My First 42

My first 42.

I am saying this in 2 ways: First 42, and first 42! No, I am not 42, I am just 33... and considering my current infatuation to cycle, I feel 13 again... Haha, too filmy, but this '42' refers to distance and not age. My first 42 KMs at length, I attempted it last week. Not really during the ride, but now I feel proud of it- not because this distance (in my opinion) is a respectable figure (not really, you know! if you start reading blogs of people who cycle for fun, they travel way more than the subject of this blog, but still- every firsts have their own place!), but because till a few months back, I was a wimp who did nothing in this direction and now could pull this 87 KGs (that's my motivation, not a hard guess) on a cycle on my own, this- again in my opinion- is incredible.

The thought came on a random day- that I should try something unthinkable at this juncture. While looking around for destinations, Pradhikaran was an easy choice. It is my parent's home, I have a fixed destination to reach and the road is known. After fixing where to go, when to go was not a choice at all, Sunday.

Sunday morning, I started at about 6.15 and reached there at about 7.10. It took me little less than an hour to cover about 22 KMs and the experience was enriching. Those are the roads I have traveled through car, bus, train or on my bike, never on a cycle. It is a different feeling, the road, traffic, pits, walkers all are different. It feels as if everyone is conspiring against you. The feeling never faded, even when i reached the destination.. but that's a different story...

Best part of the journey was when I reached the place, my dad was sitting on his bike, supervising the rentees leaving the place and taking away their goods. He looked at me, but did not identify me, looked through me as if I was a lost stranger waiting for some directions from him. When I removed my goggles and cap, then he realized its me, gave a shocked smile and took me in. It is a frightening feeling when your own kin does not recognize you, does not identify with you, refuse to take you in and treat you like a stranger. I am not new to the feeling, I get it day in and day out from my relatives, who prefer to ignore me even in my presence, let alone behind me. But that coming from my dad was a little nudging.

After spending 20-25 minutes there, I learnt a good lesson- the hardest part of the journey is going back. Even if you are heading back to a place you want to get, still the toughest part is to start off for that return journey. I took me similar amount of time for the return travel, but the efforts were heavier than the 'to' travel. Isn't it always?

Now a days, it has become very easy to appreciate yourself. Selfies, facebook, blogs, whatsapp status... things are available around us. Whatever you do, small or huge, you can declare and gather some appreciation. It was a rare case earlier, appreciation was difficult to get as definition of achievement was governed by others, not yourself. Degree of appreciation also varied and so did the forms. Now, likes and 'wow, great, keep it up' and emoticons express on our behalf. I am cribbing but I am also comfortable in it, I don't have to pour my heart out! But I also feel, in the world of emoticons, we also miss out on purest forms of happineesses, sadnesses. We don't get  'jumping with joy' kind of a feeling any more, neither get 'so sad that feel like weeping'. I am living in world where expressing to yourself can also be though emoticons. Lol!

So, I immediately took a selfie, posted it on facebook, got a few friends (!) to like it- comment on it, shared with a few who do not bother to see facebook etc. Weird mindset...



Why am I writing this blog? To (again!) declare that I did this? To gather some more appreciation? No, i guess not. I am writing all this to console myself. To pat my own back and say, 'there there. It is alright. You can do better'. Why? I met a ~50 year old person near a store in Pune the other day, at about 7 o'clock at night, who had rid 400 kms that day and reached the place. I also read a blog of a 19 year old who has done stretches of 600 KMs in 40 hrs and so and now wishes to travel the world by covering 300 kms per day. After all this, I found my 42 futile and the discussions boastful!!

"there there. Its alright! You can do better..."

Bicycle diaries

I have written about it before as well. Now again, as the liking has grown into a mild form of passion. I had a small city bike, which I proudly took to roads, took to service stations (where I got humiliated for cheap bike. "ही काय कचकड्याची सायकल आहे अरे, तू इथे आणू नकोस, मी हात लावायचे १२०० रुपये घेतो अरे... " anyways). So, I used to ride that small one, with a doubt in mind if it is capable of carrying my current weight. it made noises while passing through pits and speed-breakers (both are synonymous) and made me wonder. Finally, with lot of courage and thoughts, I bought a new bicycle.

