Runner's Runner !!

I am not a Runner, so I keep wondering “Why am I running the Marathon?” The first Half Marathon I ran was the 3M Half Marathon and Relay. While running someone commented “We are doing this coz we love PAIN”. Oh well…Not me…Heck No….I hate PAIN. I am someone who doesn’t like to get hurt or pain at all…well…no one really likes it….but I have absolutely Zero tolerance for pain. I love my Hair…and running means I have ‘Bad Hair Day’ almost 3 to 4 days a week….how about that? I am sweaty and smelly and cold after all my workouts and long runs. With all these inconveniences and pains…again…”Why am I doing this?”

I keep asking myself “Why?” and I get different answers. It all started with, I wanted to find out my Physical strength…my stamina. I wanted to check if I am capable of such patience and endurance. I knew I can never do something like this all by myself…so I convinced my Husband, Gautam to do it with me….he wasn’t very sure….but he took it up for me….he started it coz he wanted me to succeed in my goal. I love him for that.

Initially I hated it all. I remember my first long run on a Saturday morning….we reached the Runtex center where it starts and there were all these people and smiles and enthusiasm…I just fell in love with it all….just the feeling that I am part of it all made me Ecstatic. I think that is one of the main reasons I didn’t give up. I love it when people are encouraging you, running with you, motivating you. There is no competition; we all are in this together. We are in this for each other. It is simply amazing.

My first Half Marathon started with energy and enthusiasm. The crowd flowed together and everyone was happy to just be there and be a part of it all. First few miles just passed….there were people on the streets motivating us….children Hi-Fi’ing…..it was great. After around 11 miles, I was dead tired and didn’t feel like I could continue….and then it happened….I saw few of my friends waiting at the 11 Mile marker with tissues…..isn’t that amazing? Just when I needed it….they were there to cheer us up and pull us through it all….they were there to run with us and support us at our most difficult Final Mile….I drew energy and strength from them….their presence pulled me through…..We started our last mile with all our heart and strength…..then came few more friends and family to cheer us….our Coach, Holly was there too…..it all made it worth it….it all was amazing….. :)

I run for all the people, who are there to cheer for me. I run for all the Runners, who are in this with me. I run for my Gautam, who is running for me. I run for my Family, who is proud of me. I also wanted to give this all more meaning by associating this with a good cause. So, I am also running for AID now. I want to do my share by raising some money for this foundation that works for the underprivileged. I am running the “AT & T Half Marathon” on 17th Feb 2008, please support my cause.

http://www.runforindia.org/runners/sumita

New Year !!

The New Year is here and I am not feeling it....No Resolutions this time....no Ho-Halla....Every New year resolution I have ever made has been "Be a Better Person"....oh well....now how do u get to tat....I have made a concious decision to take up just one thing at a time....and for now....my one thing is my 'Half Marathon'....:)

Its been great so far....I am running 10 Miles every weekend on Saturdays....The longest I have ran so far is 11 Miles....Oh my God....really cant believe this.....Its amazing the way I feel after every long run.....and also during the Run....:)

There are so many Runners and so many reasons to Run....in the midst of all the excitement I forget abt who I am....Good or Bad....Nice or Mean.....I am just this person who has a goal to reach the Finish line....

I love each moment of it....the trails, the roads, the river, the people I pass, the waves and the 'Good Jobs'.... :)

5 Down n 8 to go...

I ran 5 miles on last saturday!! I am so proud of myself. I told my dad that I ran 5 miles and he was like...tats 8 kms, it is the same as running from our home in aurangabad to the airport....wow....airport is like the farthest point...the city ends there.... :) ....tats a lot of running... :)

Some1 who has ran the Half Marathon before told me that once u start running 7 miles and keep it up till the D-day....u can easily run double of it and finish the Half Marathon.... :) ....so i juss have 2 miles to go.... ;) ....its inspiring....the best part abt this training is meeting ppl....every run u meet some1 new who would share their experiences and u go....oh ya....i can relate to it.... :) ....we met some1 who has ran 7 marathons in the past and is training to run the half marathon this time....i asked her "Do u like running?" and she said...."No, but i like eating".... :) .....oh yes....i love eating....i have a major sweet tooth....i shud be running coz i like eating.... :)

The atmosphere on saturday morning is amazing....there r so many who like to run or who want to run or who have to run.....every1 has a reason....some have the passion....its juss great to be in the midst of it all.....happy smiles before we start.....struggle during the run....and more happy smiles after we finish....a sense of achievement.....its juss out of the world feeling.... :) .....i like to talk, share, inspire and get inspired..... :) .....I am at 5 miles now....and in a week or so i will be at 7 miles.....tats something i am looking fwd to..... :)

B-Day !!

