Sunday, September 29, 2013

Lazy Sunday

Mentally sacked out all morning.

Ate some tasty bisibele bath made by wife, for lunch. 

Drank a chilled glass of wine. 

Played with son. 

Total serenity. Am on the Lunar sea :)

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Craftworks One

Attended a private party to celebrate our neighbourhood brew pub's one year on earth. Fab evening and night. 

The band for the evening was Suresh Peters' and (I never would have expected it) Prasanna. Now, I've heard Prasanna play when I was a impressionable teen. He's ex-IIT and just google or YT him please. No further intros needed. 

Great evening. What topped it off for me was that Prassi played Blues for Saraswati, impromptu though it was, on a personal request from me. We got talking and then some. 

Excellent company as well - Nandita for starters (superlative) as well as Roma, Tony, Pooja and Jiggesh, Smita and Akhauri, Zibi and Navin and several other folks we met through the evening. Great banter and fun all through. I had some excellent conversation with Tony, which will probably need a separate blog post, or more likely a blog by itself.   

Lively music including some terrific tamil and hindi songs. I became quite inebriated on the whisky and the food - pork, chicken, prawns, et al. 

So much so that I danced to Roadhouse Blues, the finale of the evening, with my beautiful missus. 

Special thanks to Ajay Nagarajan of Craftworks, Kamal, Adrian, and all the TE-H staff for a great night out. 

Tomorrow is another day. 

PS: Prasanna is back in B'lore soon and we will be watching him performat  Craftworks. A "Save the Date" for sure!!


Father Time

Took Atri out this afternoon for burgers and ice cream to our neighbourhood mall. 

I ate the burger, he ate the fries. We then went to Cream n' Desserts for ice cream. Atri loves their chocolate scoop and I usually go for the Fig and Honey (my favourite flavour of all).


One evidently happy lad!!

Friday, September 20, 2013

A Krash Kourse in Kollywood

On the way back from a one day trip to Chennai.

My cab driver to the terminal, a lad named Karthik, seemed most enterprising. He and five other friends run a private ferry service to the airport, rail and bus stations. 

In between taking fresh bookings for the night, I received a crash course on the Tamil film industry.  

We discussed the relative popularity of Surya and Vijay, the box office success of new comer Siva Karthikeyan (?), the oomph appeal of Anushka Shetty, Tamannah and Bindu Madhavi as well as the rising fortunes of comedian Santhanam. 

Also touched upon the music of Anirudh, Yuvan Shankar Raja and Harris Jayaraj. 

An entertaining ride to say the least. Have received recos for a few Tam flicks as well. Which I shall attend to soon. 

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Nom Nom Nom - Chinese Style

Went for lunch to Yauatcha on 1 MG Road. I've eaten at their London counterpart as well as their sister restaurant, Hakka San.

Starters were classic prawn dumplings and a plate of crispy duck rolls (with Hoisin sauce). I gorged on both. 

The dumplings were cooked to perfection, no sticky dough tearing and mucking up the edges of the chopsticks. As was the prawn filling inside - pink and nicely steamed. 

The rolls contained a generous portion of shredded duck. Well cooked without sacrificing the taste of the meat. 

It is also a HUGE and I mean HUGE relief to eat with a pair of good wooden chopsticks - not the slippery plastic ones or the disposable pairs you encounter usually. 

My mains comprised the Mongolian Lamb Chops served with Udon noodles, Sprouts and mock meat, accompanied by a black pepper sauce.

The chops were good. Marinated well and cooked right. I could chew and swallow the meat quite easily, rather than feel it turn to tasteless rubber in my mouth (yes, I have sampled Camlin erasers as a child, hurr hurr). 

The only taste that put me off was an slight excess of salt in both the chops and the noodles. So, overall 7-8/10 for mains. 

Dessert was an excellent raspberry delice served with dark chocolate mousse and raspberry ice-cream. Apparently the most popular dessert on the menu; I did not argue much and truthfully, I did enjoy it. So, full marks to the punters who preceded me. 

All in all, an excellent lunch. 8.5/10 overall. 

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

YT Picks


A YouTube find from yesterday.  I think John Lawton is a severely underrated vocalist.  I preferred this version to Sloman's from the Conquest album



Happy listening!

