Six pack Sundari

Couch to 6k

2012-02-23T15:50:00.000+05:30

Considering that I was barely able to run 100 meters twenty days ago, running 6 kilometers today non-stop was a big achievement for me indeed.

Hadn't planned to run today at all, although was up pretty early in the morning. Thought I'd go for a swim but opted to run instead.

The fact that my house is located fairly close to a railway station was convenient in a way. Once I had started to run had mentally decided to run till one of the other railway stations in the same line (Mumbai city has Central, West and Harbour railway lines). And where I ran till, was the last station in that line. Stopped at the station, turned back to realize it had been a little more than six kms. Felt very very good.

The last time I ran like this was some two decades ago when I was atleast twenty kgs lighter (sigh!) during NCC days when running 3 kms was mandatory. Would practise at the Marina beach running 4-5 kms at a stretch every day.

Tomorrow is 'training day'. Can already see the trainer put one Villain Veerappa laughter waiting to 'bend nimirthify'.

Inspirational

2012-02-22T13:01:00.003+05:30

Like most of you , music runs, cycles and swims along with me. The one playlist that gets refreshed on a weekly basis on the ipod is called 'Run Run Run'.

On days when I cycle or swim, it's who-else-but Rahman who gives me company. The 'Run Run Run' playlist is a mix of Retro English, Rahman and some peppy Hindi tracks. Most often it is the same song that goes on a repeat mode on the Ipod again & again as I run. And everyday it is a different song.

Today's was a track of Rahman's that I love, from Slumdog millionaire. With Asad Khan ably accompanying Rahman, this beautiful piece gave me company for a good half hour thru' and thru. And as I just post the video here I see it is titled ' Inspirational Nobel Peace Prize concert'. This track really is inspirational for me.

On the 'la la la' front, my sales head (who meets me every single day) complimented me on the weight loss and a fellow runner congratulated me on the running (that has improved tremendously).

On that note, doing something exciting next month. Will keep you posted!

Gifted!

2012-02-21T21:04:00.001+05:30

Every milestone achieved w.r.to fitness, I end up gifting myself something nice - could be a dinner, white kurtas (love them), stole or something I have been wanting for some time.

Some inch loss happened last month and so off we went shopping and here's what was brought back home!

The dumbbell alarm!

The alarm doesn't stop till you lift it up and down 30 times! It is quite hilarious when at an unearthly hour, sleeping under a blanket, you are trying to lift this for not one, two but thirty times!

The Saddist Saguni that I am, last week when was away for 2 days , quietly set it up for the husband who HAD to do the 'honors' before waking up for his usual morning walk... and this was half hour prior to his usual wake up time.. he he he

Bicycling to Breakfast

2012-02-20T10:00:00.002+05:30

Bunked off 3 days of training thanks to my Delhi trip last week. Boss who met me after a month (in Delhi) said she was proud of my weight loss. Yay to that!

The other days of training last week included two days of running-cycling and a day's swimming when I thought someone had poured loads of ice cubes in the swimming pool. It was brrrr..leddy cold!

Yesterday being Sunday, cycled 25 kilometers and treated myself to a bowlful of fruits at Le Pain Quotidien in Colaba, a lovely little place that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Later that evening, husb and I went for our once-a-month routine of walking along the Marine drive during the weekend and taking the train back home. Must've been a good 6 km walk before dinner at Indigo Deli & icecream at Icecream works, both favorites of mine.

I am liking this routine of breakfast-ing at different places during weekends post cycling/ running. Next weekend will hit the suburbs.

Cycling to Bachelorettehood

2012-02-12T12:48:00.000+05:30

We are three first cousins -S,A and I living in Bombay - a ten km drive away from each other but hardly (get to) meet. Cousin A's mother, my aunt is here from Madras for a week and we'd been planning to meet ever since she landed. Our plan to meet last evening didn't take off. Today being the last day of her stay and a Sunday, decided to cycle off to cousin A's place early this morning. Thankfully had warned her that I might just land up early if I get up early that is.

Ya, 6 o'clock in the morning is quite early for anyone, especially if it is a Sunday. Cousin opened the door half asleep at five minutes to six in the morning. Cousin A so.. reminds me of my Bachelorette days a decade go. She too works in the advertising industry like I was a decade ago. We spoke about the ad film directors around, cinematographers, the shoots (No family vambu please). She mentioned she used the services of her production boys (people who assist on shoots running errands) to transport her stuff from her old place to this house.So did I in 2001.

Cousin A's house is filled with shoot props - the lovely curtains, posters,

Props and plants...

and Photo frames

The best part of the house was the super duper open area / balcony / sit out. Verrrry cool !

Below, the extreme right picture above is the foldable dining table that leads into the kitchen which I thought was awesome. Was ore da nostalgic when I saw the lovely cupboard (pic extreme right below - and that's me clicking) which she had obviously bought from Oshiwara, a locality in Bombay known for such furniture. The cupboard so.. took me back to the good old days in Andheri where I had stayed. A similar cupboard had travelled with me to five different houses. Andheri days also meant religiously scootering down to the Andheri sports complex for a swim or to Juhu for a run-walk-run.

