Shoes....

Ever since I have started running, I have found this great time pass / interest, going to the shoe stores and checking out the new running shoes. No it doesn't stop here, I even keep observing people's feet and their running shoes (and no I am not a foot fetish :P). Well now the justification for observing people's feet, I just try to observe they are flat footed / normal arched / or high arched, well you see a the choice of shoe depends a lot on these observations. Now coming to me, I have a normal arched foot, but I have an over pronating feet, well to start it, let me give you the definition of foot pronation, as wikipedia says:

The pronated foot is one in which the heel bone angles inward and the arch tends to collapse. A "knock-kneed" person has overly pronated feet. This flattens the arch as the foot strikes the ground in order to absorb shock when the heel hits the ground, and to assist in balance during mid-stance. If habits develop, this action can lead to foot pain as well as knee pain, shin splints, achilles tendonitits and plantar fasciitis

so when you have a over or under pronating feet you need to be extra cautious while getting a running shoe, as a wrong choice of running shoe can land you up with major leg and back injuries. Even I was ignorant to this fact, when I started running I used to slip on any shoes and run long distances in that, I soon developed pain in my back and knees. Then Rajat told me the importance of running shoes, since then I have done a lot of research on this topic, and now I think I can give decent shoe / foot fundas to newbies!

Now Its been close to two years that I have been running, and I am 4 times marathoner as well , yesterday in the RFL runs we were categorized as veterans as well, wow! thats an honor!!! But still we have gurus in the veteran category and the learning phase never ends. So coming back to the topic, I finally thought that this time I should pamper myself with a good running shoe. So the best a runner's feet can ever get is an Asics, I thought of getting an Asics Gel Kayano-14, this shoe is for over pronators.On one of my runs with Rajat, I told him that I am going for an Asics Gel Kayano-14, he ttold me if somebody is wearing those, I should first try it on and then order, as sometimes Asics over corrects the pronation , and that shouldn't happen (one more lesson learnt). Nitin wears a Gel Kayano-13, so Saturday I borrowed his shoe for a long run, and believe me, Asics is the best thing your feet can ever get. It was like a love affair between the shoe and the feet, yes the same love affair which Rajat has been telling about me since a lot of time, has finally happened. During your long runs if your feet are not bothering you, then they are in love with the shoes that they are in, not even once I thought about any pain, blister, toe nails wafter getting into those shoes.

So the latest item on the top of my wishlist is Asics Gel Kayano-14!!!!!

Related Links:
-Asics America
-Pronation on Wikipedia
-Runner's World

Song Today: Aaj kal paaon zameen par nahi rukte mere :P

you know you are a runner when.......

1) you know which manholes are open in your locality
2) While driving you remember exactly where the pothole is
3) you are getting down the stairs your shoulder lifts automatically and you find yourself jumping on the stairs
4) You start eating like a pig
5) your laundry basket is full of running tees and shorts instead of the normal Jeans and T-shirt
6) 4 km walk seems too less
7) somebody asks you "so u jog" and you end up answering this question rudely "I am a runner"
8) your Gtalk status talks about running only
9) you've run, showered, and eaten breakfast (twice) before your family/roommates even wake up.
10) you start observing people's running shoes
11) your wishlist has items like Polar HRM, Asics Shoes
12) you have ran to work and found out that its actually faster than you driving to work (atleast in Bangalore)
13) treadmill seems boring
14) people start asking "why do you run", and you answer "why do you ask"
15) your legs are tanned, and you are proud of it
16) you know which tree in your locality gives the best shade :P
17) you brag about losing toenails
18) there are permanent blood stains on your T-shirts where your nipples were rubbed raw
19) you refuse to wash your running shoes because you like to wear the dirt as a badge of honour
20) you go for having a drawer for your running clothes to having an entire bureau for running clothes
21) you can shop at your local running store for hours, but can't stand 5 minutes anywhere else

more to come.....
Runners: add your points here

Spirit of Marathon.....

Spirit of Marathon

This is an amazing video, the spirit of Marathon. After watching this I actually sat down and thought "why do I run?" yes this is the same irritating question that has been asked by a lot of people, and today I ended up asking myself. Its been a long way now, I am a 4 time marathoner with my personal best as 2hrs 10 min. I know this is not any great timing, now I look back with all that 2 years of training, getting the runners high with each added on kilometer, every month the increase in my pace, and indirectly an increase in my stamina as well. When I started running I used to run at 7 km/hr and that too was pretty tough, everything is in the mind everyone can become a runner but this requires a lot of patience, patiently working towards a goal, patiently trying to run faster.

I had a pathetic timing in my first marathon I completed 21Km in 3 hrs, yeah I did get the runner's high that time as well, yes with that pathetic timing, it was a big achievement for me. Running 21Km continuously wasn't a joke, and believe me when you finish a marathon you are not the same person, your mind is not the same. So I come back to the question, why do I run well to be very truthful I myself doesn't know the answer, it all started with losing weight and coming back in shape but somewhere I got addicted to it. Running is like alcohol, once you start you get addicted to it, with every run you get that "Runner's High" and that high stays for a long time, it happened with me after Mumbai, I was in that high for a long time good one week!

But Apparently I did not get that high after completing the 52km Ultra, probably because I ran Ultra with the RFL guys, and anyways every weekend I keep running with them, secondly the Ultra was organized near Hasserghatta lake thats on the outskirts of Bangalore , and it was a trail run. I loved the environment and surroundings, but somewhere down the line I missed the cheering up, the spectators, the Janta! Which was there in Mumbai.

Well nowadays I drag people out of their beds in the morning and take them to cubbon for running, I was successful in getting two new persons to running, yes so this proves one more point, that running is contagious!!! Now running is an important task for me in a day, it happened with me last week, i didn't run for three days, on the fourth day when I was driving to office I saw a person running on the intermediate ring road in Bangalore, I just wanted to come in my running shoes and start running.... I missed it, that was a point I found out that how important running has become for me. But running is only one aspect on the weekends, it is followd by breakfast at Airlines / Koshy's with the Red Dragon gang and all tha haha and masti! The other benefit of running is you can eat like a pig, as I am a big foody, so now I can eat anything without thinking twice about how much calories it has, or how much oil it has!


song Today: Jalta hai jiya mera bheegi bheegi raton main.....

Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri jaan.....

Mumbai was always famous for its cosmopolitan nature / attitude, but apparently this is not true, the recent violence against the people from UP and Bihar in the financial capital is a bitter truth. What exactly is behind this? well the first reaction would obviously be Politics and vote bank, but why does a petty leader like Raj Thakrey has the guts to do this , maybe this is somewhere amongst the basic Mumbaikar that the people from UP and Bihar are stealing away their opportunities. Right from our birth we Indians are prone to spoon feeding (to be read as reservations). The killer instinct is never developed in us. what is the problem in a person coming from a specific state and working there, and please I am not writing this post as I belong to UP, I would have written this if the violence was against a Gujju or some other sect. Yes coming to the original point, if there is a problem then there is a legal way of doing it, come into power, pass a law and make work permit mandatory to work in Mumbai / Mahrashtra.

We are talking about global outlook, that is the need of the hour to make India a better place, socially and economically, but if we cant think nationally, then I guess global is too big a word. But if you give it a second thought, what was the need for Smajwadi party to celebrate UP Diwas in Mumbai, doesnt it sound wierd? I dont know where this caste / region based politics is going to take us?