terrorists, is it worthwhile trying to protect a handful of innocent people? Doesn't it look very subjective? I do realize that, if I had any of my close friend, family or relatives anywhere close to where such incidents happen, I may have a different take on the subject. But, for a government, it looks like the choices are running out. Will such trend go towards a power shift of the so called "protectors"...Is it the real solution to curbing down the terrorists? I don't know. But, with growing list of terrorist organizations, I think, more and more innocent people are going to be terribly affected.
Another thing that bothers me is that I am getting totally confused with the responsibilities of organizations like UN. What is their real charter? Is it to just issue statements condemning organizations or countries? I think, as organizations like UN look biased and powerless, more and more countries will start doing things on their own. Why am I concerned with all of this? Honestly, I am not, well, may be a little. I realize that I don't have the faintest clue whatsoever on the realities surrounding people who go through such painful tragedies, and unless I do, my curiosity or concerns about the topic only stays in the confinement of a blog which is mostly based on what the media projects. And, thanks to technology, I am overwhelmed with more and more information that reaffirms how utterly powerless I am...
As people contend about what the futuristic world holds in terms of technology and what not, I couldn't stop thinking about the fate of innocent people. As militants get their covers under the civilian population, I see that innocent lives are starting to look "disposable". It has almost become a norm. Though, on one hand, it looks completely ridiculous, I don't know what solution stays with the countries that have to defend it's territories and people at large. Consider the terrorist incidents back in India. If one has to make a choice of getting rid of terrorists, is it worthwhile trying to protect a handful of innocent people? Doesn't it look very subjective? I do realize that, if I had any of my close friend, family or relatives anywhere close to where such incidents happen, I may have a different take on the subject. But, for a government, it looks like the choices are running out. Will such trend go towards a power shift of the so called "protectors"...Is it the real solution to curbing down the terrorists? I don't know. But, with growing list of terrorist organizations, I think, more and more innocent people are going to be terribly affected.
Another thing that bothers me is that I am getting totally confused with the responsibilities of organizations like UN. What is their real charter? Is it to just issue statements condemning organizations or countries? I think, as organizations like UN look biased and powerless, more and more countries will start doing things on their own. Why am I concerned with all of this? Honestly, I am not, well, may be a little. I realize that I don't have the faintest clue whatsoever on the realities surrounding people who go through such painful tragedies, and unless I do, my curiosity or concerns about the topic only stays in the confinement of a blog which is mostly based on what the media projects. And, thanks to technology, I am overwhelmed with more and more information that reaffirms how utterly powerless I am...
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Happy New Year !
As every year goes by, there is a part of me that scoffs on what the big deal is? Another part of me convinces that, new years are a great time to reflect on the past. It is like a water break in running. Especially given the shut downs that we've been having, it gave me extra time to think about what I did last year. Even less reason not to brood over the past.
Well, if I were to summarize on what I did last year (apart from the usual) in a nutshell is that, I did a lot of running. I ran about 1600 miles over the year, racing 4 half-marathons, 2 full maratons and the relay. I did improve with every event, which kind of fed back to itself making me run even more. Not sure if this trend can continue for long, especially, the coming year. But, I am happy with how it went last year. Shoba and I had a wonderful 3 week vacation, or should I say, hibernation... The start-up I worked for got acquired by Cisco. Not that it matters much to me except till next year. I was just running out of stuff to list...If it is less than 3 items, the word list sounded meaningless to me? Oh, and then, I did bungee jumping during our visit to New Zealand. I know I've bored most of you with these facts. But, I am going to repeat it again. My major revelation during our trip to NZ was that, they don't have any native mammals in the entire country. What it means is that, you can walk all over NZ evergreen forests and you will never see any other animal other than sheeps/deers/stoats and possums... No bears/tigers/lions...Interesting, isn't it?
As most people, I do have my list of stuff (aka resolutions) to do for the new year. One of them is to start blogging actively (atleast 1 every week). Blogging, in a way, keeps me tuned to information... As a disclaimer, this has nothing to do with me being part of Cisco... Believe me...:)
Anyway, to start with, I was going to blog something about economy. My inspiration came from an interview in NPR (Forum with Paul Saffo). As I started typing the blog, I went back to listen to the audio archive. As I figured, I wouldn't do any justice whatsoever to the content than the content itself. To give a sneak preview, it is about where we are heading, in terms of economic trends and how factors like global warming, internet revolution, etc., influence it. It was one of the most interesting talk I've heard in a long time. Savor it when you find time. I am sure most of you will love it...
