Violence against women - does it get worse?

Heavy topic for an 'end of the year' post, but this cannot go unsaid.

When I was in India visiting family, this happened:

PTI, New Delhi, Dec 19 - The 23-year-old paramedical student, who was gang-raped and tortured in a moving bus on Sunday night, today underwent fifth surgery and "continues to be critical but stable", doctors attending on her said.

 

And this:

PTI, NEW DELHI, December 27, 2012 - A 42-year-old woman was gang-raped allegedly by three men in Uttar Pradesh who then dumped her in the Kalkaji area south-east Delhi, police said on Thursday. The brutal incident came to light even as 23-year-old gang rape victim Nirbhaya was being flown to Singapore for treatment on Wednesday night.

 

And this:

 

The HINDU, NAGAPATTINAM, December 23, 2012 - An eleven-year-old Dalit girl was raped, allegedly by two adolescent boys, when she was in her house in Thalainayar block in Nagapattinam on Friday. Harrowed by the experience, and physically hurt, the girl informed her parents only on Saturday morning. The police detained the minor boys on rape charge.

The girl, of Puthur panchayat here, was in her house preparing for her exam scheduled for noon on Friday, when the two boys, aged 17 and 15, residents of the area, entered her house. According to the girl, she was carried inside the house, held behind a partition, gagged and repeatedly assaulted. The girl’s six-year-old brother, who was sent out of the house by the boys, screamed for help.  

And the latest news about the gang-raped 23-year old student:

AP, New Delhi, Dec 28 - Doctors say a young Indian woman who was gang-raped and severely beaten on a bus in New Delhi has died at a hospital in Singapore.
A statement by Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth hospital where the 23-year-old victim was being treated said she “died peacefully” early Saturday.

Died peacefully???

And several other such brutal incidents that went unreported and unnoticed.

While the first story made headlines probably because of its gruesome nature and the fact that such a shocking crime happened in such a public location, a number of other heinous crimes against women go unreported or are relegated to some quiet column in the middle pages of an obscure local newspaper.

It's news like this that make every woman in India pause before venturing out into the neighborhood on her own. And give families of women cause for concern. It certainly was on my mind when I laced up my shoes and ran on the roads and streets of the town I grew up in, in broad daylight. It brought back all the frustration I felt as a girl, rebelling against safety restrictions imposed on me because of my gender, feeling helpless against the innumerable injustices against women that were taken for granted.

Gruesome statistic from the National Crime Records Bureau: In India, a woman is raped every 20 minutes. This is such a vast issue. There is still a commonly accepted perception of rape as personal shame, not a violent crime; and male aggression is routinely excused as a mundane fact of life. So much needs to be done...scrutinizing and revamping rape laws, improving public confidence in law and order, actually improving law and order, changing the attitudes of people, educating individuals about the consequences of rape...

In the 11 years that I have lived in the US, one of the privileges I have cherished the most is the freedom to do what I choose. I enjoy being able to run, hike, travel on my own. I have to be aware of my surroundings and take precautions, but have few to no restrictions based on my gender. And I wish this fundamental freedom for every woman across the world.

What can we do? Educate ourselves, spread the word, add our voices to the others that are clamoring for this injustice to end...and hope for small changes, even the smallest ones, that will make a safer world.

Happy New Year!

Sandy and after

It felt bizarre driving to work yesterday. For the past 2 weeks, a number of these roads were closed, huge trees uprooted or snapped at the trunk, houses and cars damaged, utility poles broken, power lines downed or sagging. As hurricane Sandy and the nor'easter that followed a week later plunged the state into darkness, the residents of NJ plodded with stoicism through the inconvenience of power cuts, traffic delays, road closures and odd-even gas rationing; knowing, almost feeling guilty that while their lives would return to normal within a week or two, there were many others who were impacted in far worse ways. There were lives lost, houses, property and personal belongings damaged and destroyed.

And this morning, 2 weeks after Sandy, as I joined the traffic on Route 22, normal people on our way to work, there were still broken sidewalks, fallen trees, utility companies from in and out of state hard at work to restore power to the 60,000+ residents still out of power. Neighborhoods are recovering and are starting to look festive for the holidays. Uprooted trees have become neatly stacked piles of firewood. Still thousands without heat, hot water and a place to live.

One of the casualties of Sandy, we all know, was the NY Marathon. Though my initial reaction to the last-minute decision to cancel the race was indignation and a hot-blooded resolution to boycott all future NYRR events, I am neither an organizer nor was I planning to race; I can see both sides of the argument and have nothing productive to add to this much-debated subject, so I'll just say that my heart goes out to the people affected by the decision...runners and non-runners, even the organizers. Months of training, race fees, travel and hotel costs, not to mention all the mental and emotional preparation; and the millions of dollars of potential revenue the NYRR lost. Enough said.

