First time in snow.

Himalaya had always been an attraction to me. Now, that I have come to Delhi, it is fairly near than from my home, in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Last Friday we heard that there had been snowfall in Manali. This again raised our spirits to go for a trip to Manali. Our spirits had been raising frequently all winter but many things kept us away from going. Having got a PhD position abroad, my friend said that if we won't go now, we won't be able to go anytime. Therefore we decided to go out for the trip on the same weekend. He got some information about the bus services and one day before departue we changed our destination from Manali to Chopta which was relatively less visited by tourists.
Thursday night we called 'Dada', our third friend who is doing his doctorate in IIT Roorkee and told him to come to Roorkee bus stop on Friday night. He told he had to go to lab on the weekends.  said that I knew he wasn't going to go to lab. He laughed and found the time to come. Of course he had to take permissions from his guide by telling him that he was going to Delhi to meet his cousin.

Friday evening after the lab hours we packed our sweaters and spare clothes and went towards Srinagar (Uttarakhnad). Dada joined us in Roorkee. We reached Srinagar in the morning and enquired about the bus stand to Chopta. People told that the way to Chopta is blocked by snow and that we could reach there by another way via Rudraprayad. At Rudraprayad we got a jeep up to Ukhimath. There we came to know that the way was blocked even from here. The jeep driver told us that he could take us to a place called Bend from where the snow starts and where we could even find small rest house.
The path was scary as there had been a lot of landslides. We even talked of walking the way back down. As we were reaching Bend the rain started. Going up higher and higher the rain drops falling on the jeep window were becoming gel-like. Soon the gel-like drops turned to feather-like snow flakes. We were in the snow fall.
Stopping at Bend we quickly ran for shelter in the small hotel (It was like a small shop that served food) because we had cotton sweater. The hotel owner gave us raincoats made of polythene) It was safe to walk in the snowfall now.

We kept our luggage in the small room which they provided and walked up the road. Its hard to explain further. The photos can tell a much better story.

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Three quarters of a marathon.

Since the day I registered for the Mawana Sugars Indian Open Marathon, I knew that I wasn't able to complete the 42.2K distance in 4 hrs. There was an option of half marathon but then I thought I would be able to run more than that.
At the bib distribution, we got confused as where to pay the fees. We stood in a queue,  which  people said, was the place to deposit entry fees. I came out to be true. Met a boy there who had won 5th prize in 2011 edition of the marathon. He had come from Allahabad standing the whole night in general bogie. He needed rest, like many of those like him when the rain started slowly. He told he us that he was going to fall ill and can't even take any medicine in case there was doping test the next day.

Today morning me and one of my friends, Deepak, took an auto to India gate. Dropped our bags and stood at the starting line. Saw many of the people who have online presence in some form or the other. Rahul Vergese, Anil Kumar (his physique is awesome), and two dailymilers I know through their profile pics. I missed seeing Abhijeet who was running half marathon (I don't know how he looks like and neither does he).

The run started and I was exhausted in the first km :P. I stopped for water on the first aid station and drank a lot. Then started to run. Weather was beautiful for me but the boy we met yesterday had told that they didn't wanted it to be cold. So, I was worried for him. The last time I saw him at about 5K, he was leading. :) 

Many boys asked other people who were returning from switchbacks if there was any chip-detector at the end. When it wasn't there they cut through it, thus saving more than 200 meters or so. Around 40 minutes in, I heard a boy shouting for water. I was walking that time, with my electral bottle in one hand and clear water bottle they offered in other. I extended my hands and he grabbed it right. He drank a sip and threw it away. It was half full man! There laid it, among thousands of others, half full with clear drinking water..


Running and walking I completed my first round (~10 K) in 1:10. Deepak had already gone ahead when I had stopped for water for the first time. Later in the second round, saw a boy with one crooked leg limping swiftly on one leg. Well, he overtook me. I finished the second round in 2:25 (half marathon). I decide to complete one more round and then stop. Slowed down my speed and took more walking breaks. Left leg, ligament at the knee had some problem. I was a bit painful to step on it. Walking still was all right. More than that, I was feeling hungry ( Habbit of eating little every 3-4 hrs). Called a friend who was going to come as spectator to tell him to bring one paratha. It would have been great. (The rain stopped him.) Met Deepak who was returning from a switchback.

Half way of the third round a girl called me. "Bhaiyya, chaliye saath me". She was fast and was in her last lap. I ran with her for 5 minutes. Had my fastest km that time and still had not lost breath told her to go ahead thinking of my leg. It started raining after some time. I started feeling cold but was happy and enjoyed the rain. Hunger had increased. I wasn't feeling weak but just very hungry. On Rajpath again I saw Arun Bharadwaj. He wizzed past. Thought for a second, to run with him when he went past the signal and I had to stop until the vehicles went across. Never saw him again. At the India gate, near the end of third round, I knew I would complete the round in 4 hrs when I saw a woman selling corn. Obviously completed the round enjoying the corn.

