Chennai Heat 2009 : Ultimate Frisbee Nationals : Chakraa - Champions !!!

Beach ultimate in India started off at Chennai , 2 years ago – When i came across this sport , i instantly got addicted to the quick thinking / running aspect of this sport. It has been quite a journey, since the last 2 years. Chennai Heat , which started off as a regional tournament in 2007, has grown to be the biggest ultimate tournament in India currently. 10 teams , over 150 players played in the Chennai Heat 2009 over 2 days, watched by over 2000 people each day

Since the 1^st tournament in Novemeber 2007, i’ve been on the losing side – with the nov 2007 tournament hurting the most ( we lost from 4-1 up/leading , in the finals ).


The other tournaments that Chennai team played , were mostly ‘individual’ driven – 2/3 players stood out and dominated the team. Ultimate being a team game, Chennai ended up losing, despite playing some brilliant points.

When i started practising for the 2009 tournament, i noticed a distinct difference – many players were playing confidently / playing smart games. The pace of the game had improved and yet, most of the advances were solid – throwing to the free man, swinging around , waiting for the right cuts and cutters responding to the handler. All the practise games were tight ones and each of the teams looked like winners. All of the team members seemed to know what the handler was expecting instinctively.



It was after one of the practise days, i was thinking to myself about the possibility of the ‘first strike’ - Striking off #3 in this list. Seemed realistic .

In the tournament, Chakraa was playing as a team – everyone was having fun. Everyone was doing their bit – no spectacular plays, yet thrashing the opponents. The ‘hardest’ game was a 9-5 win. Chakraa won all the games comfortably. Final win wasn’t a surprise :) . Am sure, there was very little pressure on the individuals - 'Team' play carried us through :)

Interest in Ultimate is growing in Chennai – Thanks to CUF and some active players like Manu , Abhinav , Ajay , Mama , Bharani , Mondams , Subbu among others. They nurtured Stall 7, which is the team to watch out for in the coming tournaments.

Ultimate time ahead for the ultimate fans / players in India !

Girls, Running in Marina and Men

Running on the Marina sands is one of the best running experiences. It feels like you are lugging some 20 kg weight strapped to your legs. It feels even better when you do a 200 metre sprint on a hard road, at the end of the workout - gravity doesn't seem to affect you at all and you can really TAKE OFF!

Ok, that is not the point of this post.

Whenever i've run at Marina ( on the inner tar road ) with a girl, i've a great time (it is because of the company, obviously :P ) !! . It is also really interesting to observe the men ( who form the majority of the morning walkers / joggers and most are in the 30's , 40's and 50's ). Some points..

• I stare at men ( ok ok I am quite straight .. ) for like... ages and not one has noticed that ( for he is staring as well )
• The velocity of the man in front relative to us decreases considerably from the spotting time till we pass him / them after which it picks up again
  
• When i spot an interesting girl in front of us and coming towards us, then my velocity with respect to her decreseas as well ( oh yes, am not a hypocrite!! )
• And if the girl in front has a man in tow, their relative velocity has little change on spotting us ( poor guy.. he doesnt have an option !! )

And yeah, it kind of hit me hard when i saw men staring at my pals - It really makes them uncomfortable with the attention and most times, it interferes a great conversation happening during the run. Sometimes, its hard to be a girl . ( I am not a saint and i sure do have spent times looking at the women ). Having had the opportunity to be almost in the shoes of the girl, i can get the discomfort men sometimes cause ( harmless intent , if i have to defend the men and me)

Senji Fort Hike

Went hiking today and explored the 2 forts at Ginjee - Raja and Rani Forts ( Senji Forts). I almost wanted to skip it - Had "work" to do . But the good weather and thought of hiking up the fort enticed me into the plan. I am glad i did the hike!

