Updates

I bulk update this blog once a month. I’m more frequent on my own domain space HERE

Basic First-aid Primer

Couple of weeks back when I received an e-mail from Vibha from the GHAC group regarding a basic first aid certification course, I immediately RSVP’d as YES. This was not something I would miss at any cost. Having miraculously walked out unscathed through two major accidents, it was a lesson learnt the hard way to be equipped with at least minimal knowledge of first-aid. My futile attempts to try out CPR on a badly injured neighbour whom I was pillion riding with 9 years back and the Oil tanker incident four years back where I was equally helpless flashed out of memory as the detailed practical session commenced.Though I could not attend the whole two day program due to personal commitments, it was indeed one of the most fruitful programs / meets I’ve attended of late.

Unfortunately, here in India, most of us take things only on the frontal perspective. You do not learn or do something unless it is mandated and the pivotal source of information is available only to those who choose to delve in. Its an irony that even preliminary information is not dissipated to the masses and even if it is, it is done in the most rudimentary form that effectively does not make sense. Basic first aid sessions is something I guess every individual should be introduced to, irrespective of age. To be able to sustain a weaning life and if required, be responsible to keep the flame burning is a chance that we always hope does not cross our paths. But given todays’ fast paced life and highly inorganic growth in the cities, chances are pretty remote that you would see a day pass by without hearing an Ambulance hooting out there on the roads.

Given the fact that I’m much more active outdoors than indoors [I sometimes wonder how I even ended being a Software Engineer!],  I’ve decided to update this post as and when I come across relevant information catering to first aid. That said, there’s absolutely no substitute to practical demonstration. So do attend a certification course whenever possible!

• In case of any eventuality perform DR. ABC – Look out for Danger, Check for Response, Check for Airway clearance, Check for Breathing, Check for Circulation
  • Look out for Danger – [Electrical live wires, Wild animals etc.  - Keep yourself safe and then only attempt rescue]
  • Check for Response – Do NOT tap on the cheeks. Do NOT shake the body vigorously. Try vocal stimuli [call the patients name] and speak into his/her ears if required, shake the shoulders gently.
  • Check for Airway clearance – In most of the cases, airway could be blocked by the tongue. Gently shift the face to either left or right and maintain in that position for about 15seconds.
  • Check for Breathing – Raise the chin gently and sense if the person is breathing.
  • Check for Circulation – With the first two fingers check for the Carotid pulse. [ Check adjacent to the adams apple].
• Pictographic representation of CPR [Source: http://southjerseycpr.com/]

• While shifting the patient to the hospital in case of non-availability of ambulance, make it a point to keep the persons head tilted to the left or right.
• If patient shows signs of life and you’re waiting for an ambulance, get the patient to posture 6.

Related links :

• Mayo Clinic-First Aid
  
• U.S Army Survival Manual

Check for Airway clearance

Run Boy Run!

Whew!! 2h.17mins – That was one solid run!  With this I officially enter the league of serious runners and not to mention, I’m now one among those millions of half marathoners! Goal three for this year accomplished [Enduro3 and a Himalayan escapade being the first two.]

Running was never something that turned me on. I never really understood why people ran kilometers in a stretch and I could never digest the fact that it would over time help you in reaching your goals. It was only during the Jalori Pass Mountain Biking expedition when I met Viral [Who still wears the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon wrist band!], I gave a thought to training for the Marathon. Back in hyd things soon faded out. Leave alone training, running as a hobby never materialized. Only in August when there was talk in the air of the second edition of the Hyderabad Marathon organised by the Hyderabad Runners club and the Hyd 10k Foundation, the guilt feeling of not training sank in. It was pretty late to start training so I volunteered instead. I’m so glad I did! It was indeed a wonderful experience getting to see the expression  on people’s faces as they were handed over their medallions amidst the thumping rock songs and tremendous cheering. Goal three got frozen right then!