Deepak ran the 4th round for half hour and came back. He had completed the half marathon in 2 hrs and later got slower.

We walked to Andhra bhawan for lunch after the prize distribution. The boy we met yesterday did not make it to the podium. A marathi girl won race in women's category. We were happy! :)

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Friday lab meet

We are four people in our lab including our project guide. Me, Ahmed and Vaishali. We are trying to make photosynthetic organisms to produce large quantities of alkanes or fatty acids so that they could be used as biofuel.
To get to know what each one of us is working on, we all meet together once a week on Friday and tell in brief what we have done this week. This is generally a practice in most labs. In addition to this one person has to give a presentation on some research work he/she has read. There's a week in one month where we can discuss any topic about science. Today was this day.

I chose to discuss shortly about the prisoner's dilemma. In this, two prisoners isolated from each other are asked to confess the crime which they did together. They can confess or remain silent. They are told that if they both confess then they will get 5 years' imprisonment and if one of them confesses, then the person who remained silent will be sent to jail for 10 years and the confessor will be set free.
I both remain silent then both of them would get 1 year imprisonment.

None of them know what the other person would say. "What if he confessed? I would rust in jail for 10 years."; is the natural thought of the prisoners. Being prisoners they most probably would act selfish and confess, so that they would be set free. However, the mos beneficial strategy for both of them is to stay silent. They would both get 1 year's term which is the least amount of sum of the term (2 years) anyone would get by their response to their query.

The whole point of discussing this in the meet was to emphasize upon the lab members that we all lab members should always cooperate among ourselves.

I really don't know if they got the point but even if someone defects, in real life, the loser always have a chance to play again. I don't know who came upon the strategy of "Tit for Tat".

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A year back and ahead.

It has been 13 months since I have started running. Being a weak runner, my longest run so far has been of 11 km last month into which I had included lots of walking breaks.
 Though my progress is very slow, I am happy because since last 3 months I am able to be on legs on more or less regularly. The first half of the year, in contrast, was filled with lots of injury breaks and some due to my laziness. I had a serious stress-related injury,which I am not sure what it was, that left me unable to even walk properly for a month. Under that frustration I also deleted my dailymile account.
I opened a fresh account after getting well. Meanwhile I had completed my M.Tech. at IIT Kharagpur and had got selected for PhD at ICGEB-New Delhi. Free time at IIT actually allowed to develop the habit. I continued running during vacation and actually it was more fun running in hills at home than on the track at college and the plain roads and trails in Delhi nowadays.

As I had deleted my dailymile account, I now have records of my runs/walks from July onwards. Looking at them my overall monthly mileage had been almost constant  from August to November (64-76 km/month).  Lower mileage in July was due to my freshly healed legs. Howevert the proportion of walks has been decreasing along the passing months.

As of December, 2012, I had my greatest mileage even after taking a full week's gap due to illness. This was pretty much due to my finding of singletrack trail in Sanjay-Van.

Other development was that of shunning barefoot running. I was running barefoot almost every time. I now use a minimal shoe, partly because its useless to have a heel cushion when you don't need it while running and partly because I get cramps on side of my legs if I use my "Power" shoes which have elevated heel. I use that only for walking, which still is useless. However I like  those "Power" shoes for their durability. I am thinking of using canvas shoes after I retire my current running shoes.

In the coming year, I would be trying to increase my mileage further. I want to run ultras. Therefore, for a runner of my ability, it would mean to be on legs most of the time walking and strengthening my legs slowly without facing the impact forces of running. For this I already have started to grab every opportunity to walk including running breaks in between.

Today I talked to one of my friends and we both decided to run in Mawana Sugars Marathon this February. I don't know what would happen there, but I will be there at the start line. Later in the year, I would probably run a 50 mile event at Bhati lakes (which my good friends strongly oppose :P) if conditions permit, the major hurdle being finding pacers if they are mandatory.

I also plan to go for a personal fun-run in some mountainous region, most probably to the Valley of Flowers, where I plan to spend a few days running.

I don't know if I would be able to do anything I planned, but I am sure I would be continuing running/ walking all year on daily roads and trails.

All being said, the nearest thing in hand is to try and train for Mawana Sugars Marathon, my first ever Marathon and event of any kind.

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Trail near my home

I visited my village yesterday. Hills by the road were so beautiful that I could not resist  getting out of the house today for a hike. I never had gone on the trails ad hills which are so close to my home. Actually, no one goes there besides a few farmers. Tractors have made a nice mud-road there.

The trail started 2 km away from my house at the end of a colony  on top of a hill. I walked to that point and started running at very comfortable pace. Half hour down I had passed two hills the trail being lost into the village I was already running on the hill slopes. The third hill was bit steep and I was exhausted too. Then I hiked over the top and ate tup-sakhar-chapati which I had taken along. 

