Before my eyes the air went orange merging with the ochre of the track. For a hundredth of a second. The air around me flashed with lightning. Surely, I thought, the lightning had flashed just above Shiva and I, running lane nine of a near empty track. The thunder followed a few seconds later roared with aggression.
It poured throughout the run. Lightning and thunder twinned around us. Coach Ravi and Coach Nikhil clapped and cheered on the few runners that made it on the track.
Normally, I would have loved such a run. But the saga of my back continued. Every loop, I whimpered at some point as my back reminded me of its presence and pain. I tried to focus on good energy and vibes and for a moment or two, it seemed better. Then again thwack – something would jam and I would limp to get back to pace. Twice I stopped.
But I continued on. It wasn’t a big deal really. Perhaps what got to me was thinking about it constantly and not enjoying the weather and the rain like I should have.
It was awesome to have Shiva for company. He ran in a loping style even though we were running easy and slow especially by his standards. Tall, good looking – what’s with all these runners at the track?
Meanwhile, I limped beside Shiva’s youthful energy. An apt name, I say, and an apt run with the Gods above thundering down until all was washed out.
Writing about Running 