54 not out - Sunder Rajan - thank you for lighting our lives up

While there's sadness in the heart, there's also a sense of relief for Raj he is out of his pain. He fought a valiant fight and did what he said he'd - keep it short, don't prolong if quality of life is affected.

Satya moved mountains and spared no effort to ensure that he was in least pain. Her parents cared for his every desire through these months. And finally the village turned up; that's the enduring Raj legacy that I will forever cherish.


I am poorer for I will miss my brother, and richer for he's connected me to all of you all in his brief journey, *54 not out*

Thank you one and all

In closing borrowing his famous words,

• "no regrets, it s what it is."

Best wishes always
Bala/Raj's younger cousin


Dates:

1. Jun 30, 2019 - Scan and diagnosis
2. Dec 10, 2019 8:05 - left his mortal body - 5 months, 10 days
3. Dec 11, 2019 4pm - cremated in the Hindu tradition blessed on the journey onward by Priest Ramachandra Bhattar
4. Dec 14 - Satya, Suchita, Sushmita left for India for the next and final phase of the journey, to unite his moral remains with his guru Pujya Swami Dayanand Saraswati at Hrishikesh.
5. Dec 19-22 - Remaining rites will be at Bangalore. The shubham function in on the 13th day, Dec 22.

The circle of love for Raj grows - across to Alcatraz

Swim it Forward (part of Swim Across America SF )  - my friend Naoko Watanabe team swam across to Alcatraz for Sunder - this is the first jump into the water from the #TeamSatyRaj village - ever so grateful to have a friend like you, @Naoko. The exhilaration from what you have done is so very uplifting. The universe is colluding to make this a wonderful outing for the fight against Glioblastoma.

Raj is doing his part - my brother of 50 years, says “It is what it is - let’s go out with a party.”

We continue the dedication to him. 

Clinical update: After the MRI scan on Sep 26, the oncologist has recommended continuing chemo treatment for 6-8 weeks. During the month, Raj has had a setback starting with seizures and a loss of physical strength - making doing things harder now due to that. After intensive 2+week rehab regimen involving speech, physical and occupational therapy, Satya’s managed to get him out of the wheelchair. He’s a falling risk now so needs someone at his side. 

With Satya as his taskmaster - there’s no giving up here. Go #TeamSatyaRaj.

Satya has an appeal, please consider adding your support towards her goal of $100K

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-rajan-family?member=2580824

With gratitude.

#TeamSatyaRaj

Dedication from Omrunners - 543 miles of strength

Team Om Run dedicated their miles to #TeamSatyaRaj

End of week tally: 543 miles

Ananda started the dedication and others followed. Thanks to Ranga for the clarion call to dedicate week’s runs to Raj. #TeamSatyaRaj.
And the tally at the end of the week a whopping total of 543 miles !!
This is the power of satsang demonstrated - I am humbled and touched by the support that the Team Omrun has poured out. The wishes, prayers are all worth their weight in gold - in these times #TeamSatyaRaj and the family just needs the positive wishes on the way to a miracle. Each breath is a miracle and that we already have in Raj. 