I love Birthdays....I have loved each and every one I have had.... :) and ya....I have had over 20 and alas, I cant say nemore that it is under 28..... ;)

Getting older makes me worry if I look at the numbers.....but if somehow I forget the numbers.....its wonderful.....getting older means getting wiser...hmmm....ok....mayb a li'l bit wiser.... ;) .....I am mostly surrounded by ppl who talk abt age all the time....who like to be called "oh he/she is under 30"....or "oh he/she is in her late 20-ties" and not early 30-ties..... :) ....and there are others who think "30 is a great milestone is life..."....I wonder wat i think....I like my life and love the way its going rite now....I definately dont want it to stop going forward....and if it goes forward means I am bound to get older with each passing year.....so....I guess....wat I feel is simple....I love my life and I dont want it to stop....so I am ok with getting older.....oh well....i am almost ok with getting older.... ;)

Yesterday, we went for my Pre-B-day dinner to Olive Garden. All the waiters gathered to sing for me....one of them asked me my age...and i hesitated a li'l bit....but then, I said it "I am 28".....he gave me a smile and announced...."Ladies and Gentlemen, We have a special guest here who is turing 21 today....." ...... ;) .....tat was funny.....I had a great start to the B-day celebrations....and I am sure this will also be a memorable one....Juss got flowers and a singing (loud) card frm my hubby.....Opened the card at work and woke up every1 around me....so its fun so far.....sincerely hope this is not the end of B'Day fun.....and hope I will say this till the last one I get to celebrate "I love Birthdays !!" .... :)

Fit Fit Fit !!

I always thot i am very active and fit. After all, I dont take the elevator at work....i work on the 3rd floor....and i take the stairs atleast 4 times a day.....i am walking from my cube to the meeting rooms and to the lab all day long.....tats a lot of exersicing.....I like my body and i think i am pretty healthy and fit.... :) .....so i decided lets check the physical stamina and strength.....the best way to do this was to take a physical challenge which requires a lot of desipline and structure.....so i decided to run the Marathon..... :)

Started exploring for the training offered by various groups....and found out to be able to start training for the Half Marathon....one shud be already comfortable running atleast 3 miles....there is a Prep course for Half Marathon training course....imagine training course for training course....tat was funny initially but not after i joined it and went for the first session....so here is one more detail....the prep training had already started before we joined....so we were 2 weeks behind....the first training we went to was the Physical strength building.....it was held in Pure Gym.....by the end of it....i was sweating, out of breath and about to cry.....it was so damn difficult.....it opened my eyes and made me realise that i am probably the most un-fit person in the whole group.....my whole body was in pain....even my teeth and gums....seriously.....the pain lasted about 3 days.....finally i had to take a pain killer.....i juss hated it....i wanted to stop going for the training and forget about the whole challenging myself blah blah....well....missed to mention....i convinced and made Gautam take this training with me....i think tat was the biggest mistake.....he is after my life to finish this and run the Marathon....he is so determined and focused....and it beats me why??....this is my goal not his....???

Well....when u make mistakes....u have to live with it...there is no escape....same is the case for making Gautam take up this goal of running the half Marathon.....we continued to go.....we have a Strenght building session every Thrusday.....a running session for stamina building every monday and the actual 3 mile runs every saturday morning....here goes my precious saturday morning sleep....i use to love saturdays....not any more.... :( ....the Prep training is for 5 weeks....one more week to go....and its not like apart from the trainig session u dont have to do anything.....oh well.....u have to do a lot....there is a schedule for all days except friday....tats the only day off....