Monday, September 16, 2013

A Curtain Raiser: The Vedic Originals

Before I get into a discussion about the rudra-adhyāya and the ensuing vasordhāra, a brief introduction is needed on the vedic originals - brahmanaspati-vishnu-rudra - of the puranic and present day triad - brahma-vishnu-śiva.

The deities in the veda were ascribed importance based on the functions that they performed in the internal and external planes; functions that were directly causal for the psychological discipline and progression of the rśi.  To that extent, the three godheads - brahmanaspati-rudra-vishnu - provided the conditions of the vedic sacrifice and assisted it from behind; unlike their more active counterparts including agni, indra, aśvin, varuna, mitra and the maruts.

brahmanaspati - the deity within us that creates by the Word (brahma) - creates the divine consciousness within us as also sends it on its way from the pathways of darkness to those of light, towards their supreme goal.

rudra - the deity within us that supplies the upward push to the divine consciousness created by brahma - is the violent force that leads the charge; intolerant of defect and crookedness, he battles against the forces of evil - vala, vritra and pani, among others, smiting them down and breaking defective formations on the journey upward.  This is the violent aspect that is first propitiated in the rudra-adhyāya.  rudra has an aspect that is benign, as well.  Called on for aid, he heals all wounds and suffering. He is the master of the force that acts in the planes and the one who enjoys the final liberty and peace.

vishnu - the deity who sits in the plane of bliss - supplies space, the ordered movement of the planes and the ascending levels to support the creations of brahma and the actions of rudra's force.

It is to rudra - the godhead of destruction and benevolence - that I will soon return to. 

anuvāka 4.5.1 through 4.5.11 of the taittirīya samhitā deal with propitiating the destructive aspect of rudra.  anuvāka 4.7.1 through 4.7.11 seeks the blessings of rudra, given to us as various vital and mental powers.  anuvāka 4.7.12 through 4.7.15 deal with the birth of plenitude and all energies in us, and concludes with a prayer of thanksgiving to several deities.

Onward and upward.

PS: I remain grateful to that great teacher, śri aurobindo, whose guidance I always receive, within and from beyond.

Onam and then some. . .

Went to the temple for my usual Monday prayers which involves chanting the rudram-chamakam

I had just finished the first part of the chant and was starting the second part when I had an epiphany of sorts.

Indescribable but it sort of filled me completely and the bliss just brought tears to my eyes. Had to literally pause a while before I started off again. 

Also recited the purusha-sūktam and the nārāyana-sūktam, something I have not done in a long while. 

My mind is quite clear about the future course of action and what I need to do to reclaim lost plenitude.

Attended an onam lunch at a friend's residence. A very tasty and varied meal. One that I was quite grateful for. 

A thought runs through my head now. One that I read from a Tom Holt novel, "Losses are a bit like diamonds. You've got to be careful about cutting them, or you end up doing a lot of expensive damage."

On that sombre note, I will ruminate further into the evening. 

S

PS: I think a post on the plenitude spoken of in the rudram-chamakam is long overdue. I shall start gathering the relevant material. 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Zone training: Heart rate

After a morning of intense meetings and conference calls, I managed to have a late, albeit light lunch comprising idlis soaked in sambhar. 

After a light snooze, I went to our community gym for some "zone training". 

My definition of zone training is maintaining heart rate (HR) during the exercise period at 80-85% of optimal HR. 

My optimal HR stacks at (220 - 43) or 177 and the desired zone HR would measure between c141-150. 

The exercise involves skipping and treadmill running alternatively. 

Skipping: Two sets of 150 skips each, with a 30 second interval between the sets. 

One-two minute break

Running: Start at a pace of 6.5kmph and walk one kilometre

Repeat skipping 2 x 150 with break

Running: One kilometre at 7.5 kmph speed

Repeat skipping 2 x 150 with break

Running: One kilometre at 8.5 kmph speed

Repeat skipping 2 x 150 with break

Running: One kilometre at 9.5 kmph speed

Repeat skipping 2 x 150 with break

Running: One kilometre at 10.5 kmph speed

Cool down: 3-4 km easy speed (6-6.5 kmph) across our community walkways.

Summary: 10 sets x 150 of skipping and c9km of walking/running. 