The drive to the fort was quite scenic and smooth - An experience that is not expected in a drive out of Chennai. The fort is a 3 hour drive away from Chennai that took us through NH 45 speed way till Dindivanam. From Dindivanam, we were on the much smaller and less traffic country-side road to Thiruvannamalai which took us to the Fort, 15 km into the road! For someone who has driven a bit in India, the NH 45 speedway from Chennai to Dindivanam was a pleasant experience. Roads were wide ( 3 lanes each way ) and small hillocks by the road side were green topped. Driver had the "driver's" high on the drive and the passengers had a high on the visuals. Its a tribute to the roads and the scenic roadside that we went on driving and missed the turn towards thiruvannamalai at Dindivanam!! The road from Dindivanam to the Fort ( on the way to Thiruvannamalai ) passed through the small villages and was thickly tree lined. These trees had a "hood" formation on top of the road. Reminded me of my days in Coimbatore and the million road trips through the villages that dad has taken us through! ( Pic below is my first ever "click" using a pro cam! and am hooked!! )

We eventually reached Senji fort ( There are 2 forts - Raja's and Rani's and am not sure why they both lived seperately!!! ). We decided to go up the Rani's fort first. Rani's is a shorter climb to the summit and probably has an elevation of 600 feet from the base to the top.

We climbed up at a slow and a steady pace, hiking through the beaten steps and also through off beat path over the rocks. Sometimes we were on all fours, trying to climb up a steep rock.

It took us 20 mins to reach the summit. The view from the top was fantastic. We explored the fort at the summit. The climb down took a longer time since the steps were not broad and we had to slow down the pace and watch our foot placement. In all, we took and an hour and 10 mins from the car park to the summit and back.

It was 2 pm and we drove back to Ginjee town for lunch . After spending time to hunt for a "decent" place to eat, we realised the restaurant had a long queue of hungry people. We decided to have a "fruit-lunch" and got apples, grapes and bananas to have them on the way up the Raja's fort.

Raja's fort is a longer climb to the top - 4 km and about 1500 feet elevation from the base. The base was a long walk from the car park and we guys enjoyed the conversation and the fruits. It was 3 pm when we reached the base and were informed that the fort closes at 4:45 pm. We were tired by then but decided to tread along for the next 30 mins and turn back.

This place is filled with monkeys and you are advised not to carry any eatables with you. As Karthik realised later, he literally had to wrestle with the monkeys to carry the fruits safely ( Yes, made sense to give the fruits away to the monkeys but Karthik had a logic - Monkeys just "learnt" to scare the humans into giving up the eatables).

At this point Karthik and I decided to run up the steps ( that made up for my morning run-miss). Both of us were panting hard in a short while . We managed a clean run for 8 mins and waited for the other guys to join us. At this point , we finally called the hiking quits, some distance from the summit and turned back.

We were exhausted. Sat at a "view point" for a while soaking in the view and the conversation. The bunch was largely enthusiastic and pushed each other to move out of our comfort zones, though the exhaustion was clear. Thanks guys, for a fabulous day!

We were famished by now and wanted to drive to the nearest "decent" restaurant. But decided to keep the hunger at bay and drive to the SRM hotel which was an hour's drive away. No prizes for guessing that we finished off the plates clean at the restaurant!!

After a great day outdoors, all of us drove back to chennai with tons of pleasant memories... if only we had completed the second climb as well, the day would've been complete. The unfinished climb will surely make me go back very soon...

Planning a run here sometime. If you are keen to do a run ( 2 laps of 8 km, a clean 16 km of climb) do get in touch with me. This pic sure is inviting for a runner. Thanks to Manu for the snaps. He is a pro photographer works magic his Nikkon D70 and really got me hooked to photography. Some day soon, will get my hands on a Nikkon D80.

Dashboard

Place : Senji Fort

Route : Chennai - Dindivanam - (15 mins on the Dindivanam - Thiruvannamalai road ). 3 hour drive away from Chennai.

Infrastructure : There is none at the fort. Please carry water along and leave behind any eatables in the car.

Rating : A for the roads to the fort , B for the climb and the view from the top!

P.S. "Kid" if you are reading this, don't kill me ! Will surely plan a hike there soon!

Autorickshaws - The lessons i learnt

Last 3 years in Chennai has been a very interesting period - Learnt tons of lessons ( some of which i learnt on my own and "life" taught me most of them). From the "lesson" repository, i bring out the guide for anyone attempting to use the 3 wheel - scooter ( Autorickshaws ) in Chennai.