Here’s the honor roll -

1.  Ananda #the-rabbit: 25 mile 3000’ elevation at a stupendous pace; 17miles/3h22m/2080’ + 8.01miles/1h17m/886’; “+24 miles this morning for #teamSatyaRaj chanting Gayatri Mantra. Love and good wishes to Raj and his family for a complete recovery”
2. Subra #fastest-omrunner 8/21 - 6m48s 5K - PR ; tempo run 1mile warmup dedicated to Raj”; “8miles x 2 hike for TeamSatyaRaj; Sending good vibes for a speedy recovery”
3. Srividhya Venkat #fiercely-competitive “Did 3 miles run..yesterday night for ur brother prasanna.” “3 miles just done for #Teamsathyaraj”; "18 miles with Ankur+Rasika"
4. Karthik Raju #graceful-runner, “I did Fremont Older this morning.  Praying for your brother's fast recovery”
5. Ranga #ZenCoach  “7.75 miles this morning running with Raj (Prasana’s brother)”; “6.25 with Raj this AM”; “Satyaraj Run today 14 Miles”; “My run with Raj 12.5 miles, day has not ended”
6. Gopal #smiling-always, “Yesterday did 26 miles bike trip with my son & his friend. Fisherman wharf to Sausalito to at&t park via golden gate park.  Fun ride.”; “3.2 miles this morning for Raj, Vazhga valamudan”
7. Rasika #rockstar , “Two 4 miles run this week for your brother’s speedy recovery." ;"18 miles with Sri+Ankur".
8. Ganesh #super-coach: “9 miles from my end for dear Raj”. “9 miles on Jamnmashtami Vishnu Sahastranama chanting for #TeamSatyaRaj”; “50K Mt Diablo Girivalam for Raj”
9. Anil #fast-anil - “10.26 miles from my end”
10. Sachin #herman “Two back to back bike to work 9.5 miles x 4. For Raj’s speedy recovery.” “6 miles for Raj”
11. Vinod “5.15miles #TeamSatyaRaj My best wishes for his speedy recovery “
12. Revathi Iyer #backfrominjury-thecoolone “I managed 3 miles and my son did 4 miles and sending good vibes for your brother!”
13. Madhu Ram #madhu-efficientrunner “#TeamSatyaRaj with chanting of “Sri Rama Ramethi”...  Wishing him speedy recovery…”
14. Rajaram #always21 “4.75 miles with Raj this morning”
15.  SanjayB #theceo “3 miles, but not in the Subra league”; “3 miles for Raj” “+5 miles chanting Mahamrityunjay mantra and Dhanavantari mantra for Raj’s health and family’s 
16. Vijay #fast-vijay “3.1 miles for Raj’s recovery”; “11 miles this morning for #teamSatyaraj”
17. KarthikRaju #graceful-omrunner “+5.5 this AM for #TeamSatyaRaj”; “13.6 miles for Raj”; “finished the week with a mission peak hike this morning, 7.5miles for #TeamSatyaRaj”
18. AnilC #blazing-the-trail “10.02 x 3 miles for #teamSatyaRaj”
19. Vinay #blame-the-mochi “6 miles evening run for Raj. Wishing a speedy recovery”; “+8 miles for #TeamSatyaRaj”
20. SenthilV #idly-happyhour “I just did 4.25 miles run for Raj's speedy recovery.”; “13.1 miles for #teamSatyaRaj”
21. Ankur #man-behind-rasika “18 miles x 3 with +Sri+Rasika“
22. SatishS #intercontinental-runner “5.5 mile run/walk dedicated to #TeamSatyaRaj; prayers and best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery”
23.  prasana “26.2miles bike ride for #TeamSatyaRaj”; “13.6 miles at Quicksilver chanting gita dhyanam, purushottama yoga and vishnu sahastranama for #TeamSatyaRaj”
24.  Ram V #theRAM “taking over the 200 mark, Hurray for Raj”
25.  Ravi #thebestalladi - “4 miles on the treadmill for Raj
26.  Parag #rishis-wisdom Ran, walked 2 miles today.  Wearing running shoes for running after a long time. #TeamSatyaraj
27. Ram V #coolmeyyappan-mybrother “10 miles x 3 for #TeamSatyaRaj”
28. Vinod “8 miles for for #TeamSatyaRaj”
29. Venky #iyengar-withbigwords “6.5 miles for #teamSatyaRaj”
30. RupaN #yogguru “sending my heartfelt prayers and good wishes for your brother’s speedy recovery. Sending you and the family strength and fortitude to be there for him”
31. Ram B “10 mile run for #TeamSatyaRaj”
32. RenukaA “2 miles morning run dedicated to #teamSatyaRaj; prayers and blessings”; “4 mile run for #TeamSatyaRaj”
33. Meyyappan #smiling-always “5 miles after a very long time for #TeamSatyaRaj”

Request: Please add any pics you’d like to share of this for posterity to to the shared album at https://photos.app.goo.gl/2EMZhWNxqfYJoLbF7.

In humbled gratitude to the village. 🙏
Clinical update
End of week 5 (of the 6 clinical trial): Raj is stable with some speech and cognitive deficits.
All things considered, he’s in a very good place. Thanks to all your wishes and blessings.

