Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak 2019

Wishing you all a very happy Diwali, and a healthy, peaceful, fun year ahead!!

How did you celebrate Diwali this year? What are your traditions?

Growing up, I spent every single Diwali in Agra. My parents believe in Radhasoami faith, and New Year Day is our biggest bhandara of the year, celebrating our last guru, Babuji Maharaj. I have fond memories of all my visits there. We would get to do most things associated with Diwali - yummy food, sweets, dressing up in new clothes, firecrackers, watching the local Soami Bagh kids perform at the cultural event (my sister and I even got to be judges for a few years), meets n greets with so many people, but above all, doing Satsang 4 times a day. Looking back, it was the Satsang that grounded me, and brought a lot of the meaning behind the festivals to life.

Here in the US, I don't have many traditions for Diwali (or any festival, for that matter), with the family. It sounds boring and maybe bad but at least I'm honest. Some years, I do a lot of cooking and prep work, host parties, decorate many corners of the house, put lights outside (re-use the Christmas lights during this time), and some years, we keep it low key. This year was a low key year. We went to celebrate the festival to my sister's house in the bay area. They just moved into a new home so it was their first Diwali at the new house, and we had a lovely family time. I did the decorations as my job for the day. And besides that, any day I get to spend with the 4 kids - hers and mine - is THE best day in my life.

Right after Diwali dinner on Saturday night, they lost power (PG&E power outages have been awful this year; thankfully, we don't have PG&E so no cuts for us, so far). We wrapped up the party in the best way we could with no lights, and headed out of the house as it wasn't safe to stay there longer. My sister went to a friends place, and we decided to drive back home. The whole weekend was sort of unplanned except for the Saturday evening party, and that was one more reason I couldn't really carve time to do much at my home.

Last week was also a week where I logged my highest mileage so far - 41 miles in 7 days. Perhaps that's another reason I had no energy to generate hoopla for the festival weekend.

Sunday afternoon we went to our local BAPS mandir, for Annakoot darshan. Our kids go to the temple every Sunday for classes, so we have built a small community of friends there and feel at home. It was really nice to be able to meet everyone and wish them in person. Today being our New Year, I hope to do a small Satsang at home before dinner time with the kids and husband.

Browsing social media this morning got me thinking again (just like how I had felt on New Years's Day this year). What really does Diwali mean? Is it just all the outside stuff, like lighting diyas, bursting fire crackers, eating food, and dressing up? Call it growing old, or being anti-social, or increasingly becoming an introvert, none of that entices me anymore.

The real celebration would be to be able to share what I can, to illuminate the path of others. It doesn't have to be big - it can be several small things, daily acts of random kindness, being there in a time of need, taking coffee for a teacher, taking someone for their first run, or showing an exercise routine to a friend at the gym, or discussing the benefits of a plant based diet and sharing my learnings - the opportunities are endless. I strongly believe in giving back, and there is never a week that goes by where I haven't volunteered my time, resources or efforts towards others. This new year day, I hope (and will plan) to do a LOT more of giving back, in whatever way possible. I hope more people join me, and we can make the lives of those who are not as fortunate or lucky better in whatever way possible.

New Years' is also a time for resolutions, but I follow the Western calendar for those. I did go for a short run today during my lunch hour. I'm already working on my list for 2020, and can't wait to see how it unfolds. Till then, time to focus on the marathon and look forward to a family vacation during Christmas Break!

Sr. R update

This space is my comfort zone. Not many in my day to day circle know that I blog, and I hope it remains that way. As long as I'm not discussing what I wrote here in personal life, I'm fine. I need this space and that space to be separate, for my sanity.

The last I posted about the kids was in my new year post. 

So let's begin with 2019.....

At the beginning of this year, the daughter was in 2nd grade, and she had an easy year, and a mellow teacher. I had some concerns with her progress, but in hindsight, as I write this today, I am SO glad she had the year she did. Her teacher was very kind and loving, a bit forgetful and not on top of things all the time, but it was only 2nd grade....the daughter had the best year socially and emotionally. 

