Running with Clouds

It was an easy path to the long run workout today. I continued to feel light, and the kilometres seem to whizz past taking care of themselves.

Shikha joined me for the last loop and half. She was running with a hydration pack, training for an ultramarathon. Crazy girl, I thought affectionately and with endless admiration. We ran quietly and in step, quickening the pace, sub-consciously or perhaps consciously, every couple of hundred metres.

As I was finishing, a half dozen of Army recruits (some had Army blazoned on their jerseys) whizzed past, showing me my place – and the true meaning of the word. I laughed inwardly at myself and looked on with unabashed admiration as I saw the cadence, the stride, their beautiful flying legs with perfect musculature kicking up towards their buttocks, feet just skimming the road – ground contact time seemingly zero. Phew. Just lovely. Phew again.

Runs will almost take care of any state of mind but today for a plethora of reasons I felt clouds gathered in my head. The rush at the end, the feeling of completing a long Sunday run gives the world a sunny disposition. But not today.

Of course, I know that I would have felt infinitely worse had I not run at all.

Sometimes, only time will take care of clouds. After all the wind will blow soon enough.