Mount Madonna Trail Run - buck up #TeamSatyaRaj

Mount Madonna trail run

Aug 17, 2019

Normally this post would catalog the day’s events, not this one.
This race was inspired by the fight for life by my dear brother,
Sunder aka Raj or Sunder Rajan.

Sunder at Google Xfin y2013

He’s taken one to the chin on this one and carried himself with
utmost positivity through these trying times. 

It’s actually the team effort of Satya and Raj.
Who, although together, while seeming to work in opposition,
work toward one common goal.
Raj’s well-being. Go #TeamSatyaRaj.

The Team

That was the point of this race for me - to reflect on the
recent events in his life.
This diagnosis was laid at his doorstep on June 30, 2019
Saying, life's thrown me a curve-ball; it is what it is.
He went about executing on the biggest event of their lives so far,
the inaugural dance of my nieces.
In addition the response to this has been a beautiful
coming together of family and friends fills me
with a sense of gratitude for the village, the satsang that life is.

Back to now....

Today’s race had some of those characteristics -
running purely on inspiration, on an unseasonably
cool bay-ridge trail, so perfect running weather.
It took me down approximately 1000 feet before
starting the climb. 

In between chanting my thoughts kept drifting
back to Raj - I have resolved that we’ll come back together when he’s able to take on these trails and do the run together.

Today’s chanting mala consisted of Geeta Dhyanam,
Purushottama Yoga and Vishnu Sahastranamam. 
I got through 3 malas during the 17 km.

guiding me on Montour Trail, PA

To my guardian angel, Raj; here’s one in
solidarity with your fight.

Play it to win it!v Hari Om

Dawn at Mumbai Marathon - TMM 2019

The festivities started at the expo with the kickoff by Marathon Ambassador, Mary Koum.

Then came the Comrades champion Bruce fordyce(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Fordyce). Bruce's speech was simple - race day is an art, training is a science; prepare well and on race day relax+enjoy the race (we have heard it before from coach @⁨Ranganathan Ramaswamy⁩ and it is after all from the Gita, 2.47).


Sleepover at @⁨Sachin Thatte⁩' parents' home was vintage love, affection all in copious quantity.

Race day, Ganesh, Sachin and I met up on the local train (they ran specials starting at 330am).

Humidity, the big xfactor in this Mumbai run for me; sweating buckets from the start gun. The support on the course was head and shoulders above any race of this magnitude in these conditions, an essential and we are glad the organizers recognized it. Hydration stations (about 2 every mile), people support they wore care on their faces and in action. Locals had salt and oranges for the runners all along the way.. The ⛅  itself was blunted by the smog and the humidity, my body was sapped by the 2nd half.


At the halfway point, Ganesh father-in-law and mother in law were there to greet us, the best kind of surprise for this day. At this point all 3 of us were together and they made for a good celebration.

I was slowing down, then the right hamstring cramped, not entirely unexpected. In my playbook that calls for chanting Purushottam-yoga(ch15), the chanting helps me focus my mind away from the pain and I keep moving so I can come up with the next steps. Pain is after all temporary #weaknessleavingthebody and sure enough the cramp subsided, continued following the interval clock again until the left hamstring cramped; repeat playbook #omrun discipline.

Steadily the kilometers were counting down, 10togo was now 5togo; that's when the booster shot came, @⁨Ganesh Iyer⁩ called out, 'where is Sachin'; after a brief exchange on the toughness of the course we plugged away. That's when a helpful volunteer sprayed the relaxant 'volini' on both my hamstrings and the cool feeling helped go through what remained. It's been 10 years since I finished a race with Coach ganesh, another high point.
Today was a hard race, with amazing support, our village and flanked by 2 of the best that I have had the privilege of calling #myfriends this was a #sweetrace, #memorable #blessedami

Here's a photo log, well you all know I take pics along the journey so I can savor the ride

A tip of my hat to the champs, Sachin and Ganesh.

Rohini's brother ran the half and he met us in the finish area, another champ who was lamenting a slow (2:01:30!) race due the humidity.🙃

Thank you all - your wind of support was the source of strength for me.

And finally and most importantly a tip of the hat to the inspiration for this year's run,


And 135K raised, thanks to some amazing donors.