2022 review

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2022 review

January – The year began with lockdown and uncertainty due to the pandemic. The events scheduled for new year got cancelled or postponed without further dates. I was supposed to participate in a long cycle ride and it got postponed. I spent my time inside home as like lockdown in previous years.

I watched two Korean series with the help of English subtitles. The first one is ‘Its ok to not be okay’ and the second one is ‘Startup’. Both the series influenced me a lot in a positive way. 

 Every year on Pongal day and subsequent two days , we used to for 100 km rides with our cycling group. These events also got cancelled this year. But unlike previous years there was a hope that this will end soon in everybody’s mind and this positive thinking and other measures and experience of past years led to removal of lockdown by the end of the month. However by the end of the month I had clocked 1700 kms.

February– The event which got postponed in January was rescheduled for 14th of the february. Got my cycle serviced and booked train tickets to Bangalore and packed all things required for the event(Gates of Heaven – 1200 km cycle ride). Couldn’t finish on time but nevertheless completed climbing five hills. The event will take place again in 2024 and I am waiting for it. A short write up was posted recently.

I watched neither movies nor net series during February and all focus was only cycling. I rode around 2250 km in February.

March– It was again only cycling in march and I rode around 2300 km. I was  preparing for a thousand km ride via Jog falls in April. Also a hope of compensating the late finish in February.

I watched the movie ‘Shyam singha Roy’.

April – A thousand kilometre ride which i quit at 450 km was a major disappointment. I did climbed and descended the kudremukh hills before quitting. After returning, I started running to participate in my first ‘Hell race’ which got postponed to the first of next month.

In April I watched the movies ‘ No time to die’ and ‘Hey Sinamika’.

May – In a  65 km trail running in Darjeeling, managed to complete 50 km and then had to force quit due to weather and late coming. For more about this read here. I am participating again in 2023.

A cycling competition between cities as to who will clock more mileage among a selected list of participants. This event was conceptualised by crooze app and the first edition was conducted. Our team Chennai cheetahs won the first place.

I Watched ‘Dr Strange: Multiverse of madness’ in Imax3D. It was a big disappointment in the storyline for me.

Applied online for UK visa to participate in LEL-2022. Ordered online for cycling accessories and a friend of mine carried it from UK.

June –As part of  training went to SL-7 High altitude training centre at ooty and had a wonderful experience. Participated in the first edition of Spartan-600 BRM conducted by Madurai Randonneurs, had to climb four hills and successfully completed on time.

I reapplied for my visa in priority basis and got it on time.

July– The entire month was spent on preparation for LEL, packing for a long international trip. Apart from that I watched four movies in July. ‘CBI the brain’, ‘ Love and leashes’, ‘Thor: Love and thunder’ and ‘Dear Friend’.

I watched ‘Man vs bee’ and it was a disappointment for me. And then watched a Korean series ‘Crash landing on you’.

August – First ever visit to UK. LEL experience. I am yet to post my experiences in UK and the LEL ride. However I have posted about the incident that happened in UK.

While returning back in flight I watched three movies and two more movies on reaching home.

September – First ever surgery on my body. Not a proud thing to brag at. Post surgery I received Memento from WCCG for my attempt at LEL.  

I watched ‘I am not a robot’ and ‘Hometown cha cha cha’.

October – Reading books, Watching net series, Movies. I watched ‘Run on’ and ‘Twenty five Twenty one’.

November – Reading books, Watching net series, Movies. I watched a small series ‘ Remarriage and Desires’.

I started tracking my food daily and writing it in a notebook and by the end of the week entering into excel.

December – Reading books, Watching net series, Movies. I watched ‘Doctors’ in December.

A review of this year for may look like- Watch movies and Net series, Cycle, Sleep and then Repeat. But it was not so. I learnt a lot more things which I forgot to record and hence unable to quantify.

Movies – 34

Web series – 145 episodes

Cycling – 15000 km

Running – 650 Km

Reading – 5 books

I haven’t quantified how much time I spend working, sleeping, trying new foods at new restaurants, hiking, and other things I do in life. I should try to add these things in next year in case I succeed in quantifying.

Impact of Avatar-2

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After watching ‘Avatar-2 way of water’ , my deeply buried wishes over time surfaced again. I liked the visual effects and in particular the portions that were shot under water. Only people who had dived and did take some underwater photos or videos can truly understand and appreciate the efforts. Watching this film has rekindled my interest in scuba diving and i intend to go this year.

I did my first ‘discover scuba diving’ at Netrani islands in karnataka in 2013. At that point of time i did not know swimming. However when i took my cousins for diving in pondicherry in 2017, i had learnt a bit of swimming. In 2015 i did my first free dive at kakaban islands. My work life took a toll and i left swimming altogether for quite a few years. Again after watching this movie, water is pulling me towards it.

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I may have to start from scratch because of my current pedicament after my collar bone fracture. I am still in recovery phase. We can endure finite disappointments but never lose infinite hope, can we?

Three years ago, both my underwater cameras have been vandalised by some unknown men who entered my house when i was away on official trip. And then the coronavirus thing happened and all swimming pools have been closed. After the lockdown my focus was fully on cycling. And now the recover phase and the avatar movie combination is providing another oppurtunity to fulfill the long lost wishes.

Just before the pandemic, when i tried to swim in the pool water, i couldnt even properly swim. I took membership and lockdown was put up from the very next day. My dreams of triathlon participation, open water certification etc., crashed that day.

I have done river rafting at Madikeri, Dandeli and Bali. I missed river rafting experience at rishikesh due to lack of company.

Now in my recovery phase i can make a plan for these activities combined with cycling and before that have to improve in swimming. Thanks to Avatar movie for rekindling my interests in water bases activities.