The Unsung Heroes of My Napa Valley Marathon: Celebrating the Everyday Celebrities

 Marathons aren't just about crossing a finish line. They're about the people who lift you up along the way. The Napa Valley Marathon, known for its focused organization, became a tapestry of incredible stories, woven together by the everyday 'celebrities' who inspired me.

The Foundation: My Personal Support Team

Before I even reached the starting line, I was surrounded by champions. Sachin Thatte, the 'GOAT of the hills,' pushed me through grueling Quicksilver training runs, building my strength and confidence. Coach Ranga, fresh from his own racing conquests in India, guided me on crucial long runs, banishing doubts about the daunting six-hour cutoff. And at home, Rohini and Sujata fueled my body with silent, yet powerful, pasta dinners, their support a quiet strength.

The pre-race buzz was amplified by Ram Valliyapan's Tesla caravan to the expo, a stroke of luck landing us a free hotel night. Arriving at the start line with Team Omrun – Senthil, Ram, and Coach Ranga – was a reminder of the community that had my back.

The Race: A Symphony of Human Spirit

My strategy was to capitalize on the early miles, banking time for the inevitable slowdown. As I navigated the course, my mental soundtrack blended Gita's Purshottama Yoga, the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, and the Hanuman Chalisa, grounding me in strength and perseverance. But it was the people I met along the way who truly powered me forward.

• Frank from Denver: He wore a compression sock with his mother's image, a tangible symbol of his dedication. A family man pushing 50, he was running to prove to himself and his family that he could conquer this challenge. His grit and determination, his story of striving to make his mother proud, was a powerful reminder of the deep personal reasons we run.
• Nancy, the Comeback Queen: At mile 17, I met Nancy, a runner making a triumphant return after battling ovarian cancer. Just seven months after her last chemo, she ran the Chicago Marathon, and now, Napa Valley was a stepping stone to London and NYC. Her resilience was awe-inspiring, a testament to the human spirit's ability to overcome. Sharing Nitin's story with her, a story of fighting through a brain tumor and now training for the NYC marathon to memorialize his Raj Mama (my brother) (https://nbtsevents.braintumor.org/fundraiser/5950124), reinforced the powerful fighting spirit of humankind.
• Ken, the Pacing Pro: @I_Am_That_Ken, a pacer from Arkansas, revealed the dedication of these volunteer heroes. He travels to races, using them as opportunities to explore new places. His daily five-mile commitment was a goal to aspire to. He showed me the commitment and dedication of the volunteers that make these races possible.
• Irene, the Farmworker with a Fighter's Heart: As I struggled up an incline, Irene's encouraging voice spurred me onward. Her daughter, a nurse, inspired her to run, and her pride in her marathoner son and daughters was palpable. Her colorful shoes, a gift from her daughter, were a symbol of family support. She gave me my third wind.
• The Familiar Faces: Reshu, on her recovery journey, and Senthil, squeezing in a marathon amidst building a house, reminded me of the strength and dedication of my running community. 
• Kathy, Running in Memory: Kathy, running her first marathon in memory of her father, faced the hills with a determined spirit. Sharing intervals with her and introducing her to Nancy created a moment of shared experience and support.

The Finish Line: A Celebration of Community

In the final miles, I focused on running, drawing strength from the BG9.22 chant and Brahmarpanam. Crossing the finish line, I was greeted by Rohini's tracking message and Ranga's support. Despite the lack of post-race showers, the presence of Team Omrun made the moment special.

The Napa Valley Marathon wasn't just a race. It was a journey made extraordinary by the 'celebrities' I met along the way – the everyday people who inspired me with their courage, resilience, and unwavering spirit. They reminded me that we are all capable of extraordinary feats, and that the true strength of a marathon lies in the human connections we make.

Thankful to all of these celebrities that make my life wonderful . Here's a wonderful recovery pasta dinner specially prepared by sujata.

KaRam Yokathon - Jan 2023

Trip Report

I recently had the pleasure of attending the 7th annual KaRam Yokathon, a long-distance race held in the small village of Kodaganallur, Tamil Nadu, India. The race is organized by the YOKE Society, a non-profit organization that works to promote education, employment, and health in rural India.

The founders of YOKE, Chitra and Vasudevan , are an inspiring couple. Chitra is a force of nature, with an infectious energy and an unrelenting enthusiasm for her work. Vasudevan is the yin to her yang, calm and collected, with a keen eye for detail. Together, they are a powerful team, and their passion for their work is evident in everything they do.

The YOKE Society is made up of a group of dedicated and talented young people from Kodaganallur and the surrounding villages. They are passionate about their community and eager to make a difference. The race is a key event for the YOKE Society, and it provides a much-needed boost to the local economy.

The KaRam Yokathon is a special race. There are no fees to run in the races. Each participant gets a prized shirt with a message, and a finisher's medal. There are a total of 80 prize categories that the participants are vying for. This makes the race accessible to people of all economic backgrounds, and it encourages people to come out and participate.

The race is held on a scenic route through the countryside. The scenery is beautiful, and the weather is usually perfect. The race is a great way to experience the local culture and to see some of the beautiful countryside of Tamil Nadu.

I highly recommend the KaRam Yokathon to anyone looking for a unique and challenging running experience. The race is well-organized, the people are friendly, and the scenery is beautiful. It is a great way to support a worthy cause and to experience the local culture.