Did I tell you Cousin A mentioned I had lost weight? She was meeting me after almost a year and a half. Yay!

I plan to do this cycling for a cause every Saturday or Sunday. Cause? Didn't I mention the wonderful food I got to eat at Cousin A's place? Next week's 'cause' I guess will be a breakfast do with the other cousin.

Cycling to and fro to Cousin A' place - 20 kms (approx)
Calories burnt - who cares?
Uppuma from Aunt - Priceless

Two-tu-dooo

2012-02-10T16:54:00.001+05:30

Had ice creams at this new ice cream parlor in town. not one but two not at one but two different outlets. And what did we do the following day? Had a decent 2 hour workout. Cycled for about 45 minutes, went for a 20 minute run and some stretching etc post that.

Met Mr. S at the office and he was surprised with my enthuness to join a running group similar to his (at a different location). Warned him not to come anywhere close to where I run and put Villain Veerappa laughter at my running. He laughed (not like Veeraps) and said "We all started like that, so chill!". Might quit this job very soon and one thing I am going to terribly miss are the people who inspired me to take up running.

Have a good weekend guys and eat well! (don't starve yourself having those silly sandwiches and all. Have fried seppankezhangu (arabi) curry with rice and sambar, wogays?)

Cya!

Tandaane Tandaane

2012-02-09T16:04:00.002+05:30

Surprisingly not feeling guilty about not having exercised for the last couple of days. All plans to run today went for a toss what with the awesome weather in Mumbai at 17 degrees at 7 in the morning!

Any form of exercise does get repetitive and boring after a point. Music I guess to a certain extent can break the monotony.

A year ago my husband gifted this which I think is the second best gift I have ever received only next to the Ipad :)

It is an mp3 player from Speedo that you can listen to under water. Yes, under water. You don't need fancy softwares to load songs on to this. Just plug in with a USB chord and dump all the .mp3s you love. This fancy gadget has made me lovvvveeee swimming. I try and refresh the playlist once a week to avoid monotony since the player plays it in the alphabetical order always.

The one song I have never deleted and would never want to from the playlist is the first song on the playlist and it goes .. Aaromale ! Can't describe the feeling when I dive into the pool listening to this song and start swimming.

COO-chuk chuk

2012-02-07T14:30:00.003+05:30

When this blog was alive 2 1/2 years ago, my very first post about the people who inspired me to take up some form of exercise as a routine. This post is about one of them - our COO.

The most dreaded man in the organization, Mr.Hitler for others, the lovable Mr.S for me, our COO. He always tells us not to be obsessed with work and take up a passion or a hobby to keep one motivated. For him it was and is , running. In our organization, he started out as a business head of a branch, moved to being a regional head and now is the COO (Chief Operating Officer). It ain't easy being him, handling a tough business like ours. He summa for the passion of it one day started running, joined a group and has been a regular half marathoner at the Mumbai marathon. And this year he ran the full marathon! Two months ago, when he had visited the office to have a chat with the extremely demotivated team, he kept telling us about the need to take up a passion or a hobby. He mentioned his running group where people who run with him (the corporate biggies) meet atleast thrice a week, run together and don't talk about work ... at all! Our COO added what joy it is to run and not discuss anything related to work. I didn't believe this you know.

A week later when I met a client of ours and post the presentation discussed the organizational structure etc mentioned the COO's name. The client was surprised 'coz apparently he is part of the same running group as our COO and didn't know he was the COO of such a big media company till date. Ah, have to tell you about this client. One quiet unassuming Tamilian, heading a big MNC brand who runs the full marathon every year. This year he finished 42 kms at some 3 hours 45 minutes. I was mighty impressed!

Back to our man, Mr.S - wondered how he manages to get up early, complete his running and manage to be at work at 9 , complete meetings, concalls, reviews blah blah. C'mon if he could do it without complaining for fun's sake, so can I. Cribbing about not being able to get up early, feeling tired doesn't help I realized. Decided to make fitness fun and hence the swimming, cycling, running routines.

Tomorrow's post will be about the thing that makes swimming fun for me

Tottadoing!

2012-02-06T16:06:00.004+05:30

Hello? Remember this blog with regular updates on the swimming sessions and saappadu? It is back! Started this blog as a motivational tool to lose weight. After having lost quite a bit of weight 2 1/2 years ago (2009-2010) and promptly putting all of it back (first half of 2010) and again losing it all (latter part of 2011) I am back to regular workouts these days.

Swimming had taken a small break in December thanks to er.. #Mumbaiwinters . Did nothing for a month except izhuttu pottifying the blanket and sleeping till 8 in the morning. Now with the temperature soaring, looks like it is the perfect time to start swimming.

Also, let me bore you a bit more by telling you what I have been up to in the last month or so. Started cycling, joined a running group and yes started swimming again.Went for a swim after almost 50 days, yesterday. Was awesome!

Today was cycling and running day. Cycled to the ground and back for 40 minutes, running and stretching etc for 45 minutes. I hopefully will not whine and groan for the next two days like I have been in the last two weeks.

Hope this enthuness continues and I manage to post atleast thrice a week. The next post will be about the inspiration behind taking up running.

Cya!