Carnatic Music for running

shripathi_g · Post by **shripathi_g** » 25 Apr 2009, 10:56

I'm an avid long distance runner and one of the reasons I found it enjoyable originally was that I could listen to a lot of carnatic music. I usually added a lot of music to my mp3 player and put it on shuffle. It worked out pretty well and I discovered a lot of interesting 'renditions'. This season I started out by not listening to music while running due to various reasons but have gone back to it again. Are there any runners out here who listen to CM while running or working out? If so, what do you listen to?

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 25 Apr 2009, 11:22

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 25 Apr 2009, 11:28

I do, while working out. At one hour a day for 4 to 5 days a week, I do go through quite a bit but due to lack of organization of my various playlists, it is still a bit random. I have been meaning to spend some time organizing the playlists.

My recent utilitarian mainstays are:

1) Half an hour version of 'sAmiyai azhaitthODi vA sakhiyE'. I am half way there at the end of this piece.
2) When I require a quick energy boost, I turn to Sanjay's kaNmaNiyE sollaDi ( saranga ) and Brochevarevare (Sriranjani) from his Ganamritham CD.
3) Along similar lines, MLV's Manasa Oh Manasa and Bombay Sisters, koniyAde ( kOkiladhwani ) do the trick. I am on hyperdrive during those 8 minutes.
4) Of late, I am on a playlist of 60+ mukhari songs.
5) A few weeks back I was going through Santhanagopalan's 'Ragas thru pallavi' series of 72 ragas. I usually try to avoid long drawn out alapanas during work out but this one with its short alapanas and change of ragas every 3 or 4 mintutes works very well.
6) Our own Arasi's composition 'Natyamado Nataraja - purvi kalyani' sung by Sumitra Nitin provides the boost during that 30-35 minute mark when I am tired and considering giving up the session.
7) varnams playlist: Because of the many variations built in to them, they keep my attention focussed on the music and away from physical tiredeness
8) Occasional surprises. A while back we did some swara identification exercises here where a few of us contributed our own dabbling. Recently Suji's violin bit from that era came on!! Very nice.

And many more...

srinivasrgvn · Post by **srinivasrgvn** » 25 Apr 2009, 11:47

vasanthakokilam wrote: Our own Arasi's composition 'Natyamado Nataraja - purvi kalyani' sung by Sumitra Nitin provides the boost during that 30-35 minute mark when I am tired and considering giving up the session.

Can you please upload Arasi's compositions? Even I would like to listen to them.

( mod note: http://rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php? ... an-p4.html , post 183 )

shripathi_g · Post by **shripathi_g** » 25 Apr 2009, 11:56

@coolkarni,

I've the same affliction with listening to music while driving or travelling. I cannot sit in the car without listening to music. Till last year, my car could play only audio cds and I used to meticulously write a dozen or so CDs before embarking on any trip and end up leaving an hour or two late

. After about 125 such CDs, I gave in and upgraded the music system so that it could take in auxillary input. I was notorious for including CM in my film songs CDs that I'd write for my friends. One moment it'd be something like Uyirin uyire and the next one it'd be GNB singing a beautiful Andolika alapana. I also let my imagination run wild in the songs I chose for a CD. e.g. MS' melaragamalika, followed by MDR's RTP Hindolam followed by Ariyakudi's Kalitheera vandharul.

@VK,

Varnams are my favorites while running mainly because of the tempo. I used to add whole concerts for a while. That adds a surprise factor but it also helps to run with known stuff sometimes so that I don't have pay any attention to the music. There was a time when my mp3 player's (pda) screen broke and since it was a touch screen, I couldn't change the folder. I ran with the same concert (MDR-TNK-UKS (Valachi, Neevada, Rama Ninne, etc)) for a month. My collection usually includes Kalyanaraman, MDR,MMI,SSI, Sanjay, TMK, Chembai (his Panthuvaralis are racy). When I need to pick up my pace, I go for Manakkal, GNB sometimes.

Incidentally, I was on a Mukhari spree a few days back after a friend and I had some discussions about it.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 25 Apr 2009, 20:14

VK,
Suji and Sumitra and I are honored!

