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When a sacred bull got a beating

When a sacred bull got a beating

August 29, 20145 mins

sacred cow (idiom): something considered (perhaps unreasonably) immune from question or criticism I’ve been a regular long distance runner for almost 6 years. For exactly 2 1/2 of those years (or 4…

Bangalore to Hubli: from agony to ecstasy

Bangalore to Hubli: from agony to ecstasy

July 29, 20147 mins

[Editor’s Note: My good friend and ex-colleague Shriram undertook an amazing trip last year. Shriram is a cyclist and a runner. He belittles his running but he’s blessed with natural abilities. With…

My first DNF and a Forrest Gump moment

My first DNF and a Forrest Gump moment

April 09, 20143 mins

Two days ago I had my first DNF in a full marathon. Considering the spate of races recently sprouting all across Bangalore it might surprise you to know that I *wasn’t* running in a race. So where the…

Call of the Asphalt

Call of the Asphalt

February 28, 20143 mins

Election time in India. Everybody loves it. The poor love it because it’s “freebies time” and they get to vote out the politicians that didn’t come through for them (usually this meant anti-incumbancy…

The Cult of BHUKMP

The Cult of BHUKMP

February 24, 20142 mins

[Editor’s Note: It’s been almost four years since I started running with (and became part of) the BHUKMP cult. I never got around to writing about BHUKMP, aptly described as a “cult” rather than a…

Chappal mein pachattar – my first 75k ultra

Chappal mein pachattar – my first 75k ultra

November 10, 20137 mins

[Editor’s note: Translation for my non-Hindi readers: pachattar is the Hindi word for the number 75, chappals are the Indian rendition of flip-flops, a colloquial reference to my 4mm huarache sandals…

Hale naayi-ge hosa tricksu kalisa bahudu – ondu chikka storyu

Hale naayi-ge hosa tricksu kalisa bahudu – ondu chikka storyu

April 03, 20131 mins

Pic courtesy sourceforge.net English translation of title: You CAN teach an old dog new tricks – a small story! A few months ago, I finally enrolled for a Kannada Learning class. 4 1/2 years after…

Ejipura evictions and Karnataka State Human Rights Commission

Ejipura evictions and Karnataka State Human Rights Commission

February 05, 20132 mins

If you have read about last month’s evictions (and demolition) of a slum in the Ejipura/Koramangala neighborhood of Bangalore.. and want to do something about it, here’s a sample of the letter you can…

Bangalore BESCOM’s MD sets the bar for (gasp) efficient babudom

Bangalore BESCOM’s MD sets the bar for (gasp) efficient babudom

February 01, 20131 mins

While the UPA-II government has been working tirelessly to muzzle social media at every opportunity they get (and creating some along the way), some bureaucrats are using social media the way it’s…

My marathon discography

My marathon discography

November 12, 20121 mins

I completed my 12th marathon yesterday (and my 2nd Ultra). It finally made sense to create this discography post. #1 Silicon Valley Marathon (Oct 2002) – 4 hrs 32 min #2 Kaveri Trail Marathon (Sep…