Rules for Rickshaw Passengers :

1. Never go to the "Auto Stand" to get into an auto. Demand-Supply economics don't work here. Too many autos and only you around - you expect a clear bargaining power. But it just doesn't work here thanks to the Unity of autodrivers.


2. So, always try to get the attention of an "empty-passenger" auto guy who is passing by on the road. Empty auto's that follow the stopped auto will provide you with a favourable demand-supply scenario. Besides, the stopped auto guy will rather have you in his auto than go empty.
   
3. Never give a "big name" destination. Period. If your actual destination is Taj Coramandel, then your "Auto destination" is Nungambakkam church. If the destination is Park Sheraton, then "Auto Destination" is Amma Naana store. Once an auto guy reduced 15 buck on his own when i told him i was going to Raghavendra Mutt!! He told me that he won't charge unfairly since i was going to the "mutt"!! ( In reality, "Mutt" was a mere landmark for a meeting with a pal !!! )


4. If you take an Auto at some unearthly hour, this is how a typical Auto guy would negotiate and the counter. "Auto Guy - Its too late and i can't get passengers after dropping you and you pay 1.5 x the day time rate . You - Roads are free without any traffic and you can ride freely and save on petrol ! "


5. If your destination is a congested location - "Auto Guy - Traffic is very dense and you can pay 20 buck on top of the usual charges . You - You drop me at the destination and tons of new passengers swarm around you at my destination.
6. If you see a passenger getting off an Auto, that is the Auto you must take. Auto guy would be pleased to keep his "meter" ticking and would be willing to make a trade-off.

More when i "experience". If you know any, let me know!

Another ride into the sea!

The sea is inviting. Period.

For the entertainment starved Chennai makkal, sea offers the best escape route for fun and adventure. Needless to say, my pals and I are totally in love with the catamaran rides !

Here are some pics from a recent ride into the Bay!

Pals with the lifejacket strapped on and rushing to the sea!

We jumped into the catamaran and rolled over the waves for about 3-4 km into the sea . Catamaran was stopped and rope was thrown in and the guys followed, dived into the inviting sea! After 45 mins of peacefully floating around, swimming, ducking the pals, splashing the waters and more, we turned back to the land.

Personally, i find that these rides "complete" my weekend. It refreshes me and helps me unwind!

I know i will go back again... very soon!

30 X 30 - Fun Run and a real HIGH!

30 X 30 - 30 runners doing a distance of 30 km. Chennairunners came close to doing that yesterday.

Route : Toll booth on ECR to Mahabalipuram

Participants : 24 runners sped away from the start line

Distance : 27.6 km

Thats the running gang at toll booth on ECR, starting point ( Reflecting stickers on every runner's shirt was an nice idea by Ramesh)

We woke up at 2:45 am, met at the in-city assembly points at 3:45 am, drove to the toll booth on the ECR and started off at 5:30 am. Sunday was a perfect day for running - Sun hiding behind the clouds and the cool weather helping the running efficiency ( or energy will be wasted trying to cool down the body ).

Personally, it was a mixed day for me - Ran at a good clip in the first half of the run. Smooth and steady and always had my heart beat under 164 beats per minute ( Averaged 147 beats per minute). Shahid and i ran together during this part of the run and we really cruised along. We did some 16 km in 1 hour and 40 mins, non stop. I stopped at this "support point" to tend to the blister on both my feet - Result of using a "stiff" pair of socks. The volunteers helped with the some band-aids and i started off again. But the run was never the same - i did run/walk cycles here on and finally finished the distance in 3 hours and 37 mins. Was a bit disappointed since i was targeting 3 hours and 10 minute finish.

Volunteers - Aravind, Satish and Abhinav ( and Jaykanthan in his Bullet ) readily volunteered to be our support crew for this run. They loaded Satish's Maruti 800 with water bottles and first aid .

That is the support car, with Satish at the wheels, Abhinav - the other guy at the front and Aravind hiding in the darkness, at the back.