Training for the HM wasn’t that great. As much as I’d loved to join the HRC members for a good run, distance of KBR park from my house was a big turn off. With no company to train in this part of the city I’ d started relying on dailymile for constant motivation and keeping those numbers up as days progressed [eventually 'spamming' my twitter account with training updates!]. Well, It did the trick! I managed to do a 10k and subsequent 6-7ks over the last couple of weeks. Though physically not that prepared, mentally that almost got me set for the 21.1k run. One day prior to the run, I made it a point to stay back at home and avoid any physical activity. Gulped litres of water and a decent carb. loading. A quick call with Ram to get some motivation and I was all set for the kill!

Nov 22nd – Sunday

05:00Hrs. The ambience was pretty electric at Peoples Plaza. About 220 runners were all geared up for the HM. The 10k folks were yet to arrive as their run was to start at 06:30hrs. At about 05:40 hrs, the group is fired off. Weather’s pretty good and the darkness gives good company. Even before you realise you’ve run a couple of kilometers, dawn breaks in and you’re directed towards ranigunj. Rock bands en-route give the necessary thump and slowly the ordeal begins. People move over to the sidelanes, stop by for water at the water stations but still move on. The AP police force make the roads clear  at all traffic points. By-standers cheer you all the way and even before you realise you’re almost near the 10k mark. A few more kilometers and you reach Charminar. That is when I resolve to complete the HM come what may.  It was as if this monument was effusing some positive energy that I never experienced before. The pain in the knees lingers but some unknown force motivates me to keep the leg moving. People over take me and I overtake people. Something in the air makes you feel more close to Hyderabad!

The last one kilometer is an amazing mix of emotions as we meet the 10k folks and run the last one kilometer together. There are no medallions this time at the finish line. Just a group of ebullient people amazingly self satisfied about their achievement. But what humbles you is septuagenarians and serious runners congratulating you wholeheartedly! The ambience is extremely cheerful and even before I realise, I’ve completed my first Half Marathon! I had no target in mind when I was training for the marathon. All I wanted was to complete the HM without any setback. But when I look at my watch,I realise i’ve clocked about 2hrs. 20mins. I’ve set a benchmark for myself today and opened up another parallel track in my list of outdoor activities. A day to remember.

A big thanks goes out to the  Hyd 10k foundation for having organised this event so meticulously, the AP police force for having been so pro-active and responsible in cutting out the traffic from the flowstream, the volunteers and co-runners for being ever-cheerful and helpful all through the circuit and oh yes, not to forget, Allu Arjun for having shamelessly driving into the runners track in his BMW. Wonder how these people end up being brand ambassadors of sport events!

In mired thoughts…

I’m out here seated in the balcony of my house with the lappy streaming out  Yanni’s ‘Keys to imagination’. It’s not yet December, yet the chill is in the air already. Been a while that I visited my own blog so decided to keep things at bay and record things happening  in my life.

Work’s been a bit demanding of late. Not really hectic but these late night client calls with atypical and unrelenting requests all in a short time span is sort of draining. I’m just hoping against hope that the next three days slice through comfortably.

There’s a lot that’s been happening otherwise too.  A lot of decision making and much of selective time distribution for various activities.

Last weekend, thanks to the GHAC folks, I got to attend a very informative first aid certification course. Had some real good hands-on on performing CPR and understood in practical terms the imminent first aid doctrines in case of accidents or personal injury. Also got to meet couple of real cool folks! Sadly I could not join them the second day as I had to attend a family function.

This weekend would be one very important checkpoint in my career and I would prefer to keep it obscure till things materialize. If all goes well, I’ll be riding over to the Begumpet airport to catch up with the HBC folks for a conglomeration ride. Hell, I’m still riding if things don’t work the way I want it to. Badly need a long relaxing ride to let things sink in.

The weekend after this, I’d be running my first half marathon! Eagerly looking forward to this Nov 22^nd. I’ve been training decently well [if not religiously!] for a month now and all I’m looking forward to is to complete the marathon without any major setbacks.