After almost 2 and a half week of training.....we finally did it....we ran 3 miles on saturday morning....it was amazing....i couldnt beliv myself.....well....3 is a very small number if u compare it to 13.....but still it was an achievement for me....Austin Downtown is the best place to start running.....if u r running on the streets....keep checking ur reflxtion in the window glass of all the shops and restaurants....motivating.... :) .....and if u r running on the bridge.....keep looking at the water.....calming....and when there is nothing to look at.....u shud get a "Gautam" who keeps talking..... :) .....so u see....i have my motivation and my mind made up.....lets see how it goes.... :)

Dressed Up !!

I love to Dress Up. I have always got Compliments/Comments from friends about it. The one that I always get is: "You are soooo Dressed Up !!". The doubtful one is: "Why do you have to dress up to go to work?". The sarcastic/annoying one is: "You look like you are going Downtown". (oh paleaase...Downtown dressing up wud be 100 times more than this... ;). The commenting tone is telling some1 else in the group: "She is always dressed up" (as if saying she is always over dressed). One more is: "You are soo Dressed up....But You look Good !!". And than there are some like: "She has a good taste". Oh...yeah...."You always wear nice colors". Today I got one from a co-worker: "I think you like everything nice and beautiful....I bet ur home is beautiful". (based on the way I dress :) ..... The interesting one is: "I have always seen you wear nice colors....It says a lot abt u...it says u r a fun loving jolly person" .... :) .....one co-worker cautioned: "This is a very casual company....No1 dresses up" (Wanted to tell him....its a matter of choice....I love to dress up :) ....My personal fav is: "She always dresses up....everything suits her...Everything looks good on her".

Dressing up is such a fun thing....I like to wear clothes that look gud on me and get all the compliments..... :) .....I like to hear when some1 says that no matter wat i wear it looks good on me...."Compliment" is a best thing to give and receive..... :) .....This also made me realise tat a lot of ppl wud form an opinion abt u by the way u Dress....it is important....u dont neccesarily have to wear everything expensive....its a matter of choice.....good taste and also wearing stuff tat suits u....i am passionate abt clothes....i love colors, soft fabrics and nice cuts....and most of all I love all the compliments i get..... :)

Call me: 1-800-DressUp .... ;)

SoulMate !!

Do u beliv in SoulMate?

I do....but i dont beliv tat solumates are necissarily the ones u love (romantically) and want to spend ur life with....i beliv tat soulmate can be anyone....and also u can have more than one soulmate......

For me.....Soulmate is some1 who knows u inside out....who u can talk to and who can complete ur sentences in the exact same words tat u wud use..... :) .....some1 who understands...and judges....but still accepts....and is in the relationship 100 %.....u can gossip with them and u can tell them ur deepest darkest secrets....w/o the fear of being evaluated who u r based on tat....they will judge u and form an opinion....but tat wont change anything....the relationship wud always be the same..... :)

All this sounds too perfect and too gud to be true.....i always thot abt it tat way....till i realised....i have been blessed with such a "Perfect Soulmate"....i have had this too gud to be true and perfect relationships....oh well.....to my great surprise i still have this perfect relationship going on.... :)

We lived next to my uncle's family....and his daughter and i were very close....though the age difference was considerable....somehow both of us were always on the same page.....we use to hang out together....talk abt a lot of issues....and knew each other and were happy with the way we both were.....and yes....we use to love to Gossip.... ;) .....we were the gossiping buddies....i have had a wonderful relationship with my younger sis....one full of sharing, understanding, hating each other at times....not talking for months at times....the bond has somehow always been the same....no matter wat....

After i got married and moved to the US....i always had a fear tat my relationship with my sis wud changes....we wud juss grow out of it....we wont be able to talk endlessly as we use to....i called her one day to check and ended up talking for 2 hrs....i was so happy and relieved....somethings never change....we were laughing the whole time and we were talking abt everything and every1....gossiping and imitating ppl....it was juss wonderful.....i make it a point to call her once in a while and catch up....we talk abt our lives abt our situations....abt achievements and abt failures.....we juss understand each other and even if we r miles and miles apart, we support each other thru better and worse.....she is a wonderful person....i have learned so much frm her....we were unseparable and we still are unseparable..... :)

It feels like grace to have a wonderful soulmate.....who is always with you.....I consider myself lucky to have met some1 like tat and luckier to have had the opportunity to actually spend some great years with this person....part of who i am and what i am is bcoz of her....thanx for making me a better person and keeping me sane on a lot of occasions.... :)