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 25 Apr 2009, 21:54

I listen to CM while walking on the tread mill for 60 minutes a day - mostly a single song until it becomes part of me.

vainika · Post by **vainika** » 25 Apr 2009, 23:36

During my sporadic flirtations with the treadmill, I've tried listening to carnatic music, but it doesn't work well for me as I am tempted to slow down or step up my pace so as to be aligned with the tAlam. And yeah, I learned early on - upon encountering funny stares in the gym - that listening to kRtis in mishra or khaNDa chApu while on the treadmill is definitely not a good idea.

So nowadays I only listen to the tambura, which allows me to get in some discreet humming/singing practice at the optimal pace.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 26 Apr 2009, 00:07

Ramki - LOL! Understand what you mean perfectly! tambura + treadmill - transcendental-mill!

I listen to so many genres when I work out -
1) harikathas and lec-dems - an ideal time to just focus on what is being said, and you get to work-up a sweat without even noticing the time passing by.
2) I have playlists on my iPod pulled up by rAgam, and I find kuntalavarALi, kadanakutUhalam, and khamAs (beginning with mAtE) to be particularly useful to maintain an upbeat tempo!
3) If you are in a mood to count the time you're working out for, film songs are particularly good, because most of them are 3-4 minutes long and you can time a half-hour work out to 8 songs - 7 to work out and the last one to cool-down!
4) I find it impossible to listen to padavarNams and other compositions for bharatanaTyam while working out for exactly the same reason that Ramki mentioned...in particular, the trikAla jatis are killing on an elliptical or rowing machine.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 26 Apr 2009, 07:38

Just wondered--what to performers listen to when they work out?

chalanata · Post by **chalanata** » 26 Apr 2009, 09:14

i am very surprised how such other things can be done while listening to music. i would meet with an accident if i listen to music when i drive. i do not feel this is a great trait but a disadvantage.
early mornings when i get up by 5.30 or 6 i can not listen to any music or sloka. the stillness of morning is such that any hindrance would pollute the same. (of course other than chirping of birds).
("Heard melodies are sweet; but those unheard are sweeter" - John Keats

srinivasrgvn · Post by **srinivasrgvn** » 26 Apr 2009, 09:16

chalanata wrote: ("Heard melodies are sweet; but those unheard are sweeter" - John Keats

Excellent quote, chalanata!! Thanks!!

rajaglan · Post by **rajaglan** » 26 Apr 2009, 09:40

I have this trouble of the headphone not sticking to my ears properly. What is the best headphone for long distance or traedmill running. I run at 7-8km per hour.

I have loaded lots of carnatic songs and the best I like to hear are MMI's Vijayambike, Sahasra hara mandithe , Meenakshi memudam, Sanjay's mohanam and begada, MSS begada, gowrimanohari, HYd brothers Ramapriya and Usrinivas's long alapanas.

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 26 Apr 2009, 09:44

rajaglan · Post by **rajaglan** » 26 Apr 2009, 09:45

coolkarni wrote:There is design with a small ear shaped coil that locates snugly on the rear of the ear lobe , with the part with speaker covering your ears.

Cant imagine running on Indian Roads like this without the fear being hit by a vehicle from behind
Even if quite early in the morning.

Thanks , which brand.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 26 Apr 2009, 10:17

I have exactly the same problem, rajaglan. I guess some of us lack the proper external ear construction to accomodate these ear buds ( can I apply for a handicapped parking permit citing this physical handicap

)

So, I bought a $80.00 Apple in-ear isolation headphones. In addition to being an excellent headphone, the fact that it goes into the ear and isolates the external environment provides for a different listening experience. It took me a few days to get used to it ( you can not even hear yourself clearly ) but now any other headphones feel inferior. Even that does not properly work for me, it falls off during work out. So I do a goofy thing. I put on the in-ear headphone ( for its excellent quality and also for the vasool of the $80 I paid ) and then on top of that I put on a cheap regular headphone
to hold it in place. This cheap one is not connected to anything. I am still looking to make it less of a spectacle by finding an alternative to keeping the headphones in like probably a head band of some sort. It is a work in progress for us ear handicapped people!