And then on December 13^th, we at Aashayein foundation are organizing a walkathon – Walk On ’09. All proceeds from this event would be routed to the child education activities that the foundation has been diligently working towards for the past few years.  This being the first time that we’re pulling up a show of this magnitude, there’s been a flurry of activity happening in the team.  Everyone’s fingers are crossed and hope and excitement is high in the air.

Late this year during Christmas, I plan to head to the Pench tiger reserve for a Junglethlon. Activities would include Jungle mountain Biking, River bed running, rock climbing, rappelling, jungle navigation and survival! I’d initially planned to do a long ride in the western ghats in Kerala or around Araku but later decided to hold up these plans and head for the Junglethlon. The very thought gets the adrenalin spiking up and this seems to be quite a promising way to end the  year.

Time to crash and rise to yet another day. And oh yes, avoid the run for the bus early in the morning tomorrow!

Nuances of Biking!

One year into Biking and today I’ve learnt the three gospels of riding at unearthly hours the hard way!

• Carry a spare tube. PERIOD.
• Never ride when you do not have the tools handy.
• Buy a Tube sealant and USE it!

I badly wanted to get myself a better helmet and decided to head to the Hypercity mall which supposedly stocked real cool biking stuff. Having got real good reviews, I decided to head to this place after the Walkathon meet yesterday. The store did have most of the stuff that you’d need but as luck would have it, they’d just exhausted their helmets stock! I did manage to talk one of the sales guy into looking for one in the stocks room but decided not to purchase it for want of a better one. Strayed round the place for sometime and finally picked up a tube sealant and a cool pair of gloves. Reached home at about 10:00pm and did some basic bike maintenance. The Sanghi ride was still ON despite none joining – I stay about 30kms away from the area where the real Biking ‘cult’ stays!

03:45hrs. I’m up and after a quick refresh hit the roads at about 04:10hrs. This was the first time I was heading on this road, this early in the morning. In about half an hour I reach the LB Nagar cross roads and all of a sudden the front tire gives in. That’s when I realise I wasn’t carrying the spare tube! Twenty minutes of some quick work [The Thumbs-up bottle strategy really works!] and the flat gets mended, just that the plastic tire lever breaks. I decide to move on despite being about half an hour behind schedule. But even before I reach Panama godown I have another flat! And now, I do not even have a proper repair kit to set things right. Sigh! I’m compelled to head back home pushing [for the most part of it], riding, inflating the tires[Some real good  exercise for the hands!] and oh yeah dozing for half an hour on the roads! You never get these ricks when you desparately need them. Reach home at about 06:30pm and crash on the bed. One real bad way to start the day – lesson learnt though!

The Sanghi ride is still ON. But before that some serious tire maintenance to be done this week!

The Korlai Ride

The road ahead seems to penetrate into infinity as the sky gets overcast. Sounds from the innumerable streams cascading from the towering ranges abutting the road on the left side, seem to be magically muted by the strong gusts of wind. There’s not a soul on the road kilometres ahead and kilometres behind. I stand upright on the pedals letting the rules of physics govern my motion. As I dissolve myself in the encapsulating ambience capturing every frame with my closed eyes, the stark phenomenon of passage of time becomes evident. One year back I was right here on this road in a cab. Today nothing has changed – Just that I’m on a two wheeled machine powered by just the mind and the legs.

19th Sep ‘09 – Saturday

06:30hrs. The volvo comes to a halt at Jagtap Diary. Bani is right there waiting to receive the four of us from Hyd. Sumanth, Mohan, Sudhansu and I had left Hyd for Pune yesterday. We reach Bani’s house by about 06:45hrs. It’s close to 08:30hrs by the time we refresh, get the bikes set and have a sumptuous breakfast at Yogesh’s place. While I head to Dange chowk to meet Viral and Trupti, Bani and the remaining three head to Vishal nagar to get their bikes mended. We decide to meet at Tammana restaurant, Hinjewadi at 09:30hrs. A quick catch-up here and the ride begins. The target is to reach Roha by 19:00hrs. That translates to about 125kms of biking today and effectively my first century ride!

