GO Goechala - May 2016 !

Few years back when I decided to tick "Trekking" from my ever growing bucket list, little I knew how hard I am going fall for the mountains.

I am mesmerized by the beauty of our country. Huge rivers, green landscapes, breathtaking mountains, those tiny houses on hills with bright flowers around. Picturesque route ,beautiful and huge rivers along and cold breeze. Nature in abundance .

I have witnessed some of the most beautiful sunrises, breathtaking sunsets, and deep blue-green jungles, steep climbs, deep valleys, spectacular waterfalls, frozen rivers, handsome animals, rare Yaks, colorful birds and raw beauty of mother earth. Trekking has taken me so close to these wonders and hidden treasures of the earth and in the process making me feel so completely one with the universe .

Wilderness has become a necessity and an integral part of life now. I am yet to know what should be my ultimate goal but when journey is so beautiful, goal remains just an excuse.

Goechala was one such experience. It is a gorgeous trek, comprised of dense purple, green forests, Uphill climbs,  beautiful bridges , waterfalls , streams , berries and colorful Rhododendrons where most of the days we had to keep climbing up and up and could only look down the steep mountain side to hear and view the river throughout the trek.

We had Sun burns, cold bites, we drenched in rain, rushed through hailstorm, climbed our pass day in Snowfall and danced at Summit .

We bonded, laughed, sang and shared our life with others just so easily.

Wooden trails with the canopy of rhododendrons were beautiful at the same time they were slippery, muddy, risky and exhaustive because of rain.

We found breathtakingly beautiful flowers and colorful birds in abundance along the way though feel of insects/Leeches on body still sends shivers down the spine.

Turns and twists in the mountains made the trail groovy and romantic and also at the same time unpredictable, lonely and spooky.

Running down the trail in drizzle was fun & inspiring but after a while same rainy trail and landslides along made it overpowering and suffocating.

I am still wondering whether it should be called romantic trail or endurance challenge as walk during initial days was mostly uphill and never ending. Not sure whether route ever felt romantic while actually walking on it. It was a strenuous walk with one step at a time. But now when I think back and rewind my walks, I can only remember beautifully laid wooden path with rhododendrons canopy, sound of Prek chu river, yellow river stones, mesmerizing sunrise from Dzungaria top, Mt. Kangdchenjunga and Mt. Pandim peaks playing hide and seek throughout the trek, Eastern Himalayan Ranges covered with clouds and serene Samiti lake.

Goechala trek was overwhelming, unpredictable and contradicted our own beliefs and judgments. It confused us at the same time cleared our minds. It surely started growing on us from day one.

 These ten days, though we were away from our dear ones, families, responsibilities; we survived and felt at home and surprisingly felt content. We smelled flowers, tasted berries from

trees, walked through mud and sand, drank water from natural sources .Life came down to bare necessities. We ate, slept and walked and thanked God for every day. 15000 Ft above we realized it does not take much to survive. You just need to breathe.

I am back again in my world of comforts with a grateful heart and many beautiful moments which are locked in my heart safe. 

Thanks to super fit team of buddy trekkers ,charming local kitchen and porter staff and must mention a story teller - informative ,articulate trek lead, Ashish who ensured safety, fun ,food and successful trek all along and managed the huge team of trekkers with much ease and confidence and beautiful Sikkim !

Take me home ...Country Roads ...

At View Point 1

Deorital Chandrashila Trek

      On our last day of Rupin pass trek with Indiahikes , me and Madhu promised ourselves to come back to Himalayas again. We were looking for a trek where I could bring my son who is 12 Years  . Though it took us more than a year to finally come up with suitable days and trek : “19th Oct Deoriatal- Chandrashila peak” . It was mentioned Easy-Moderate and was during Dussehara holidays.
      I Informed few more friends about the trek who were keen on exploring trekking & Himalayas and finally me, Advaith & Divya from Chennai and Madhu & Vandana from Bangalore started for the adventure.


@Chennai Airport



Executive Lounge@Delhi Railway Station

We all met at Delhi , spend our half day around  "Kake da Dhaba"  and the executive lounge at Railway Station. We had our veg :-) dinner at Kake-da-Dhaba and  delicious pan from "Panchayat" on the same street .
 
