[ebonho]

So ... yesterday I became State Champion in the Men 50+ age category in the 4-day 2nd Maharashtra Masters Games held at Indapur.

This means I now get to race for Maharashtra (hopefully in the official state colors ...) in the Masters Nationals to be held in Hyderabad.

Podium positions in those games will decide who represents India at the World Masters at Kansai, Japan in May 2022.

These Masters games have been badly hit by the Covid Pandemic and we have been waiting (and training in fits and starts) since March of this year. The State Championships, and therefore the Nationals as well, with the multiple lockdowns and quarantines.

The World Masters slated for 2021 (this year) were thus pushed deep in 2022.

This thus makes it the second state I will be representing in Cycling, albeit after a gap of 37 years!

When in high school, I had represented Bihar state in the 100 km Team Time Trial in the Sub Juniors category at the Nationals in Bikaner, Rajasthan. I think I was picked up by our state coach (and Asiad gold medalist) the legendary Mr. Amar Singh when he convinced my parents to send me for training after watching me win a local race (and an Agfa camera!) organised by XLRI where I believe I beat his son Jasvinder who was a year or two elder than me and already racing for Bihar at the time.



That's me in the middle.

That was a lifetime ago and then life took over. Studies. Medicine. A very early wedding to my college sweetheart. Our first kid when I was a kid myself (definitely mentally). Career. Motorcycling for 25 years. And then coming back to cycling in 2017.

I am loving it!

A small photologue of my trip to Indapur, and the race, and the WIN! Still probably haven't come to grips with it to be honest. But the old competitive racer bloodlust is flowing and pumping now ...



























































Been a topsey turvy year for me both on the personal and health fronts. This race has always been on my radar as my A Race for more than a year now, including that of many of the other Masters I train with. Some definite winners/podium sure-shots were either carrying race injuries or had clashing dates with another big race (Sahyadri Classic, just the day before) and could not make it to the starting line after all of the same (and more) hard work, and my heart goes out to them as buddies. But for me personally this is frankly a fairy-tale ending (or just the beginning ...), one which I did not dare dream about as I systematically pushed and planned my way through the last 4-month build-up, so I thought it really deserved a thread of its own here, rather than simply adding another post to the Bike Photos thread. I hope in my small way this inspires other cyclists here to train hard(er) and strive for bigger things which all of us have the untapped potential within for, just needing the drive and hard work to translate into results.

Cheers, Doc

[itisravi]

Congratulations Doc! Podium finish calls for a bike upgrade.

[Aditya]

Congratulations on this great achievement Doc . Really happy for you. This should serve as motivation for others.

This was a weekend of achievements - you won this race, and many others I know completed the Sahyadri Classic successfully.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by itisravi

Congratulations Doc! Podium finish calls for a bike upgrade.

He he ... Ravi then my early marriage will have a middling to late halt. Lol

Though to be serious, anything to do with cycling she just rolls her eyes and says go safe. The kids obviously were thrilled when I got out of the car with the medal. But she too was pretty excited for a change..

Originally Posted by Aditya

Congratulations on this great achievement Doc . Really happy for you. This should serve as motivation for others.

This was a weekend of achievements - you won this race, and many others I know completed the Sahyadri Classic successfully.

Thanks a ton Aditya. I can sense how happy some of my buddies like you are for me, coz most of you have also witnessed my dark moods, doubts, frustrations etc. Normal for any racer I guess, some more than others.

I tell you bro, this masters scene is going to explode. We are only in the second year and already I'm seeing significant traction from the serious riders who train. Of course there is the smattering of uncles on their hybrids and MTBs who still haven't figured out that there are guys here to actually race (they are very firmly pushed 2-3 rows back though a few try to come up at the start).

You will kill it. I know you are insanely regular with your training. I'm not. This was my best year. But I mentally really need a tangible end goal to train towards and for. Without that I'm guilty of down times and slipping on motivation and getting into procrastination mode.

So 2-3 big races spread evenly over the year, with smaller local (26 Jan, Ambedkar Jayanti type crits) races would really keep the momentum humming.

Cheers, Doc

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by ebonho

This means I now get to race for Maharashtra (hopefully in the official state colors ...) in the Masters Nationals to be held in Hyderabad.

Podium positions in those games will decide who represents India at the World Masters at Kansai, Japan in May 2022.

Congratulations, and all the best for both

[graaja]

This is fantastic

Congratulations Doc, on the podium finish and wishing you the very best for the Masters Nationals!

[vb-saan]

Congratulations! Picking back the sport in 2017 and on the podium in 2021!
Hope to see a report on Kansai in May 2022!

[ninjatalli]

Nice job doc. I see you being much much fitter in the pics too (as compared to some I remember from months ago). Excellent transformation

[GTO]

Congrats brother ! Your family must be super proud & you sure look fit. Always keep pushing...excelling, no matter what we do, no matter our age, no matter how small or big the task / exercise. Very inspiring thread for the rest of us.

