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I wanted to go to track today and run with Gaju. But I woke up at 2 AM and couldn’t fall asleep for hours. I may as well have gone to track.

I called Coach Ravi, excused myself and slept badly for another hour or so. Dragging myself out of bed, made a coffee and then did a run on the treadmill. By the time I was done, I felt better. A short core workout rounded up the morning.

Rest on Monday and started off on a manic note.

In less than twenty four hours, I have run on the track, Nehru Park and the treadmill. That’s a rare triple. If ever.

I went to Nehru Park this morning and completed a half marathon distance, sprinted back home to get the young boy going on the treadmill. We managed to do a big chunk of his prescribed workout before he had to break for studies.

After his tuitions, it was on the treadmill again for him to finish the last part of his run.

Then it was my turn. I wanted to round up my run to exactly what had been inputted in training peaks. So it was another half hour of running before a big Sunday lunch.

Track last evening. Nehru park this morning. Treadmill before lunch.

Hat-trick.

Because I have been coughing and have this dastardly cold, I ended up sleeping in extra this morning. I made the young boy do a circuit workout and then went for an exceptionally long work meeting.

On a whim, I had carried my running clothes. The meeting finished in Gurgaon in the evening and I decided to go to the track.

Gaju was travelling but Coach Ravi would be there at his usual evening time.

Lane Nine it was. It turned out to be a fantastic progressive fifteen kilometres, and for a large part, with a young man I hadn’t met before. At some point, he just joined me and turned out to be a great partner. We ran silently, changing gears every few rounds. Like musicians, anticipating each other’s moves.

I loved every iota of it. After a couple of slow weeks, this is exactly what the soul needed. Every second, this evening made me come alive.

Later, a robust cello class rounded up the day before heading out with my very dearest and closest, Gauri and Nainika for a birthday at Delhi Golf Club.

Jumped up on the treadmill today again. Did a reasonable run and felt fine. But through the day, coughing fits are return. Missing the active training.

First I made the young boy jump on the treadmill for his workout. At some point, I gingerly asked him if he would like to hear the Hanuman Chalisa.

Sure, he replied immediately. Kids surprise you. He liked it and hummed along.

Once he was done, it was my turn to run on the treadmill. It was good to run after a few days. So very good. Like a breath of fresh air. Like clear water. Like dreams that come to life.

Couldn’t run. Coughing away. What is a cough. Such a strange sensation. Such a strange thing. Yet we think it to be a part of existence, especially say if one was unwell.

What a day. Barely slept at night. Or at least of what I remember is just coughing away. Ditto for the day. Missed the run.

I’m coming up into a bad cold and cough.

Did a long run today after what seemed like ages but it isn’t. It’s been a slow week – for running – because of travel and it felt like that.

Gaju and I began when it was daylight. The half marathon got cancelled because of pollution so Eilish said let’s try a fifteen kilometre time trial. Within a couple of kilometres, it was apparent that I would not be able to keep up the pace. It has been several nights of very less sleep and I have a perpetual cold at the moment.

But we made most of the situation. Or rather that Gaju sportingly accompanied me through the run that essentially turned into a tempo plus effort. With the warm up and cool down, it was a not so shabby twenty.

At home, the young boy did a real solid forty five minutes on the treadmill combining hills and speed training. A reasonable Sunday by all accounts to round up the end of November.