I will have to check out the link provided by Cool.

sridhar_ranga · Post by **sridhar_ranga** » 26 Apr 2009, 10:42

The Bose in-ear headphone comes at a similar price as the one from Apple and fits snugly too, and like VK I am unable to stand most other earphones now.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 26 Apr 2009, 10:52

Carnatic music and running/walking/jogging is perfectly mutually exclusive. Infact CM is totally taking all that away . (I envy shripathi and vk there...)

Incidentally just a funny incident , a year or two back I joined gym, as usual only joined with a lot of initial enthu. There are lot of fast songs of latest tamizh movies so I thought to bring in some melody oriented songs so I burned an illayarAja-spb-kjy trio song cd and put it for few days (since I know the gym owner). After few weeks there was lot of protest as lot of members did not like songs that have melodic muse. When the gym owner complained , I with a lot of skepticism burned a cd of mmi -semmangudi only fast numbers like sabhapathikku and marubalka all exclusive stuff and it was on for a few days. I became very unpopular from then on.... 1 week in gym has become a distant past.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 26 Apr 2009, 11:08

I agree with chalanata.
Those of you who can exercise and do other things while listening to music are really quite blessed. I have experimented with listening to music while studying (ended up listening to music instead) and while working in the lab (my productivity would vary inversely with how captivating the music was), and I also have this disconcerting feeling of being disconnected from the outside world when I do anything with headphones on. As a result my only music listening time these days is when I'm surfing the net daily. The problem with CM for me is that it requires too much concentration to appreciate and I can never just have it playing in the background. And I also prefer listening to whole concerts rather than individual renditions, because I enjoy getting attuned to the mood of the concert as it starts and following the experience through to completion. These are some of my hindrances. I really really wish I could multitask, because that would allow me more CM time daily!

Rajesh, I can imagine the sort of reaction you might've gotten playing SSI/MMI in a gym!

shripathi_g · Post by **shripathi_g** » 26 Apr 2009, 11:25

@chalanatta,
That was precisely the reason I didn't have any music on when I started running early in the morning. I felt like I was not getting the full experience and it was quite enjoyable listening to the sounds from nature. But I couldn't keep up the schedule and after I started running in the evenings, it was very difficult to listen to enjoy the sound of automobiles zooming past me in the opposite direction at 45 mph. Maybe, I'd have enjoyed the sound of horses' hoofs a hundred years back.

@rajaglan,
I had the same trouble with my ipod earphones. I realized that it was due to dirt in my earlobe. I cleaned it up with some water and after that the earphones just stuck on. I do that before every run these days but I still prefer to run with my 10-year old Sony walkman earphones. I'll check out cookarni's link. I think I need an upgrade.

@rajeshnat,
Maybe, there's a business opportunity there - a carnatic music only gym?

. You sure had some guts to play MMI/SSI in a gym. My friends can't stand even 5 minutes of CM in my car.

I ran my first half-marathon with Alathur Brothers' Koniyadina and PMI's explosive thani to carry me through the last few miles and somehow I loved that experience and could never get myself to listen to that again while running.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 26 Apr 2009, 11:38

bilahari, I can't multitask work and CM either. With work-out, the attempt is to forget the monotony and physical exertion, push the workout to the background by bringing CM to the foreground. But I agree it is not the same as dedicated CM listening.

Driving and active CM listening can get a bit iffy. I know I don't pay as much attention to driving as I should while listening to CM. A few days back, with MLV's Korvai for 'Koluvai', my thala keeping was not getting to the eduppu properly ( not that unusual for me ) and trying to straighten that out while navigating construction zones is not the safest thing to do. I gave up then and picked it back up later on. But my commute is long, one run through a CD each way, so CM helps big time.

Rajesh, that is quite funny. BTW, the good counter to the hideous 'naka mooku' is 'aDi ennaDi rAkkammA'

Shripathi, half-marathon! Quite impressive!!

