Life has come full circle. Or, should we say, full cycle, for Subhash Pande, a 75-year-old cyclist from Hyderabad. On the occasion of Teacher’s Day this year, Pande wanted to pay tribute to his beloved wife Megha Pande who passed away in March 2021 due to cancer. She worked for 25 years before retiring as a school teacher five years ago. Every year, Teacher’s Day meant a full house with students coming home to greet and treat her. “I was missing her terribly and I wanted to do something she would be proud of. So I decided to cycle the 40 km stretch from Safilguda to Charminar in three hours. The idea was to spread the message of keeping both ourselves and the planet healthy by choosing cycling.” Pande successfully completed the circuit and won the hearts of cyclists across the city for his grit and determination at this age.
A former Railways employee, this roadie has always led an active life. Ever since he retired in 2006, he has been walking and cycling on weekends. “My ATM is four km away from home and it is fun to walk/cycle to that spot to withdraw money. It saves me money and helps me spend calories. Two birds, one shot,” he quips. A darshan of Shivji at the temple adjacent to the ATM is of course a bonus for him every day. With two of his three children settled in Qatar, Pande likes to keep himself engaged in a healthy way. He is up at 4 am on most days and back home after his ‘rideventures’ by 7 am. “Of course, I sleep by 8.30 pm and I eat homemade food. Phulkas and dal made by my Sindhi cook,” he smiles.
Pande hails from a family of athletic men and he credits his genes and healthy habits to his father. “My dad used to cycle 25 km every day to work. He never got recognition for his hard work or his healthy concepts. I wanted to spread the word and doing a circuit like this in a record time helped me amplify the message,” he says.
This Maharashtrian senior citizen took up a 30-day walking challenge in May and a 100-day cycling challenge conducted by the Hyderabad Cycling Group in 2020 during Covid-19. “My sons gifted me a Rockstar Acapella, a geared bicycle, and that motivated me to take up cycling,” he adds. The cycle surely befits his rockstar accomplishments.
Asanas to do before long-distance cycling
✥ At least 15 minutes of micro yoga
✥ Recommended asanas: Dhanurasan, Sarvangasan, Vrikshasan and Sethubandasan