Ten minutes on the road is more than a glaring pre-cursor as to what we could expect for the next two days. Even before we could hit Pirangut, the gradient starts increasing. We stop over at a roadside shop for a quick refill of water and move ahead towards Mulshi dam taking a right at the Pirangut chowk. The landscape changes starkly as we head towards Paud. The air thins down and the effect shows on the lungs as cleaner air sinks in. The next eleven kilometres from Paud is more or less on flat terrain traversing through small towns and riding by the Mulla river. Bani catches up pretty quickly and we ride in tandem for quite some time. The best part of long distance bicycling is that you get to talk leisurely as you ride on.

35 kilometers into the ride we approach the Mulshi dam at the place where the Mulla river originates. Bani had warned us of a steep uphill climb close to the Mulshi dam and even before we realise the killer climb loomed right ahead. An ascent of a kilometre or so brings the muscles into action. Sumanth, Mohan and I take a short break at the hairpin bend letting the body cool down. Couple of minutes spent here and we push ahead and take a left turn ahead only to find Sudhansu riding back just to check if all is fine with us! A bit ahead we take a brief stop at one of the hotels facing the reservoir, waiting for Mohan to join us. As we relax in the shade munching on jaggery bars, the body starts talking sweetly to the mind. And it’s just about 40kilometres into the ride.

At about 13:00hrs we reach a roadside restaurant for lunch. A heavy [and costly!] lunch here followed by a much needed half an hour break and we decide to move on towards Tamhini ghat. The section from Palase to the Tamhini village is interspersed with quite a few scenic viewpoints overseeing the Mulshi waters. The weather gets better and by the time we reach the Tamhini village diversion point a refreshing shower gives the body a cold shock wave. Further about 10kilometres ahead is the breathtaking Plus valley. A brief stop-over for a couple of photographs and then we head towards the Tamhini ghat. It’s about 17:00hrs. The road ahead seems to penetrate into infinity as the sky gets overcast. Sounds from the innumerable streams cascading from the towering ranges abutting the road on the left side, seem to be magically muted by the strong gusts of wind. There’s not a soul on the road kilometres ahead and kilometres behind. I stand upright on the pedals letting the rules of physics govern my motion. As I dissolve myself in the encapsulating ambience capturing every frame with my closed eyes, the stark phenomenon of passage of time becomes evident. One year back I was right here on this road in a cab. Today nothing has changed – Just that I’m on a two wheeled machine powered by just the mind and the legs. Tamhini ghat has always been on the radar of un-accomplished rides for almost a year now. Couple of months back I had to miss one of the planned rides because of work commitments and today as I ride on this heavenly road, I’m speechless. For a couple of moments, all pain vanishes and what I get to experience is something which I guess would remain etched in memories for a long time to come.

Bani and I pullover to the side as Sudhansu, Sumanth, Viral and Mohan zip past us at the beginning of the ghat section. Dusk was setting in and we decide to sweep the team. 9 kilometres of complete downhill on the ghats can be real risky with vehicles spitting in at break neck speeds. We stop for some tea at the end of the ghat section and then proceed towards Vile. The next major town would be Kolad where we would be hitting the NH17. My body starts giving in at about 85kilometres into the ride. I’m compelled to stop intermittently to avoid impulsive heart beat surges. I take it easy for a while intently listening to telling signs and keep moving in a slow pace. There’s just one motivation to move on – to see to it that my first century ride does not turn out to be disappointing. At about 95kilometres I suddenly seem to get energy out of the blue to move on ahead. I take it in stride and gracefully ride ahead of the team. I’d forgotten to take my cyclo-computer for this ride, but the road markings out there were quite reliable and based on a rough estimates I should have completed my first century ride at Sutarwadi. I stop by the ‘Empower adventure training camp’ for sometime for rest of the folks to join me and once everyone’s in, we ride on towards Kolad.