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 26 Apr 2009, 20:03

One of the 'advantages' of our move to NJ from IN is that now my drive is 30 to 45 minutes each way, and, I can honestly say that but for the calming influence of CM, certain baser and murderous instincts would certainly have risen to the fore, given the state of the traffic flow and the road sense of the average driver here in NJ!

@Rajesh - that was funny, and somehow very typical of you! And the idea of a CM gym seems like an interesting idea.

Shripathi - half marathon - way to go!

Bilahari - I started to study with music to drown out the chatter of the rest of the wing in my hostel, and made myself a compromise - If I concentrated on what I was studying for half the time and paid attention to the music for the remainder, I was in great shape! I agree with the no music in the lab policy, because in addition to interfering with work, you make yourself completely unavailable to the others, which is not too good!

VK/rajagln - I am sure that Indian outer ears are slightly different from the anatomy of the average caucasian ear - I see many of my gym buddies with the same Apple ear-phones I use, and they have no issues with the darn things falling off as I seem to have. Some of the ones that flex into the outer canal are too painful to use because they are bigger than my canal. I tried the cheapo over-the-pinna ear phones and people around me could hear what I listening to! So, I am resigned to periodically pushing the one that falls out, back in.

Music · Post by **Music** » 26 Apr 2009, 21:27

I can totally relate to chalanata and bilahari on not being able to multi-task with CM in the backgroud. If a CM cd is on while driving, I forget my primary task is to drive. If it is not on and I am bored with the drive, I start off with a practice session and forget about driving. Very bad. I have to force myself to get out of that and just listen to some radio show whether I like it or not. Chatting on the phone while driving or on the treadmill works better for me

.

CM during workouts is an interesting idea. Nver thought of that - I prefer a steady pace in the music so I don't slow down & thought CM might not work. I have a recording of country music for walking by Denise Austin that works very well for me. It helps keep a steady pace & sounds quite good. I don't work out very regularly, so am not bored with this recording as yet

Any GNB rendition of a main item in adi talam without the alapana might be good for running.....the song + nereval + swaras + thani should make it long enough for a workout. Slower rendtions work better for walking. I will try this. Good topic, shripathi_g!

vidya · Post by **vidya** » 26 Apr 2009, 23:27

Carnatic music in the gym doesn't work well for me but I try to start off rather auspiciously with the first of the ghana pancakams (no pun intended

) and Sarasiruhasanapriye is my song of choice because it provides the right pace for a warmup. But I do find earphones useful for a placebo effect especially to drown out conversations. The deliberate act of taking out the earphones also helps convey the message to those that think the gym is a place to socialize! oh and two songs (which are usually always on my preferred playlist) that I make sure I avoid are the soporific Hastivadanaya and plumb to depth gaurI girirAjakumAri. And if there's atleast one ChApu song that works well - it has to be Amba paradevatE. Tani avartanams also seem to work ok but for the most part I'd rather not have CM!

ksrimech · Post by **ksrimech** » 27 Apr 2009, 04:58

Shripathi (hmm was a nice name........). Now I have been running and listening to CM (at the same time I mean) for about 3 years or so. I can't listen to much apart from CM or HM ever. So from my experience and what I have done in the last 3 years or so.
(1) My warm starts always with Smt MS's viribONi (bhairavi aTa tALa varNam). This time includes stretching and brisk walking.
(2) If I want to continue walking during warm up, I may continue with Smt MS's manavyAlakincharA or manasulOni marmamulu
(3) I prefer listening to ghana rAga pancharatnams of tyAgarAjasvAmi, the 5 vaiSNava kritis in the saptaratnAs of Sri OVK, pApanAsam Sivan's SrI rAmAyaNam (sIrkAzhi gOvindarAjan), rAjkumar bhArathi's tirumangaiyAzhvAr pAsurams, paNDit jasrAj's Om namO bhagavate vAsudEvAya album and from special playlists of DKJ, MS and SSI when I'm running the next 45 mins to an hour or so.
(4) While cooling down I love to listen to Smt MS's mIrA bhajans pyArE darasan dIjOvA, hari tum harO (mahatmA's favorite), hari maitO lAkh yatan and others.
(5) Somtimes I do listen to the first 1.5 hours of a concert of Smt MS, DKJ, Ravikiran, ARI or SSI when I run 8 to 10 miles.