For me, Sandy started and ended with races. 2 weeks ago, as a small group of runners participated in the XC 8K USATF championship race, a day before Sandy, the clouds were starting to gather, and there was a general air of nervousness about what to expect; yet also a touch of disbelief that the storm could in reality be as powerful as forecasted. The usual cookout after the race was cancelled and people left immediately after the race.

DH and I went 9 days without power, a time that felt like eternity to us. The night that Sandy wrecked havoc on everything in sight, we were on night duty, watching the water level in our sump pump rise, ready to manually bail water. Thankfully, we were spared and our basement didn't flood. The rest of the week was spent in trying to stay warm the old fashioned way, find parking lots where we could access wifi, taking advantage of generous friends' warm homes, laundry services and internet connections. And taking turns being mean to each other (try it...helps let off steam...we try not to blow up at the same time though; it could come to blows). Complaining to family in India didn't help...they're veterans of 'powerless' existence over there. My mother lives through 14 hours of power cut virtually every day...and it's ninety degrees and muggy most of the time. Kinda like living in a sauna.

I ran, during the storm...early enough in the day when the winds were not powerful enough to blow me away. And after the storm, through the sad debris of fallen trees, branches, mangled power lines and damaged neighborhoods.

2 weeks after Sandy, we had near-perfect temps at the Giralda Farms 10K; and a bigger turnout. Discussions appeared to circle around the after-effects of Sandy; but only briefly. It was as if we had enough of the storm, and wanted to move on. Through these past weeks, people have helped, pitched in, contributed in their own ways. But let's hope that as we move on from this calamity and head into the holidays, we continue to remember the folks that have been impacted and help our community get back on it's feet.       

Bloggers' Block

In the few months that I had lost touch with the blogging community (OK, it's been almost a year), so much has changed. A number of blogs I followed have gone dormant. I hope that's a sign that you're too busy to blog because your lives are full of more interesting and fun stuff. Some of you have had additions to your families (congratulations, peeps!!!), and there have been countless accomplishments, running and otherwise. I've been absorbing a lot over the past few weeks, piecing together your lives through your blog posts. And I realize how much I've enjoyed being part of this community. I had assumed that in the virtual world, when you disappear for a while, people forget about you. So, I was touched that some of my virtual friends still remember me after so many months of non-blogging, and have been so supportive. I can't thank you enough.

As I attempt to return to the blogging world, I'm facing what you could call a blogger's block. It mystifies me. I'm not an award-winning blogger by any means, and I don't have any fresh, new, undiscovered insights about running or about life in general. I enjoyed following the US Marathon Olympic Trials as much as the next person, I am digging my new compression socks as much as most of you appreciate yours, the unexpectedly warmer weather this winter is as pleasant to me as it is to you; the Republican debates are driving me batty, and I'm sure most of you can't agree more. I have nothing intellectual or jaw-dropping to add to any of these topics. What I do have is 252 rambling posts on my blog, most of them about moi, written and posted over a 2 1/2 year period. So, it's clear I had no trouble finding topics to blab (er...blog) about before. I dug into the archives and read some of my older posts. Boy, did I really find every aspect of my life to be so fascinating...and assume others would, too? What IS fascinating is that my readers did indeed find every sordid detail of my life interesting enough to read and comment about. How about that? And at the risk of sounding nosy, I have to admit, I enjoy reading about the sordid details of your lives too! So, everytime I consider abandoning my blog, it keeps drawing me back like a magnet. I may not live a Kardashian life, but if I can find a few friends through my blog, inspire a few people to run on any given day, and read your inspiring stories, I consider it time well spent. Besides, reading my posts from 2008 makes me feel like I'm in a time machine. So, even if I have to resuscitate my blog every so often, post only sporadically, and stay up all night to read volumes of your posts at a crack, I can't imagine not being part of this virtual community. And it took me all of Rambling Post 253 to tell you this!

Giralda Farms 10K

I am totally in awe of my fabulous friend Pearl. We all have dreams, but not many of us are gutsy enough to follow them. Pearl is one of those rare people who is, and does. She has always been an avid traveler, and I admire her for the way she travels, the seasoned road warrior, not afraid to taste the bad with the good, always the observer, never the judge, experiencing other cultures not as a tourist, almost blending in with the locals. She is extremely modest about them, but the photographs from her travels astound me. They are like beautifully written stories, capturing the mood of the moment and the essence of the land so well. She is now on a really long trip, beginning in Asia. Her email from China last night transported me across continents, to where she is now traveling. Bon voyage, my friend!