As dusk sets in, things get easier. With LED headlamps and rear flicker lamps navigating through the roads gets all the more interesting. The beauty being we’re compelled to ride together and match the pace of the slowest member of the team. As we reach the NH17, navigating on the roads gets a bit dicey. At about 19:30hrs we hit Kolad. Viral suddenly seems to be smitten by the night queen and he powers down the road like never before. The remaining five of us ride in tandem. At about 20:00hrs we finally reach our chalked out destination at Roha– Hotel Dwarka. A staggered dinner at Navaratna hotel, thanks to the pathetic service and we crash in the lodge. A hot water bath [Geysers here are powered by LPG!] does the trick and even before I realise I’m in dreamland.

20^th Sep ’09 – Sunday

05:45hrs. As I wake after seven hours of decent sleep, I test to see if my ass still pains. Surprisingly it doesn’t! The elation only lasts till the moment I jump onto the saddle after checking out from the place. There seems to be no cure for it and the ride has to go on. Today is going to be one long day. The plan was to head to Korlai fort [About 40km from here], spend about an hours time there, head back to Roha by noon, have lunch here, then proceed towards Kolad, Vile and then finally scale up the Tamhini ghat at night and camp at the start of the Ghat. That totals to about 120+ kms of ride and 9kms of ghat climb at the end.

We checkout at about 06:45hrs and ride ahead towards Korlai. The roads to start off seem to be pretty flat [Rather Pune flats, as Bani calls them]. Yesterdays’ sound sleep seems to have rejuvenated the muscles. I feel real fresh and but for the ass pain everything seems to be perfectly fine. I cruise ahead and go with the swing. Climbs with increasing yet manageable gradients soon pitch in making the ride all the more interesting. About 20kms from Roha, there’s this small dockyard where iron-ore is brought in to the hinterland. We stop here for sometime and then move on.

About ten kilometres ahead we come across a small village. A much needed heavy breakfast [Lip smacking Sheera, peppy hot Vada-Pav and crunchy toasts] at Pooja’s hotel and we move on towards Korlai. At about 10:45hrs we reach the Korlai diversion and ride into the village. The poor villagers are taken back with the sight of six nuts blistering through their streets on bicycles. Bani leads us through the village and then finally after some decent off-roading we reach the Korlai lighthouse. I stop a bit ahead, bank my bike on the rock and conk off for about twenty minutes blissfully sinking in the Arabian sea. The humid air and the cold breeze wafting across your body as you lie there staring into the open sea, with a bicycle beside you that’s got you 160kms from the mainland – Now that’s called living life!

After a five minute snooze, I head towards the Korlai fort where the remaining five folks had already scaled up the fort. The caretaker directs me up the fort and I wait for the team to complete their exploratory mission at the entrance of it. In a couple of minutes as the five get down, Bani reveals that there’s a change in plan. We’d be heading to Kashid beach instead of getting back to Roha and then hit back to Pune the next day. The plan sounded pretty interesting and I was instantly game! Sudhansu and Bani decided to head back to Roha to collect our luggage while Sumanth, Viral, Mohan and I relaxed by the Arabian sea. At about 12:30hrs we head back to Korlai and then to Borili for lunch. With no options left, we had to satisfy our tummies with the veg thali available in the only restaurant at Borili and head back to Korlai and wait here for Bani and Sudhansu to return. Once they return, we decide to find a means of transport back to Pune tomorrow and an accommodation for tonight. At Borili, we manage to hire a tempo for 2grand and accommodation at the same place where we had lunch. Everything in place we decide to head towards Kashid beach and get back tonite to the lodge. Kashid beach is about 15kms from Borili. The roads are mostly flat but for the last section which is a spine thrilling down slope with a spledid hairpin bend. [Viral seems to have had a near miss smooch from a vehicle coming from the opposite direction!].

The Kashid beach is one of the best beaches I’ve ever been to till date – Amazingly clean, Happening crowd and sparsely visited! After a bout of yummy maggi and some real hot tea we decide to head back to Borili. It’s already 19:00hrs and the road is pitch dark. An unwritten understanding passes on that we’re to move together all together for the whole stretch. Bani leads and I sweep. That 15kms is one of the best team rides I’ve ever done till now. All the way through, uphill or downhill, riding in synchronism in darkness – I would call it the real icing on the cake! We reach Borili at about 20:00hrs, have an ‘unhealthy’ oily food at the Chinese stall and retire to our rooms. Sudhansu comes up with an idea to head to the Korlai fort again the next morning and most of us immediately are game.