Measured HR in zone varied between 135 (initial running) to 182 (during skipping HR rose from 120 levels to peak at c180 levels)

Of a total 1h40m of training, was in zone about 80% of the time. Good progress for today.

I will drink a dram or two of Laphroaig tonight to celebrate. 

Sunday, September 08, 2013

Manuel Valera and New Cuban Express

Am sitting at the local brewery next to home. 

Velvet jazz. Smooth beer. Tranquil evening. 

“Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty
Beauty is not love. 
Love is not music.
Music is THE BEST.” ― Frank Zappa

So true. 


A familar routine . . .

That I need to break quickly. The usual Sunday long run this AM. 

Ran the same route as the fortnight ago, except I made a U-turn at Mantri mall and went back to Cubbon Park where I hung out for a while. 

Need to start running in less populated areas soon. Just to see more of Bangalore in the early waking hours of a Sunday. 

Wished ten odd complete strangers who were also running (against my direction though) this AM. There's a kindred spirit amongst runners that few other sports engender. Imagine showing camaraderie towards a stranger on the street. If you are not a runner, you'll probably not get it.

Breakfast now and a well deserved rest today

Saturday, September 07, 2013

L T O

Attended a Chef's Tasting at an upscale restaurant in Whitefield tonight. 

Appetiser was a Chili, Soy and Grape Glazed Pork Ribs with Raw Papaya Salad, followed by the mains - Pan seared Sea Bass with seasonal vegetables, mashed potatoes and tomato, lemon grass broth.  

Accompanying them were small plate portions of vegetable dim sum, prawn sushi and crispy squid with green chili, coriander and lemon sauce.

Dessert comprised portions of Kaffir lime crème brulee with Cinnamon crumble and lime gel, Apple streusel Cheesecake Tart with Crème Anglaise and Chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream.

Washed this down with fresh lime juice and some hot Apple toddy.

A most excellent repast and impeccable table service. 

Off to bed now, I have a very early start.

Friday, September 06, 2013

On 6 September

Woke up at 3.15 AM. Did not want to run on the streets. Opted for the easy way out. 12.8km on the clubhouse treadmill. 

By the way, I bought myself a skipping rope yesterday. And broke it in. 

Skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip trip skip skip trip skip skip skip skip slip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip trip slip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip . . . ZEN!

Rinse and repeat.  Easy enough once you get the hang of it. 

I have a feeling it is going to be a frabjous day today. 

Thursday, September 05, 2013

A cure for melancholy..

I often find that the music of Rush and the lyrics of Mr. Peart work wonders for melancholy. 

Just finished Signals. Listening to Clockwork Angels now. 

Lovely. 

Friday, August 30, 2013

Ulysses

Had an opportunity to read Lord Tennyson's Ulysses again, this AM. The closing lines.

We are not now that old strength which in old days
Moved heaven and earth, that which we are, we are
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield

Sublime and worth a ponder.

S

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Götterdämmerung Opera

Listened to the Herbert Von Karajan conducted Götterdämmerung Opera.  Berliner Philharmoniker playing. Earlier today.  Feel blessed to have listened to this lovely opera after a long while.

The audio was routed through a set of speakers and valve amp custom built for me by an audiophile and a genius sound engineer (you can find him at www.starcaudio.com). 

Phenomenal experience. To quote Frank Zappa (and the moments I feel quite acutely for what he said are frequent more these days):

"Information is not knowledge - Knowledge is not wisdom - Wisdom is not truth - Truth is not beauty - Beauty is not love - Love is not music - Music is the BEST."

Happy ears
S

Escape from reality

Durnholde...

Monday, August 26, 2013

Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape

Been listening to #PorcupineTree all day and tripping.  With apologies to Mike and the Mechanics, All I Need (now) is a Little Miracle Acid ;)

Monday morning

After many cloudy Monday mornings, the sun was out in full force today. 

I have a instinct it is going to be a super day!!

Sunday, August 25, 2013

The Runner's Prayer

"Dear lord, thank you for helping me achieve a huge calorie deficit in today's morning run; so that I may enjoy the carb overload in my breakfast"

I left home at 4:45 AM with a route that traced out as:

KTPO - Big Bazaar - Hope Farm Jn. - ITPL - Hoodi - KR Puram - Byapanahalli - Indira Nagar - Ulsoor Lake - Manipal Centre - Cubbon Road - Vidhana Soudha - Raj Bhavan - Golf Course - CKP - Seshadripuram - Mantri Square - Central Tiffin Room

All told, c28.5km in 3.5 hours. It started drizzling at Ulsoor Lake and turned into a light shower on Cubbon Road, all the way through CKP. Thoroughly refreshing, as I have not run in the rain in a long while. 