Plan was to reach Haridwar, spend a day there and start with Indiahikes' arranged vehicles to the base camp: sari Village.

      Haridwar and Rishikesh were  bonus & thanks to Jassie , our trekking friend from Haridwar who helped us with stay , vehicle and the activities around Haridwar and Rishikesh . We did river rafting , jumped and swam in refreshingly white Ganga . She was glittering , huge, milky and so full of life and  "rapids" in the river added so much fun to rafting. Jump from 12 feet or higher cliff in water was the most thrilling part of our rafting adventure ( Off course I had to jump on my toes all the way back later and visit ENT doctor in Rishikesh after all that jumping did not help ) . We ended our day with blissful Ganga arti and next morning started for base camp, Sari village .

On the way to Sari

We covered our  10 hour drive  listening to old all forgotten Hindi songs from the driver and eventually singing along and taking breaks at scenic places  en-route including “Devprayag” and “Rudraprayag”.

Day 1 - Sari Village
We reached sari village which is 6000 feet above sea level .We met the entire team formally  again and were introduced to our trek lead Shreyas . Our stay in sari hovered above the mountain village and where the  village was shining like a jewel box at night. We were already in mountains looking down at the village and eager for adventure .

Day 2 - Sari to Deoriatal

Next day everyone got up by 4 am to witness the much discussed sunrise if Sari .though sun came out only by 8 am. After a small walk, me and Adi settled ourselves on one of the house terraces and watched the sunrise where Sky was turning magnificent with beautiful shades.  Mountains and trees brightened up as sun was out and shining within no time .Me and Adi had  a long happy conversation over many topics while waiting for the sunrise.  Connect or the leisure bonding time that was missing during our daily busy errands .  

Morning @Sari

We came back to the room to get ready for the trek with a happy face , filled heart , bunch of selfies and sunrise photos.

Today's  trek was from Sari to Deoriatal . It was approximately 1250 feet ascent along the well laid path for pilgrims . This trek assured lot of birds though me not being very good with birds missed out on many though the bird experts Divya and suresh spotted few .
Distance was not much and we quickly reached Deoriatal after ascending approximately 2/3 Kms. Trail gave beautiful view of the village and some beautiful temples from height. We completed this trail in two hours and reached at a small shop  up where some of us had Maggie and cold drinks .

We could see a serene emerald shaped lake which had beautiful reflection of giant snowclad chaukhamba and Gahrwali mountain range. We reached beautiful Deoriatal camp  and pitched our own tents  with the help if Indiahikes team very close to the lake. Some Trekkers went gawping, jumping and clicking around lake with Garhwali gigantic Himalayan mountains while few went for little some more hiking around the lake.

This was our first night in the tent and Adi and Divya were super excited getting inside the sleeping bags . We slept quite happy having specious tents for three only to realize that Adi could roam comfortably and had gone perpendicular to me and Divya both leaving his place empty. We had a good laugh over the shock we got when we did not find him next to us when we woke up .

Day 3 - Deoriatal to Rohini Bugyal
Third day of the trek was 8 km trek with lot of ascent and descent through mountains and Khiri Forest .Trek was long and sometimes quite steep though it rewarded us a thick jungle, shady woods & some beautiful and rare birds.
Having a geologist in the team, we rest of the experts, tried to analyze each and every rock on the way. Despite my poor learning ability I too learnt to identify mica and carried a small stone just for the memories and new leanings ;-).  

One last small but steep climb took us to the beautiful Rohini Bugiyal, 1000 feet higher than yesterday where porters had already reached and kitchen tent was ready with refreshments .Adi managed to reach ahead of all of us and was proudly waiting and welcoming everyone. Once everyone from the team reached the campsite ,some decided to chant OM and some did stretches and some were ready to click and to be clicked.
While we concluded day's walk and were back inside the tents  opening and reopening our bags ,we heard some tapping sound only to realize the hailstorm. Within 15 minutes entire campsite was covered with snow. We strongly believe that it was the power of OM that bought snow  .

