A Quick Thirty

Sunday morning, after a road trip and a long draining Saturday, at Nehru Park was just what I needed.

A couple of kilometres into the run, I met Shikha who was already well on her way to a thirty seven this morning. We picked up the pace steadily for about ten kilometres after which we settled into a rhythm. A few seconds up and down, each kilometre feeling just at that border of easy to medium tempo. Sustainable.

The roads of Niti Marg and Shanti Path were teeming and we had to often weave through crowds of runners or be careful of oncoming traffic and runners alike. Etiquette in running has to happen not only quickly but the slightest of gestures – motioning which way to pass or giving way.

Perhaps even more so than etiquette, it’s an acknowledgement – of effort, of the act of running, of these roads and Sunday morning that for so many is the anchor of routine.

Twenty in, the young boy joined me for a steady six. The pace dropped but not by much. After that the last four was simply to get the job done.