--------------------------------------------

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I was very disappointed I couldn't run the Ashenfelter 8K on Thursday (even more upset when I found out that they gave out a super technical tee...why do I always miss out on the cool races?) For much of Thanksgiving day and the day before, I was almost doubled up in pain, suffering from a stomach infection. Of course, that didn't mean work stopped, so I was doubled up, bleary-eyed, clawing away at my computer. Don't feel too sorry for me...this meant DH had to do the shopping and cooking, and I must say, he sure can dazzle on the rare occasions his culinary expertise is tested. We had a relaxing evening with friends and the gremlins in the stomach thankfully decided to give me a short break.

Giralda Farms 10K, November 14, 2010

I did have a satisfying race just 2 weeks ago at Giralda Farms. It turned out to be a beautiful, sleeveless singlet and shorts kind of day. No technical tee though, grumble, grumble! There is a 5K as well, which I ran 4 years ago. This was the race that got me hooked on running, so it comes with some nostalgia. The 10K is a USATF Masters' race and quite competitive. Massive hills on the course, so we were either going up or down the whole time. I looked like I was going to drop dead any second, the entire race. In fact, I had to stop and walk for a couple of seconds to stabilize my erratic breathing at Mile 4. I absolutely abhor the middle miles at races. There is no end in sight, and there are all these little kids, not even breathing hard, running tantalizingly close to you, but are of course annoyingly out of reach.

I felt a little glow when I thought of how far I had come from the hilly Indian Trails race I ran 2 1/2 years ago. The gasping, wheezing and palpitations were still there, but at the end of the race, the clock told a different story. I finished in 43:35:07, a 7 minute pace, 116/731 overall, 14/298 women and 2/41 in my age category. I got a coffee mug and a $25 gift card to Starting Line Sports in Madison, which is 45 minutes away from where I live. I don't really mind driving 45 minutes to get free running gear, so I will get myself there one of these days. I would try and steal official pics to post here, but I don't know that you would be too thrilled to see my dying look on every single pic.

The club did great in overall standings. The 40+ & 50+ men came second overall, and the 60+ men came first. Nice job, all!

Catch up

It's been an entire month of no blogging and commenting! I've never been so remiss, but when it came to a choice between sleeping and blogging, you will understand which direction I had to go. Besides, running has not been happening lately (it's injury time!), so I've got nothing to excite a running audience. There has been a lot of pool running, biking and hiking, however. I even found a pool running buddy, who helps make those long hours less mind-numbingly boring. But after several cycles of injury and non-injury, I finally I see the humor in it. Yeah, maybe I am cracking up.

Speedwork

A number of my favorite bloggers are running races this weekend, including marathons. I am perched at the edge of my seat, waiting for race results and reports!

DH has never been interested in distance running. He humors me once in a while, but for the most part, he finds it an intensely boring activity. Well, this morning, he took Frankie Forerunner out for a run in the neighborhood. When he got back, I was amused to see that he glanced at Frankie on his wrist, then promptly turned around and ran some more...to round up the mileage to a nice even number, no doubt. Ah-ha! Signs of the quirky, neurotic runner...is he turning into one?

After the sweat that went into marathon prep and the stress of improper prep, I am now thinking about shorter races. 5Ks and 10Ks can be cathartic, a change from the tedium of training for a marathon. My favorite race distance is the half marathon and the marathon distance challenges me, but I have been bitten by the speed bug lately. More mentally than physically so far...I have yet to figure out the best way to speed train without getting injured. While I have done a few tempo and progression runs during marathon training, I need to find some type of interval training that will help improve my 5K pace. I was never a good sprinter, so those fast-twitch muscle fibers will need a lot of work.

400, 800 or mile repeats? Jog, walk or rest between intervals? What has gotten best results for you in the past?

Instead of the usual towpath run on Saturday, a group of us met at Far Hills and did the 7.50 - 7.75 mile Midland Run (depending on whose Forerunner data you looked at). It is a tough, hilly and wonderfully scenic loop. I started out at a steady pace, then consciously dropped the pace...I still consider myself "in recovery" from the marathon. My quads have not been too happy with me since the marathon 2 weeks ago and leg strengthening exercises this past week.

Two miles into the run, I began to wish I had brought a camera. Though it was a tough climb, you couldn't help noticing the beautiful meadow-y landscape. And then, into the 3rd mile, we came across this...the picturesque Ravine Lake.

(Don't you just love that you can steal pretty pics from the internet for your blog?)
To be fair, here is where I stole it from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/christopherskillman/2514510817/in/photostream/

It was a beyootiful run. And we had a lovely brunch afterward. Burp! Perfect way to start the weekend.

Have an awesome week, all!

Post-marathon recovery

Hope you had a WONDERFUL MOTHERS' DAY!

Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments on my marathon report! Overwhelming is what it is! I even gained a few new readers. On reflection, despite all the agony and the cramping calves at the NJ Marathon, I handled the heat a lot better than it seemed at the time. Maybe it is my Indian origin. Though I have run nowhere close to this distance while in India, I am sure living through sweltering 95+ degree summers for 26 years of my life must have helped condition me to the heat to some extent. I did suffer through it and feel it was a minor miracle that I did not end up a casualty of the race, but in light of this new theory, I don't feel like much of a hero.

As you know, recovering from a marathon is almost as confusing as tapering for one. There is a lot of (often conflicting) information on how best to return to your regular running schedule after marathon. While post-marathon recovery varies for different individuals, there are some standards. Recommendations vary from 26 days of no hard running or racing, to no running the first week then reverse tapering to simply trusting your body. Some websites advise no activity whatsoever, except light walking during the first week. No cross training, nothing! What is your marathon/half marathon recovery plan?

Funnily enough, following various runners' recovery on blogland and DailyMile, I realized that by Day 2 after the marathon, runners are itching to return to running. By Day 3, some have attempted at least one run. By the end of the week, most people have run at least 10-20 miles.
While I was mentally ready to run on Tuesday, my body vehemently disagreed. Till Thursday, calves were hurting and tender to touch and my quads, which seemed to have fared well during the race, were screaming. Walking down stairs was especially tough. I developed a sort of sideways shuffle, which worked...sort of. I swam on Monday and Tuesday (a lot easier than walking), walk/trotted on Wednesday and managed an extremely slow jog for most of the 3 miles on Thursday. By Saturday, I was well enough for a short run with the group at the towpath, albeit slow.

After the run yesterday, DH and I went on a bike ride at the towpath.

The towpath had been patched in several spots after the frequent floods last year, so it was a bumpy ride.

An anxious, angry pappa gander hissing at us, warning us to stay away from his new family...

An unexpected sight, right on the path...

We also saw a fat snake slithering into a bush...too quick for a pic.

We packed a picnic lunch and carried it with us. With Frank Forerunner in Biking mode, we biked 7.75 miles one way and found a nice spot by the canal for lunch.

No pics of lunch...it disappeared too fast! We biked back, stomachs full. On most of these outings, we spend an awful lot of time preparing and packing food..and it ends up being the highlight of the trip! Needless to say, the return trip with lighter backpacks and heavier stomachs, was less enthusiastic and more sluggish. By the time we got back to the car, our butts were quite sore. My quads were exhausted. But the soreness from the race is almost all gone.

Block Island getaway

We have been hammered with so much snow and rain this year that the first sign of sunshine found us scrambling to make the best of it. We had to take a vacation. Only, I picked a place that was just a little colder than we imagined it would be...Rhode Island. The forecast said it would be nice and sunny, in the mid-60's. What we didn't realize is that we had to factor in the cold sea breeze, so a 65 degree temperature turned out to be 45-50 degrees. But, we were on vacation (if you can call a 2-day trip a vacation), so we didn't really mind. Barely dodging the floods that had ravaged the state a few days earlier, we drove to Point Judith and took the ferryacross to Block Island, where we spent the weekend. I grew up in a beach town, so I soaked in the familiar sights and smells of the harbor.Though it was literally the first weekend of the season, the ferry was packed. Probably a lot of people like us, who were dying to get away!

A fellow passenger on the ferry, all set to partae

Leaving Point Judith behind

Block Island, as you can see, is a not-so-bustling little town, just opening it's doors to tourists, after a long, laid-back winter.

An artsy storefront

We checked into the 1661 Inn...a nice little B&B on the island...one of the very few that are open year-round. The island was shrouded in mist most of the weekend, hence the ghostly pic.

Our living quarters

...complete with bike stand.

Complimentary decanter of brandy in the room was a nice touch.

We lunched at the only open restaurant on the island. Ah! Clam chowder...how I cherish thee!

We biked along the road overlooking the beach. It doesn't look too hilly, but to the novice cyclist that I am, it was! We didn't bike much, but every steep mile left me gasping. We managed to get some decent pics before the sun disappeared.By the time we got the the lighthouse, the mist had completely taken over. We were told that on sunny days, we could see seals basking on the rocks. Of course, no such luck on a misty day like this!

Dinner was at Sharky's, another place that had magically opened by dinner time. We opted for clam chowder (again!), a fried squid appetizer and shared a seafood platter. The waitress served us the main course, then promptly knocked a glass of merlot onto DH's lap, staining the only pair of jeans he had brought on the trip. The poor woman was mortified. DH took it in stride...it takes a lot to ruffle the guy. The food was delicious and we tucked in, despite having eaten a huge lunch and a pre-dinner, brandy-accompanied snack.

I had to force myself out of bed at 7, but I don't get to run on the beach everyday, so I had to do it. It was not much of a run as I am still recovering from tendonitis, but with only the waves and the shrieking gulls for company, it was a serene experience.

Snowstorm #3?