21st Sep ‘09 – Monday:

05:30hrs. There’s not much to ride today – Just about 10kms probably. We head to the Korlai fort at about 06:00hrs. Viral and Mohan manage to capture some amazing sunrise shots and I get to explore the fort which I missed on yesterday. By about 07:30hrs all of us are back in the lodge. The Tempo lad whom we’d engaged yesterday turns up pretty much on time and at about 08:30hrs we head back towards Pune. A short pit stop at the same Pooja restaurant for breakfast and we’re all set for another ass paining ride back to Pune. We stop by Sudhagad – Pali for respite and then head towards Wakad. With this the Korlai ride comes to an end. A quick catch-up with Trupti, Rahul and Reetika and we head towards Brehman circle for the bus to Hyd.

This has been one interesting long ride! With a special thanks to Yogesh and Trupti for lending their bikes and of course Bani for mapping the whole ride out!

Stats:

• Members                : 6
• Distance covered  : Day 1 – 130kms Day 2 – 65kms Day 3 – 10kms
• Route                      : Daily mile
• Bikes                      : 3 carried from Hyd by Volvo, Two arranged at Pune

The Freedom ride '09

The atlas cycle in front of me squeaks as the rider careens into one of the construction sites of the Aliens group. As I follow in tandem, I’m swept over by the cheers of the construction workers standing by the gates to welcome us into the rest station. Thumping music pulsates the 100+ crowd and the support they were profusely displaying for the cause was quite evidently portrayed in their charismatic faces. Each one ebulliently clapping and swaying as if they’re inviting the unbeatable winner of the Tour de France in regal honors! I’m at a loss of words to portray those emotions. These people just made my day and not to mention, that of the 150+ other riders.

August 15th ‘09

Abhi is right at my door at 04:45hrs. He’d badly wanted to upgrade his Ubuntu OS and didn’t want to procrastinate it any more. We set up the downloads and leave for the Vidyanagar station at 05:10hrs. The mmts to Hitec city was at 05:19 hrs and it was almost evident that I’d miss it. He offers to drop me at the Novotel Hotel where the Freedom ride ‘09 was to be started. and finally reach it at about 06:00am. The registration formalities begin as the riders dribble in along with their chic bikes [A few going upto 2 Lacs!]. We complete the registration of our team as Ram and Revathi ride in. I’d checked in my bike at Banjara hills the previous day to avoid riding the additional 30kms early in the morning. As the bike is checked out, I notice a flat in my front tier. Abhay and Deenanath pitch in with a few contacts and finally  Venki comes to the rescue with his toolkit and the issue is quickly resolved. The human wave is flagged off right on time post the Flag hoist at 7:15hrs. The 62kms ride begins. My first ever long ride post the chestburn. If completed,  this would be the first non-stop continuos ride without long breaks. I’m much wiser now with the Carb. loading for the whole last week and the early morning replenishment of banana shake. Besides, the plan mentioned thast replenishments would be available en-route as and when required.

We exit the city contours through the BHEL road. Amazing weather sets the pulse on and we start averaging about 20kmph. Riding through the service lanes on the roads ablely guided by the ever cheerful volunteers at vital junctions, we cross ICRISAT and a few kilometers ahead turn left to head towards Shankarapalli through Banur. Mobile replenishment stations and equally spaced out rest stations make riding an absolute cake walk! We take a three minute break at ICFAI Business School at about 40kms and get back to jackhammering the pedals.

A few kms before we hit the Mumbai road,  we’re invited by resplendent green farms on both sides of the road. Nature starts tantalizing us with a light drizzle and swift gusts of wind. As I glide through the roads completely mesmerised by the smell of the soil and the pastoral surroundings, flashes of reports from the newspapers wade by. Its the mid of August and monsoon has not as yet set in most parts of the country. Several states have been almost declared drought hit. Latest IMD forecasts do not seem to be positive either. Agricultural situation seems to be quite precarious. Power cuts would soon be the next tarot cards with the Government. The Central bank would be chipping in soon to check on the inflation. Govenrnment seems to be gearing up its water reserve measures. All this amidst a supposedly mid-Monsoon phase. This summer seems to be one dicey season. Where are we headed to?