Link to Audio Archive of the interview
Happy New Year to you all !
Well, if I were to summarize on what I did last year (apart from the usual) in a nutshell is that, I did a lot of running. I ran about 1600 miles over the year, racing 4 half-marathons, 2 full maratons and the relay. I did improve with every event, which kind of fed back to itself making me run even more. Not sure if this trend can continue for long, especially, the coming year. But, I am happy with how it went last year. Shoba and I had a wonderful 3 week vacation, or should I say, hibernation... The start-up I worked for got acquired by Cisco. Not that it matters much to me except till next year. I was just running out of stuff to list...If it is less than 3 items, the word list sounded meaningless to me? Oh, and then, I did bungee jumping during our visit to New Zealand. I know I've bored most of you with these facts. But, I am going to repeat it again. My major revelation during our trip to NZ was that, they don't have any native mammals in the entire country. What it means is that, you can walk all over NZ evergreen forests and you will never see any other animal other than sheeps/deers/stoats and possums... No bears/tigers/lions...Interesting, isn't it?
As most people, I do have my list of stuff (aka resolutions) to do for the new year. One of them is to start blogging actively (atleast 1 every week). Blogging, in a way, keeps me tuned to information... As a disclaimer, this has nothing to do with me being part of Cisco... Believe me...:)
Anyway, to start with, I was going to blog something about economy. My inspiration came from an interview in NPR (Forum with Paul Saffo). As I started typing the blog, I went back to listen to the audio archive. As I figured, I wouldn't do any justice whatsoever to the content than the content itself. To give a sneak preview, it is about where we are heading, in terms of economic trends and how factors like global warming, internet revolution, etc., influence it. It was one of the most interesting talk I've heard in a long time. Savor it when you find time. I am sure most of you will love it...
Link to Audio Archive of the interview
Happy New Year to you all !
Monday, July 14, 2008
Race diary
Full Marathon
California International Marathon, Sacramento Dec 7, 2008
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl
5052 Suresh Sankaralingam 3:33:17 1318/5193 1077 185
Napa Valley Marathon Mar 1, 2008
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl
944 Suresh Sankaralingam 3:56:13 626/1761 464 58
Big Sur Marathon Apr 29, 2007
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl
1856 Suresh Sankaralingam 4:12:10 1194/3157 872 135
Silicon Valley Marathon Oct 29, 2006
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl
781 Suresh Sankaralingam 4:56:20 576/848 434/585 63/92
Half Marathon
Rock N Roll Half Marathon SJ Oct 5, 2008
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl AgeGrade
2371 Suresh Sankaralingam 1:38:58 625/9563 524/4188 71 60.1%
San Francisco Half Marathon (2nd half) Aug 3, 2008
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl AgeGrade
22309 Suresh Sankaralingam 1:41:50 248/1980 192 86 58.16%
Jungle Run Jul 13, 2008
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl AgeGrade
838 Suresh Sankaralingam 1:48:04 147/755 107 33 55%
Kaiser Permanente Feb 3, 2008
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl
4368 Suresh Sankaralingam 1:48:20 1071/4738 781 130
Rock and Roll Oct 14, 2007
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl
4395 Suresh Sankaralingam 1:54:33 2000/8797 1531 225
Rock and Roll Oct 8, 2006
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl
12191 Suresh Sankaralingam 2:08:34 3481/8336 2115 340
10K
6. SURESH SANKARALINGAM 0:47:19 O'All:19/201 ILP May 4, 2008
38. SURESH SANKARALINGAM 0:55:38 O'All: 122/298 Almaden Times Classic, Sep 24, 2006
18. SURESH SANKARALINGAM 0:58:58 O'All:47/112 ILP May 7, 2006
California International Marathon, Sacramento Dec 7, 2008
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl
5052 Suresh Sankaralingam 3:33:17 1318/5193 1077 185
Napa Valley Marathon Mar 1, 2008
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl
944 Suresh Sankaralingam 3:56:13 626/1761 464 58
Big Sur Marathon Apr 29, 2007
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl
1856 Suresh Sankaralingam 4:12:10 1194/3157 872 135
