I must say the view just keeps getting better! The run keeps getting longer and easier (I wonder if this is from my legs getting stronger or the beauty of the route). Yesterday I took off to Battery Park on the usual 0.75 mile loop. But after doing the loop, I came out and decided to see what lay beyond. After all, the previous 2 runs had yielded rewarding routes when I succumbed to curiosity. Not at all disappointed this time either.Here are a couple of snippets I was able to capture on my iPhone that I was a carrying with me on the run. I should have taken more pictures but I was just so lost in taking in the view with my eyes, that it did not strike me until the very last moment to snap a few pictures!

Running along the east shore of Hudson, was the west side highway, with a seperate walkway flanked by trees and parks on either side and the beautiful views of hudson washing right up to the footsteps. Did the 2.5 mile run today I think. I went as far as there was a volleyball court where grown men, dressed in work formals were fighting like kids over a fault point in the game. Newyork never ceases to pick at your intrigue There is something about running beside water, I must concede. Something about it that makes me run for a longer time and feel more refreshed and free. Yes thats the word – “Free”. Run Free…

Ever felt like shouting at the top of your lungs into the wind and not hear yourself? That’s how windy it gets on top of the Brooklyn Bridge some days. It was one of those days. I had no idea I was headed for the Brooklyn bridge. I had decided to take a different route than before and see where I end up in a 30-45min run. To my disbelief, I saw myself at the entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge in under 15mins of my run from the office. I decided to go for it. What an amazing view it was! You have to walk on the Brooklyn bridge to feel it and see it.
The total distance was 1.75 * 2 = 3.5 miles in under 45 mins. I now decided that I would explore NewYork each day on a different route and try to see as much of it on foot as possible. God knows where I will end up in today’s run! But at the end of the 30-45mins, I am back, fully charged and ready for the rest of the day.

The first route I chose was an easy one. The total loop distance, if done 2 times over would be 1.75 miles. That’s not bad at all considering the huge lapse in working out that I had accumulated. I started off at a nice easy run-walk pace, and was taking a stretch break every 5 minutes. I had no idea the run would be so beautiful! Waterfront inside battery park is a runner’s paradise! All in all, an exhilarating 30 minutes.

I promised myself I will workout. Regularly. I dont see myself falling into the routine. I miss the sweaty days when all I yearn for is a bottle of ice cold water after a tiring workout. I am able to kick start the routine. But still, it lacks the punch or the regularity that was there before.

I will therefore try something new. I am going to sacrifice my afternoon lunch time by going for a very brisk walk or a light run. 30 minutes. Daily.

The plan is to hit the road , do a couple of blocks, then have a blast of cold water…get back in and grab something for lunch and head back to my desk for work. I am implementing this on a planned basis. For the past 2 weeks, I have gotten myself into the routine of getting into office 30 minutes earlier than usual, so I already get a head start. Now that the plan is falling into place, its time to implement part-2. Workout routine begins 09/24/09. Also, I am going to replace bread out of my lunch and replace with fruit whenever possible. Huh?

Please wish me luck!!!

I return from a 4 month long nagging back pain. Its still there. I am just learning to deal with it. I have to find a way to do what I do without the pain hindering me or making my form worse.  For some things there is no quick fix.

That said, the summer is almost ending. Spent the entire summer doing nothing but resting. No particular reason why I rested the way I rested. I should have gone to the gym and strengthened other muscle groups at least! There is always room for change and improvement isnt there?

So I guess it has been really eating at me that life is passing by – wait, “flying” by while I had become one of those silent spectators who do nothing and was disgusted with myself this morning. I chided myself for letting my spirit down. Hurdles are the true test to one’s perseverance and dedication in life and I had failed. But its not too late to pick up where I had dropped off. So it is officially on from today.

I need to get back to the point where I can train my upper body without hurting my lower back too much. I am setting up a game plan. It includes swimming, dancing, walking, biking and Photography. My choices are somehow will fit very well into the gameplan and this time, no one and nothing is stopping me. No more time will pass by without me giving it my 100%.

That is the date. The date when I will attempt to run the single longest stretch in my life – the full marathon (26.2 miles). The event is Philadelphia Marathon

I have been running regularly but I have not really picked up the mileage. I have 6 months to do that. Given my physical aptitude, I am hoping that time is very much sufficient to train. The summer is coming up (still coming and its May already!) – So there will be a lot of group runs that I am looking forward to.I do wish to monitor my progress on the blog like I did last year for my half marathon training.

Wish me luck!

That statement seems to be such an absurd cliche’. How can you run and not avoid pain? Right? errr…actually wrong! As indicated in my previous posts, I am a newbie to running, with just one 13.1 under the wing and I am just starting to learn how to run and yet enjoy it, avoid injury and get the fullest out of my body.

I have been exploring various means of making running easier on the legs and the body. I tried new shoes as the first recipe. It worked. Partially. Getting the proper running shoes is the ONLY investment you need to make when you start running. Running with those old shoes since you think they still look good is the biggest mistake you could be making. So get moving to the closest runners shop and get yourself a pair of good custom fit running shoes.

Now that we are all geared up to run, how do you actually avoid pains that surface while running long distances? To be frank, I do not have a ready made answer for this. This depends totally on your current physical fitness level, any ailments that you already might have and the amount of tolerance your mind can really show to pain. Therefore, it is a new story from person to person. However, there are certain common things that can work wonders, if you overcome your physical ailments. This is where, I introduce the concept of CHI RUNNING.

Potentially fit people who start running often lose interest early on, since they believe running inherently induces knee pain, shin splits, injuries to hip and back. While I cannot guarantee you will not feel the pain in future, one thing I would like to put to sleep is the myth that running induces these pains. The primary cause of pain during running is poor bio mechanics. Not running itself! Running is a natural movement says the founder of Chi running. If you run in unnatural way, you deliver unnecessary stress on certain muscle and joint groups, culminating in injury and pain. Therefore, set aside any thoughts that running is bad for the body, that it erodes bone and joint tissue and so on and so forth. The way you run causes most of the issues. That is exactly where Chi Running steps into your life. I am yet to master this myself but I do notice certain very important improvements in my running form ever since I started practicing running the Chi way.

So whats Chi Running anyway? Danny Dreyer, the author and founder of chi running, says that running should be a natural movement of the body. So dont let your muscles do the work for you. Let your chi do it. Chi is the inner life force within each human. You need to concentrate and feel the centre of your body. The chi running form asks you to let your hands and legs go limp and let your torso pull you forward while running. There should be absolutely no stress or tension in your hands and shoulders while you run. Slightly lean forward, let your torso take over and start running.

Is that it? Apparently no. It takes a little practise and a lot of patience to understand what I just said in the above lines. So how do you go about this? Ah well…thats a good discussion for another post, to examine in depth how to attain a good chi running form. I will post some chi running practice drills to get you started in understanding the right running form as well. Till then, keep up the miles runners….theres miles to go…