The objective of the run is to eat a benne masala dosa at CTR for breakfast and wash it down with lots of coffee, which I shall now do. 




Homeward bound now. Happy feet

Thursday, August 22, 2013

5.4

Two weeks and counting?  Surprise me!

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Feeling...

Completely fucked in the membrane. 1:2:1 not helping either. 


Saturday, August 17, 2013

On a Saturday.... Morning

Saturday AM. 18 km run.

Had Deep Purple, Camel, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Blue Oyster Cult and Dream Theater for company. 

I am made up of all the finish lines that I said would be my last. 

Feeling a deep sense of exhilaration. 


Thursday, August 15, 2013

Allen Lanier

Woke up this morning to read of Allen Lanier's passing. Very saddened. 

All our times have come
Here but now they're gone
Seasons don't fear the reaper
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain

Thank you Allen for the music. 


Arbit...

Dream for a while on the things that make you smile . . . 

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Back in the Game. . . and then some

I weighed myself recently and found that I had added 3 kilos in the last 2 months.  Plus the fact that my favourite pair of trousers were quite tight was enough motivation for me to get back out there and run.

So after a gap of slightly over two months, I got out this AM.  This sort of kicks off my training for a few upcoming marathons. The run itself was for 14 km with a warm up of 2km and a taper of 2km.  I managed to complete this in a 2h10m.

My gear was the Patagonia running tee from the AC2011, Reebok shorts and the Roclite 318 GTX shoes.  I was planning to a pair of  Adidas' but decided to stick with the Inov-8s for the run (last minute, spur of the moment).  I was also wearing my new Garmin 305 Forerunner, which I bought recently.  It performed nicely and I am quite happy with the caibration and the watch itself.

So there's bad news and good news.

The bad news was that the Roclites needed to be retired today :-(.  There was a bit of a hard spot on the right front toe that did not go down and kept knocking against the thumb.  It lead to a pretty bad blister in almost no time, as I painfully discovered once I finished the run and took them off.  My feet are also a bit sore, regardless of the stretch exercises I completed.  So, with a tear in my eye, I bid adieu to the 318 GTXs.  A great pair of shoes that saw me through the AC2011 without a single tear or trouble.  I am quite loath to scrap these, nevertheless, onward and upward, till I buy a new pair.

The good news:  I get to do this again tomorrow morning, with a new pair of shoes of course.

Happy feet ;-)
S

Monday, February 28, 2011

A small hiccup and then, I am good to go finally!!

This is pretty much the penultimate (or possibly the last) post pre-AC 2011. So, here goes.

Well, the first emotion that surges through me as I write this post is RELIEF.  It is accompanied by anticipation, apprehension, excitement, nervousness, enthusiasm, among others in varying degree.

Mid last week, I received a bit of a shocker - the Brazilian embassy in New Delhi rejected my application for a transit visa through Sao Paulo - primary grounds being that I did not have sufficient funds to pay for an overnight stay in Brazil.  Well, no use wasting time.  So I had to act quick and fast.

Summarily, this involved getting my passport back from New Delhi and finding an alternate travel route.  All's well that ends well.  I rerouted my booking through Paris late last week and went this morning to the French consulate in Bngalore for a transit visa.  The personnel were very helpful and I received a Schengen visa in 6 hours.  The earlier tension has now considerably dissipated. 

To my fellow runners in the HRC, thanks for a great run yesterday.  I very much appreciated the SAG support and the arrangements. One of the best runs I have undertaken in recent times and very special as it was my final taper run.  I really am looking forward to running with you folks on my return. 

To all the well wishers on tumblr, twitter, the blog, the 4D blog and so forth - thank you all once again for your kindness. Allegorically, I am temporarily a happiness-sucking parasite - so whenever a happy thought or wish for luck from you all comes my way, I am just slurping it up into my brain store in one fell swoop - to release and use if and whenever I feel down during the run.  Keep them coming, I need recharge every so often ;-)

If I can, I will be writing next once I reach San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. 