Silicon Valley Marathon Oct 29, 2006
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl
781 Suresh Sankaralingam 4:56:20 576/848 434/585 63/92
Half Marathon
Rock N Roll Half Marathon SJ Oct 5, 2008
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl AgeGrade
2371 Suresh Sankaralingam 1:38:58 625/9563 524/4188 71 60.1%
San Francisco Half Marathon (2nd half) Aug 3, 2008
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl AgeGrade
22309 Suresh Sankaralingam 1:41:50 248/1980 192 86 58.16%
Jungle Run Jul 13, 2008
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl AgeGrade
838 Suresh Sankaralingam 1:48:04 147/755 107 33 55%
Kaiser Permanente Feb 3, 2008
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl
4368 Suresh Sankaralingam 1:48:20 1071/4738 781 130
Rock and Roll Oct 14, 2007
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl
4395 Suresh Sankaralingam 1:54:33 2000/8797 1531 225
Rock and Roll Oct 8, 2006
Bib Name ChipTime O'Rank SexPl DivPl
12191 Suresh Sankaralingam 2:08:34 3481/8336 2115 340
10K
6. SURESH SANKARALINGAM 0:47:19 O'All:19/201 ILP May 4, 2008
38. SURESH SANKARALINGAM 0:55:38 O'All: 122/298 Almaden Times Classic, Sep 24, 2006
18. SURESH SANKARALINGAM 0:58:58 O'All:47/112 ILP May 7, 2006
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
My Running Experience...
LOG: Dec 20 : 2.0 miles run : 20 minutes
Started my relay training today. Just wanted to see how long I can run. It was tough. I was sweating, breathing hard and I barely completed my 2 miles of run (actually 1.5 miles of run and 0.5 miles of walk). I didnt have any measuring instruments. So, I made a conservative estimate of 1.5 miles. Though Shoba said that it was only 1 mile, I had to plead my way into convincing her that it was indeed 1.5 mile. I didnt realise the actual mile of 2 till Dec 27 when I really calculated the actual distance.
LOG:Dec 21 : 2.0 miles run : 20 minutes
My legs were tired and sore because of the previous day's run. I thought I shouldnt give up just because my legs hurt. So, my run today was more to prove myself that I can sustain tough conditions into running. I completed 2 miles at almost the same pace as the previous day. Towards the end, I decided that relay running is not for me. I was quite exhausted towards the end. I followed Shoba's advice of sprinting, which I later figured out was not a good idea. Again, 1.5 miles of run and 0.5 miles of walk.
LOG:Dec 23 : 3.8 miles walk : 60 minutes
I had read in a book that I should either rest between 2 consecutive days of run and do cross training. So, I figured that, I will walk and see how far I can walk. I made sure that I do a brisk walk inorder to convince myself that it was not just a walk. It went very well. I wasnt tired a bit. The only problem that I had towards the end was that, the mid section of my feet had a peculiar pain, as if something is broken at the mid-point. But then, I completed the walk. I also heard from my friend Sri (who has already run a full marathon) that stretching before and after you run is vital. So, I took some print outs from web on how to stretch. So, I followed it once I went home. It felt like a great relief to me. I felt very good and the pain didnt seep in as much as it used to in the first 2 days. Felt good.
LOG:Dec 25 : 3.8 miles run : 45 minutes
Well, today, my only aim was to run the same stretch as I had walked without stopping anywhere. I figured that, if I can walk for 4 miles without getting tired, there should be a sweet spot to the pace at which I am running which should help me complete 4 miles without any problem. So, I started off slowly. I completed my 2 miles (one side of the creek) and I was breathing regularly and I thought, I will try the other side of the trail as well. I finished it and still was breathing regularly. So, I decided to sprint a little bit towards the end and when I reached home, I was just perfectly fine. I had a feeling that I could have run a little more further. But then, the book advises to improve the mileage gradually. I did my stretches and it felt great. My calf muscles had a little pain. But, I guess, if you run for 4 miles, you are bound to have some impact. All these days, I thought that the 4 mile run was actually 3 miles since I didnt have any measuring device. My friend Sri dropped by on Dec 26 and gave me his Polo watch and the book about how to train yourself for Marathon.