"Mobile support" came to our rescue at 30 min intervals and ensured that the runners never went "dry". Their help with the band-aid for the blisters, was timely for me! They did the difficult task of helping the entire pack - which meant that had to stay with the lead pack who were miles in front and also aid the trailing pack. Hats off guys , for missing your Sunday morning sleep and helping us! and btw, all these guys are regular runners. Aravind and Abhinav have completed a half marathon and Satish has done 3 full marathons and 8 half marathons!!!

We completed the run at Coral Surf Restaurant at Mahabalipuram - These guys at Coral had the best welcome for the runners - Buckets of ice, refreshing towel, a lawn to stretch and space to move around, besides a sumptuous breakfast with Idli, Vada, Masala Dosa and Pongal!!.

Runners enjoyed the hospitality and the experience. Only miss was the "swimming pool"!!
The gang at the Finish line, Coral Surf Restaurant.

Highlights of the run

• 20 Runners finished the distance
• Some guys were so determined to finish the run, despite the physical discomfort they were in. Hats off guys.
• Since we always ran facing the traffic on the right side of the road, we had a "safe" run
• Amazing camaraderie amongst the runners. Always wondered why most sports "teams" displayed this trait which only a few "corporate teams" did.
• Some of the runners finished the race only because they ran/walked in "groups" and pushed each other to reach the finish ! If you want to experience group fun, join the group.
• ECR route beyond toll booth is one of the beautiful routes to run in Chennai with the sea close by and not many people on the roads - Its just you, your thoughts and the sound of your foot steps (or music on the IPOD).
• Fastest runners ( Karthik "kallu" and Hari ) finished the run in 2 hours and 35 mins !!!! Serious running that.

Chennairunners is planning to have this run, once every quarter. Don't miss the run next time!

Thanks to Ram and Satish, for the photos!

More accounts of this run :

Ram on 30 x 30 at Chennai Living.

Champs-Elysees , Mount Road and Chennai Marathon

Champs-Elysees , as all us know, is one of the most beautiful and prestigious avenues in the world. This avenue ends at Arc de Triumph. Along with Champs-Elysees, 11 other avenues meet at Arc de Triumph . Vehicle insurance companies insure all vehicles for travel in all roads/places in France except Arc de Triomphe. That gives an idea about the vehicle traffic around Arc de Triomphe. ( Yes, thats me standing in the middle of the avenue Champs - Elysees, with Arc de Triomphe in the background )

( A section of traffic around Arc de Triomphe).The Arc de Triomphe roundabout and the avenue Champs-Elysees are closed 3 times a year and twice for an interesting reason - Tour de France finish and Paris Marathon, big sporting events. The third is for Bastille day.

One of the busiest , prestigious and beautiful avenues in the world is closed for 2 sporting events - Is anyone organising the Chennai Marathon listening to this ?

We all know the number of times the Mount Road ( easily, the busiest road in Chennai ) is closed every year - Lets say some 10 times. All the 10 times for an interesting reason - A politician is travelling across that stretch or a major political party is organising a function to glorify the party/its chief man.

Runners who ran the Chennai Marathon (42.2 km) and who were still running after 3 hours were asked to stop and the roads were open to vehicular traffic. Runners like me who take close to 6 hours to finish the marathon will never want to run on the home turf. If Paris can close Champs-Elysees for the entire day during the 2 sports events, if Mount Road can be closed for 5-6 hours for a political party's internal function - then the roads between Marina and Elliots beach in Chennai can easily be closed for atleast 6-7 hours for a marathon!

30 X 30 - ECR Run

30 X 30 - 30 runners doing 30 km!

Chennairunners is planning a run on the ECR, on July 15th, 2007

Route : Start near Toll Booth and Finish at Mahabalipuram, on the ECR [ approx 30 km ]
Start time : 4:30 am from the toll booth

Last time the group did this run, we had about 14 runners taking part [ when the group was much smaller ]. We are 5x the group size now and really hope as many can join this run.

This route gives the perfect opportunity to stretch the limits for a runner - scenic route and less traffic [ plus for safety, we run in the direction of on-coming traffic] . Ask any runner who ran this route and they would swear that the ECR run was the best run they ever had in chennai.

People who do 5-10 km right now, can look to stretch the limits to 15-20 km [ and take the bus/auto to mahabs ]

If you want to join, start practising and go here and "Join Chennairunners"