Sunset at Rohini Bugiyal was absolutely breath taking. Sky was clear again and we could enjoy snowclad Chaukhamba and camp with a huge bonfire and Garhwali songs from Porters and from some beautiful voices among the Trekkers. While it was cold and wet outside, we attempted heated round of Antakshari inside the dinner tent. We concluded our second day of the trek with a nice chitchat, laughter and scrumptious dinner along with deserts. Shreyas played a perfect host during every meal and made everyone eat more than what they usually do. Adi being the youngest trekker always got extra sweets. 

Sunset

 Day 4 -Rohini Bugyal to Martoli

Forth day was a 4-5 km walk from Rohini Bugiyal to Martoli .It was again through woods and amidst the Rhondenraon trees, dried maple leaves, some red, white and yellow flowers .On the way we took a small break at Akashkamini river . Water was freezing cold though refreshing .some sat dipping their feet in water and some dared to take bath .The ISM gang was quite particular about their looks and washed their hair every chance they got .
Camp place again was absolutely stunning and all the tents were facing the mountain range. We were greeted with hot Maggie and chai at the camp and we were ready for another round of mafia and bonfire.

We concluded our dinner early as we needed to start next day by 3:45 am .It was last day for the porters team with us so after dinner there was long and nice singing sessions from the enthusiastic porters and when we asked for stories, they came up with loads of interesting mythological stories from Mahabharata, Pandavas and God Shiva and their connection to all base camps, route and the Tungnath temple.
We got to know that Martholi name depicts that if you have survived so far means you are really brave!! :-) We applauded ourselves being the tough blood! And went back to the tents looking forward to the next morning.

Day 5 - Martoli - Chopta -Chandrashila Peak -Chopta

Next day chai and breakfast was ready at almost 3am and we were all set for the trek at 3:45 am. It was freezing cold, pitch dark and a steep climb to begin with. Some of us did not carry torches and had to stick with others .It indeed was difficult and to Adi it seemed insane. His unsure mind was questioning him every step whether to go ahead or stay back and was not able to determine the purpose of the difficult climb and time.


With little counseling, small pep up talks, cheering, motivating we completed the steep mountain!


We reached Chopta where the route was again well laid/built for Tungnath pilgrims. Sky was clear and full of stars .it seemed like we could almost touch them.
“Chandrashila means that you have reached so high that you can almost touch the moon ".

Shreyas was sweeping and trying to push the team so we could reach the summit before sunrise. It seemed more and more difficult with the steep and never ending ascent. By the time Tungnath was in sight, everyone was exhausted but we all realized that there is no way down and one cannot quit.
Adi's had tears rolling at one point and he said, “I know mom .I have to climb and I don't want to cry but these tear are coming automatically” Sudden uncertainty hit me making me wonder whether it was too much for him.
But we walked and walked. We changed our pace. Sun was already rising behind Chaukamba which was much closer now and we decided not to rush. We were tired and desperate to end this never ending climb.

We reached Tungnath temple only to know that there is another mountain yet to be climbed - Chandrashila peak .We refused to give in and picked up the pace .We wanted to reach the peak now . Due to hailstorm previous day , the snow was melted and  hardened many places and making it slippery and extremely dangerous as one side was mountain and other side if you slip was a deep dark valley .

Somewhere on the way we saw sun rising up .It was breathtakingly and awfully beautiful to see widespread colors in the sky and surrounding mountains around. It was the last stretch; we gathered our will power told ourselves its mind over body and continued climbing till we reached Chandrashila peak.

Chandrashila summit at 13100 feet was absolutely magical . We were at summit. Clear sky, sun was shining and was already out in the sky & surrounding mountains. Entire Garhwali Himalayan Range  from Kedar ,Shivaparvati , Nandadevi , Chaukhamba , Badri  was standing tall and clear , other side was deep valley where fearless eagles and Falcons were flying with the wings spread wide .360 degree view from summit was humongous and depicted undeniable strength and power of Mother Earth. Some went speechless, some sang, some simply sat ,Some took out their best lenses to capture the outstanding surrounding.

It was surreal, spiritual, peaceful and humbling moment being at the summit.
You feel so tiny and powerful at the same time.
I think one must do treks for this moment. one should experience being at height. Adi's tears were long gone and he was smiling. It was a proud moment for him and me as well.
We sat quietly for some time till we could sink in the moment and the surroundings. Surely that’s going to be my favourite place with my favourite buddy for long long time.

