We bought new bicycles last weekend. They are cruisers suited to bike around the neighborhood and go out for coffee. They are comfortable bikes. They are easy bikes. I have already named my bike. Tortuga. It means tortoise; slow and steady and relaxed and comfortable. We went out for a smooth, easy 5-mile ride in […]
bike
Chicago Marathon Training Week 15 – Disaster Strikes

Things were going reasonably smoothly for my training until last Saturday. That’s when disaster struck. Early on Saturday morning, I started the ride at 6:30AM with the Cyclologic group. There were about 10 of us. Everything was going peachy smooth in the group with casual conversation about nothing important. It was a lovely morning for […]
Chicago Marathon Training Week 14

We are 7 days away from the Chicago Marathon. This blog entry is about last week (week ended September 24, 2017), when all was well. That changed yesterday with a bike crash (you will read more about it in a few days, but you have already seen some of it if you follow me on […]
Chicago Marathon Training Week 13

I’ve been working on The Borneo Experience for a couple of weeks now. I’m quite happy with the way it has turned out. Here it is! It’s back to the grind for Chicago Marathon training. It was still hot in Arizona this week with temperatures hovering right around the triple-digit mark. Therefore, once again, most […]
Chicago Marathon Training Week 12 – The Big Fat Indian Wedding in Bali

My family knows how to smile. My family knows how to celebrate. My family knows how to party! It was a crazy goodtime festive wedding in Nusa Dua, Bali. My niece Maithili got married to Rishi. The hashtag #mrsmrs (Mrs. Maithili Rishi Sanghvi) was at center-stage. Four days of non-stop partying and celebrations left us […]
Chicago Marathon Training Week 9

Until this week, training for the Chicago Marathon has been flawless. It’s been smooth runs and smooth rides thought the Arizona summer. Stopped briefly at Ethel’s Garden in Silverleaf to admire the day Unfortunately, that came to a crashing end on Sunday. It was long run Sunday with a 20-miler on the cards. It was […]
Chicago Marathon Training Week 8

The week started with a work-related trip to Sedona for one of my favorite clients, Pink Adventure Tours. I had the presence of mind to take my bike with me. I had charted a 20-mile route through Boynton Canyon (similar to the route I had run during my tough half-marathon in Sedona earlier this year). […]
Chicago Marathon Training Week 6 – back from Grand Teton and Yellowstone

When the week began, we were still in Grand Teton and Yellowstone. I was still in my element with my bird-book, my binoculars and my camera in tote as we traveled to Yellowstone again on Monday. The highlight on Monday was easily the lone wolf we spotted in Hayden Valley. Upon returning from Yellowstone, we […]
Chicago Marathon Training Week 5 – Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks

Week 5 of Chicago Marathon training started routinely this week but picked up steam on Thursday with one of the hardest training runs I have done. It was interval training time! Try running 1.5 mile intervals times 3 at a pace of just above 7-minute-mile with a three-and-a-half-minute easy jog to recover. The last interval […]
Chicago Marathon Training Week 4

It was a pretty routine week for Chicago Marathon Training (week 4). Thursday and Sunday were tough but the rest of the week was smooth. On Thursday, for the first time ever, I ran hill intervals. My legs are not strong enough for easy uphill running. I started easy for the first 10 minutes and […]