Arun Gupta, Miles to go ...

Running in the streets of Rome

During my overnight stay in Rome 2 days back, the hotel's wifi network was down and the fitness center was closed for renovation. An old grumpy guy at the front desk, who was humming songs and had absolutely no concept of greeting / smile, checked me in. The "world class buffet" was pretty mediocre with limited selections and was advertised on the incorrect floor. Really ancient, not antique, just old & worn out, faucets in the shower made me wonder.

But anyway, the good thing was that the stairs to the 7th floor were outside the hotel so I got a good workout by climbing them 5 times.

And of course, I created my running course around the hotel. Please click on the interactive map below:

Running 15 of these loops gave me somewhat hill repeats because of the elevation involved.

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Pictures from Rock'n'Roll San Jose Half Marathon 2009

Here are some pictures (courtesy ASI Photo) from my recently concluded Rock-n-Roll San Jose Half Marathon:

Technorati: running marathon rnrsj rocknroll sanjose results

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Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon 2009 Completed - 6:57 pace, personal best!

I ran Rock 'n' Roll San Jose 1/2 marathon this morning - oh what a joy!

The race was very well organized, ample parking space in the San Jose Downtown, very well marked course, 14 lively local rock bands playing through out the course, gun time at each mile marker, short queues at porta potties, nice big sized medal, and last but not the least cheerful crowd at each turn was very pumping.

And all that contributed to run my personal best so far, the results and time splits are:

These are my best timings for 5K, 10K, 10 mile and 1/2 marathon so far. Its exciting to shave off 34 secs from the pace from little over 2 months ago in San Francisco 1/2 Marathon. Read previous marathon results.

The winner was Meb Keflezighi who completed in 1:01:00 at 4:40 pace, congratulations! I'm happy with my results :)

I followed a 1:30 pacer for the first 10 miles but then constant coughing slowed me down little bit. But, I still enjoyed running the wide streets of downtown!

Check out couple of pictures after the finish line:

Some friends and family members ran along with me which made the marathon a special event as well. As you can see, kids also ran in their own spirit. Completing 400 miles of training from Jul-Sep 2009 was not possible without family's support, many thanks to them!

Enjoy a small video clip of the start line and at 4.5 mile:

Some improvement suggestions ...

• The pacers showed up barely 10 minutes before the start of marathon. And their timing flags did not pop out until right before the race. I've seen pacers at other marathons ready typically 15-20 minutes before the start with their flags wide above the runners.
• The water station volunteers were very cheerful and enthusiastic but were way too many. They were literally jamming the running route at some places. If a runner wants water, they'll come get it so please keep them back and the running route empty.
• Generally I don't hydrate during 1/2 marathons at all. But felt the need to drink some Cytomax around 8 miler and so grabbed a glass. It had more ice (biiig cubes) than Cytomax which certainly made drinking a bit of challenge, especially if you are trying to keep the pace as well. The glass should contain liquid and only that to make it easy for the runners.

Over all, I thoroughly loved and will most likely run it again next year, hopefully with a better timing :)

UPDATED: More detailed results (compared to other runners) are now available:



Fully searchable results and leader board is also available:

Read more detailed story listing the records made etc. here.

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Running Summary Q3 2009 – 400 miles, 80% of running days

Here is the summary of my running logs from Q3 2009 (Jul - Sep):

Even though 3 days of less running than Q2, but the overall mileage was increased. Barely hit that 400 miles mark in Q3 and it did took some extra efforts to reach there ;-) But now tapering for the upcoming Rock-n-Roll 1/2 Marathon this weekend.

5 miles was the most favorite distance being run 17 times and 19.7 miles and 17.4 miles were run only once.

Would you like to generate similar charts for your running logs as well ?

This can be easily achieved using a Rails application or a Wicket application on GlassFish.

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TheRelay 2010 Rules Simplified – Are you interested in running ?

12 runners run 200 miles in 36 segments (each in varying length of 3 to 8.9 miles) through 36 cities (Calistoga to Santa Cruz) on a moonlight weekend Ultimate combination of cooperation, teamwork, endurance, and strategy to meet the goal.

