I was contemplating on how to start my year! if it were twenty years before, I would wake up and go run to the cricket ground. If it was ten years, I would wake up and go to the temple. If it was 5 years before, I would wake up and read a math theorem. I wasn't quite sure what to do to mark the beginning of a new decade. A career which we worry all our lives, which isn't all worth worrying, I thought let this year be kickstarted with a breathtaking fitness programme.
Am reminded of this popular quote in fitness: One must take care of one's body for a reason that we live in it!
Am reminded of this popular quote in fitness: One must take care of one's body for a reason that we live in it!
I tuned my bicycle, pumped up the tyres to its fullest, plugged in all my gears and went ahead to garland Bangalore. Yep! me and my friends planned to bike all around the ring road with our bicycles. 12 of them made a earth shattering promise that they would be there at 5:30 am in the morning at iisc gate and just two turned up :-))
The two were:
Sudarshan Iyengar (well that isn't me, I have a friend called sudarshan Iyengar :-)) who works as a software engineer in Bangalore)
Akram (works for a leading MNC in Bangalore)
We started at 5:55 am in the morning and took the following route (Due to my dysfunctional gps, the map is chopped off at places, we actually did 75kms while the map shows around 50+) :
http://sportypal.com/Workouts/Details/831751?key=49b97c5f7be3fa9795694994a8af6378d38832e4
Sudarshan Iyengar (my friend) rode on his hercules act 110 (hybrid).
I rode on my schwinn searcher (hybrid).
Akram used his Schwinn frontier MTB.
It was the most enjoyable ride amongst the few long ones I have done till date. Outer Ring roads of bangalore are well maintained and one can easily bicycle at 30+ km/hr. We hardly stopped (once for tender coconut and then for breakfast at indraprastha vijayanagar. ) except for a few hydration breaks here and there.
The three of us L2R : Me, Akram and Sudarshan Iyengar (not me uff!)
Saw them near the Jayanagar ring road. Would have been a perfect photo if I had covered all three :-) . Tried but couldn't :-( they were walking really fast and I coudn't run behind them with one hand holding my bicycle. I spoke to one of them later and he said that they push the cycle for 70 to 100 kms a day. And I stopped feeling great about our new year bicycle expedition! :-(
Hey Sudarshan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great start to the new year! Enjoyed riding with Akram and you. We should do it again sometime soon if Akram does not mind getting caught between two namesakes again!
-Sudarshan Iyengar - your friend :)
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing. Have a great Cycling year :-)
ReplyDeleteakram's ride report:
ReplyDeleteBzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!! I love to listen when my mtb strikes a chord
with tarmac.
Well on invitation from Sudershan S. Iyengar I readily accepted to
Garland bangalore on the year’s first day. Hey not to consider this
trip as dog marking the territory, heheheheh. And eh! Wish you all
very happy new year.
We finalized the time to meet up at 5.30 at IISC to start the
spiraling garland just with the outer ring road, well know as ORR. The
plan was suppose to be on the spot sharp at 5.30, pre-defined to wake-
up at 4.30 finishing all the morning needful, leave home by 5. Was
astonished to witness clock tick 5 and Akram(myself) was still the
bed. Calculative way I am late, well reached the spot at 5.45.
Reaching the place Sudarshan introduced me to our 3rd partner
Sudarshan, stunned what a co-incidence, people with same name. Mounted
the saddle, Sudarshan took as us around IISC according him it was
route but for us it was jumble road, which will not lead us anywhere.
A thought ran like we will spend our half lives to route out the gate,
it was dark and IISC campus greenery had pulled the mist to make it
more natural.
Finally reached near MS Ramiah road then straight to ORR, started to
pedal and I see both the Sudarshan’s zoom up the speed. After sometime
my host informed that the other Sudarshan is TFN returned, oh wow! All
regards and respecte increased and no envy for taking a lead. OTOH, I
had to take up my muscle injuries, errr not injuries but strains so
opted to keep cool and ride safe to completion.
http://bikeszone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=7373
Crossed the Hebbal round-about, Lumbini park, Sony Center and beaked
2mins at a bakery for Water bottle. Pedaled again, time-on-time was
checking the muscles they were all smiles. As a every count leading
Sudarshan would slow down for me and hit-a-statement mtb is a reason
for delay. Grrrrr!!!.
Distance coverd 40kms, time taken 1.45hrs. Stopped at Reliance Fresh
for Water at BTM layout and my worst time begins, all my strained
muscles soar up and shout to loud. Every pedal loaded very heavy,
thighs were stuffed with hot lava. Ufff, can I do it? I will do it, I
must do it, I shall do it.
I should appreciate Sudarshan though he could have raced ahead, he
still patiently rode along, speeding up, slowing down (our new kind of
scientist). I did push few of the inclinations, admitting it without
shame. Reached IISC at 12 and had clocked 75 on Sudarshan bike
computer, for me which was 87kms. Had superb water-melon juice of
course offered by host and payment for the write-up.
It was worth the pain and pushing the limits, but to cure up the
strains I will have to rest for couple of days later which practice
very minimum about 20kms everyday for a month or so.
Well I have not achieved Himalayas though, just sharing my joy with
all the pals on BZ.
http://picasaweb.google.com/indiakram/GarlandBangalore#
Regards,