You are going to our homepage today.

This is also the year that your persistence led to our bicycle forum being created, so a double celebration in 2021!!!

[narayanang76]

Congratulations, Doc. That is definitely a great achievement, winning Masters podium. Wish you many more.

[ss125_i10]

Congratulations and best wishes for your nationals. A wonderful achievement and that too at this age is an inspiration for all of us

Your cycling thread has been very informative and has helped me in my purchase decisions to great extend.

[papr23]

Originally Posted by ebonho

But for me personally this is frankly a fairy-tale ending (or just the beginning ...)
Cheers, Doc

Congrats Doc! And what a way to turn a hobby into something big! Good luck for future races!!

[speedguy]

Congratulations & all the best for Hyderabad event. Godspeed..!
OT: Your first pic reminded me of a famous movie of my generation. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.!

[balajiisworking]

Totally inspiring. When I get to 50 I hope to be half as fit, and I would have achieved something. Congratulations! I hope your family see this thread and gift you an upgrade!

[ebonho]

Wow! Overwhelmed by the encouragement and appreciation guys.

Originally Posted by amol4184

Congratulations, and all the best for both

Thanks Amol.

Originally Posted by graaja

This is fantastic

Congratulations Doc, on the podium finish and wishing you the very best for the Masters Nationals!

Thanks so much Ganesh.

Originally Posted by vb-san

Congratulations! Picking back the sport in 2017 and on the podium in 2021!
Hope to see a report on Kansai in May 2022!

Thanks Biju. Hope so too. My focus now though is 100% fully on the Nationals (just praying we get at least 6 weeks notice ... Indapur dates were finalized with just 4 weeks to go).

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Nice job doc. I see you being much much fitter in the pics too (as compared to some I remember from months ago). Excellent transformation

Thanks Ninja. Somehow though my weighing scale seems to be permanently stuck in a comfort zone between 80 and 90 kilos. But I'm feeling great after going heavy on carbs and getting over my bookish / youtubish / internetish / weight trainer hangup on proteins where one does not see anything else. The delayed onset soreness (DOMS) is gone. The chronic fatigue is gone. The legs are finally feeling close to the old ones. Though I'm still only firing at 80% of my max aerobically I feel. From my March levels.

Originally Posted by GTO

Congrats brother ! Your family must be super proud & you sure look fit. Always keep pushing...excelling, no matter what we do, no matter our age, no matter how small or big the task / exercise. Very inspiring thread for the rest of us.

You are going to our homepage today.

This is also the year that your persistence led to our bicycle forum being created, so a double celebration in 2021!!!

Thanks Rush buddy. Kids are chuffed and their friends are too, with many congrats to an embarrassed uncle when he comes home. Lol Plus their Insta and Snap and God knows what else crowd and "story"s ... my comfort daal chawal zone is Whatsapp! And Nokia phones.

Thanks for putting up the thread on the homepage, and yeah, our cycling forum is a great addition from 2021. Its buzzing and is a real cool place to be in.

Originally Posted by narayanang76

Congratulations, Doc. That is definitely a great achievement, winning Masters podium. Wish you many more.

Thanks Narayan buddy. We are quite envious of Bangalore where you apparently have a proper series for Masters, with races almost every two weeks?

Originally Posted by ss125_i10

Congratulations and best wishes for your nationals. A wonderful achievement and that too at this age is an inspiration for all of us

Your cycling thread has been very informative and has helped me in my purchase decisions to great extend.

Thank you and my pleasure.

Originally Posted by papr23

Congrats Doc! And what a way to turn a hobby into something big! Good luck for future races!!

Thanks Papr bro. Never thought that when we were discussing this race on the other thread, that I would be on top of the podium. Please make it a point to ask me such questions before every race. I will let slip the schedule to you nonchalantly so that it does not appear contrived to the powers that be up above.

Originally Posted by speedguy

Congratulations & all the best for Hyderabad event. Godspeed..!
OT: Your first pic reminded me of a famous movie of my generation. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.!

Thank you buddy. Yup my generation too (early college days). Though real races can be a lot more violent and painful than the movie. Brutal even.

Originally Posted by balajiisworking

Totally inspiring. When I get to 50 I hope to be half as fit, and I would have achieved something. Congratulations! I hope your family see this thread and gift you an upgrade!

Thanks Balaji. I am actually VERY happy with my CAAD. The frame, its stiffness, and its weight and that sublime handling and snap is legendary. Once things open up I do eventually plan to making her drivetrain a 11-speed 105, and upgrade the wheels to some nice light racing ones (not carbon). Saddle (Fizik) and handlebar (Boardman Elite) I already have lighter racing ones from a close friend. Those will go on soon too.

Cheers, Doc