TheRelay is a 200 mile, 12-member team run from Calistoga to Santa Cruz. The race is organized under full moonlight and is scheduled for May 1-2, 2010. The registration is already open and closes Mar 1, 2010.

The race is divided into 3 leg groups as explained here with each group consisting of 12 different legs. For competitive teams (desiring to be recognized as 1st, 2nd or 3rd winners), each runner must run every 12th leg. For non-competitive teams, it is not required but recommended for logistical purposes.

The start times are 7am - 5pm at Calistoga Beverage Company and calculated using the runners' pace. The finish time is 10am - 8pm at the Santa Cruz Beach. Your team is penalized (even disqualified) and featured in "Sandbaggers Hall of Shame" if you finish more than 2 hours ahead of predicted time. So accurate timing of each member of your race team is essential. Read The Rules for more details.

Each team must provide 2 vehicles that are used to transport the runners. Van 1 carry (Active) runners 1-6 and required at the start point. Van 2 (Passive) carry runners 7-12 and is required at the first exchange point at the end of leg 6. The complete logistics of how runners exchange batons, how to take shower / eat / rest / play between your legs and other similar details are described in the Survival Strategies. The vans also must carry all supplies as there are aid stations during the course.

Each team must (if any runner lives within 50 miles of the course) provide two volunteers that sign up for a 5 hours shift on the course.

Here is the complete course map:

More details on the course (including elevation) are available here.

Each team must mail one non-refundable check of $960 ($80/runner) by Mar 1 and must raise $600 ($50/runner) for Organs 'R' Us.

Here are some more questions:

• For a non-competitive team, can the team captain pick & choose the legs for each runner based upon their skill ?
  • Could it be a logistics mess ?
  • What if some variance is introduced between Runner 1-6 and 7-12 ?
• Can the number of individual runners be less than 12 ? For example, one individual represents more than one runner.
• What is the difference between Open, Submasters and Masters division ?

I may be forming a team to participate in this "California's Longest Party" and 2 runners have already approached me. Are you interested ?

Do you have it in you to complete this adventure ?

Miles to go ...

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Cross training for Runners using Biking

Biking is a great way to cross-train for runners, it helps endurance and builds strength. And it also gives much needed break to your legs and knees :)

Here is the route I covered this morning biking approx 18.5 miles in San Jose/Cupertino/Saratoga neighborhood:

Click on the map for more details.

And here is the elevation map:

And this had to end with a 3 mile run, on a treadmill though.

With a total of 329 miles covered this quarter, there is 60 more miles to go in the next couple of weeks to meet 400 miles goal.

How do you cross-train for running ?

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Running Inspirational Quotes from “Ultra Marathon Man: Confessions of an all-night runner”

Just finished reading Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner. This book is authored by Dean Karnazes (popularly known as "Karno") - an ultra endurance runner. The book describes Karno's journey of becoming an ultra endurance runner and is highly inspirational. I give a strong recommendation for any runner to read this book (buy @ Amazon). Here is a very brief list of his running accolades: 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days 9 times solo finisher of The Relay (199+ miles) 11 times silver buckles (sub-24 hour finish) Western State 100-mile Endurance Run 7 times Badwater Ultramarathon (135 miles foot race in 120 degrees), won in 2004 South Pole Marathon 2002 Winner (only person to complete the event in running shoes) and many many many more ...

Here are some inspirational / motivational / training quotes from the book:

1. Don't run with your legs, run with your heart.
2. If running feels good, you didn't push hard enough. It's supposed to hurt like hell.
3. Go out harder and finish harder.
4. Running is about finding your inner peace, and so is a life well lived.
5. Pain and suffering are often the catalysts for life's most profound lessons.
6. If you had the courage, stamina, and persistence to cross the finish line, you are a champion.
7. Long distance runners requires a certain discretion and reserve. It's easy to let you ego get the better of you early on and run beyond your means. It's a mistake that may haunt as the miles and the hours add up.
8. When exhaustion sets in, the mind often rationalizes the irrational. For example, 38 miles = 1 marathon + 2 10 Ks.
9. Pain is the body's way of ridding itself of weakness.
10. Most dreams die a slow death. They're conceived in a moment of passion, with the prospect of endless possibility, but often languish and are not pursued with the same heartfelt intensity as when first born. Slowly, subtly, a dream becomes elusive and ephemeral.
11. If you can't run then walk. And if you can't walk then crawl. Do what you have to do. Just keep moving forward and never, even give up.
    