WEEK 1 LOG: 11.6 miles
LOG:Dec 27 : 4.0 miles run (49 minutes)
I wanted to get up and 7:15 today, but then, as I always am, slept till 8:10. Got up and started getting ready only to see that it was drizzling outside. I wasnt sure if I wanted to run today. I checked up the forecast and I saw that, it was showers for today and rain tomorrow. So, if I dont run today, then, I most probably wont tomorrow as well. I didnt want to give a 2 days break. So, I put on my sweat shirt and started to run. Now, I had my Polo watch as well. My initial idea was to run 2-3 miles (cover oneside of the creek), just to make sure how many miles it is and then return back home. I started a little too fast (I checked Polo and it recorded 0.25 miles in 2 minutes) and I was feeling short of breath. I slowed down and maintained the pace. I completed both sides of the creek and I ran some extra distance so that I can complete 4 miles. The time recorded 49 minutes. I was quite happy that, I have been running more miles than I thought I had. I was not tired at the end and I felt very great. I started thinking that, getting to 5 miles or more shouldnt be a big deal, now that I have covered 4 miles.... May be, my swimming helped me in improving my lung capacity. Thanks to Luba Pohilenco (my swimming coach).
LOG:Dec 29 : 3.04 miles run (35.08 minutes)
Today, my aim was to run 3 miles, so that I can run 3 miles tomorrow and run the 5 miler on Sunday. Though I was contemplating between running 4 miles today and run 5 miles on Saturday, I ignored the option after reading the "non-marathoner's guide". I completed my run without any problem. I was happy about the pace as well. It has come to 11.5 minutes approximately. Need to run 3 miles tomorrow and then, I will be all set to run my 5 miles. Right now, I dont see any reason why I cannot make it.
LOG:Dec 30 : 3.80 miles run (43.40 minutes)
Today, my aim was to run 3 miles, so that I can do 5 miles day after tomorrow on Sunday. As I started running, I felt that I should do more than 3 miles before I do the 5 miler. So, I thought I should do atleast 3.5 miles. The run was smooth except that I had to run against the wind for almost 1.25 miles on the creek. The wind was quite cold. But, I got through it and completed successfully. When I reached home, it was 3.8 miles. Though I could have done 4 miles, I thought I will stop. Tomorrow is a rest and day and hopefully complete the 5 miler on sunday.
LOG:Jan 1 : 5.01 miles run (59 minutes)
Today was a very cold day and as I woke up, I heard the sound of rain outside. As I saw rain through my window, I decided that I was not going to run. To convince myself, I logged onto check the weather. It said that there would be noon rains and PM thunderstorms and the fitness comfortability index was 1 (in a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 being the best condition for outdoor fitness activities). So, I convinced myself that it was okay to not run today. By now, the rain was over and I started re-evaluating my decision. Yes, I decided to run. I thought to myself, I will settle for 3 miles if the conditions are worse. It was windy and the wind-chill factor should have made the temperature in the higher 30s. Though the onward journey in the creek trail was very easy, the other side was sickeningly tough since I had to weather the heavy wind (must have been 40-50 mph easily). Anyway, I just decided that if I can do 5 miles in this weather, I should be able to do it under any condition. So, I continued and finished, without stopping anywhere.... It was a great morale booster to me. My plan to run the Embarcadero 10K race was further affirmed by this experience.
WEEK 2 LOG: 15.85 miles
LOG:Jan 3 : 3 miles run (30.53 minutes)
I was very confident that I will be able to run 3 miles very easily. So, I decided to be a little cocky and get ahead of myself. So, I decided to do the 3 miles run with 11 minute/mile pace (my internal goal was 10 min/mile...:)). I started running with a 9 minute pace and was getting tired even before I hit the 0.5 mile mark and decided to slow down a little. By the time I hit the 1.5 mile mark, I was doing 11 minutes/mile and I was feeling okay since that was my original goal. I tried out some of those tempo runs in the middle to keep the pace/mile number low. I also wanted to make sure that I dont run out of fuel and stop at any time. Eventually, I completed the 3 miles in 30 minutes 53 seconds which is close to 10 minutes 18 seconds pace. So, I figured that I settled down in the middle between my internal and actual goal. It felt great. If I can do the 10K race at this pace, it would be great. Let me see how my 4 mile run tomorrow goes... I am planning to try a new trail tomorrow.
LOG:Jan 4 : 4 miles run (42.54 minutes)
Today, I started with a double mind. Given that I did an almost 10:30 pace per mile yesterday, I was wondering if I should follow through with that or reduce my pace and complete my 4 miles and not really worry about the pace. I took the new trail today. I headed off a little fast and then I made sure that I kept to the pace of less than 11 minutes a mile. In the middle of the run, I just forgot about the pace and just wanted to enjoy the scenery that I was passing through. I wasnt very tired and I finished the run fairly easily. Towards the end, I just wanted to beat the 44 minute timeline to keep up to my local goal of bettering 11 minutes per mile and I DID it. The pace today comes to around 10 minutes and 44 seconds.