You do what you have to do, when you are sick. You postpone your skiing plans and stare wistfully out the window at your car disappearing rapidly under a growing coat of snow. Instead of the scheduled 18-miler outdoors, you crank out 12 mind-numbing miles on the dreaded 'mill. And if while you are recovering, you end up infecting the poor, unsuspecting husband, you do the decent thing and get out there to extricate his car as well as yours from underneath a pile of snow...
...a little help from a friendly snow plough operator is always welcome.
Despite coughing up half my intestines, a kidney and a lung, I did OK on the running front last week, bringing the total to 137 miles in February.

Total mileage for the week: 29
Monday: 4 miles
Tuesday: 30 minutes on stationary bike
Wednesday: 7 miles
Thursday: 12 miles
Friday: 20 minutes on stationary bike + core work
Saturday: 6 miles
Sunday: rest

Zen Running

Tis the season of sickness...since November, DH and I have suffered 2 bouts of the flu each. The most recent one struck Wednesday night and has left me feeling weak, whiny and droopy. This time, trying to nip the vicious virus in the bud, I've been washing down antibiotics and Vitamin C with cup after steaming cup of green tea with honey, lemon and crushed ginger. My tongue feels numb and my taste buds have withered under the onslaught of gallons of scalding fluid.

Ironically, this is just what my body needed...a short break from running. Or so I told myself as I spent all of Saturday on the couch, reading the March issue of Runner's World* and watching 2 hours of...umm...Keeping up with the Kardashians. Hey, what do you expect? There's NOTHING worth watching on Cable TV on a Saturday!

* Did you read Kara Goucher's story on Runner's World? I've always marveled about the enormous mental pressure top athletes have to endure. Aside from their own dreams, peppered with doubts and uncertainties, they also carry the weight of their entire country's expectations.

Even for us 'recreational runners' (the rest of the crazy running community), except for a precious few who run solely for the fun of running or for the benefits they get out of it, running largely involves setting goals, measuring our performance against the goals and strategizing on how to accomplish these goals. The importance we attach to these goals varies from person to person. But at some point or the other, most of us have battled nerves...sleeplessness the night before an important race, nightmares that we might forget part of our gear, fantasies that we may not be able to complete.

I found this article, which I enjoyed and wanted to share with you.
The Zen of Running

Most of us practise zen running in some form or the other. For example, while I enjoy spinning to music, I never run to the accompaniment of music. The ipod DH gifted me a while ago has been collecting dust. I prefer listening to the sounds of birds and enjoying the changing scenery.

The author suggests alternating between concentration and contemplation. While contemplation is a normal activity during running, in my estimation I spend less than 10% of my run on concentration...paying attention to breathing, footfall, the fluid motion of the body. Concentration not only helps you understand your body better, it also helps center you and shut out the mental chatter. And if you can do it while running, you can definitely incorporate it into other areas of your life...for instance, the night before a race!

I decided I was well enough for a dreadmill run today. Normally, I find running on the treadmill intolerable and suffocating. A pang of regret hit me as I stepped outside and realized what a glorious day it was, but better senses prevailed. I don't feel well enough for outdoor running yet; the cold air induces a hacking cough. So, I churned out 3 miles on the 'mill, while trying to concentrate on my breathing (or the lack of it) in the stale, recycled gym air. I was sweating buckets and extremely uncomfortable during the entire run, but I did it...and finished off with 20 minutes on the bike.
The verdict: If you want to try zen running, start outdoors!

The week in review: 28 miles
Monday: 8 mile tempo (2 miles w/u, 8:09, 8:07, 8:10, 8:08, 8:00, 1 mile c/d); spinning - 1 hour
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 5 miles (42)
Thursday - 12 mile long run (1:43)
Friday & Saturday: rest
Sunday: 3 miles on 'mill, 20 minutes on bike

Blizzard

Everyone is posting pics of the blizzard, so here are some more:

After the last snowstorm a couple of days ago: During today's dump (just a few hours ago):

Fun's over, folks! Now, the shoveling begins!

Great Start to 2010

Happy New Year!!!

Hope you had a fun and relaxing holiday with family and friends. I had a blast. There was plenty of time spent with friends (including a night with the girlfriends), some skiing, movies watched and a good bit of running. And the holidays were made sweeter by the fact that Santa came down the chimney with this...

and this!!!

Actually, I got Gary, my Garmin Nuvi 265WT for Chirstmas and Frank my beloved Forerunner 305 for our wedding anniversary...both gifted by my own sweet Santa....DH. I am in heaven. I've been planning trail runs with gay abandon, allowing Gary to get me there, without fear of driving around in circles or getting lost. And I have been exploring new running routes around my neighborhood, with Frank for company to keep me on track, silently recording my mileage and pace. Now I have no excuse. I need to get more technical about my runs.

