… every time I hit a ice patch on the sidewalk, I simply switched to the near deserted asphalt roads without the fear of getting run down …

The bad news about 24 deg F with windchill 18 deg is, of course, that …
…it was 24 deg F with windchill 18 deg!!

5K run in the snow. Usually, the first such run every year lands up in a disaster since I forget that running shoes have breathing holes and invariably cold water seeps in during the run and freezes inside making my toes numb and blue.

This time however, I remembered to put two plastic grocery bags over my socks before I put the shoes on. It was a good run but had to slow down considerably after slipping a couple of times.

Total Runs: 175
Half Marathons: 8
Lowest temperature : 9 deg F
Highest temperature: 91 deg F
Number of US states: 12
Number of countries: 2
Fastest pace: 7 miles at 8:07 min/mile
Fastest half marathon: 1 hour 52 mins

Some memorable moments:
1st mile: On Jan 1 with Puja (see the very first picture)
1000th mile: On Dec 29 with brother (see the very last picture) Chiradeep
Winning a medal after deciding the previous night to put in a half marathon race next day (picture in the middle)
Running in the dark with Samaresh and then stopping to watch the moon. (picture bottom right of the above picture)
Getting lost in the forests somewhere in Virginia (the right most picture in the same row as above picture)
Getting caught in howling winds and rains in mid town Atlanta and then deciding to run in an underground parking lot (picture is below the picture with Samaresh and myself)
Getting frustrated with a peer CEO who canceled our meeting. So I went for a run in his city instead (bottom most picture from the above picture).
Running to the post office to mail a letter (picture left of the above picture)
Discovering the power of orange (the fruit, not my shorts color) as a post run refreshment (left bottom picture)

This morning I went for my 5 mile run with great anticipation that I would achieve my annual goal for this year to hit 1000 miles. The run started pretty well. I briskly went past the first mile and the second mile. And then turned around at the two and a half mile marker. All the while I was thinking about the moment when I would reach the starting point to reach the milestone. And reflecting on the past on how I got initiated into running and so many great people I have met on the trails that I would have missed if I did not pick up running.

I also tried to think about all the people who I might have influenced into running. The one guy I could immediately think of is my brother. We have been very close throughout our lives. Other than my mom, he is the only person that I call up everyday even if for a couple of moments. While he clearly has been a far more athletic person than me thru childhood, I have been more active physically over the last decade and a half. Five years or so back, during one my trips to India, I got him to come out and run with me. He got hooked. Being much more athletic, he accelerated very quickly. Within one year, he started posting 30K runs.

It is still religion for the two brothers to go out for a run in the morning whenever I am in India. You might even recollect how in my last visit, having landed very early in the morning, we changed into our running clothes at the airport and then drove to our parents’ house. At the break of dawn, we went out for a run and THEN knocked on my parents’ house. Thereby confusing the daylights of my just-woken-up dad who was still dazed and asked us if we had run all the way from Kolkata airport!!!

Coming back to today, around the time I took the turn at the two and a half mile marker, a thought came to my mind. The thought got stronger and stronger with every step. The thought was simple – why waste a great moment of achieving a goal just to myself? Why not make it memorable by sharing with somebody else? What if I stopped running and saved the last couple of miles for my brother? I am going to be in India next week. Why not step past the 1000 mile marker while running along with my brother?

And in a few minutes the plan was cemented. The goal will have to be postponed till I am with my brother next week!

I just wish I had these kind of brainwaves in more appropriate times. Had I thought about it earlier, it would have saved me a lot of time. As you must have guessed, as I drew up to the third mile marker, I stopped running, stopped the Garmin running watch and simply walked back to the starting point.

998 miles down.

2 more to go.

Can’t wait to run with my younger brother in a few more days…

That was mile number 995 for this year today. Saturday 5 mile run tomorrow and I will get to my annual target of 1000 miles with about a week to spare…

For the last few days, we have been having cold temperatures befitting winter in Atlanta – like near zero temperatures early in the morning. This morning, the forecast was for balmy mid sixty temperatures. Not trusting the weatherman, I put on two layers and went for the run.

When I pulled up at the trail and got out of the car, I was hit with two surprises. First how warm it was. Had to quickly shed one layer. I still had full sleeves on. I felt way overdressed. And that was the second surprise. Overdressed compared to whom? As you can see in the picture, there was no other car. 7:30 in the morning. Warm winter day. That was a very very surprising sight to see no one else out there.

My biggest fear was that the trail might be flooded and all the early runners had gone off somewhere else. By the time the Chalupa runners – Samaresh, Paroma, Mrinalda, Seemitadi and Sudipto showed up at 8am, I had put in a couple of miles already and had not encountered any problems on the trail. Then, with the group, I finished another five. At the end, when I was going to take a picture of the group, I could see the dark clouds gathering quickly behind. You can get a glimpse of it in the picture.

Just as we were all jumping into our cars to go for coffee, the high winds and rains started. Which created an existential dilemma for me – Starbucks or rains? Eventually, bailed out on my teammates who headed out for coffee and went back to run in the rain. About a mile and a half later, the rains stopped.

Thoroughly drenched, as you can see in the picture, I took a few minutes rest and then changed into that extra set of clothes I had. Boy, was it a good idea to take two layers or what? It always pays to not believe the weatherman!!!

On the other hand, nobody needed a Starbucks at that moment more than I did 🙂 And finally, I am now 12 miles away from getting to the 1000 mile mark for the year….

Going out for a run early in the morning with 20 deg F ( -7 Celsius) temp (with windchill)? … I can deal with that…
Finding slippery treacherous icy stretches on the trail while running? … that is okay with me too…
In spite of clipping at a fast (by my standards) 8 minute mile to keep the body warm, getting passed by a couple of runners at break neck speed? … well, I can accept that too…

But when those runners pass by me wearing just a pair of shorts and half sleeve running t-shirt – in 20 deg F, mind you!! – NOW, that is when I have to stop and throw the red flag!! That is insane!!!!

It was three of us today. Temperatures were just below freezing. If you are wondering what was I doing in the picture, I was going “What Indrani? A runway pose? After a run?” 🙂 Samaresh refused to be distracted though.

That said, I have to give a shout out for Indrani. Earlier this year, she joined us and used to walk for a mile or so. Then she steadily increased the distance and finally switched to runs for short distances. And then over the year she kept pushing herself harder and harder and now she runs the full 5K distance with us.

And she dropped 15 pounds in the process! Well done!