16 July 2024

The real reason I started biking

Since Sharmila and I have started spending quite some time in the water, I sat down to do some math. And this is the conclusion I came to: A shark can swim faster than me but I can run faster than it. So, in a triathlon, it will all come down to who is the better cyclist! 🙂 🙂

(not original)

Category: Biking, Humor | LEAVE A COMMENT
14 July 2024

An evening with music and tabla

My school friend – Sanjay Saha – recently introduced me to the Bangla Band – “Joler Gaan”. I did not know of them. But very nice renditions of Bengali folks songs.

পরের জায়গা পরের জমিন, ঘর বানাইয়া আমি রই
আমি তো সেই ঘরের মালিক নই

“Porer jaga porer jomin, ghor banaiya aami roi
Ami to sei ghorer malik noi”

The folk song muses that nothing is really ours. We build “our” house on “our” land… and yet, nothing really is “ours”.

Category: Music/Poetry | LEAVE A COMMENT
13 July 2024

Endurance run – that took everything from me

Did a 5K in 92 degrees today. Target was to hit 35 minutes. And one minute shorter for every break. Eventually managed it in 29 min 41 seconds (9:53 min/mile pace) with two breaks. The sun was beating down mercilessly and there was no relief from any breeze.

At the end, when I sat down to take rest in the shade with water, I was getting flashbacks from that time when after a 18 mile run on a hot day, I opened my eyes to see a firetruck and firemen all around me!

My heartbeat reached 176 (which is 109% of my technical max HR). Even after sitting down for 10 minutes, the heartbeat would still not get down from 120 and I was not feeling totally up to it either. Finally, went inside the car, put the AC in full blast and took my shirt off. That cooled down the body very quickly and got my heartbeat to below 100.

Whew! I think I will try to keep these to a minimum!

Category: Running | LEAVE A COMMENT