Sunfeast 10k 2009, Ananya and Team Asha

The 12 week long journey



This year's Sunfeast 10k generated enough excitement and believe me it looked like the entire Bengalooru (aka Bangalore) was there to run. Team Asha Runner, Santosh, now involved with Runner's High chalked out training schedule for Ananya and Thulir kids. Some Asha Runners whom you must have been following up in this blog got involved with Ananya. We added variety by adding Karate, some Frisbee, some volley ball, some cycling and of course lots running and strides to make this entire exercise all the more enjoyable.

This small team from Team Asha has bonded so well with Ananya that Tuesdays and Saturdays we are invariably present at Ananya. The entire place has so much energy and we fell all the more part of Ananya.

Art Work in Progress

Our last Saturday run which also happened to be the last saturday as part of the training schedule ironically did not feature a run (as it was rest according to the training plan). So we all sat down to prepare some posters to cheer Ananya, Asha and Runner's high. Thanks to Narmada and Vinbot for all the charts and colors.

Thanks to Agnus, a volunteer at Ananya who spearheaded this session.

More pics in here (Pic Courtesy: Vinbot's mobile camera):
http://picasaweb.google.com/balsubu/AnanyaDrawing#

We were served Tea three times and it also included a special Tea from Assam which one of our volunteer brought it all the way from Assam during her backpacking trips. As usual we had Idlies first soaked in Sambar and accompanied by chutney. We set forth some logistics and transportation plans for the race day.

Thanks to Pramodh, another Team Asha runner for the conveyance to make sure the kids reached the venue in time. Pramodh also ran his longest at the Sunfeast 10K. I'm sure half marathon is just the next target for him this year.


The Race
We all met at the Cubbon gate and Mallaya road junction. Luckily we had a pre-paid parking at UB city. Kids from Ananya got this cool drum and we all had fun and frolic. I was on (runner's) high and was up to this famous Hyderabadi dance step "Teen Maar" (Three times) which turned out to be a total (dis)graceful dance steps from my side, but nevertheless I had fun !

That's me above

All the kids were up for Majja run and the Thulir kids and Team Asha runners were up for the open 10K without chip category. All of us finished our runs to our utmost satisfaction and I'm sure we will improve as we progress. Met so many Asha runners and thousands running for their good cause. My roomies, Ritesh and Rampee manged to put in a great show in their first ever attempt. Good job boys.

Brainless Twits
Some runners just have no patience and in the gallery where they were seated started to jump from the fence instead of using the normal entry into the stadium. Brainless twits and I'm sure they needed some cane from the cops. I'm sure India is far far away from order and civility. So many men and women who look prudent and educated where doing this and finally one of them got hurt. Mob mentality !

Post Run

Some Kids Cheering for us

Post run we all met again at the same spot. Our Sensei looked like had cracked this run and her cycling stint seemed to have worked wonders for her. She was also in trance and no stopping her now. We had more fun discussing about the event and stuff and the Thulir kids and some Team Asha runners headed back to Ananya to spend the night there (envy you guys). More report on that awaited(I understand they had a ball).


My Tsunamikas



Here are my little cute Tsunamikas at the corners. I used Tsunamikas to pin my bib. Very cute ones.

Learn more Tsunamika at http://www.tsunamika.org/

Many Asha, Ananya and Thulir runners also pinned Tsunamikas across their bibs.


A Big Thank you

This could not have been possible but for your support folks !

Thanks to fellow Ananya-Asha runners who helped us in raising funds.

Thanks to Bata for giving us shoes and socks at very low discounted rates.
Thanks to Runner's High and Printo for Tee Shirts and other Ananya related paraphernalia.

Thanks to Sensei Manjula for giving Karate a humble beginning at Ananya and I'm sure things would get in proper fold when kids are back full strength.
Thanks to Shashi for persevering with us and making us feel very much part of Ananya.
Thanks to Sivamma's Kitchen (I mean Sivamma herself), George and his wife (We owe you three a surprise) and of course all the wonderful kids and voulnteers at Ananya with whom we had gala time through running.

Also, thanks to Thulir kids who prepared on their own accord (with inputs from Santhosh).

This is just the beginning of our interactions with Ananya and we will keep you posted through mail and blog about our activities. We personally thank all the Asha runners who have helped us in this sojourn at Ananya.

If I've missed anyone then it must be my unwitting brain that must have overlooked you :-(

Looking Ahead
We are going to continue this Asha-Ananya initiative and will get in full swing from this month onwards. We will be there from this Saturday onwards. Want to join us ?


Until then, Keep miling and Stay Fit !
Go Team Asha, Ananya and Thulir.

Other Pics, Courtesy: Santhosh. All rights are reserved by the respective photographers !

Sunfeast 10K - 60 minutes

So finally done with my Sunfeast Bangalore open 10K. I must say the organizing part was perfect. Collected my bib and goodie bag on Friday and by 7.30AM today morning Biswa and I were off to Kanteerva Stadium loaded with all the energy bars and Gatorade energy drinks. We guessed parking could be a problem, so we decided to take the bike instead of Biswa's car. The volunteers asked us to park at St Joseph's school which was another 2KM back and we finally squeezed our bike near the Hudson circle and left our if-you-want-steal clothes right in the bike. By 8.1) we were about to enter the stadium from gate g-11 and paused by to see the start of the women's world 10K which was teeming up with African runners.

Just as we moved into "non-time-chip" gallery we met Joseph. We had already met him in Auroville marathon and he was Biswa's running buddy for while there. After a quick chat I was just looking around for familiar faces and saw Shumit Vatsal as Biswa disappeared for a leak. Shumit and I had some quick chat and wanted to meet up later in the day only to realize that none of us had mobile phone. He was to come to Koramangla but just that I have his contact number in my office mailbox for which I do not have access from home. Sorry Shumit, next time we will catch up, especially tis time at your place with Chennai runners. Soon it was our time and by 9.02 we crossed by the start line and there were hoards of runners and especially from the defense with their flags. Many were running for charities and many for a cause or as a group. There were too many people and the first 2KM were very slow and Biswa stopped for a while and asked me to go ahead. I just continued and the heat at some stretches was terrible.

The good thing I noticed is people from all walks of life were out there and cheering apart from the arranged cheerleaders. When we were running near the Ulsoor lake, many senior citizens and residents cheered and encouraged many runners and water stops were also amply stationed. Some runners couldn't take heat and we had ambulances rushing and an Airforce helicopter was hovering all throughout. Also CNBC-TV18 was covering the event live and the fastest runner in the Mens event clocked around 27 minutes.

All in all I just finished the clock when it read 10.02AM with couple of seconds. So precisely I manged to finish the race in 60 minutes and 20 seconds. My target of under 60 minutes was always there. I guess I'll slowly prepare for a 50 minute 10K soon but then its time for preparing for long runs with a couple of marathons to compete later this year. Finally met up with Biswa at the certificate counter and then with Joseph. Thanks to Joseph's wife, our another ritualistic picture was taken and I'll put that across once he mails me up. Sunfeast folks seem to be giving away their biscuits about everywhere and this time it was at the refreshment counter. But I'll give thumbs up for their event management, good one Procam.

Until next time, catch us running.

Sunfeast World 10K in Bangalore

Sunfeast World 10K in Bangalore, May 25, 2008.

Registration now open online:

Sign Up Now
http://sunfeastworld10k.indiatimes.com/

I just registered for the open 10K event.