    A shorter version of the above quote is:
    
    Run when you can
    Walk if you have to
    Crawl if you must
    Just never give up.
12. Runners are real people. They don't run for money or recognition, they do it out of passion. Most have day job that pay the bills, and running is a labor of love.
13. Without discipline to rise before dawn and pound out the miles, you'll never make it. If the fire in your heart isn't strong, there's no point trying.
14. How to run an ultramarathon ? Puff out your chest, put one foot in front of the other, and don't stop till you cross the finish line.
15. When it gets right down to it, the levels of commitment and devotion required to excel as an ultra-endurance athlete are all-consuming.
16. The human body is capable of amazing physical deeds. If we could just free ourselves from our perceived limitations and tap into our internal fire, the possibilities are endless.
17. Pursuit of a passion matters more than the passion itself. Immerse yourself in something deeply and with heartfelt intensity - continually improve, never give up - this is fulfillment, this is success.
18. Struggling and suffering are the essence of a life worth living. If you're not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you're not demanding more from yourself - expanding and learning as you go - you're choosing a numb existence. You're denying yourself an extraordinary trip.

I only wish to reach up to 10% of his level ... that's my first "baby step". And certainly a dream would be run/train along with him :)

Follow him at @DeanKarnazes or subscribe to his blog.

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Rancho San Antonio County Park - Ideal location for Hill Workouts

Content available at: http://blog.arungupta.me/2009/08/rancho-san-antonio-county-park-ideal-location-for-hill-workouts/.

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San Francisco Marathon 2009 Finishers Certificate & Pictures

Here is my official San Francisco Half Marathon finishers certificate:



And here are some pics (credits marathonfoto.com):

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Track your running miles using JRuby, Ruby-on-Rails, GlassFish, NetBeans, MySQL, and YUI Charts

This blog introduces a new application that will provide basic tracking of your running distance and generate charts to monitor progress. There are numerous similar applications that are already available/hosted and this is a very basic application. What's different about this ?

The first version of this application is built using JRuby, Ruby-on-Rails, GlassFish Gem, MySQL, and NetBeans IDE. This combination of technologies is a high quality Rails stack that is used in production deploymnet at various places. Still nothing different ?

A similar version of this application will be built using a variety of Web frameworks such as Java EE, Grails, Wicket, Spring and Struts2 (in no particular order). The goal is to provide a similar application, slightly bigger than "Hello World," built using different frameworks and deploy on GlassFish. Each framework will then be evaluated based upon the criteria ranging from the basic principles of framework, ease-of-use in design/development/testing/debugging/production of this web app, database interaction, tools support, ability to add 3rd party libraries, browser compatibility and other points. 

An important point to note is that this is not an exhaustive evaluation of different Web frameworks and the scope is limited only to this application.

A complete list of frameworks planned is available here. The criteria used to evaluate each framework is described here. Your feedback in terms of Web frameworks and evaluation criteria is highly appreciated.  Please share your feedback on the users list.

Now the first version of application. The complete instructions to check out and run the Rails version of this application are available here.

Here are some charts generated using the application:



and



YUI is used for all the charting capabilities.

And here is a short video that explains how the application work:



If you are a runner, check out the application and use it for tracking your miles. A sample runlog is available in "test/fixtures/runlogs.yml" and races in "test/fixtures/races.yml".

If you know Rails, please provide feedback if the application is DRY and using the right set of helpers.

If you'd like the existing list of web frameworks to be pruned or include another one to the list, let us know.