LOG:Jan 6 : 3 miles run (29.22 minutes)
I had actually planned to run yesterday evening and then I had to postpone it due to other meetings. I got to wear the new ASIC shoes and the new sweat absorbing t-shirt today. I didnt see any major difference. I ran quite comfortably. I wanted to break the earlier record of 30 minutes 53 seconds and hence I pushed myself a little harder which manifested in the form of more breath. I probably should ignore my timing and just focus on the run. Anyway, I completed the run at a pace of 9 minutes 47 seconds, a little shy of the magic 10 minute mark. I am quite elated. At the same time, I have to run the 6 mile this Sunday. My only goal there is to complete 6 miles. It doesnt matter even if it took 12 minutes or more... Overall, I think my stamina is improving and I am remaining very positive about the 3 or 4 mile runs, which is terrific.
LOG:Jan 8 : 6.5 miles run (1 hrs 11 minutes)
I planned to run my 6 miler with my friend Sri and Mano. We planned to start at 7:00AM in the morning and hence I got up at 6:15 and went to Sri's place from where we went to the trail where we ran. I had enough carbs yesterday (pasta) to make sure that I have enough energy. It was damn cold in the morning, but a very pleasant one especially given the scenic path. Mano had some back pain and bailed off. So, Sri and I started running. Running with a partner made a big difference. I didnt have to visualise anything since I had someone to talk to, especially my dear friend Sri. We talked all the way along and completed 6.5 miles quite easily. I was quite happy about the performance. My next major goal is 10 miles. I am confident that the 7 mile run next week should be fairly easy.
WEEK 3 LOG: 16.5 miles
LOG:Jan 10: 3 miles run (29 minutes)
Today's run didnt have any remarkable moments except that I ran without the POLAR watch. So, I didnt have a notion of the pace. Anyway, since I knew what it takes to complete 3 miles, I was quite confident and finished it on time. My pace was a little high, so I breathed a little more than I normally breathed. But, as part of my assumption that 3 miles can build endurance in the body, I am hoping that I was in the right track. Planning to do a 5 miler on thursday and possibly an 8 miler by the end of the week.
LOG:Jan 12: 6.5 miles run ( 1 hour 3 minutes ): 11:36 AM
I was initially going to run with the ILP group today. Since shoba's appt., got extended, I decided to run from home. I was going to run a 10K along with ILP. So, one part of me told me that I should stick to it. On the other hand, I was getting hungry and I thought I should go with just 4-5 miles. I started running slowly and I felt great and I wasnt tired. So, I kept up the momentum and completed my 6.5 miles. It was a new experience to run in the noon. If I can do my 3 mile run tomorrow, I will be all set for the Sunday run. Given that I might go to ski on saturday, I will probably end up running a 10K on sunday rather than the 8 miles... Let us see..
LOG:Jan 13: 3 miles run (29 minutes ) : 8:35 AM
I had an initial temptation to skip today's run since I was going to ski tomorrow and had to do a long run on Sunday. But, I then changed my mind since this isnt such a big run after all. I can do it and I did it. I didnt feel a thing. It was a casual run. My thighs had gotten a little bruised from yesterday's run. I have to figure out how to avoid it. Sri's suggestion is to apply Vaseline. I might fish out for a good undergarment which might ameliorate this effect.
LOG:Jan 14: 7 miles run ( 1 hour 10 minutes) : 7:40 AM
I wasnt sure if I wanted to do today's run since I've been running for the past 2 days. Anyway, since I had to ski on Sunday, I decided to go ahead and do the run. Though I decided that I should 6.2 miles, I told Shoba that I will settle for 4 miles. Anyway, this was my first ILP group run. I was there on time (inspite of the pouring rain) and saw just 1 person in Campbell parking lot. Anyway, folks joined slowly over time and we started running at 7:40. Since trail was closed in about a mile, we had to take a detour. Almost 5 people dropped out when we reached Dell Avenue. I was with 4 others and we continued. Indira turned back when we reached the creek. Kannan, Sriram and I continued. We probably did another extra mile into the creek and then turned back. When I asked Kannan, he said that we should have done 7-7.2 miles when we reach back. I was quite comfortable throughout and it felt great, given that I had run for the past 2 days. And I did it in a reasonably good pace (10 minutes a mile).