Always_Evolving · Post by **Always_Evolving** » 27 Apr 2009, 08:01

shripathi_g wrote: @rajeshnat,
Maybe, there's a business opportunity there - a carnatic music only gym? . You sure had some guts to play MMI/SSI in a gym. My friends can't stand even 5 minutes of CM in my car.

I am part of a collective that runs an Organic food shop here in Chennai. (This is not meant as a commercial plug but in anticipation of "which one", it is reStore http://restore.org.in)

Anyhow one of my colleagues does not subscribe to the modern notion of exercising in a gym using lot of powered equipment. She advocates for work-out that is integrated with our daily lives -- walking, gardening, maavu arachufying -- you get the pic. So we (jokingly) thought we should start a reStore gym where everyone gets to do such activities and it will all contribute something to our organic shop as well -- winnowing (podachufing) grains, pounding / hand-grinding wet and dry flours, gardening. With some creativity a "bijli bike" can be adapted to mechanise some of these... !!
I promise you there will be only tasteful CM at this gym

watch this space...

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 27 Apr 2009, 08:24

A_E, hope you find a way to really do something like that.

Do you know how well that 'Pedal Power Generator' is being deployed? A lot of people think about how great it will be if all those calories spent at the gym can be converted to/stored as usable energy.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 27 Apr 2009, 08:40

Always_Evolving,
Good to know about your organic store and your friend. While I admire women and men who work out, I also wonder why some of them just do nothing the rest of the time! Being active all the time appeals to me.
Contributing your energy for constructive energy is even better.

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 27 Apr 2009, 09:10

shripathi_g · Post by **shripathi_g** » 27 Apr 2009, 09:50

Though it was not the intention of starting this thread, here's a shameless plug now that we are here.

I volunteer for a non-profit organization called India Literacy Project. The organization's goal is to improve literacy in India by setting up schools or aiding up schools in rural areas and provide the necessary infrastructure and finance. You can find out more about ILP here - http://ilpnet.org. Every year, the Bay Area chapter of ILP participates in a 200-mile relay from Calistoga to NAPA valley in the Bay Area. We do it to raise funds for ILP and so far we've been raising an average of $45,000 per year. I got into running when I signed up for the relay for the first time and this is my 3rd time. If you'd like to support me in my effort, here is the url - http://ilprelay.ning.com/profile/SripathiGRaj. Thank you!

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 27 Apr 2009, 09:54

Definitely a worthy cause, shripathi.
A_E, really interesting concept!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 27 Apr 2009, 10:01

Cool,
Right you are! Nothing inspires you like good music to keep your creative juices flowing. However, being active isn't bad at all for your physical and mental well-being. I don't know how long I am going to be saying this. Until I cannot move around that much, I think

ragam-talam · Post by **ragam-talam** » 27 Apr 2009, 21:09

I play soothing music (MDR, Musiri come to mind) when doing yoga asanas early morning.
Sometimes I switch to western classical - one of the vaggeyakaras like Beethover, Bach

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 27 Apr 2009, 21:41

arasi wrote:I don't know how long I am going to be saying this. Until I cannot move around that much, I think

And as you keep moving, the day you can't move will also be moving (away, that is)...

rajumds · Post by **rajumds** » 27 Apr 2009, 22:05

I need music while driving . I don't concentrate on music, but its on the background. I listen to the same concert twice or thrice at a stretch before switching to the next concert. Of course long drive is a pleasure with music and cool's company. There had been instances when we had invented some work at Kanchipuram , just to drive and listen to music.

Even during my college days, I used to have a tape recorder playing. The moment I start 'hearing' the music, I know my concentration is waning. I pause for a while, listen and go back to studies. I had found that I could concentrate fully in studies for a max of 25-30 mins.

rajaglan · Post by **rajaglan** » 27 Apr 2009, 23:32

arasi wrote:Always_Evolving,
Good to know about your organic store and your friend. While I admire women and men who work out, I also wonder why some of them just do nothing the rest of the time! Being active all the time appeals to me.
Contributing your energy for constructive energy is even better.