Share you feedback at users@runner.kenai.com.

Technorati: jruby rubyonrails glassfish netbeans mysql yahoo yui chart running miles framework

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San Francisco Half Marathon 2009 Completed - Personal Best so far!

I ran San Francisco Half Marathon 2009 yesterday and here are the results:



I'm excited about the results because improved my timing by almost 3 minutes. And running on Golden Gate Bridge is always a great experience. As always, the race was very well organized starting from expo to bib/tee-shirt distribution, well marked course, water and medical stations, local community support, buses from half marathon finish line to start line and every thing else. A few possible improvements are listed below.

I saw Dean Karnazes (50/50/50 marathon man) and met Bart Yasso (Yasso 800 man) in the Expo. There is certainly a wealth of knowledge to pick up from these elite runners.

1. Really, really, really qualify runners in Wave 1. Ask them for a qualifying time from a previous race or something. Walkers and 10-minute milers are NOT Wave 1.
2. Separate the course going on/off the Golden Gate Bridge, not just with orange cones, but with an additional rope. Otherwise slower runners spill over on the other side and almost bumping into the faster runners.
3. The expo hall had a wonderful set of exhibitors but it became really crowded as the day progressed. Either an alternate location or back to Market/Embaracdero next year is a better option.

1. Run a half-marathon with 7ish pace
2. Qualify for Boston - probably next year

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Running Pet Peeves - Running San Francisco Marathon 2009 First 1/2

I've been running for many many years now and got into long distance running 4 years ago. Just love outdoor running and use treadmill for speed workouts and hills. Treadmill is a very predictable environment and allows you to focus on particular aspects of training. Most of my workouts are in the neighborhood and I generally try to run on business trips. As much as I enjoy running, I have my share of pet peeves experienced over these past years.

1. Leashed dog who are wandering multiple feet away from the owners and certainly all the unleashed dogs chasing/barking people in public areas.
2. Abreast walkers on the trail not willing to give up way for the runners coming behind. They just look behind and continue walking at 2 miles/hour.
3. All the more weird, walkers abreast on the trail not willing to give up way for runners coming from front.
4. Group runners who run abreast, love to chat and don't yield to other runners.
5. Hikers who move to right when you say "right" coming from behind ... ouch!
6. Drivers yapping on their phone, not paying any attention to oncoming traffic and especially to pedestrian/walkers/runners.
7. Another similar one, drivers unwilling to yield on unprotected right turn for walkers/runners with right of way.
8. In races, runners (more like fast walkers) who sign up for Wave 1 and 2 where as they should really be Wave 6 or 7. They just cause extra traffic for faster runners.
9. In races again, right before or after the start the runners who take a deviation start peeing off anywhere they like ... yuck! Have seen it all the times in early morning races, especially San Francisco Marathon. I think one of the San Francisco Marathon photographers should shoot each runner's photo who is spoiling the bay with their dump and then publish them.
10. Walkers/runners who just stop to fix a shoe lace or itch or something else without bothering to check if there is somebody coming fast behind them.
11. Runners who expect a return "hello/hi" from you when you are totally focused on getting that last stretch completed.

Posted by Arun Gupta in Running  |  Comments[4]

Running Streak in Q2 2009 - 378.5 miles, 77/91 days of running

Continued from Q1 2009 running streak, here is a summary of Q2 (Apr 1 - Jun 30) 2009 running:

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Running inside Parque Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre

I ran 10 laps in Parque Moinhos de Vento and it felt good :)



After strength training for past 2 days at the hotel, felt nice to run outside.

Anybody interested in running together until Sunday ?

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Rails Conf 2009, Las Vegas - Day 2 Run

Eight of us started at 6:15am this morning from the Hilton Lobby, looped around Las Vegas Country Club and another short loop in the neighborhood for a total of 5.2 miles in 43:18 mins.

Interested in running together while attending Rails Conf ? Follow @railsConfRunner and meet us at 6:15am in the Hilton lobby.

And don't forget your Tequilas - it's Cinco de Mayo!

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