WEEK 4 LOG: 19.5 miles
LOG:Jan 17: 4 miles run (36 minutes) : 8:42 AM
I had a small cramps after the skiing that I did on Sunday. Wasnt sure if I will be able to make it today. But, I felt good yesterday evening. So, I was hopeful that it would be okay. I did the 4 mile run today quite comfortably. I ran a little faster and I knew that..:).. Anyway, I finished it. I am planning to not run tomorrow since I did a blood donation today. Will probably run with Kannan & Co.
Started my relay training today. Just wanted to see how long I can run. It was tough. I was sweating, breathing hard and I barely completed my 2 miles of run (actually 1.5 miles of run and 0.5 miles of walk). I didnt have any measuring instruments. So, I made a conservative estimate of 1.5 miles. Though Shoba said that it was only 1 mile, I had to plead my way into convincing her that it was indeed 1.5 mile. I didnt realise the actual mile of 2 till Dec 27 when I really calculated the actual distance.
LOG:Dec 21 : 2.0 miles run : 20 minutes
My legs were tired and sore because of the previous day's run. I thought I shouldnt give up just because my legs hurt. So, my run today was more to prove myself that I can sustain tough conditions into running. I completed 2 miles at almost the same pace as the previous day. Towards the end, I decided that relay running is not for me. I was quite exhausted towards the end. I followed Shoba's advice of sprinting, which I later figured out was not a good idea. Again, 1.5 miles of run and 0.5 miles of walk.
LOG:Dec 23 : 3.8 miles walk : 60 minutes
I had read in a book that I should either rest between 2 consecutive days of run and do cross training. So, I figured that, I will walk and see how far I can walk. I made sure that I do a brisk walk inorder to convince myself that it was not just a walk. It went very well. I wasnt tired a bit. The only problem that I had towards the end was that, the mid section of my feet had a peculiar pain, as if something is broken at the mid-point. But then, I completed the walk. I also heard from my friend Sri (who has already run a full marathon) that stretching before and after you run is vital. So, I took some print outs from web on how to stretch. So, I followed it once I went home. It felt like a great relief to me. I felt very good and the pain didnt seep in as much as it used to in the first 2 days. Felt good.
LOG:Dec 25 : 3.8 miles run : 45 minutes
Well, today, my only aim was to run the same stretch as I had walked without stopping anywhere. I figured that, if I can walk for 4 miles without getting tired, there should be a sweet spot to the pace at which I am running which should help me complete 4 miles without any problem. So, I started off slowly. I completed my 2 miles (one side of the creek) and I was breathing regularly and I thought, I will try the other side of the trail as well. I finished it and still was breathing regularly. So, I decided to sprint a little bit towards the end and when I reached home, I was just perfectly fine. I had a feeling that I could have run a little more further. But then, the book advises to improve the mileage gradually. I did my stretches and it felt great. My calf muscles had a little pain. But, I guess, if you run for 4 miles, you are bound to have some impact. All these days, I thought that the 4 mile run was actually 3 miles since I didnt have any measuring device. My friend Sri dropped by on Dec 26 and gave me his Polo watch and the book about how to train yourself for Marathon.
WEEK 1 LOG: 11.6 miles
LOG:Dec 27 : 4.0 miles run (49 minutes)
I wanted to get up and 7:15 today, but then, as I always am, slept till 8:10. Got up and started getting ready only to see that it was drizzling outside. I wasnt sure if I wanted to run today. I checked up the forecast and I saw that, it was showers for today and rain tomorrow. So, if I dont run today, then, I most probably wont tomorrow as well. I didnt want to give a 2 days break. So, I put on my sweat shirt and started to run. Now, I had my Polo watch as well. My initial idea was to run 2-3 miles (cover oneside of the creek), just to make sure how many miles it is and then return back home. I started a little too fast (I checked Polo and it recorded 0.25 miles in 2 minutes) and I was feeling short of breath. I slowed down and maintained the pace. I completed both sides of the creek and I ran some extra distance so that I can complete 4 miles. The time recorded 49 minutes. I was quite happy that, I have been running more miles than I thought I had. I was not tired at the end and I felt very great. I started thinking that, getting to 5 miles or more shouldnt be a big deal, now that I have covered 4 miles.... May be, my swimming helped me in improving my lung capacity. Thanks to Luba Pohilenco (my swimming coach).