She loved playing basketball through spring, continued her swim/kathak/keyboard lessons, and spent a part of her summer break at our local gym, where they learnt so many new games, sports skills, team building aspects, and in general, had an active TV free time. It was her first summer break going to a proper summer camp, and I'd say it was pretty good. 

We took the kids to Yosemite during Spring break. If you ever want to visit this gorgeous paradise on earth, early Spring is THE BEST time. The waterfalls are at their roaring best, there is greenery all around, and there are far less crowds than summer/fall time. We had booked a heated cabin right in the valley, under half dome - we were 7 people in one cabin, and we had the best time at the perfect location. 

The mist trail in Yosemite is the most popular trail - the hike starts at the Happy Isles Trail head, climbs up to Vernal Falls, then Nevada Falls, and then continues to the iconic Half Dome. We took the kids all the way upto Nevada Falls - I was very proud of them because its a tough trail, misty (that's how it gets its name) with patches of snow when we went, and quite a bit of elevation gain. The kids were champs!!

The next day, we took up another challenging trail to upper Yosemite falls - we couldn't go all the way to the top as its a pretty long and tough hike, but we climbed enough to get fantastic views and a great workout. 

We also went to Bridalveil falls where we all got drenched while soaking in the beauty and the roar - these falls have a very small window during the year where they are full, and we went at the perfect time to experience it. 

When I came to US in Jan 2000, Yosemite was the first national park I visited during Spring break of 2000, and I did the mist trail to Nevada Falls back then for the first time. It was a nostalgic and memorable trip for me this time, being able to experience it again with the kids and husband after all these years. 

In July, we took another road trip to the Pacific North West, driving from Folsom to Vancouver through central Oregon and Washington, and covering the Oregon Pacific coast on the way back. I will do a separate post on it, but it was SO BREATHTAKING and memorable. This was our third national park road trip in a row, having done Death Valley and Zion last November during Thanksgiving break. It's a bit more work for husband n I to plan and execute these trips, but these are the kinds of experiences I dig and cherish, so the extra effort is worth it. 

In August, kids started the new academic year. For the first time, they are now at the same school so one pickup and one drop-off for us HURRAY!! 

The daughter has a Gujarati teacher (Ms. Patel) this year....she was pretty excited to be in her class. She's been okay so far - I won't write much here as this is a public domain, but it's going to be an interesting year for me as a parent. But school is school, and she is only in 3rd grade, and I try not to take too much stress about academics at this point.

She took a break from soccer last year but is back at it this year. She's not great at it, but I love that soccer forces us to get outdoors on the field three times a week, and gives her much needed outdoor exercise as well as team playing skills. She continues her swim (she is at comp level), she did competitive basketball tryouts and got selected so basketball comp training just started this past Sunday, and she also started vocal singing lessons with her brother. We've taken a break from Kathak as we tried 2 teachers so far, and both got pregnant and stopped teaching. At this point, there is no activity other than soccer that I have to drive them separately for, and that has been a big blessing for us in terms of logistics. 

Arts, Sciences and Sports are the three top things she loves. Although she says she is not fond of dancing, after every performance on stage, she asks me when is the next one? The social aspect of hanging out with girlfriends, listening to new songs and learning a choreographed routine brings joy to her....

She is also a big foodie, and given a choice, would spend all her free (or busy ;)) time in the kitchen. She loves chopping vegetables, running the juicer, adding spices to curries that we cook - I want to take her interest to the next level in 2020 and teach her a few basic recipes that she can independently cook. Her top choice is brownies :). But we will add in some healthy items too. 

Oh, she is also now into Harry Potter. We are taking it slowly, she is yet to watch the movies, but she has the entire set, and will slowly finish it. We are going to London next summer, so Potter world is on the list to visit for her. I can't wait for her brother to join her in a year or so.....and we will become Potter maniac household for few years. 

By the grace of God and blessings of everyone around us, she is growing up happy and healthy!!

Marathon Training

Hello there!

It's been months again since I popped in here...I need to make writing a habit and discipline, as soon as possible! I miss it so much!

There is SO much going on, life is full and filled with joy!

Today, I want to share a few things about the #1 thing on my priority list right now - training for my first full marathon, CIM (California International Marathon) on Dec 8th.

