Archive for August, 2009
Bicycle Diaries : Race2Nandi
Posted by Hemant Soreng in Cycling on August 22, 2009
Biker’s log Earthdate 28.06.2009. I am a member of Bangalore Bikers Club (BBC) and this was my first race. And am cycling after more than 15 years.
4:30 am: CSNY croons “Helplessly Hoping” in full volume. That’s my phone alarm. Well it metaphorically enacts my act of waking up. This time I did wake up and why not it was the bicycle race day.
5:15 am : Packed my bike into the car, helmet and other stuff. Double checked my iPod and my Nikon D60. As I drive towards Hebbal saw lot of cyclists clearly riding towards the starting point of the race and this is wee hours of the morning.
6:00 – 7:00 am : Reach Cafe Coffee Day (CCD), the starting point and come to know that it around 44 km ONE WAY. Dude, I misread the race details and route. However, seeing so many serious bikers together was a great delight. Where were these guys all this time when I was looking out? Last count unofficially around 70 plus. Bikers and volunteers gather together across the road from CCD. It was a great sight - with so many good looking bikes.
7:12 am : Finally the race starts. And in a symmetrical straight line the bikers take the left of the highway and race toward Nandi hills. I turn on to my iPod and straight to “Bicycle Race” song by Queen. *seriously*
7:32 am : I lose sight of the bikers ahead of me. Not sure if there were any behind me. Ok so this is my first race and I stop regularly taking snaps and bikers pass me by. Thats a relief, I am not the last one.
9:00 – 10:00 am : at the foot hill of Nandi hills. 8 km more to go and yes all uphill. Amazing view across. My Nikon D60 gets into action as I trudge towards the peak. (4851 feet above sea level). Last 4 Km were killer as I finally reached top with the bikers cheering me on.
10:30 am – 1:00 pm : Take my bike and head back to the CCD where my car was parked. The downhill of 8 km took only 14 min and it was some ride. And as I reached the plains it evened out. two and half hours later finally reached the destination with photo and coconut water breaks in between.
Checked my bike’s speedometer and I had covered 88.4 km.
Awesome !! Raring to go for the next race soon. Check out the results at Bangalore Bikers Club (BBC)
Thanks to all the bikers who came and particularly the volunteers without whom this race wouldn’t have been a success. Till the next race…
cheers
My first….post
Posted by Hemant Soreng in Random Thoughts on August 22, 2009
On the sand dunes of time (Err...Leh)
So, I am a nervous wreck. Ok, maybe thats an extreme emotion I am expressing while writing my first post in my personal blog .
Its like stage fright, or the first day in school. And it takes me back to the firsts in my life which I will never forget, which I am sure is common to all of you who is reading this.
Here goes my nostalgia trip on the memorable firsts:
My first
1/ day in school and I did shed some nervous tears
2/ stage performance as a 5 years old where I was a star (literally!)
3/ first in the class academically (hmmm…)
4/ merit certificate for good handwriting (and now it sucks)
5/ football match as part of the school team
6/ crush
7/ entrepreneurial experience as a 10 year old (lending library)
8/ championship win in Parish chess and carrom competition
9/ music tape (Wham ! Make it Big)
10/ dance
11/ rock concert (Parikrama’s performance)
12/ song which influenced my interest in music (Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin)
13/ trip with best buddies from college to Rajasthan
14/ zero in a test (way back in B-school). and it was liberating !!
15/ day in my first job
16/ professional start up (thats another story !!)
17/ stage performance with Pentagram singing “Wild World”(which lasted 15 whole seconds, till I was pushed away from the stage)
18/ marathon (exhilirating!!)
19/ kiss
20/ ….
The list goes on….with all the help, this is a great subject matter for a book. Will be back.
Ah ! yes, the first post is done. Not so difficult after all.
Take every step in life as the first one. Take it cautiously, but keep on moving and do not hold back. cheers
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