63 years of independence. What independence are we celebrating when the future itself does not seem to be rosy? Every second person on the road today has his own vehicle. Every chap who graduates from the 12th grade dreams of having a bike of his own. Every other person who enters the corporate mainstream signs in papers for the latest brand car. Public transport is rarely used by the so called elite class. Travelling in metro rails and state government buses is considered to be portraying a low status in the society. Most evident reasoning given – ‘Waste of time, Dude’, ‘Insufficient buses!’, ‘Lack of connectivity’. ‘Pollution’. People get a life. It’s all about setting your priorities right. Your work will not be hampered if you reach couple of minutes late! If time is the issue – Start early. Wake up early. Bad traffic ? – Mate, the traffic is because YOU are creating it. You’re just adding on to the stack of multitude issues!

A set of kids ebulliently waving flags by the road get my thoughts back. We soon hit the Mumbai road and head towards the Kothaguda Junction. Five more minutes and we’ve given a royal entry into the Novotel hotel. 11:05hrs. Other riders soon start swarming in and we head to one of the conference rooms. Couple of interesting events by kids from a dance school help sink in the post ride pains. A touching oration of the Vandemataram song by a Akshaya Akruthi special kid and a sumptuous lunch brings the first edition of the Freedom ride ‘09 to an end.

As I request the organisers to deliver my bike at Banjara hills and walk out of the gates of the Novotel hotel, I sink back in thoughts on how much passion for Biking changes the way we think. Earlier this year i’d been for the Enduro3 race and to say they’ve been orgainising the event for the past eight or so years is a shame on their part. This debut ride organised by these folks passionate about biking was one of the best ever organised events I’ve been to! Right from the initiation to the end of the event every aspect – Timely availability of replenishments, Spacing out of volunteers, Medical support, SAG wagons, Rest stations, Mobile support etc was taken under consideration. To say they’ve set a benchmark in organising events would be an insult! Kudos to the amazing team of volunteers and Organisers. Eagerly looking forward to the Tour de Republic ride!

Specifics:

Distance: 62kms

Registered Riders: 179

Cause: Proceeds from this event would be routed to underpreviledged children to fund their education

Organised by: Atlanta Foundation

Further details: Freedom ride ‘09 Website

Cucumber slices on the plate…

The last one month has been real crazy with a sudden upsurge in activity. Every other day a fresh thought pops up to do things in a different manner. The list of To-Do just gets bigger and bigger. Just thought I’d document them on a regular basis to keep the pulse on.

The Book – Been working on compiling a book of my treks/travels. This is turning out to be one mega affair. Quite complicated and time consuming. Seriously getting a book out is NO joke!

AUPS – Been regularly visiting the Arundati Upper Primary school every Saturday to take English classes for grade 6 kids.  Man, these kids really need mighty help. Their standards are so damn low! Makes me wonder at times how effective these two hours a week is really going to be. But it has to go on!

HydVentura – But for a couple of us there aren’t many interested in taking up the reins. People just want to have everything organised for them! Of late, the club has become quite popular. In fact I’ve been getting calls from quite a few folks requesting outings to be arranged for their groups. Somehow need to find means to make the club less dependent on just a couple of people.

Site maintenance – Currently administering three portals – The HydVentura site, My own site and Dad’s blog. At times it becomes a real pain to keep a tab on them. So far so good though.

GMAT – One of the few important decisions taken. This seems to be one major thing that’s tightening the ropes. Morning rides during weekends are sacrificed for the classes and The Official guide has now replaced the novels / books which I otherwise used to read during the 1hr commute to work during weekdays.

Work – Things seem to have caught up pretty fast. Right from a rise in the number of requests to client calls received at home. Last months been one hectic patch.