There are two things to worry when you cross 35years.
1. Fat (artery blockage which leads to heart attack).
2.Protein loss ( one looses the muscles and looks aged).

First one is fitness and the second is aesthetic.

Even if you are always active, you can only attack the first problem. ie basically spend all the calorie intake.
The second problem can be solved by working with weights (dumbell, barbell, cable,lever machines).
Both men and women need to do this.

With one day rest (sunday), if we can perform these two on alternate days, that leads to good health.
If we do these two, we can rest ourselves the rest of the day. Actually standing, sitting and sleeping also
consume calories. With this sincere routine , 20 years from now, I am sure we can reach MA and listen
to Sanjay Or TMKs son performing comfortably (finally got the CM connection too). Pls ignore this info,
if you already know this.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 27 Apr 2009, 23:35

Rajumds,
You said it: the moment I start 'hearing' the music, I know my concentration is waning.
Same here. When background music beckons my attention when I do my chores, then I know I have to move that music to the 'sit and listen' time.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 27 Apr 2009, 23:48

The second problem can be solved by working with weights (dumbell, barbell, cable,lever machines).
Both men and women need to do this.

Rajaglan, you are quite right. One additional thing, which is very important, is to increase the protein intake when working with weights, especially for vegetarians. Weight training is there for increasing muscle tone and strength but it accomplishes that by breaking them down first. When it rebuilds it requires protein intake.

Now, bringing this right into the sanctum sanctorum of CM, vocal training is equivalent to exercising the vocal muscles. I think they respond to the same pulls and pushes of other muscles. So, during vocal practise, one can adopt what has been learnt with exercising other muscles. There was a discussion about this in another thread on voice culture. Allow for a warm up time, then do 'sets and reps' of increasing strain on the muscles ( which is the main sAdhakam time ), then allow for a cool down period of gradual reduction in strain. Now, vocalists should allow time for the vocal muscles to repair themselves before the next major practise session. Do those muscles require protein too during this repair period? I see why not but I have not really thought through or read up on it much.

Before we draw too many parallels between other muscles and vocal muscles, the requirements on the vocal muscles may be different. A good balance between flexibility and strength need to be achieved there, I guess.

rajaglan · Post by **rajaglan** » 29 Apr 2009, 13:14

vasanthakokilam wrote:
The second problem can be solved by working with weights (dumbell, barbell, cable,lever machines).
Both men and women need to do this.
Rajaglan, you are quite right. One additional thing, which is very important, is to increase the protein intake when working with weights, especially for vegetarians. Weight training is there for increasing muscle tone and strength but it accomplishes that by breaking them down first. When it rebuilds it requires protein intake.

Now, bringing this right into the sanctum sanctorum of CM, vocal training is equivalent to exercising the vocal muscles. I think they respond to the same pulls and pushes of other muscles. So, during vocal practise, one can adopt what has been learnt with exercising other muscles. There was a discussion about this in another thread on voice culture. Allow for a warm up time, then do 'sets and reps' of increasing strain on the muscles ( which is the main sAdhakam time ), then allow for a cool down period of gradual reduction in strain. Now, vocalists should allow time for the vocal muscles to repair themselves before the next major practise session. Do those muscles require protein too during this repair period? I see why not but I have not really thought through or read up on it much.

Before we draw too many parallels between other muscles and vocal muscles, the requirements on the vocal muscles may be different. A good balance between flexibility and strength need to be achieved there, I guess.

A very good comparision between vocal and body muscles. Yes, protein intake is a must otherwise one might just loose the muscles.

sbala · Post by **sbala** » 29 Apr 2009, 13:41

I abandoned the Treadmill when I read somewhere that it was originally designed for prisoners and to train dogs. Also, what a waste of power for an activity that has been done by our ancestors with minimum fuss. Outdoors is cheaper and the workout is much more effective. Music with exercise is a strict no-no for me.

rajaglan · Post by **rajaglan** » 30 Apr 2009, 18:10

sbala wrote:I abandoned the Treadmill when I read somewhere that it was originally designed for prisoners and to train dogs. Also, what a waste of power for an activity that has been done by our ancestors with minimum fuss. Outdoors is cheaper and the workout is much more effective. Music with exercise is a strict no-no for me.

