Indie's running adventures

Last Sunday of July belongs to San Francisco Streets! Found Santiago! Never gets old, vibrant every year! Its been like this since 2002.  Every year I think I am getting too old for these hills and every year I find myself at the clock tower in the wee hours of morning at San Francisco marathon.  Every year. Team Asha group that I coach Start line.  National Anthem! There is a tremendous gratitude to nature, for letting me be part of this and for letting me continue to handle these hills.    2018! Two things make SF marathon great -- the views and people.  The crown jewel of experience being the run on golden gate.  It never disappoints! Leaving you with some pictures from the morning 4am journey to city to from home and pictures on the course, till finish medal.  Enjoy. Here's the run as I lived it  https://www.relive.cc/view/1736461880

(1) HSC (High sierra camp trail loop is God's wonder). Its 50 miles of pure bliss in eastern yosemite.  The trail includes 6 high sierra camps (luxury living, where you can get a cabin for 150 bucks for 2 people - if you are lucky enough to qualify in the lottery).  Camp provides bed, linens, breakfast, lunch, dinner.  Folks from around the world apply and make this a adventure of a lifetime.   A day pack is enough to get you from one camp to another. (2) If you are not as lucky to qualify (or think 150$ a night is too much), there are cheaper option of backpacking.  This trail allows you to be back on the road (if you want to refill supplies) in 3-4 days, so backpacking is an appealing option (ofcourse, you don't get to have any benefits of the camp but you are in the same natural wonder with pristine lakes, majestic mountains and valleys, and fresh air breathing through the pines at your disposal).  Compared to option (1) you are carrying 30-40 lbs of load on you, and with

As I mentioned in my original  appeal , one sight every year at Lotus Petal Campus is dejected faces of parents and kids alike who can't make it to that school year.    Smaller kids lining up & appearing for their test. Students appearing for entrance exam You can see from some pictures from registration day - there are long queues first thing in the morning, each student is given an ID card, and he/she appears for a test, a few make it to final list. What gets me every time I look at these pictures are choices these parents are making.   Ready with ID cards People crowding around the school Shall I get my kid to help me with my day labor (for that extra cash), or do I let him/her be in a school where a better future awaits (at the loss of temporary income).    People and children lining up to collect forms While the school jerseys are great equalizer, come evening these kids will be either back in their 10x10 cramped kholis  or so

Feb-May has been average 100 odd miles a month (give or take).  This was the exploratory phase, just keeping legs warm before the uptick in training. Starting June, program needs to pick up. Time to pick up a 100 mile-training program so I went and started looking at beginner level 100 mile training program. Found one at www.ultraladies.com (yes, I know!) - which had me starting a 6 month program, starting at 150miles first month, bumping each month by 25 miles, to end up at 275 peak month in Oct (that translates to roughly 75 miles per week). Team Asha 06.30.18 Thats a non starter, given life commitments. Sent a few queries out to friends and Anil Rao (legendary ultra marathoner who does western states as a fat-ass*) decided to help. [ Western states is the first 100 mile ultra in USA and a legendary one at that.  It starts near Truckee at Tahoe basin and comes down to Auburn, crossing over a rough terrain.  Admission being a lottery, Anil and a few friends decid

Mission 2018 Donate Cisco Matching to double your donation (Requires Cisco VPN) Dear friends, In 2017, you helped with your hearts and your wallets.  12in12  effort raised 52,000$ and that did a lot of good. There are 400+ students now, new rooms, new academic facilities, upgraded kitchen and library and  much more . There is more to be done.  One constant every year, is the opportunity missed. Opportunity to educate more kids! Opportunity to provide more slum kids a place where they feel equal, secure, where they learn academic and life skills - a place where they thrive!  To that effect, please join me in this year's mission to educate 100 more kids (I am very happy to share that Lotus Petal foundation has started  construction of a new school - built on a 5 acre land parcel that would provide education to 2000 children in the span of the next 5 years).  Please consider Lotus Petal foundation for your charity giving in 2018! Any amount donat

Lotus petal is a purpose.  A mission. 150 folks came together to join the cause last year and helped raised valuable $$$ that are being put to use as we speak. More kids joined school, they continue to get fed breakfast and lunch (well fed kids = happy kids = engaged kids = educated kids). Clean school, engaging environment, engaged/mission-filled teachers = thriving educating community. More needs to be done...this little spark that Kushal lit, needs to be a chain reaction with multiple Lotus petal eco systems popping over around India, and engaging under privileged towards better futures. That brings me to topic of this post. Planning do to a 100 miler on Nov 3rd, 2018 (or perhaps a 100km, training progress will tell...).  In that process, hopefully folks will join me in sponsoring 100$ or more per mile.  That gets us a minimum 10k for Lotus to fund initiatives that directly impact kids. 100 mile is out of my league...way out of my league! To give you a perspective,

Dear donors, 152 donors, 20 countries, 52k USD raised - Huge thank you! I happened to visit India on a short trip and was lucky to spend a few hours at Lotus Petal. Here are highlights of what I saw. 1. First, your donations are making a difference. Lotus Petal Foundation raised about 2 crores in the recent fundraising drive at DelhiAirTelHalfMarathon and came up #1 (even surpassing Bharti foundation).   Your 33lakhs were a huge contribution to that.  Thank you. 12 new classrooms being built The lotus petal facility is a rented property (rent is about 3 lakhs a month) but the property owner graciously allowed construction.  12 new classrooms are being built and construction work was at full swing.   Given that 75 students were added recently (out of 475 that appeared for registration), these new additions are very important.  There are total of 400 kids at Lotus Petal now. 2. Things that hit you off the bat when you visit Lotus Petal is the dignity and respect that

Can you believe it? 12th.  Final run.  12/23/2017. What a year it has been.  Month after month, picking a run, waking early morning or driving the day before to race places, running the race, medal/hugs with fellow runners after...each got better than the previous. For final run, stuck to the tried/tested, cook-your-own-race and decided to run close to home.  Bernel complex is a beautiful mile trail which I use for coaching teamasha atheletes.  May to Oct, that had been our track workout hangout where runners ran loop after loop, bettering their previous mile best.  Its familiar territory for sure. And what best, when a legend wants to give you a head start.  Anil Rao, Ultra marathon extraordinaire and a dear friend from early running days, called to say that he will join me at the start. I had 7am as the start time.  Loop is a mile from home so I was taking it easy with morning tea etc. when Anil's call come at 630am.  He was already at the start :-)  Quickly fill