LOG:Dec 29 : 3.04 miles run (35.08 minutes)
Today, my aim was to run 3 miles, so that I can run 3 miles tomorrow and run the 5 miler on Sunday. Though I was contemplating between running 4 miles today and run 5 miles on Saturday, I ignored the option after reading the "non-marathoner's guide". I completed my run without any problem. I was happy about the pace as well. It has come to 11.5 minutes approximately. Need to run 3 miles tomorrow and then, I will be all set to run my 5 miles. Right now, I dont see any reason why I cannot make it.
LOG:Dec 30 : 3.80 miles run (43.40 minutes)
Today, my aim was to run 3 miles, so that I can do 5 miles day after tomorrow on Sunday. As I started running, I felt that I should do more than 3 miles before I do the 5 miler. So, I thought I should do atleast 3.5 miles. The run was smooth except that I had to run against the wind for almost 1.25 miles on the creek. The wind was quite cold. But, I got through it and completed successfully. When I reached home, it was 3.8 miles. Though I could have done 4 miles, I thought I will stop. Tomorrow is a rest and day and hopefully complete the 5 miler on sunday.
LOG:Jan 1 : 5.01 miles run (59 minutes)
Today was a very cold day and as I woke up, I heard the sound of rain outside. As I saw rain through my window, I decided that I was not going to run. To convince myself, I logged onto check the weather. It said that there would be noon rains and PM thunderstorms and the fitness comfortability index was 1 (in a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 being the best condition for outdoor fitness activities). So, I convinced myself that it was okay to not run today. By now, the rain was over and I started re-evaluating my decision. Yes, I decided to run. I thought to myself, I will settle for 3 miles if the conditions are worse. It was windy and the wind-chill factor should have made the temperature in the higher 30s. Though the onward journey in the creek trail was very easy, the other side was sickeningly tough since I had to weather the heavy wind (must have been 40-50 mph easily). Anyway, I just decided that if I can do 5 miles in this weather, I should be able to do it under any condition. So, I continued and finished, without stopping anywhere.... It was a great morale booster to me. My plan to run the Embarcadero 10K race was further affirmed by this experience.
WEEK 2 LOG: 15.85 miles
LOG:Jan 3 : 3 miles run (30.53 minutes)
I was very confident that I will be able to run 3 miles very easily. So, I decided to be a little cocky and get ahead of myself. So, I decided to do the 3 miles run with 11 minute/mile pace (my internal goal was 10 min/mile...:)). I started running with a 9 minute pace and was getting tired even before I hit the 0.5 mile mark and decided to slow down a little. By the time I hit the 1.5 mile mark, I was doing 11 minutes/mile and I was feeling okay since that was my original goal. I tried out some of those tempo runs in the middle to keep the pace/mile number low. I also wanted to make sure that I dont run out of fuel and stop at any time. Eventually, I completed the 3 miles in 30 minutes 53 seconds which is close to 10 minutes 18 seconds pace. So, I figured that I settled down in the middle between my internal and actual goal. It felt great. If I can do the 10K race at this pace, it would be great. Let me see how my 4 mile run tomorrow goes... I am planning to try a new trail tomorrow.
LOG:Jan 4 : 4 miles run (42.54 minutes)
Today, I started with a double mind. Given that I did an almost 10:30 pace per mile yesterday, I was wondering if I should follow through with that or reduce my pace and complete my 4 miles and not really worry about the pace. I took the new trail today. I headed off a little fast and then I made sure that I kept to the pace of less than 11 minutes a mile. In the middle of the run, I just forgot about the pace and just wanted to enjoy the scenery that I was passing through. I wasnt very tired and I finished the run fairly easily. Towards the end, I just wanted to beat the 44 minute timeline to keep up to my local goal of bettering 11 minutes per mile and I DID it. The pace today comes to around 10 minutes and 44 seconds.