Outdoor... In places like Blore and in resdentials, it is difficult to see mud roads. Even in parks , the footpaths are tiled with interlocking bricks. And playgrounds, rare to find nowadays except near BBMP localities. The cemented footpaths, tarred roads are knee killers. Once you reach 40s, all the knee problems show up and you donot want to aggrevate the knee problems with running on hard surfaces. And another factor is traffic, and then to avoid this you try to take footpaths and it is inclined near every house for the car to come out and in such situations , body weight is more on a single knee. Considering all this I decided to use treadmills, which has knee friendly surface and you can control speed. If you are particular about avoiding the power spent, one can use treadmills without motors or use cycles. I too like outdoor, but pushed to doing things indoor. A good shoe can also help in this.

I was in Dallas for few days in one of the best neighbourhoood, and it was a pleasure running on the neighbourhood though the surface is cemented there too. The US neighbourhoods are motivating one to run around. Actually to complement your sentence, we seem to be living in prisions only. The call centre vehicles rush through residential areas for getting better perks and banaglore roads have become very dangerous for kids and elders.

sbala · Post by **sbala** » 30 Apr 2009, 20:04

I can't comment on Bangalore and life after 40 but I'm happy that Chennai is able to offer a few decent grounds and beaches. Shoes apparently are another waste of money. I'm comfortable with my low end adidas (replaced a relatively expensive one after I found I didn't have a good grip).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive ... money.html

ragam-talam · Post by **ragam-talam** » 30 Apr 2009, 20:33

rajaglan wrote:If we do these two, we can rest ourselves the rest of the day.

Not quite correct. It doesn't help if you work out for an hour, then do nothing for the rest of the day.
What's required is activity spread throughout the day. This is confirmed by ongoing research in this area.

ragam-talam · Post by **ragam-talam** » 30 Apr 2009, 20:35

sbala wrote:Shoes apparently are another waste of money.

Yep. Running barefoot is another option: http://runningbarefoot.org/

shripathi_g · Post by **shripathi_g** » 30 Apr 2009, 20:42

Or this - http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/barefo ... unning.cfm. After having become an expert in acquiring running injuries in every part of my lower body, I may decide to go for these. Anyway, I don't want to digress into a thread on running and have the mods come down on me.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 30 Apr 2009, 22:09

Shripathi - does this Vibram fivefinger wear allow you to plug in your iPod nano?

shripathi_g · Post by **shripathi_g** » 01 May 2009, 08:41

I guess it should. I'm sorry I don't get the reference.

srinivasrgvn · Post by **srinivasrgvn** » 12 May 2009, 19:22

I have to thank shripathi for starting this thread. It is due to him that I have been inspired to listen to CM while I go for my daily walk. It is a novel idea! I never thought of it before shripathi started this thread. Now, I happily put my iPod to shuffle mode. It mixes the rarest combinations ever - A Semmangudi "Dinamani", a MS "durusugA" or an MLV "Innu Daya". It is an absolute pleasure to listen to these songs at random! I especially love to listen to fast compositions and jhavalis while I walk. I just adore Semmangudi's razor fast Mukhari swarams and Nowadays I seem to like slow pieces like Aruna Sayeeram's "kuvAlayAksheerO" or Mani Krishnaswamy's "Chakkani". Thanks a lot, shripathi, for opening this thread. You are not my sole enemy after all

shripathi_g · Post by **shripathi_g** » 12 May 2009, 22:15

CM is the only thing that inspires me to run long distances.

. Last week, I went for an 18-mile run in preparation for my marathon and by mile 15 my energy had started to flag. I had turned the music off because I was running with a friend but I let him go ahead of me and switched on my ipod in the shuffle mode. Immediately, MMI started belting out Kaanakankodi at a superb pace ( I think he sings at a 10-minute mile pace

) followed by a power-packed abhang by Kishori Amonkar. I just breezed through the rest of the miles.