Indian Cyclist

Fresh off a 900 kms month (November), I’ve decided to set a target for this month as well. 1100 kms. Averages to 35 kms a day. Doable with all other distractions. Like work :)

Started the day with a 20 kms breakfast ride to Damodars at Dadar. My followers on twitter will recognize the name. I keep raving about their Idlis. Fluffy, moist rice cakes with fresh coconut chutney. A really good snack before or during a long ride. Enjoyed the morning nip in the air. Quite the contrast from the excessively humid and muggy evenings. Winter? What winter?

At about 4pm, I got a message from NCPA that I’ve won a free pass to the chamber orchestra event. The acclaimed Stuttgart Orchestra performing. Not one to miss out on a cultural evening and a free one at that, I quickly got ready. Wore my new slim fit narrow jeans (perfect for cycling as there’s no chain contact) and a tee. Carried a formal shirt in the backpack for the concert. Left home at 5pm sharp.

I cycled from Santacruz to Phoenix Mall via tulsi pipe road. This route has improved a lot in the past year after they widened the road and demolished the slums. The phoenix mall stop was to collect my pass for the Tony Hawk Skateboarding show on Saturday. Having got the pass, I proceeded to town.

Reached NCPA by 6.45 pm. Parked the cycle at the INOX multiplex. Freshened up, changed into formals, liberally sprayed perfume and walked over to the majestic Jamshed Bhabha Theatre. The concert was an absolute treat. The chamber orchestra comprised of strings. After a good ride, there I was soaking up some western classical music. Felt so refreshing.

Like all NCPA events, this one too started and ended on time. Out by 9pm, I popped into CBTL for a quick dinner of chicken club sandwich, cappuccino and cake. Cycled back to santacruz through empty roads and ended the first day of December with 70kms.

A good start wouldn’t you say?

From the time I’ve started logging cycling stats on dailymile.com, it’s calculated that I’ve burnt calories worth 658 donuts! Yayy :)

Shows some other interesting data as well. Fuel saved, calories burnt, trip around the world. Nice.

Spotted quite a few branded cycles used by TNT Logistics in Mumbai. Nice initiative.

Cycling by the Gateway of India in South Mumbai. I love this route for early morning sunday rides.

Confession - I’ve been slacking from July to October. Hardly cycled or brisk walked. Possible Excuses- Work pressure, bad weather or just an utter lack of dedication. 

I started November with a goal. To get fitter, lose the extra fat, get better (pace and performance) and more importantly, maintain the workout mojo till January 2012. I’ve always considered November to January to be my peak cycling months thanks to the cooler Mumbai weather. 

What better way than setting targets for base miles? So far I’ve kind of been on track with my distances. 

November 1st week - Cycled 225 kms

November 2nd week - Cycled 280 kms

November 3rd Week - Cycled 248 kms

The third week would have seen 300 kms if not for my NH7 weekender trip to Pune (more on that in another post!)

So my total for this month stands at 813 kms. With three days left for the month to end, I can comfortably finish with a total of 900 kms cycled in November. Good enough for building base miles. December has to be a 1000+ month. I’ll also be doing more marathon walks (15-20kms) in prep for my half marathon attempt at Auroville in Feb 2012. 

Let’s see how it goes! 

Cycling in Mumbai city. Amidst peak hour traffic.