One will not believe, the thing that I have, costs as much as my iPhone 6. Yes, 30k. It has 3 ride modes and 8 gears- no doubt, it also has aggressive posture as against upright one with city bike- no questions again. Still, spending 30k on a bicycle was too much to digest for most people around me, except me, Rashmi and Kabir!

I bought this one- Schwinn bike on 28th August 2017. Since then, I am riding it to commute to office and on weekends across city. I intend to use it more often, more like the only option. That is a long term goal, short term would be to ride about 60-70 KMs in a day, to begin with to reach Akurdi and come back. (22 kms one way, so about 44). (I have changed my job recently, shifted from HIV field to education field, thus this language of short term goals and long term goals etc., occupational hazards!)

It takes endurance and patience to ride a bicycle, especially when you are tired and the road ahead is a hill. That is the time when I speak to myself, ask myself that 'this is why I ride a bicycle, this is the moment for which all this is happening.' Such 'self-motivation' is usually futile, as you are the one listening to yourself, so you can always choose to ignore yourself!! Too much of 'you', but that is where it all boils down to!

Riding a bicycle on roads of Pune is a skill. The traffic is non-cognizant to bicycles, I have experienced cars and trucks overtaking me from left and right sides, honking on me. I pity such situations.

One funny thing, whose-ever meet me and talk to me about cycling, they appreciate the efforts, say great things about how everyone should do it etc. Almost everyone has also expressed disbelief on how much expensive a bicycle could be and I must be a fool to invest so much in it.

Am i a fool? Could be, but surely not in this case! :)

Paus

Paus... rains...

I was cycling back... to house... tired.... rain pouring...

with, what all?- a geared bicycle, raincoat, head cap, helmet, goggles, speedometer (showing less than 9 km/hr speed), small bag specially taken for cycling and what not....

still, tired... dragging....

i approach one of the slum areas, i dislike to travel through it, not because of 'slumness' but the way people look, like I am some decorated moron, a clown huffing to reach home desperately.

I cross it, happily and then turn towards the main road. I have a stretch of about 1/2 a km, which is slight high road, something a dislike further.

suddenly, a skinny bicycle travels parallel with me, with two kids riding it, one on the wheel and the other sitting behind, driving by mouth.

"are chalaa, chalaa... woh paani ka khadda... usme se lele... chalaa"

Kids, wearing a dirty shirt and short, either of it must be of their school's, nothing for the rains, nothing for anything else for that matter. No raincoats, no speedometers, no nothing.

the 'Armstrong' looked at me, grinned, and stated working hard on the pedals. With a blink of an eye, they overtake me and lough out real loud.

"sahi re... mast mara cycle... piche giraya use.... ab aur jor se..."

Armstrong looked back at me, this time grin was replaced by smile... smile of victory...

Me, looking at him, smiling back at him... thinking about the victorious defeat...


I reach the main road... huffing... with a smile on my face.

Cycling- back

Cycling to office is not at all same as going back home.

I stay in a hilly place, hilly means at the top of a little elevated hill like area (that's what I said!). It is a nice place to stay, difficult to reach. There are 2 steep slopes on the way and overall climbing up. It takes the s@#t out of one if a beginner. Am i a beginner? Always... :(

While coming back from office, I have to cross the road twice. I mean there are 2 right turns I have to take. That is the first challenge to face. Wave hands, look behind, do whatever gestures you can, cars and bikes go by you as if they will die if they allow the bicycle to cross through. It takes lot of courage and stamina to cross the road and cruise to the desired direction.

Once done, there comes the steeps. Those kill me, kill my enthusiasm... I start doubting my ability as well as reason for riding the bicycle. 

There was a time, in school days, when bicycle was the only kind of vehicle allowed (and owned, or given!), climbing steep slopes was never an issue. It was easy, like any other road. There was one enemy road back then as well, but the rage never lasted after I climbed the road every day. While coming back I used to love the road, for letting me glide effortlessly. 

Now, the slopes don't excite me. They warn me, that too much speed can also be dangerous, that this speed can render me dead, or broken at least, that this speed, is a gift, not an achievement. 