Again with loads of clicks from everybody's camera we started to descend. It was last night of the trek and once we reached, inspired by the young boys some of us washed our hair with the coldest water ever. It indeed was refreshing. We had mastered mafia game by now and campsite was echoing with lot of shouting and laughter  .We concluded our day with super-heated and controversial Antakshari game of girls vs boys and hot dinner with deserts . None of us wanted to end the day or trek though.

Day 6 - Chopta  to Haridwar

With new emotional experiences, new set of friends and hundred other trekking plans we said goodbyes and started our return journey to our homes.

Trek was short and comfortable. It had beautiful views which covered dark forests ,Deep valleys, breath taking Bugyals , colourful trees and birds , steep climbs ,tiring walks , views ,stunning sunsets and sunrises , colors on the sky and land .
It was a perfect cocktail with all flavors . It added enough adventure with so many mythological interesting stories attached to every place en-route .Plenty of time to bond, relax and rejuvenate .Great food, super enthusiastic trekkers and friendly Indiahikes team made this  experience once in a lifetime.
It's an excellent trek for anyone who wishes great rewards for lesser efforts. who wishes to  have good time, great scenery , absolute adventure, fall in love with nature and trekking with . Adi surely is ready for next one !

 

Run I willl and Run I Must - My SCMM 15 !

Could ...

             Should...

Would...

            Did !!!

After Bangalore Marathon …days passed by and I missed all my practice runs in sleep and in the glory of my first full marathon.. so I I asked Karthik to cancel my tickets to Mumbai and decided not to run SCMM 15 . Only to know how much it would cost us to cancel Mumbai and vacation we planned around the event just two days before the actual travel date.  

So I was in Mumbai and day before the event decided to go for the run …Told myself I can always quit if needed … Called my running buddies in Chennai ....assured myself that they too are on same page with my running and quiting….Took motivation from fellow runners who said call it fresh legs … one said runners like you don’t need practice...Now how much I want to believe that ;-) … so with this ridiculous hope, no plan, zero confidence and all fresh legs I decided to go for it …

I started my run with some stretching and warm up while looking for Rahul  Verghese and his bus…

Though I could not find Rahul, I came across another 5 hour bus which was all energy and leading pacer was telling we are bang on the target time ….they  shouted “Together we can and together we will” …I ran with all my doubts…though the energy around  was making the run effortless… I lost this bus at approximately 11th kilometer …. & though I did not continue with the bus it gave me much needed confidence for the run and made me do my first 10 effortlessly …!!! 
I continued another 4 K on my own …
14^th Kilometer my mind started playing…. It questioned  …Will I be able to keep up the pace …Can I  finish …what if the pain starts midway… how far I will be able to go …Do I really need to do this…. I anyway had decided to quit in between …..So should I be running now or should I be taking the bike and quit the run …that’s what I had decided anyway …. I can always come back next year ….. Next year surely will practice, plan and strategize ;p ….Thoughts were crowding and I slowed my run…I started walking..& then I could see Sea link … Running  @Sea link is always a dream and thrill…..  I was very much there @sea link with many doubt and so many questions…

That’s where I met Rahul…at last … I told him I am joining him…as long as possible.

They were doing 15 steps walk after every kilometer …strategy, pace and people just instantly felt comfortable and decided to follow one mind and one strategy …… I ran when they ran. I walked when they did and I stopped when they wanted to …Took rock salt when Rahul asked to and continued the run with the momentum … & I surprised and patted myself after every completed Kilometer….

I took water at almost every water station….took dates, chocolates, watermelon pieces from MumbaiKars and Volunteers …. Waved and acknowledged cheering on the roads… gave high fives to almost every kid on the way… Felt the Music … Enjoyed running  at Sea link, support at Pedder road ( we walked most of it )  … Running along Sidhivinayaka Temple … Haji Ali  … Read the hoardings and banners  which welcomed the event and runners everywhere along the route  and smiled...Wondered where vehicles on these roads might have disappeared & how they were able to manage so many hours of south Mumbai … all for runners ….applauded  Organisers' efforts … was humbled by strong woman runners en route ….There were so many unlike all other events and looked absolutely strong  and as if they have figured it all … felt so Proud of the Maximum City ,event & being  part of it…

One point I really thought I will be able to make it sub 5  and may end up achieving my PB….Feeling was exhilarating  ( May be I was hallucinating …distance  and empty Mumbai roads do that to you…:P )   Though I did not complete my run in 5 hours and this is not my PB .. This run gave me much needed assurance … little hope …little courage…confidence …. I finished my run in 5:29 with a happy heart … little more in love with the City ... running ….and little more with myself ….

