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Slept in again. Man, I must be tired or under slept or both.

Finally a good nights sleep after a few days.

Woke up and hit the driveway for a steady hour. Not anywhere near feeling optimal but great to put in a run after a couple of days.

The strength after was fantastic and challenging. Good work done before hitting the day.

Because of a second late night for Diwali, I woke up late. I had time to put in a run but I wanted to reach work early.

Almost a predicted outcome. Slept in after a long Diwali night. Probably will be the same case tomorrow because of another outing tonight.

Because I knew I would probably miss the next couple of days because of Diwali celebrations, I decided to run this Monday instead of taking the day off.

My friend Gokul and I tied up and met at Nehru Park. We did an easy one hour, talking through much of it. I remember that tracing our way back, we were quiet for a kilometre or two and the city seemed very still, the air cool and as if expectant with something.

When I got home, the young boy and I put in a solid thirty minute circuit workout.

A quite perfect way to begin the Diwali day. With best friend and son.

This Sunday I started on my own. An easy run with no music. Just the environs and the cacophony of Sunday runners, plentiful and buoyant the day before Diwali.

As usual this time of the year, there was even a mini race organised by the Navy.

Shanti Path was a medley of runners out for their usual Sunday and the runners participating in the race. Many had brought their families.

The young boy joined me midway during my run. We started with the usual loop of Niti Marg and Shanti Path and then went out towards Nyaya Marg picking up pace along the way.

The run finished at the exact zebra crossing just past the car.

We rounded up the morning with fresh lime sodas and breakfast at Fig at Malcha, well earned heading to a relaxed Sunday ahead.

At the last moment this morning, I decided to go to Nehru Park for the long intervals. I asked Gaju if he could arrange a car and come to NP instead.

I just didn’t want to deal with the dogs and Coach Ravi shooing them or driving faster to make sure they didn’t get in our way. Even as I have done intervals and regular runs dozens of times on that doggy dog road.

There are plenty of dogs at Nehru Park too. But then there are dozens of runners and I think for the most part the dogs mind their business. What is certainly nuts is the number of cars and traffic at Nehru Park now.

At any rate, I reached and started a three kilometre warm up as prescribed. I had a total of ten kilometres of interval work packaged as 2k and 400m.

Boom. Stayed on target if not a bit better. Gaju arrived at some point in the middle and his company was very welcome.

A fabulous Saturday morning before heading into Diwali weekend.

When I stepped out, the eastern sky was a lazy grey. I ran controlled, nose breathing, lost in thoughts as time whisked by. It was a short one this morning.

This morning when Coach Ravi called and asked if I am coming, I responded saying yes and that we would run outside.

After parking at the stadium, Gaju, another young man and I set off with Coach Ravi alongside on his usual trusty scooty.

They asked me about the Delhi half and I shared some stories. Ab ki bar alag si training karni hai sir, said Gaju. I nodded vigorously- whatever nodding vigorously can mean while running. But I meant it – I wanted to put in a different level of training over the winter.

Hill training bhi karo, said Coach Ravi from the scooty. I nodded again. By this time we were approaching Bhaktavar Chowk and the sky was turning colours, dawn fast approaching.

Usually we went left or straight. Is taraf said the Coach pointing to his right, flyover hai. Agle hafte.

And just like that, why next week, I thought. Let’s start. And we turned right.

It was up and down and up and down again and again till we were winded and full of exhilaration and exhaustion. The new young man fell off and climbed on the scooty. Gaju and I settled back into flat road running and a good tempo rhythm for the last mile back to the stadium.

Back home, a solid circuit workout earned me breakfast.

I knew I would have a late evening. I woke up and decided to take the day off. I’ll make it up going ahead.

Instead, I went to work fairly early and had a full day.