Riding – This had taken a backseat thanks to the Chestburn. Back to form now though. The next big ride is chalked out this weekend – The 62km Freedom ride. About 175  riders in the city would be riding togetherfor a cause. Eagerly looking forward to it!

Reading – Completed Into thin Air and Himalaya . Two must read books for any travel enthusiast! Currently reading Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Plan to read Three men in a Boat next!

When the heart stops laughing…

As I wind up the class for the kids, I get this sudden surge of pain on the left side of my chest and a numb sensation on my left hand at about 11:55hrs. For an instant, I think it’s a heart attack. But then the logical side states that’s just not possible. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I’m much more active than anyone out here and haven’t yet touched 24! I let it pass off as an ‘out of the blue’ pain and keep moving. A quick meet with a pal who’d turned up in town and I head back home by bus. All does not look OK as I manage to find a seat in the bus. Breathing turns heavier and the pain grows and then it strikes – It must be the ‘Glide ride’. I get down at the next stop and pick a rick to head home directly. Just as I reach home, I’m ashamed for having accepted defeat this early. I stop the driver on the road, pay him the fare and walk home instead. I’m just not able to match the pace which I usually take. A quick call to a friend to see if he’s got any known cardio doc in town. As i wait for a response, I head home have a quick lunch, fix an appointment with a doc for 17:00hrs and crash on the floor.

16:30hrs. I wake up with the pain still lingering. Definitely a serious concern. I call up dad, Inquire where he is and ask him to tag along. We finally decide to head to AMS at vidyanagar. A quick ECG and a 2D echo state that everything is perfectly fine but for some hyper-activity. Apparently my body was revolting yesterday’s ride for some reason. Sounds weird to me because, I in fact felt much more energetic when I reached home!Besides, this is not the first time I’m riding this long a distance. The doc gives me a sarcastic look and asks me to be under ‘observation’ for a night. I instantly refute. We strike a deal that I’d stay at my friends place overnight and get back if at all the need arises. Abhi, Adi, Pavan and Praveen almost instantly drop by to see how the ‘patient’ is faring. Sigh!

Once I reach Abhi’s place I doze as if I’ve been drugged. Next day morning is just like any other day. Some pain still lingers but that’s pretty much ignorable. It’ll probably be a while before the muscles get released and I get to breathe deeply and laugh my heart out. And till then it’s ‘Playing safe’.

Looking back, this weekend has sort of chalked some lines. As people get to know innumerable calls ring in giving ‘gyan’ on why one shouldn’t cycle, how harmful pollution is, how uncanny these roads can be, how bad the traffic is. I just nod my head and cut the call. There’s just no point talking to people who’ve no idea what they’re preaching doing nothing about the situation in hand.

Okay. To the point. So why did the chestburn happen at all?

• I do atleast a 30kms every weekend. Last weekend was just a 10km ride. So probably the pulse was down.
• Last week’s been a real busy week at work. Those ’supposedly’ important meeting led to me reaching home at 22:00hrs every day. Lunch for some reason was not ‘carb’ rich and back home that late I didn’t eat real well.
• Okay, I agree. I pushed myself a bit hard on the return journey. Fewer breaks [Infact just two!] and very less liquid intake. [Just one glass of lemon juice and a tender coconut] may have probably aggravated things.

Lessons learnt:

• Watch your carbohydrate intake before any long ride. Be rich on liquids and drink frequently.
• Build the pulse in a slow gradient. Don’t look for a direct explosion
• Never.Never stop riding! Every sport has its negative effects. You realise things only when you experience them. People don’t make an issue of sports injury due to tennis, cricket or golf. But when it comes to cycling, it becomes a BIG issue.

For others out here,things you MUST read before you decide to point fingers:

• Ex-army man cycles against all odds
• The TreeCycle initiative – Shrenik Rao
• The road to delhi

There are many people out there who’re doing things much more intense, spreading a message and bringing a change. There’s nothing that you get sitting on your couch there doing mundane stuff. One life. LIVE it !