Last week, there was no cross-training, but my running was not bad at all. I totalled 34 miles.

Tuesday: 6.7 miles (I did 2 warm-up miles on the towpath and 4 miles with Glenn on the trails. The wind chill brought the temperature down to 8 degrees and there was a howling wind. Thanks to my new mittens, my hands stayed snug, but the water had frozen, by the time I was done! Thankfully, boy scout Glenn had brought some warm water along.)

Wednesday: 5.3 miles
Thursday: 6 miles and 3 hours of skiing (our first ski trip for the season. We hit the slopes at 4 pm and stayed till 7 pm. It was beyootiful and the weather was just perfect!)

Friday: It was my rest day, but it seemed right to start off the New Year with an activity that was somehow connected to running. So, I volunteered at the Resolution Run (5K). I handed out ribbons to finishers, along with 3 jocks from the local high school football team. One of their moms had brought them there, but despite her efforts in injecting enthusiasm into them, the poor boys seemed completely out of place and were quite relieved when we ran out of ribbons and they got to leave.

Saturday: 13 miles on the towpath. Whew! My first run in 4 weeks longer than 6.7 miles.
Sunday: 3 miles (bitter cold, but I had layered up so much that I was sweating profusely within half a mile).

Oh, and I almost forgot: Goals for 2010? I don't have any. Setting specific goals seems like a lot of work and will take the fun out of running. I just want to continue to be active and have fun with it. 2009 was a great year (1120 miles). I would love to continue to run trails, do more hiking, skiing, biking and swimming than last year and find fun races and group runs to participate in.

Julie and Julia

Watching DH endure 2 bouts of flu/cough in the past month, my body must have decided that some sort of sympathetic reaction was in order. After a crisp 8-mile tempo run last Monday (1 1/2 mile warm-up, 4 mile tempo at 8:10 per mile, 2 1/2 mile cool down) when I felt on top of the world, and a 6 mile recovery run the day after, I caught a severe throat infection that still has me croaking (though at times, I sound closer to a sheep in distress). I bleated to my brother across the globe in India, who, after a rip roaring laugh at my plight, pointed out that this is the sexiest I have ever sounded. Anyway, this bug's got me cowering under a blanket with soup, hot water, cough drops and antibiotics close at hand. I have not attempted to venture out in the cold in the past week. A feeble 1/2 hour on the bike a couple of times was all I could manage.

The past weekend has consequently been a blur of movie watching and mindless reading. The one movie I really enjoyed is Julie and Julia. If you have not watched the movie, I recommend you head over the nearest Blockbuster or order it on pay-per-view or wherever it is you get your movies from. It is a must-see for all you established and/or aspiring food bloggers! I am a little embarrassed to admit I watched it to the accompaniment of take-out from Schezhuan Kitchen (I have nothing against Chinese take-out, but we all know it can't hold a candle to the authentic Chinese fare). The movie inspired me...especially as I have been spending an awful lot of time in the kitchen lately. I cannot imagine living on French cuisine for a year and I am pretty confident DH would suffer tremendously if he is not fed Indian food for more than 3 days in a row. But all the time I watched the movie, I was feeling intensely jealous of the husbands (of Julie & Julia) who got to taste Julia Child's delectable culinary creations on a daily basis.

On a different note (but also in the culinary department), I realize I have been spending a lot of time lately in planning healthy meals. You see, it takes a lot of creativity and deception to get DH to ingest healthy food...he has such an aversion to anything proclaimed to be healthy.

Some of the tricks I've resorted to include:

- passing off scrambled egg beaters (with tons of veggies) as scrambled egg.

- keeping a bowl of baby carrots and another bowl of walnuts and cranberries within easy reach when he returns from the office (that's the time of day he is ravenous and doesn't really care what gets shoveled into his mouth).

- satisfying the sweet tooth by substituting the syrupy Indian sweets he used to knock back daily with these phenomenal Banana Butterscotch blondies that I read about on athlEAT. (I use EVOO instead of butter (Julia Child would not have approved) and honey instead of sugar and molasses; and I bake it at 300 degrees instead of 350 degrees).

- using less oil and boiling veggies instead of frying whenever I can get away with it.

- making atleast one whole wheat pasta dish and 2 salads a week. For DH, salad and pasta can never be a meal...they are appetizers at best...but this way, he gets a couple of extra servings of veggies and fibre every week; and it means that he eats a little less of the carb-rich white rice that we South Indians are so addicted to.

- I also carefully avoid letting DH accompany me on grocery shopping trips, so a lot of fried snacks, desserts and other dangerous items don't make it to the shopping cart. Of course, that doesn't always solve the problem, because I'm not craving-free myself. But better to indulge one craving than 2!

DH calls me manipulative; I think I am creative. You be the judge!