Key Points

• The founders of YOKE, Chitra and Vasudevan Vasudevan, are an inspiring couple.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• The YOKE Society is made up of a group of dedicated and talented young people from Kodaganallur and the surrounding villages.

• The KaRam Yokathon is a special race with no fees to run, and prizes are awarded to all participants, regardless of their finishing time.

• Families of Kamala and Ramalingam of Kodaganallur, Saraswathi and Balasubramanyam of Goplalasamudram fund the event in entirety. It's called KaRam Yokathon in to honour their sponsorship

• The race is held on a scenic route through the countryside.

• I highly recommend the KaRam Yokathon to anyone looking for a unique and challenging running experience.

• This trip was made possible for me by my dear friend, Coach Ranga, Andal Akka and my dear Appa who chaperoned me here. I experienced the personification of the expression, it takes a village.

  
  
  Indians for Collective Action (ICA) has funded the school grounds that was the staging area.
  
  
  

• I got to run with my friend Bhargav after a long time - met with the celebrity couple of led by Srividya Badri.

I am grateful to everyone who made this trip possible for me, and I hope to return to Kodaganallur soon. 

Chitra and Vasu embody Vasudaiva Kutambakam - fortunate to have had a chance to meet them. “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” is a Sanskrit phrase from ancient Indian scriptures that means the whole world is one (my) family.

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This report written with help from bard.google.com

Giving, that was Raj in a word for us

Sunderrajan, aka Sunder and Raj - he escaped on Dec 10, 2019, having fought a good fight against Glioblastoma, 5 months and 10 days  - he came true on his mantra, lived the Big picture.

I am one of the villagers in his village. And this episode is a dedication to our Raj bhai.

He has shown us during his lifetime and in the aftermath what human connections are, a much loved and cherished member of the extended family. And I have had the good fortune of calling him my big brother -we grew up together as one does in middle-class India of 70s-80s and then transitioning to the USofA. During his treatment I got to spend some good weeks and I cherish them. 

The idea of joining Swim it Forward germinated then.

I resolved seeing Sunder in the Swim It Forward hat, that I would come out with him to this swim the following year, that was Oct 2019. And then there was the Dec 10 when he was relieved of his pain in this body.  Following that the pandemic - that has been in our lives. So the opportunity didn't come until now - to pay it forward with Team Swim It Forward. For the life he lived where every connection was important. Raj had a special gift to make you feel like he was there for YOU. And as a result his village had a footprint wherever he had been. This is his village in Cleveland, a circle of love during his visits to the Cleveland Clinic.

Naoko introduced me to Swim Across America in 2015-2016) when she was doing the swim in Seattle as a Cancer Fundraiser - fast forward to 2019, she dedicated her Swim it Forward swim to Team SatyaSunder honoring his fight. And I felt his presence in the waters by the Golden Gate Bridge

He sported that cap with pride, as one who believes in the power of the collective prayer he was at the forefront.  I was excited when the possibility of the swim became real as the covid vaccine came on. Preparing with remote direction from Naoko, training with  Coach Chris at Alma Masters and Tom Sosnoswki got me ready for this.

Here's another tip of a hat to Rajbhai.  

Today I pay it forward, as a grateful villager of His village.

Highlights

• Raj memorial ocean swim 2021 : photobook
• SAA Fundraiser raised $600K for UCSF Childrens' 
  
  
  

Thomas, Eyes for the blind runner

Thomas Panek, my hero

 Watching a blind runner's journey inspired this post - there's a fall every runner experiences and the journey of recovery for each makes us stronger. The feeling of these blind runners' is something we can all relate to - exuberance of coming back to our favorite activity after being laid low.

The project Guideline is an inspiring use of technology and was on my thoughts all the time i was running today - tech is not bad, it has the power to melt barriers, this is an exemplar.

• A smart phone
• a cloud
• Machine learning models that can guide
• thoughtful researchers who makes lives better
• a committed human, Thomas Panek - that's inspired to not accept the status quo

Thomas is my hero for this story. Salutations to single-minded perseverance .

Best wishes always 

Sachin's Mount Umunhum Trail Race to the Self

A longtime wish to run to the top was fulfilled today, July 19, 2020.

Having these two, the best of Omrunners meant this was a special journey in more ways than just getting to the summit. We have had many running years together which I cherish immensely.

Ranga has the whole Quicksilver  park mapped in his brain, this means he adapts the runs for distance, injury, temperature; his empathy for all is a gift we continually draw on, thank you Ranga.

Sachin, the smart, pragmatic runner and friend. The wealth of his experience– his  readiness to share, his speed and strength  (which is the best of all 3 of us). He puts it to good use by running loops to keep us together. And today was no different. He had a Paleo bar just when I was famished and a remedy stretch for my jelly quads, thank you Sachin.

The run had been on my wishlist for a little long time. I remember the times looking from Bulls run at QS longingly at the cube, Ranga calling out the date of the opening 3 years ago. Finally 2 weeks ago he declared we were ready to make the attempt.

But for my overambitious plan to start at a farther place we might have been there then. Better late than never.

Today we got birthday runner, Arvind leading us off under fog cover for the first 6 miles.  He is the superstar tri-athlete as I got to learn of his rigorous 3 days each of swim and run; he's lamenting he doesn't have enough biking time.

Note to Ranga: please add 3 more days to the week for Arvind, problem solved.💁🏽

This was a spiritual journey to the mountain of the hummingbird, final ascent was to chants of Govinda-Govinda, received by these Omrun sages

Scaled, at peace and a marathon in these times, feeling lucky😇

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