Having done a few half's last year and this year, as well as some trail runs, I wanted to keep the momentum going and knock out this bucket list item. It's an intimidating goal, to say the least. I have no idea how I gathered the courage to sign up last December, the day the registration opened up. But I did it!! And here we are....

Official training started in August, but I kept running from Jan through May to keep up with the routine and fitness level. I had an injury scare in May after running a half marathon so I consulted a PT, and took a break for couple months from running during summer break. I was anxious and nervous about the injury, as well as the training load when August came around. It's been 10+ weeks into training now, and I can say it's easily the most intense routine I've undertaken in my life so far.
I have been going to the PT as and when needed to ensure that the injury doesn't flare up, and am training under the guidance of 3 running coaches as part of a group, so I hope I am doing all the right things to prevent serious injury. At this point, the goal is to get to the start line healthy - if I can do that, I know I can run the race!!!

There are also a ton of other things that you need to worry about other than the runs itself. Running is an expensive sport, in my opinion. Not only you pay for all the races you run, you need to invest in good shoes, socks, clothing that doesn't chaff, visors/hats, hydration pack, gels/food for long run, electrolytes that don't cause GI issues, a good GPS watch for tracking, pre-post workout nutrition, salt tabs, foam roller, epsom salt, massages to keep the legs fresh, and the list goes on. Each of these things takes trial and error until you figure out what works and what doesn't.

I read a quote recently which really stuck with me, "A marathon is hundreds of miles...the finish is the last 26.2". I am at the stage of training where we are running 4-5 days every week, with speed work on the track every Tuesday, tempo/fast paced runs every Thursday, and long slow runs that build endurance every weekend. It's been years I have been so disciplined about a lofty goal, outside of work and home responsibilities. I'm quite enjoying the intense pressure of sticking to the plan...it is changing me in ways I cannot describe yet.

I have also managed to build a supportive running community around me. I manage to find company whether it's 5.45 am on a cold, dark, windy weekday, or on a Sunday morning for a 3+ hour run where you can go crazy if you don't have the right mindset and company to make it fun! Coached workouts are also fun, as the coaches are there to push and motivate us and those are days I let my body do the work, and give my mind a rest.

There have been a few downsides too. For the first time in many years, I could only go for Garba once. All other events fell on nights where I had a long run or race the next day, and I needed to rest my legs. I missed out on many fun times with my gujju gang this year. I've had to stay on top of my nutrition, and sometimes it gets tough to always find healthy, filling choices for snacks and meals. I feel like I eat every 2 hours, but thankfully I'm not gaining weight by sticking to a 100% plant based diet. I've also had to decline many social gatherings, and I have a feeling I've gotten distant from a few good friends who we used to hang out with often. None of them are runners - in fact, there is only 1 person from my Indian community who runs with me, so they don't relate to the running athlete lifestyle. Most people find it an obsession, and not a good one. I, on the other hand believe:

"Toeing the starting line of a marathon, regardless of the language you speak, the God you worship or the color of your skin, we all stand as equal. Perhaps the world would be a better place if more people ran." -Dean Karnazes.

Wish me luck please as the next 4 weeks are the most crucial, after which we will taper down to be ready for Dec 8th.

Sharing a few pictures of my journey so far....

We have amazing trails around our area....early morning runs means spectacular sunrises, calm waters with reflections, animal sightings, and an abundance of fresh air....

In love with these Injinji toe socks, such a huge game changer in preventing toe blisters....

The hills around where I live...the most tough running routes cross by my house....

The coaches always write quotes or motivational words during tough hilly workouts to keep us going.....

Sunrise - I wouldn't miss this for the world....

One of my consistent running partners - she is 61, a grandma, and perfect company for me. My running companions range from ages 49 through 73, every single person is older than me, and many are faster than me......

Flaunting my new Goodr's.....

On one of our long runs.....

My early bird group....we are moms who have kids in various sports and Saturdays are busy shuttling them for their games, so we always meet up early to get done by 8.30am....

A part of my running group at Tuesday track workout - I'm the only Indian in this paid coached group....