There are days countable on fingertips, when I have reached home without getting off the seat, when I have successfully completed the travel- including road crossings and steep slopes- while peddling the wheels. Otherwise, always, I get down least twice. Less due to external obstacles, more because of the ones within!!

Cycling

Cycling

As mentioned in my earlier post, i like doing things... So, my recent attempt is taking bicycle to office. My office is about 4.5 KMs away from home, so it is a ride of about 9 KMs per day, which i feel is decent (though, one of my friends the other day said he rode for 23 Kms and it felt nothing. Common.... 23??).
So, i took out the bicycle yesterday, cleaned it (yes, had to wipe the dust off, clean the joints. Old unused goods need cleaning on first use, u see!), had to pump in some air and I was good to go. It took me 35 mins to travel the distance (which is extra-ordinarily too much... now i feel so!). But, when i reached office, drenched in sweat, little dizzy and powerless for a while. I regretted for a while to get to office on a bicycle but later, it felt good.I felt i have done something for myself, it is a rare feeling for me!

Traveling on a bicycle has few benefits, 3. it saves fuel 2. it helps you burn some fat 1. and the most important, it slows you down. On road, when you are travelling with a speed of 8-10 kms/hr, you can see all the other vehicles overtaking you, speeding ahead, rushing- almost always unnecessarily. Large 4WD ones honking and attempting to take you over. Largeness has issues, i feel. Larger you are, more problematic is the maneuvering. And it is true not only for vehicles!

I met some of my relatives yesterday. In laws to be precise. I told them, just out of fun, that "look, i think the bicycle has thinned down a little." They took some time to realize the joke, but when they did, their comment was... how do I say, hurting. 
"Please mark the calendar for days you use the bicycle"

Hmm... I know my track record is not trustworthy. I have proven to fail too many times, especially on the exercise front. But, I am yet to give up!. There are instances where I have given up, so I won't say 'I never give up' and all crap. Nobody is that way, I suppose. Everyone has to give up something sometime, it depends what you choose to give up!

As a result of the brief conversation, I got the bicycle today as well. Though I was a little late for office, still!

Such criticism can get one off track and make sure one never comes back. Sometimes, it helps one perform. Did it help me?

I reached office in 15 mins!!

One thing at a time

One thing at a time... Yes, that's how I happen to work...

I am an ordinary man. I have small dreams, want to set my life on an ideal course. But I feel, i can do only one thing at a time. I read in the inspirational type books a list of things you must do everyday... i agree to all of them, but can not do it all.

If I decide to follow child psychology and dedicate complete attention to Kabir, then i stay awake for a long time at night. Then 'read till you drop' motto goes off. Then i can not get up early in the morning and 'early to bed early to rise' sleeps back to bed. 
Reducing the belly fat has been my ambition for a long... long time. Has never worked so far. You need dedication and getting up early. Exercise and hike/walk should become an integral part of your routine. Child psychology does not take into account physical fitness of the parents...

Visiting gods (sitting at home) has always made me feel good. Meditating and dhyana are fascinating, at least feel like i am trying to give some time to myself. But, it has conditions, dependencies. Unless all the other things are clear, one can not do these. If i get up at 8.30 in the morning, need to reach office at least by 10.30 (my office starts at 9.30, I am ill-famous for being 'supremely punctual'), then clean yourself and do all other biologically required things consumes most of my time. On top of that, if Kabir gets up then whoa... It is a different game all together. Where will i find god in all this?

I love to work in the garden. Plant trees, water them, see them blooming and fruiting (i don't know what they call when a plant has fruits), it is a pleasing joy! This joy also is expensive. it demands time, water availability etc. And what will pose as a question is really unpredictable...


If I try to become a perfect father, I have to live with the fat tummy. If I follow strict (not even strict, loose will also do)fitness regime, then my plants and books go unwatered. If i decide to eat breakfast everyday, i usually miss the lunch! If i decide to read the books i like, i miss on to the sweet mischief of Kabir. 

So basically if i do one, i miss other 7. I think that is fine, that is life. 

It is good to be ideal, but fun to miss things. That's human!