 Thanks to my running buddies who were worried about me running the event …scared about my finish ...who were equally nervous and guilty of not doing practice runs …and To Rahul  for the awesome fun bus  and all motivation during the run….to Abhishek …Runner from Bangalore  with whom I ran my last three kilometers ...We sprinted last 200 meters and finished the run on high note … <3 <3 <3

Run I will and Run I must - So I am a Marathoner !

So I am a marathoner!!!


Thanks to Gopinath Sargunam  who insisted and followed up for almost two weeks for this registration before I decided to go for it... Though after registering, was quite clueless for some days.

Decided and talked with few experienced runners for their experiences and planned my practice runs based on my Chennai runner friend's simple suggestion to increase 2kms weekly or biweekly....Another friend from Mumbai told me to do 36k two weeks before the race and then taper down…

Though not everything went as per my plan ;-), I always  got company for every run and all my running buddies came forward to help me with the runs .... It felt ...though only two of us from the group registered for this event everyone from our practice group lived and practiced for this event....

Thanks a million Ambili Menon , Jayashree Vaidhyanathan, Sandhana Arumugam , Siddharth Venkataraman , Venu Gopal  & Nash for always being there and supporting me at odd hours wholeheartedly and last but not the least  Rama Chandran  ...who ran and practiced with us for the event .He helped me reduce my unnecessary and unwanted miles & pace and made it look much much consistent , easier and comfortable …

He also slowed down during the event to accompany me and without whom this run would been much tougher...I owe this run to all my these friends  & to Chennai runners group where I started my marathon running ..;-)

My heartfelt thanks for all the personal and group messages, suggestions, advices and motivations during and before runs which kept me going and motivated me during my uncertain moments....

Bengaluru Marathon Event was organized nicely and one could notice the hard work and efforts Organizers have put in for the event.  Weather supported just fine acknowledging their efforts and debut marathoner couldn't ask for any better weather than this where she/he had to worry only about the running and not the blazing Sun or heat … Volunteers were friendly and cheerful… Water points were ample …Did not face any issues with markings and directions during the run.

Jawans standing and cheering with all the enthusiasm was an experience to cherish …

Every hoarding after 28 Kms was very motivating and read runner’s mind at that mile…

Medal , Breakfast from Adiga’s were absolutely awesome…Traffic police I guess did the terrific and most difficult job of controlling traffic on the road which according to me was totally non-receptive to the event and they honked and honked and pushed their vehicle on runners and refused to acknowledge the event, organizers , volunteers , traffic police or the runners….Traffic after 9:30 without traffic police was crazy and we had to stop at signals for vehiclesand people  to cross.

During the run when I was most tired and having those moments where thoughts were crowded and screaming and asking me why I am doing this …. Making me wonder why people do it again and again… I realized I am still able to run without any cramps and pain ….and I can finish the race … & I am stronger than I think ….

I finished my marathon in 5:24:22 with the Category Rank 15….

 Though nothing much changed after the run and I am still living my same old life … I am a new person ... and have come to conclusion that  every runner deserves a Full Marathon
 
If I can do it then anyone can do it !!!

Run I Will and Run I Must - Chennai Trail Marathon - 2014

 

When it comes to CTC events, one got to expect the adventure in it. Let it be a trek ,triathlon or a trail run !!

When I heard few reviews for last year event like… trail was muddy, uneven , slushy…I was quiet surprised as honestly that’s the very reason I want to run CTC trail …

It gives you sense of adventure…brings you closer to nature …it has places that take your breath away ... have so many surprise elements in it at every corner of the trail…It gives you sense of joy and achievement.
So far this is been one of my most favorite runs & I enjoy running it every year.