Farmers along the way were looking as if I was a pagloo (crazy). Few people called me on my way back and asked if I had lost my way. I told them that I was just roaming around and I am from Saneguruji vasahat. They told me to go straight home; I nodded with a smile.

The round trip must be around 12km. I had my first trail running experience. Leaned lot of things. I must keep some things in mind if I am to continue more running.

1) Dry-fit shirt and possibly all the clothing. I had my cotton shirt drenched I sweat and it was getting uncomfortable.

2) I head band might be helpful to stop the sweat coming on my eyes. You can't always use handkerchief while running. 

3) Lighter shoes must be more comfortable. Good fitting sandals might help me more. Would like my toes feel free.

For now, building up some mileage and staying on my legs for longer time should be my concern. Shouldn't be thinking of speed. :P

  Tractor road. I went up to that farthest hill.

   Lots of such orchids were blooming.

Farmers 

 Panhala gad, Jotiba hill and some nearby hills.

This couple didn't had ox to plough.

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Fence at Kas

When the rain starts to wane, the Kas plateau comes in bloom. All of the hill is covered with white, blue, violet and yellow hue. Beauty of this, the plateau attracts lots of tourists. Thus come the vehicles, plastic. One can't  avoid the temptation of plucking the flowers. Some people even lay down over the flower bed.

Recently, the seven kilometer stretch of Kas plateau has been made a no parking zone. Anyone found plucking the flowers are to fined. All these moves are welcome, but there is also a proposal for putting down fence along the road to prevent tourists from trampling the flowers.

The fence, obviously, would serve the purpose but it would also affect the movement of wildlife across the plateau. It would also hinder grazing from cattle from nearby villages. These grazers are also a part of the ecosystem of Kas.

Moreover, the fence is meant for tourists, who are visit the plateau only for about a month.  The fence would certainly cause more damage than benefit to the ecosystem. Even the fence may not stop all the tourists from getting out of its bounds. People always find way to cross such barricades.

Some people also suggest that fencing would stop the spread of natural fires which are helpful for the sustenance of the ecosystem.

Kas plateau, like most other places of natural beauty is sure to be affected by the increasing number of tourists. However the solutions that are meant to prevent such damage must not be of more damaging kind. We should all hope that the administration take advice from some good ecologists before applying any solutions and lastly being wildly optimistic, I hope that people too understand what their enjoyment or romanticism or whatever costs to the beauty of such places and the survival of the species living there.

  

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A group of Gaurs in Radhanagari had come out of the forest and were reported to damage crops in the nearby villages. The villagers are asking the forest officials to take back 'their' animals and compensate for the losses suffered by them. Farmers are now being reported to use their own methods to protect their farms from the intruders- a wire carrying electric current. Three gaurs so far have reportedly being killed, their bodies taken into the forests and the evidence destroyed.

As always, the animals are at loss in this fresh human-animal conflict. Humans ( or animals) are playing their roles very well in trying to protect their territory and in the case of gaurs, increasing theirs.
Gaurs have come out due to scarcity of food in the forest but they really are intruding into the land owned by humans (No matter how much these humans have encroached upon the gaurs' land so many years ago). However, officially (for humans) the government-protected animals have caused damage to the crops and the people are now asking to pay the government to pay for the mess their pets did.

Environmentalists are asking for identifying people who allegedly killed the gaurs and give punishment for their deeds.

Besides being an issue of conservation and property loss, all this thing is about a species trying to increase its territory and the other protecting its own. Though humans have made provision by law for the protection of some species, the species itself is trying to survive and multiply. The guars in this case, if given chance, obviously would try to occupy more and more amount of land. Humans, prior to reservation of land for forests, have done the same thing.
The farms near the forest area are bound to be encroached by the animals inside. I do not know if there is any provision in law to compensate for the damage done by wild animals  (protected by law) to such farms but it seems quite logical. Prior to the laws, the villagers could exploit the forest as they wished. and now, they can't. They are only to watch their farms being eaten or destroyed while animals like gaur, wild boars, etc. rampage through.  Most farmers in India have very little farms which when destroyed would leave them with no food and money all year. So, compensation to farmers is quite correct.
Killing of animals, however, is difficult to deal with. Humans always have occupied land by killing whatever was harmful to his purpose. Most of the developed countries have destroyed most of its wildlife while colonizing new areas. Protecting such magnificent animals like gaur, surely must  have ecological significance but by and far it is more of aesthetic value to most animal and nature lovers including me. I really admire the beauty of gaurs and want to have them survive till eternity. But this must be within their reserved areas. Any damage to human property because of them should be liable for compensation and any encroachment by humans into the forest must be liable for punishment. Laws have made borders and laws should be responsible for any problems arising from their breach.

Note: I know I am not eligible enough to comment on such issues. These are just my opinions.

 

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