You can follow me on the official AC2011 blog here.  Daily stage updates are available here.

As I keep mentioning, I am supporting the Nethaji Mercy Home in Chennai.  Full details here.  If you can, please do contribute.  Every bit helps.  The process is a bit winded [and I apologise, if we could have we would have made it simpler for all.  Ah well, next time for sure, I promise].

Thank you and god bless
S

Sunday, February 20, 2011

10 days and counting. . . equipment, victuals and other assorted stuff

So I head out for the Atacam Desert in Chile on 2 March which leaves me with 10 days to wind up.  I am in a kind of taper phase, so ideally there should be no intense workouts any more.  Alas, wishes unfortunately are not horses and so I find myself in a state that needs me to complete one long run and two back pack walks, all in excess of 25 km this coming week.  Finally, I am looking forward to the HR club run on 27 February, where I intend to walk 10 km with all final gear strapped on).

Mentally, I am continually "genning" myself to the adventure* ahead ( *I first wrote task and then decided, that sine I wanted to make it a pleasurable experience, I would rather not think of it as a "task"). 

This coming week, I need to read up on all final instructions, course details, etc so that I am not unprepared.  Also, go through final packing lists, see that I am carrying all requirements and have not missed out on anything.  This will probably be a penultimate post, the next one likely just before I head out. 

So my equipment list reads somewhat like this.

Backpack - OMM Classic 32 litres
Sleeping bag - Marmot Atom
Headlight and backup - Princeton TEC EOS and Petzl Tikka 2+
Compass - Silva
Knive/Multi Tool - Swiss Army Classic
Whistle - Jetscream
Survival bivvy - Adventure Medical Kits Thermolite
Sunscreen, lipscreen and blister kit
Red flashing LED safety light
Jacket - Mountain Hardwear Compressor PL
Shorts/tights - CW-X shorts, underwear and tights
T-shirts - Patagonia Capilene 1 and Performax [the choice of the Hyderabad Runners, wink wink]
Shoes - Inov-8's Roclite 318 GTX
Socks - Injinji toe socks
Headgear - Philly Eagles cap and the AC buff
Fleece hat - Mountain Hardwear Microdome
Sunglasses - Oakley Radar

In addition, I am carrying food for six-seven days including freeze dried meals, nutrition fuels/gels, energy bars, electrolytes, salt stick caps, insta coffeee and creamer.  Primary brand of choice, which I have tested extensively is Hammer Nutrition's range - Sustained Energy, Heed, Recoverite, Endurolyres, Race Caps Supreme and Hammer Whey followed by Cliff Energy Bars (Chocolate Almond Fudge, very handy) and Nuun.  Dinner is a preset menu - Expedition Foods' Vegetable Tikka and Rice or similar for seven nights. Space permitting, I may also carry some salted nuts and dried fruits for in-run snacks.  The daily calorie intake is a minimum of 2,000 calories per day (I am at roughly 2,400-2,800).

I am also carrying a plastic plate and a fork as well as water bottles to carry 2.75 litres of water or more at any given time - Raidlight, Camelbak and Platypus are first choice equipment, having been tested thoroughly during training - they've survived quite a few drops, falls, etc with no damage.

In additon, stuff like tablet towels, wet wipes,  medicines, etc form part of the equipment I carry (there's more but let me not bore anyone with the details). 

The trick, now, is to pack all the above and see how the backpack weighs.  Ziplock bags and Sea-to-Summit's Ultra Sil Dry Sacks are gonna be heroes here!!!  Wish me luck ;-)  I am aiming for between 7.0-7.5kg on the back and about two litres of water up front!!

The only off putting news is that my polar wrist watch's strap broke so I will be carrying it close to me to measure heart rate.  The foot pod's going to be switched off as it has been acting up a bit recently and giving me wrong calibration (I will get this fixed, post the AC2011).  As regards, navigation - Garmin remains the hands-on favourite. I use a Garmin Oregon 550 and I just need to set the satellite and some related settings to position accurately in the South American hemisphere.  So distance, time, elevation and so on and so forth will be with this.  The 550 also comes with a camera so I will be clicking some snaps of way points, etc to link up to stuff that I will write during and after the event.

