Ganapati Bappa Morya

First the runs.
Today, September 18th 2007 , I ran 7 laps (4.48K) in 25:46 mins. After my usual stretch, my first lap was an easy 3:36; managed to stay on pace and not compete with a couple of PYTs running laps at twice my speed. Feeling some strain in my left calf. This is sounding like a nag now.

Monday September 17th 2007 , I ran an easy 6 laps (3.84K) in KNP. Started out smoothly after warm-up, clocking 3:36 for the first lap and stayed on pace to complete 6 laps in 21:27.

Sunday September 16th 2007
I ran 7.05K, starting out at 7:00 AM. This was a lovely run. The route was exactly the same as the last road run I went on: "The run is a loop from Roopali hotel on FC Road, up BMCC Road, up Senapati Bapat Road, turn at the University signal, past ESquare, down Ganeshkhind Road, turn into Ferguson College Road, and all the way to Good Luck Chowk, up Bhandarkar Road and stop at IIPM". Reached all my milestones earlier than the last run which was gratifying:
Pyramid Store on Senapati Bapat Road: 18:30 mins (19 mins last run)
Far End of Senapati Bapat Road: 27:30 mins (27 mins last run)
ESquare: 30:30 mins (31:30 mins last run)
Far end of FC Road: 39:30 mins (40:30 mins last run)
Roopali Hotel on FC Road: 49:36 mins (52:19 mins last run)
End: 52:31:84 mins (54:19:46 mins last run)

The only difference was I avoided the bridge opposite ESquare this time. Very satisfied. 10K next weekend.

On Saturday, my favourite diety, Ganapati Bappa came visiting. We got the idol on Friday evening. I did the prana pratishta puja on Saturday amid the sonorous rendition of सुखःकर्ता दुखःहर्ता. सकाळ संध्याकाळची पूजा, विसर्लेल्या आर्तिंचे पुन्हा आठ्वने , नैवेद्य प्रसाद, घर भर्लेले -- मन प्रसन्न झाले.

The नैवेद्य was twenty-one उक्ड़िचे मोदक which is Ganapati's favourite food (and mine). Oh, to bite into a steaming morsel of rice flour covered coconut and jaggery filling, to slurp surreptitously the juices as you drool a little, the lovely balace of the sweet (filling) and bland (cover) and finally the explosion of sweet as it tingles your palate...mmmm..
Sunday late afternoon was the goodbye - the ceremonial विसर्जन, amid the cries of "गणपति बाप्पा मोरया ... पुड्च्या वर्षी लवकर या "