It got me worried when the run was advanced by a month to avoid rain based on last year feedback… I was worried about the sun but the day was in runner's favour ....
weather was absolutely awesome … and also there was slight change in the trail this year…
Temples, turns, slopes, paddy fields, bright brown/red canyons, small huts around, cute children with bright faces and full blown smiles, young and energetic volunteers and known faces along the run kept me so busy I did not even realize the distance …
and off course all photographers all along who did not let me walk.…

Loved the girl in off-white Saree for Onam special at last water point…forest in the end and all cheering at the finish line.

Event was organized quite perfect from Bib distribution till the finish line, medals and breakfast. Every event and place gave a home coming feel as now most of the volunteers have become buddies and known faces over the period.
Thanks for organizing this event Peter van Geit …Congratulations to you , your organizing team and volunteers for the successful event and hope you come up with more and more in coming years…( We are waiting;) )

Photo by : Surya Nandhan Raj

Thanks to Rama for pushing me for steady run and consistent pace & making me finish the run in 2:21:33 as expected. ( Time is as per garmin though the official timing is 2:30..) .. & So far my one of the best runs…

Thanks to my running friends Spl..Sandi ,Jaya and Ambili for all the run and fun during our regular - running and non-running days ;) and events...

Rupin Pass – With Indiahikes

It’s been eight days, we walked through villages and we walked in mountains, along the river, in the valleys, through the jungle, crossing rivers and bridges… on the snow ... on frozen rivers...

Every moment we experienced thrill and excitement ...missed the dear ones… felt so close to the nature...walked on the edge … & yet so close to life… We risked our lives ...survived the challenges... made great friends and memories....

People from very different places, backgrounds and age groups could connect with each other...felt together where everyone was a trekker and there was no need to explain why we are doing this.

As rightly said by Arjun, this trek turned different every day...moment you could get comfortable with the trail... terrain changed and so the challenges...

One day trail was broad and along the village ...other day it was narrow … Some times it was all mountains covered with Pine trees and flowers ... & some we walked on frozen river …some days climbed the snow mountains... and when started feeling stronger about the snow ...came across steep climbs and deep descents.

Where first slide on snow was so much fun... it turned into helluva experience other day as there was no other way to come down the huge mountains and we did slide down holding to our dear lives.

Nights on snow were coldest and stormy ... we could hear avalanche one night and kept wondering inside the tent...whether it would hit us.

I remember ...It took 3-4 minutes for the stone to reach ground when Suraj dropped it after making steps on the snow while crossing one of the snow patches. Everyone on the trail watched quietly holding breath till it hit the ground and crossed that patch without saying a single word.

We learnt some mountaineering skills like duck-walk, kicking, side steps, Plunging & sliding with and without micro-spikes to make the snow climbing and walking down easy. It did help us a great deal though the walk was never easy... ;)

Climbing Rupin pass seemed impossible .Though there was no way back and you could afford to look neither up or down while climbing the pass ...you had to keep going...Pranav - Honey Sing From India hikes ;) was great great help and his songs and mountaineering skills definitely gave us much needed confidence to reach Rupin pass.

Snow was changing with time and weather. Sometimes it was hard ice, slippery and sometime it was so soft that almost an entire leg went inside. Most trekkers suffered from AMS...and to add to the thrill ...we also had snow fall which covered all the mountain peaks when we were up high on the clouds at Rupin pass. Walk down from Rupin pass was extremely tiring and never ending... we had two helluva slides while coming down the pass which were most thrilling and scary and turned everyone upside down.

Skin burned while walking and we could see our faces and hands turning black, red & purple ...When we all thought walk is almost over …we saw Ahilya slipping on the snow and went down with lightning speed …every other person who saw her going down helpless , lost their confidence on snow. It took us a while to settle the heartbeat and porters were great help all the way ahead on every snow patch. Shiju-India Hikes trek lead's plunging down on the trail to stop and hold Ahilya without losing a fraction was very brave.
 

At last we lost snow and could feel the land with our feet …it felt incredible to get inside the tent which was not on snow… and the very thought in the mind was "Bloody Hell ....We did Rupin Trek….!" Climbed 15,250 ft in wind, snow and many of them with loads of backpacks!!!