I will be likely subscribing to the communications package from the 4deserts store to be able to update my blog during the run and that will be the primary source of telling you all what I've been upto and my daily experiences.  The link to my 4 deserts blog is at:

http://www.4deserts.com/blogs/comptetior_blog_new.php?authorid=OTU3&blog=21

More later.
S

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

It's never too late to be grateful. . .

So, this post is a small note of gratitude.

Firstly, to the conductor of the "great gig in the sky" - thank you for giving me the mental strength to go through my training, day after day - for keeping me in good health and away from any injuries - for helping me overcome my fears - for helping me run distances that I have never run before.

Secondly, to my wife Nandita - thank you for putting up with my eccentricities and oddities these days, the least of which is having your sleep disturbed at 3/4 AM when I wake up to head out - for the sacrifices made on your time to accomodate me - for making me many meals through the day to keep my constitution up - for all the other endless things you do to help me stay focussed on my running objectives.  Love you all the more for it.

Next, to my son Atri, who is now too young to realise but - thank you 'dingwal' for unwittingly giving up your time away from me - for finding ways to keep yourself occupied when I am too tired to play with you - for welcoming me happily when I get back home exhausted after a long run.

Fourth to all my fellow runners at the Hyderabad Runners Club who've encouraged me these last 2-3 months - thank you ladies and guys for your support and words of encouragement, it really means a lot to me and keeps me going days after day - for giving me training tips - for running alongside me at times and for simply being there - your camaraderie, time and encouragement is very much valued.

Lastly, to all my friends and acquaintances who've supported me ever since I told them I was attempting the AC2011 - a very big thank you - there have been so many mails and calls from you all and I am sorry if I did not respond to each and every one of them but know this - it has been acknowledged from very deep within and I am grateful to you for your thoughts.

Stay cool
S

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Five weeks to go. . . and a small diversion.

I ran the Mumbai marathon last Sunday and completed it in a time of 5.20.  Very happy as this was my first 40km plus run in a week that averaged close a little over 90 km.  The temperature was a mild 32-33C albeit accompanied by a sharp sun setting the tone for what I should expect.  I have been pampered these lst two months by the sub-20s temperature while training in Hyderabad.  Probably, I should start my weekend back-pack runs a little late when the sun is fully up, to get a truer measure of "fatigue quotient", what?  Better late than never, as the maxim goes.

Took off late Sunday evening to HK with Nandita and Atri, for a short holiday and some work.  While there we went sightseeing to the Peak, DisneyWorld (for Atri), Po-Lin monastery (an oasis of calm near the hustle and bustle of HK) and a few other places.  We also caught up with Neha and Gaurav for dinner at this awesome restaurant called the Mask of Sichuan.  Can't thank you both enough for a fantastic choice of place and your wonderful hospitality.  Thank you so much guys, it was wonderful to have met you, god bless.

I also went to the RTP store and kitted myself out with lots of food (Hammer, Nuun, Expedition foods), some clothing accesories and a new pair of shoes, Inov-8's  Roclite 318 GTX.  These will be the shoes I wear on the main run, so a one-month break in period seemed reasonable.  Also, picked up a few pairs of Injinji moisture wicking socks to run in.

I plan to run/walk/train to about 110-120km a week for the next three weeks before I begin to taper down.  Training will be interspersed with cross training and some strength training for the back and shoulders as well as the mandatory pranayama/yoga.

Lots of final formalities as well to be undertaken - medical tests to be completed and sent, travel arrangements to be completed, visas to be obtained, et al.  The next fortnight promises to be busy busy indeed.  Good stuff!

I also intend to fill the back pack with the actual stuff I will be carrying during the race and do 3-4 dry runs over the next 2-3 weeks.  That should hopefully help me have a near accurate idea of the weight count under different combos and experiment a bit.  Will let you readers know how that stacks up as well ;-)

As you may know, I am running the AC2011 supporting the Nethaji Mercy Home in Chennai (see earlier post below).  Any contributions are gratefully acknowledged.

Closing this post with a verse from Dreamline, by Rush, one of my all time fave bands, ". . . they travel in the time of the prophets, on a desert highway straight to the heart of the sun.  Like lovers and heroes and the restless part of everyone, we're only at home when we're on the run, on the run. . . "

Best
S