It’s been a while since I did a long run on the track. Perhaps last on New Year’s Day in Goa in 2023.
The Peddem track at Mapusa was a gift – it was close to where I was staying and open to the public. New Year’s Day saw me run solo for a couple of hours and in the wee hours of the morning, I had the track to myself.
Here, at Tau Devilal, the track was bustling with people soon after I began. The young boy did a steps and strides workout while I continued on at my rightful place, lane nine. A teenager in a cap joined me for a bit. Mr Lamba, the older gentleman I’ve been seeing since I began track, joined me on many alternate rounds. I was grateful for the company, even as for most of this run, I had my headphones on, which I rarely use for running.
I avoided looking at the watch until the sun began to rise. At that time, I was just over the halfway mark in mileage.
But by now, I had picked the pace considerably and while the last few kilometres seemed to get tedious, I finished strong and thoroughly enjoyed the morning.
Writing about Running 