Thanks a ton to Suraj and his team for making this trek possible for giving us all the support, help and yummy food …& Cheers to fit and fun Army(Mavala) gang …Leader Saurabh…experienced and fun trekkers like Ahilya & Gautamy , Arun who never left his camera and crossed all the trails & climbs with ease , Pavan with music , cool Menons, Spirit of the trek Sonali … bright and bubbly Prashasti… quiet couple Tarun and Richa… best buddies Tarun and Anurag…Super models Rupa and Sunita… Quiet n Strong - my partner Madhu , cool Shantanu….consistent Sanjay ….Super cool David … & last but not the least Sweetheart Shiju who made this trek very memorable and experience of lifetime.

Photo From Arun Nayak:

Women's day !!!!

Long back I came across this story and loved it instantly…It may be bit long but worth a read ….

Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals. So, the monarch offered him his freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer and, if after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death.

The question was: What do women really want?

Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end.

He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: the princess, the priests, wise men, even the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.

Many people advised him to consult the old witch, for only she would have the answer.
But the price would be high as the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.

The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer the question, but he would have to agree to her price first.
The old witch wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table, and Arthur's closest friend!

Young Arthur was horrified. She was hunchbacked and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises, etc. He had never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life.
He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden, but Lancelot, learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur.
He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round Table.

Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered Arthur’s question.
Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life was spared.

Neighboring monarch granted Arthur his freedom and Lancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding.

The honeymoon hour approached and Lancelot, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But, what a sight awaited him. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen lay before him on the bed. The astounded Lancelot asked what had happened.

The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appeared as a witch, she would henceforth be her horrible deformed self only half the time and the beautiful maiden the other half.

"Which would you prefer? she asked him. "Beautiful during the day ... or at night?"

Lancelot pondered the predicament. During the day he could have a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his castle, an old witch! Or, would he prefer having a hideous witch during the day, but by night a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous, intimate moments with?

(If you are a man reading this ...) What would YOUR choice be?
.

.

.

Noble Lancelot, Thought for some time and said that he would allow HER to make the choice herself.

Upon hearing this, she smiled and announced if she has to choose then she would be beautiful all thetime.

Noble Lancelot understood the answer....

Give her charge of her own life and life will always be Beautiful !

 

Run I Will and Run I Must - Happy Hour

Happy Hour

It gives me confidence of being able to run and satisfaction of taking time out for myself in my most of the times busy schedule and people around.

I feel privileged to have fresh city just waking up from sleep all for myself and love this part of the city which is so sane & distant from crowded, hurried, busy and angry version of it.

My run leaves me grateful to the safe city and people around who contribute to my run in different ways during my wee hours running.

It's pleasure to know healthy and fit people around which I would have otherwise never discovered.

I witness smiling faces and happy waves of greeting irrespective of their acquaintances with each other every run.

I get an uninterrupted hour with my favorite music whenever I feel like...

When I run , I am more cautious about my food , I take early dinners , avoid junk food ...sleep early ...get up early and also get an extra hour to prepare for my son's school after run which otherwise may end up sleeping.

This hour gives me ... stronger self, great friends, self-assurance, satisfaction, happiness, refreshed soul and healthy lifestyle!!!

It helps be believe I can!!! And I am a never the same person after every run!

Sometimes I run for joy...sometimes for peace... sometimes for pace... sometimes for distance ...sometimes just to clear my mind... sometimes for a friend ….sometimes for myself…

Whatever may be the reason; it’s my Happy Hour!

 

Cheers!!!!

 

Nagala-Ladies and Ladies again!

It’s been almost a year I had been on a trek ... Crazy work , traffic , routine , shoes, torch …all were shouting for a trek -break…

CTC’s Ladies trek came up as a perfect solution to all my limitations ...It was a day trek & very near to Chennai ... Just what I could afford ….I enrolled myself very instant and was waiting for confirmation …

Few days later got an email from Subhasiny with confirmation and preparatory information ...
Me being bad at dates…assumed trek is on Sunday and did my all setting at home accordingly...
I realized trek is on Saturday only on Friday evening when Nandini called for pick up point confirmation...Though this Small confusion could not stop me from the trek … It took me half an hour to fix the bag and I was all set for the next day…

Our start point for the trek was surrounded by huge inviting Mountains …& we started our trek once our food was distributed at the starting point …

Initially it looked like all plain walk though small bushes with perfect weather. After all they had mentioned it as an Easy Trek...