LOG:Jan 6 : 3 miles run (29.22 minutes)
I had actually planned to run yesterday evening and then I had to postpone it due to other meetings. I got to wear the new ASIC shoes and the new sweat absorbing t-shirt today. I didnt see any major difference. I ran quite comfortably. I wanted to break the earlier record of 30 minutes 53 seconds and hence I pushed myself a little harder which manifested in the form of more breath. I probably should ignore my timing and just focus on the run. Anyway, I completed the run at a pace of 9 minutes 47 seconds, a little shy of the magic 10 minute mark. I am quite elated. At the same time, I have to run the 6 mile this Sunday. My only goal there is to complete 6 miles. It doesnt matter even if it took 12 minutes or more... Overall, I think my stamina is improving and I am remaining very positive about the 3 or 4 mile runs, which is terrific.
LOG:Jan 8 : 6.5 miles run (1 hrs 11 minutes)
I planned to run my 6 miler with my friend Sri and Mano. We planned to start at 7:00AM in the morning and hence I got up at 6:15 and went to Sri's place from where we went to the trail where we ran. I had enough carbs yesterday (pasta) to make sure that I have enough energy. It was damn cold in the morning, but a very pleasant one especially given the scenic path. Mano had some back pain and bailed off. So, Sri and I started running. Running with a partner made a big difference. I didnt have to visualise anything since I had someone to talk to, especially my dear friend Sri. We talked all the way along and completed 6.5 miles quite easily. I was quite happy about the performance. My next major goal is 10 miles. I am confident that the 7 mile run next week should be fairly easy.
WEEK 3 LOG: 16.5 miles
LOG:Jan 10: 3 miles run (29 minutes)
Today's run didnt have any remarkable moments except that I ran without the POLAR watch. So, I didnt have a notion of the pace. Anyway, since I knew what it takes to complete 3 miles, I was quite confident and finished it on time. My pace was a little high, so I breathed a little more than I normally breathed. But, as part of my assumption that 3 miles can build endurance in the body, I am hoping that I was in the right track. Planning to do a 5 miler on thursday and possibly an 8 miler by the end of the week.
LOG:Jan 12: 6.5 miles run ( 1 hour 3 minutes ): 11:36 AM
I was initially going to run with the ILP group today. Since shoba's appt., got extended, I decided to run from home. I was going to run a 10K along with ILP. So, one part of me told me that I should stick to it. On the other hand, I was getting hungry and I thought I should go with just 4-5 miles. I started running slowly and I felt great and I wasnt tired. So, I kept up the momentum and completed my 6.5 miles. It was a new experience to run in the noon. If I can do my 3 mile run tomorrow, I will be all set for the Sunday run. Given that I might go to ski on saturday, I will probably end up running a 10K on sunday rather than the 8 miles... Let us see..
LOG:Jan 13: 3 miles run (29 minutes ) : 8:35 AM
I had an initial temptation to skip today's run since I was going to ski tomorrow and had to do a long run on Sunday. But, I then changed my mind since this isnt such a big run after all. I can do it and I did it. I didnt feel a thing. It was a casual run. My thighs had gotten a little bruised from yesterday's run. I have to figure out how to avoid it. Sri's suggestion is to apply Vaseline. I might fish out for a good undergarment which might ameliorate this effect.
LOG:Jan 14: 7 miles run ( 1 hour 10 minutes) : 7:40 AM
I wasnt sure if I wanted to do today's run since I've been running for the past 2 days. Anyway, since I had to ski on Sunday, I decided to go ahead and do the run. Though I decided that I should 6.2 miles, I told Shoba that I will settle for 4 miles. Anyway, this was my first ILP group run. I was there on time (inspite of the pouring rain) and saw just 1 person in Campbell parking lot. Anyway, folks joined slowly over time and we started running at 7:40. Since trail was closed in about a mile, we had to take a detour. Almost 5 people dropped out when we reached Dell Avenue. I was with 4 others and we continued. Indira turned back when we reached the creek. Kannan, Sriram and I continued. We probably did another extra mile into the creek and then turned back. When I asked Kannan, he said that we should have done 7-7.2 miles when we reach back. I was quite comfortable throughout and it felt great, given that I had run for the past 2 days. And I did it in a reasonably good pace (10 minutes a mile).
WEEK 4 LOG: 19.5 miles
LOG:Jan 17: 4 miles run (36 minutes) : 8:42 AM
I had a small cramps after the skiing that I did on Sunday. Wasnt sure if I will be able to make it today. But, I felt good yesterday evening. So, I was hopeful that it would be okay. I did the 4 mile run today quite comfortably. I ran a little faster and I knew that..:).. Anyway, I finished it. I am planning to not run tomorrow since I did a blood donation today. Will probably run with Kannan & Co.
