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Landed back in Delhi and got home well before time. But took the day off from running as planned.

This morning before catching the flight, I wanted to put in an hour on feet. The weather was crisp, cool and perfect.

On Sunday’s, this time in the morning, in the West, I usually have the roads to myself. More than half hour into my run, I hadn’t crossed a single walker or runner. I could hear my steps echoing back at me, and my bracelets clinking against each other like a steady metronome.

I took the U-turn at the same place as yesterday and it was on the way back, around 730 AM, that I saw a few runners.

Nearer to the hotel, there was a woman next to the lake taking a salsa class on zoom or perhaps she was practising to a recorded video.

The lake on my right, a woman dancing with some serious moves, a man sitting on a bench, the occasional runner but above all else everything seemed still, quiet, and serene.

Ciao, Switzerland, for now.

Because I did my long run yesterday, I took a break today.

Spent an hour at the Kunsthaus Zurich in the new David Chipperfield building which has got to be easily one of the best museums I’ve ever visited.

Around the seventh kilometre, a red van on a cross street passed me, and the moustached man with the red cap and T-shirt was none other than Super Mario. Here in the flesh in Zurich.

That gave a lilt to the step, running down parallel to Lake Zurich in beautiful weather. But now along rows of houses with flashes of lake in between.

I knew I wouldn’t have a chance to do my long run over the weekend so I took the chance I got and ran in the afternoon. It was a gorgeous day and people were sunbathing in patches of green along the lake or swimming in the 24 degree water.

At the end I finished 21.1 and that took me to a good start to Friday evening ahead.

Who runs in Switzerland on a treadmill? Apparently me. I had a short window to complete 14k today and I didn’t bother to find out about where I could run. Besides in this part of town, near Baden, it seemed like I would hit a mini-highway as soon as I left the hotel.

The hotel had a large fitness centre attached to it popular with the locals. Last evening, I saw many folks coming and going with rackets and gym gear. Many dined in the hotel restaurant after using the gym while I looked wistfully at them eating rocket salad.

I found myself to be the second person in the gym this morning. There was only one treadmill and I was lucky to have it. I could see, beyond my reflection in the glass, a bowling alley in the basement. Apparently there were indoor tennis courts as well. For a popular place, I was surprised at the one treadmill, but at least it was mine for now.

Listening to a popular playlist and constantly toggling with the incline and speed controls, I finished the run and sped up to change for the day ahead.

I left last night for Switzerland for work. After a full day it wasn’t possible to squeeze in a run. To be expected.

This morning I woke up at 320, a full hour before I was meant to wake up for the easy sixty minute session. But soon I put the alarm off and slept in, although restlessly until nearly six thirty. It must have been the tiredness from yesterday.

At any rate, I felt better that I had slept a bit extra. I jumped on the treadmill for the hour and still had time for a circuit workout before rounding up the morning session.

Some Monday’s after a long run Sunday (24k) feels seeped in waves of exhaustion.

These come and go through the day, exhaustion I can feel almost to my bones. Perhaps it is not so, perhaps there is much more gas in the tank. But it can feel like that.

For example, when I was taking the metro home with the young boy in the evening, I thought I could end up falling asleep while standing.

But back at home, I felt better, practised the cello, was on calls, ate dinner and watched some television.

I started off with music and ran solo for about three fourths of the run, briefly running a couple of kilometres with my friend Gokul.

Perhaps it was better weather or it was new shoes, but it seemed like I was faster than last week. I was certainly pushing a bit too, even though it’s an easy two hours.

I met the young boy and we ran one side towards Vinay Marg then Shanti Path then back to Vinay Marg. As usual, he got hoots of encouragement from fellow runners.

I had a mile to go when he was done so I sped up and finished it while he waited in the car. Afterwards, it was breakfast with Gokul at Fig. The young boy had slabs of French toast while we had much needed fresh lime sodas.

Continuing the alphabet game in the car, we couldn’t trace down a band and a song that started with the letter Q. ChatGPT wasn’t much help.

At that point anything by Queen counted.

Today hit the track and asked Coach Ravi what to do. 200m it was. 20 repeats.

Gaju, me and another young kid. It was mayhem in the heat and humidity. Counting it down. Here we go.

Back at home it was a circuit workout. Twenty exercises, twenty repeats for each. Saturday morning reasonably well spent.