I am BACK :)

Hello Hi Namaste Salama Aa Gaye Phir Se Karne Hungama....

Sorry for disappearing from the blogosphere for so long. I didn't intend to take such a long break, but I am back for good now. I've missed writing, and more than writing, I've missed reading all my favorite blogs - Ramesh, Sriram, SK, so many more....hope you are all doing well.

I just read my last blog entry from June 2016 where I wrote about my UK trip - WOW, has it been 2 years that I didn't write anything here? Ouch!

Life has been kind and generous during this time. No illnesses or health scares, family is doing well, kids are doing great, and work @ Intel is creatively challenging but still provides me enough flexibility n balance as a working mum.

Kids are on summer break right now, and my parents will be here next weekend to spend the summer break with us. All of us are looking forward to their company!!

On the personal front, I took a break from running in 2015, 2016 but I picked it back up in 2017, and have been consistent at it.  It's all I think about, read about, and do most days. I've run many races since I resumed in August 2017 last year. A couple weeks ago, hubby decided to join me for his 1st half marathon, and we ran it together - a memorable experience for both of us!!

My next race is the Ragnar Tahoe in July. It's a team trail relay race, where you take turns and run for 24+ hours non-stop as a team. I've never done something like this before, and it's going to be challenging, especially at 7000ft altitude, the uphill climbs and a possible middle-of-the-night run. I'll keep you all posted on it - I'm nervous but excited!!

(https://www.runragnar.com/event-detail/trail/tahoe_ca)

Another thing I have immensely enjoyed since September 2017 is working out @Orange Theory Fitness. I love the coach led, interval training at this gym, and it helped me lose so many inches as well as lbs. I participated in many special events (like the dri-tri, which is a dry triathlon at the gym - 2000m rowing, 300 reps of body weight exercises, and a 5k run on the treadmill). A year ago, I was in no state to even complete it. I finished my first dri-tri in 54 mins - and I know I could have done better!!

After every workout, we also get a summary in the form of a bar chart below - I love analyzing the numbers....whether its my heart rate, or calories, or the zones, it's my jam! I used to go into the orange/red zone very quickly in the beginning, but my cardio health has improved and it takes a huge effort now to get into those zones and bank some splat points.

I have put my Orange Theory membership on hold for the summer, as we go to another gym with pools and kids activities as a family. It's been only 10 days since my last class, but I miss it terribly. I was addicted to it these past few months.

Summer is here - it's my favorite season of the year. The days are warm and long - we try to spend a ton of time outdoors. We've done local hikes, water play at splash parks, biking and park picnics so far. We have a camping trip coming up this weekend, followed by a few days exploring San Francisco and the bay area. Kids have been swimming at every available opportunity, and I'm hoping to take them whitewater rafting this weekend on the American River.

So - how are all of you doing? What exciting adventures do you have planned for summer? How has your 2018 been so far?

I'm hoping to post a lot more in the coming days....stay tuned!!