I am a sucker for books, and running books in particular, so let me point you to a super giveaway by The Happy Runner...one that I am hoping to win myself!

The Hike that didn't happen

Workouts for the week: 37 miles total
Monday: 7 miles
Tuesday: 6 miles + core work
Wednesday: spinning
Thursday: 13 miles
Friday: 5 miles
Saturday: 6 miles

Now that the important news has been taken care of, let me issue a warning: Feel free to scroll to END OF RANT, in order to avoid long, lame rant that follows. No feelings will be hurt, I promise!

RANT:

On Friday evening, my backpack was packed to the brim with everything I would need on a 10 mile hike in the first real snowfall of the season; water, gatorade, trail mix and granola bars, extra socks, gloves, hand and toe warmers and insect repellent (on the off-chance that some of the hardier fellas decided to wander about and explore the winter landscape). My hiking boots were waiting by the door, ready for my first winter hiking expedition ever. I had printed out directions (DH has ordered me a GPS, so if UPS delivers as they say they would, by tomorrow, I will be a paperless traveler...Merry Christmas!) to the commuter parking area in Sloatsburg, where I would meet the rest of the group from the Appalachian Mountain Club and begin the 5-6 hour hike in the Seven Hills area. I was nervous about hiking in snow/sleet and was unsure about the pace of the group. This was a much faster group than I had hiked with before. But I was also excited and looking forward to the the experience.

On Saturday morning, the alarm went off at 6 am; I sleepily turned it off and rolled over. Checking the weather forecast the previous night was a bad idea...I knew that if I left my warm bed, I would be stepping into a chilly 28 degrees outside. I thought of trudging about in that weather all day and driving back in sleet. Beside me, DH coughed violently a few times, then reached out an arm and caught my hand, as if to stop me from getting up. Dutiful wifely feelings rushed through me...I couldn't leave my poor coughing husband home alone on a Saturday (he wasn't really that sick; but everything somehow seems more dramatic at night). I imagined returning, thoroughly exhausted from the hike to a gazillion chores that had to be done, including cooking for the friends we had invited for lunch the next day, meeting some other friends for a late dinner and a 6-mile run Sunday morning. In a vague state of semi-sleep, I recall a moment of mild annoyance at the mental inventory and excuse-making. My body was still aching from the 31 miles I had already run during the week and was begging for a couple more hours of sleep. The last thought that went through my mind before I decisively drifted off to sleep was, "If only I had a hiking buddy (I mean a regular hiking buddy as opposed to the dozen strangers I was scheduled to meet, who wouldn't care whether I joined them or not), getting out of bed would be sooo much easier"...

When I woke up 4 hours later, I hated myself for being so weak-willed, kicked myself a good bit(figuratively of course...I have no intention of causing more damage to this already injury-prone body). DH got a earful for his part in holding me back. After fretting about, I finally placed the blame for the morning's despicable display of laziness on those melancholy small hours (of the night) when both body and spirit could be at their lowest ebb (Alexander McCall Smith in The Lost Art of Gratitude).

Have you felt that way? When the alarm screams, you would give almost anything in the world to hold on to those few precious hours, minutes (or moments, even) of sleep...and then, when you are wide awake, you cannot remember why in the world it was such an endeavor to simply get your butt off the bed and get on with your day.

END OF RANT

That was my long-winded and totally unnecessary way of telling you all that instead of a wild winter hiking adventure replete with pictures, I spent a tame Saturday afternoon looking out wistfully at the snowfall, wishing I were out there with those daring souls. The 6-mile run in the morning helped purge me of some of the guilt...and a nice, quiet dinner and stimulating conversation with friends made me more accepting of what a wuss I had been.

Today, in keeping with the spirit of the holidays, there was lots of gorging (and no working out). I am by no stretch of imagination a food blogger and I lack creativity in clicking pretty food pictures, but my cooking has vastly improved, so let me leave you with pics of some of the dishes I cooked up for lunch today.

Chicken curry with coriander and mint

Mutton curry

Palak Panneer

Interesting Races in 2010

I usually don't advertise my monthly mileage totals, because they're not that impressive. But looking back, I didn't do too bad in November. Mileage was in the 30's 3 out of the 4 weeks; and a race was run. I feel justified in blowing my horn, just a tiny bit.

So, total mileage for November is 130 miles (yeah, yeah, not earth-shattering, but in case some of you are not tired of hearing this already, let me point out to my "I've been recovering from injury" excuse again).

After the Turkey Trot on Saturday, my quads were killing me...I'm told this could happen when you run a PR-worthy race with little to no speedwork prior to the race. I soldiered on through 6 miles of running/walking on Monday and 7 miles yesterday. Tonight, I head to the gym...not sure yet what I will be in the mood for...maybe spinning?