Once we reached inside the jungle / mountain; we had to climb uneven stones and jump around ... to realize it is not so easy for a day...

Though Terrain was not so easy and distance did not seem like  6 kilometers ... all stress was busted with cool pools we came across…

Water without chlorine which does not harm you even if you drink it ... Still it took lot of courage to try swimming and leave the safe zone as was worried and scared about the uneven and bushy base and unknown depth of the pools...
It was amazing, scary and thrilling to get into natural waters…

Third pool was just awesome and it took more than twenty minutes for my temptation to win over my fears to jump inside the pool.

 With my totally clumsy jump inside the water (As there was no other way to get inside the pool) I reached other end near waterfall and swam in the pool ... It was an awesome feeling and surely one of those lifetime moments and experiences which I would be talking about for years to all my friends who could not and did not join this trek... ;)..
Overall experience was very refreshing...Felt it ended too soon ...
Subhasiny , our trek leader was cool, patient and just perfect leader for the trek who was all ready for fun and at the same time kept good track of time and people around…Thanks Subhasiny for showing us good time !!!
Support team.....All boys deserve a big applause for being enthusiastic, cautious, supportive, fun and witty...
Fellow trekkers who said it’s their first time though showed good stamina and awesome attitude....
I am back home and getting into my noisy schedule & crowded civilization with a happy knowledge that I know something so serene which people around me may not have a clue about …
I smile at the thought and promise myself to be part of this team & trek again n again with every opportunity I would get ….

Dream Runners' Half Marathon...

It’s been a week Dream runners' half marathon event is over and I guess I am already having "Empty Nest syndrome."

Every Saturday with determination of doing little extra , pushing little further and hoping to do better...me, Ambili, Radha & Kumar woke each other up early ... took leaves when were supposed to work...re-adjusted our priorities ...drove to Besant Nagar...Just to be part of dream runners' group run...

Joining the group felt so right when on very first day dream runner team told me and my friend to concentrate on our own runs and they would be looking after every runner in case anyone trailing behind...

It was a treat to meet lot of pro runners and new faces during every run...

Some days ran faster...Some days; was one of the trailing ones... Some runs were with cramps…and sometimes walked whole distance....

Swami,Rekha, Radha telling me I can do much better and can finish 10k within an hour on my very first day...Ali making me run nonstop and trying to improve my every run...Shahul's encouragement for pace...inspirational Vjji...Water points during practice runs and photographs after every run....all are much cherished moments and helped me enjoy my 2nd half marathon with lot of comfort...it felt like a home affair.....

Event started quite on time with  nice whether , greeting lot of familiar faces...Few new introductions and beats of zumba .. Though zumba ended before I could pick up beat and sync my steps...I also enjoyed the music and stretches after...

With lot of cheering from other runners, Hi-s & hello-s we headed for the run... I ran 8-9Km nonstop with steady pace and comfortable rhythm and continued later with run/walk pattern ... Marina stretch was beautiful and was reserved for runners ...came across some supporting cops and spectators around ...few greetings with them and fellow runners during different paces of run..continued my run…

I ran this half marathon with little distraction ...I blame it on smiling young faces at water points...Real fit female cops ... Marina beach beautiful stretch and other awesome runners who crossed me from opposite direction with lightening speed..Amused spectators on the road ...and lot of photographers with their big lenses....

After 15 kms …my feet were burning and legs were stiff...muscles were sour...Switching to walking from running and vice versa was getting more and more difficult... I calculated and then re-calculated my finish timeline every 10 minutes afterwords and managed to complete my half marathon in 3.06 hours ...
May be not a very strong finish...But definitely a memorable one …

Dream runners community made us feel like one of them and encouraged on worst and best of the days; including the event day!

Event was well organized from bib till medal distribution....I feel every success of this event is well deserved …...Cheers to the Organizer Team and Runners!!!!!

Definitely waiting for next year dream runners half marathon...!!!

E

Run for Fun !!!!