Glenn came up with the plan of doing a race a month next year and in this new, race-crazy mood that I find myself in, I needed no convincing. In the process of unearthing fun/challenging/unusual 2010 races in NY/NJ, here's what I came up with. Some of them are local races and not all are up yet. I am not going to commit to running all of them (or even some of them!) but they looked interesting and I wanted to share a few. Has anyone done any of these races before?

Freezing Cold Hash Run

Browning Ross Winter Series 10-miler

Celebrate Life Half Marathon

Indian Trails 15K - I have done this race before and it thoroughly kicked my butt last time. This time, I have a couple of hill runs under my belt, so it'll be interesting to see who kicks who's butt.

Towpath Training Run - This run (note: not race) with the club was a ton of fun this year. Hopefully, I can run/walk/crawl it next year.

Running With The Devil - This one is way beyond the scope of my imagination, let alone execution, but it sounds good and adds color to my list!

Navesink Challenge 15K - The race is not up yet, but the website says the race course comprises legendary hills which were created in the last Ice Age...intriguing!

Hot Chili Challenge

Hashathon 6-mile trail race - Another hilly one.

Now, because you're all my favorite people and a little more competition won't kill me, let me give you a little hint: hurry over to Erica's blog and try your luck at her Aurorae yoga mat giveaway.

Atlantic City Marathon - Spectator Report

DH and I stumbled out of bed early Sunday morning to make the 1 1/2 hour drive to Atlantic City. Glenn was running his first marathon, and we wanted to be there to cheer him.

Glenn had unfortunately not been able to complete the Baltimore marathon 5 weeks ago...he had become severely dehydrated from the antibiotics he was on and made the smart decision to drop out. This time, he was determined to finish, come what may.

The AC Marathon was very small, with a total of about 500 runners for all races - marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K. The entire race was along the boardwalk. The race has the distinction of being the 3rd oldest marathon in the country, and was well-organized enough, despite the fact that the organizers dropped out and the race had to be postponed. It is not exactly my kind of race, however...I am a sucker for crowd support (though I could do without the hassle of being trampled over by massive crowds). And I am pretty sure I don't want to run 26.2 miles on the boardwalk, with some portions repeated over and over.

Food...

...drink...

...and other scenery:

As he was stretching, Glenn was wincing...he seemed to have pulled a muscle in his shoulder and was in pain. But when the race started at 8:30 AM, he took off with the other runners, cheerfully striking up a conversation with the person next to him. There were just a handful of spectators, so we did our best to make lots of noise (I decided not to pull out the little drum I had brought with me, because I wasn't sure I wanted to make THAT much noise).

The entire race was along the boardwalk. Parts of the course were repeated, so we saw the runners again as they passed the starting point at Mile 5.

We hung around for the kids' fun run,

then walked a little over a mile from the start to get to the water stop at Mile 17 (also Mile 25). We waited there for Glenn, cheering the other runners. This was a race that brought out the hardcore runner in you. At Mile 17, you had the option of turning around and running 9.2 more miles...or you could just go 1.2 miles further to the finish line. Which would you choose?

Glenn had hoped to complete the race in less than 5 hours. When he had still not appeared at 11:45, we suspected that something was not right. Sure enough, he called a little before 12, asking me to take his knee brace out of his bag (Glenn is always super prepared, and can survive comfortably for a couple of days if he ever got lost on any of his runs. At the race, apart from water and gatorade, he was also carrying his cell phone, GU, a protein bar and other little food items). DH & I were carrying Glenn's bag. I took out the brace as Glenn came by, limping. He was wearing a make-shift brace of gauze and tape that paramedics had clumsily draped around his knee.

His knee was throbbing from what he believed was an ITB flare-up, but he was not ready to throw in the towel. We helped him get his brace on and I ran to the nearest store to get him Advil (believe it or not, inspite of all the preparedness, none of us carried painkillers). The brace didn't help much, so off it came. He limped a little, then decided that it hurt more to walk, so he ran instead.

DH and I then walked back to the finish. Glenn gutted it out to the finish, completing in 5:39:24. Inspiring, ain't it?

Methinks the adrenaline worked wonders, because besides the miracle of completing the marathon in such pain, he also reported that his knee felt much better the same night, and he could walk without much pain.

On another note, I have been turning in some decent runs and feel stronger by the day.

Last week's runs totalled 32 miles.

Monday: 6 miles

Tuesday: 6 miles

Thursday: 12 miles

Friday: 3 miles

Saturday: 5 miles

Spectating at the Atlantic City Marathon made me realize how much I have enjoyed racing...and how I'd love to get back in the game. So, here's the announcement: I am gearing up for my first race since August...Turkey Trot...a.k.a. Ashenfelter 8K. Woo hoo!

A shout out to Philadelphia marathon runners...kick some butt this weekend!