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I woke up this morning with Coach Ravi telling me that it was raining that side of town. Usually that has never deterred me, but today it was back to bed.

This morning when we reached track, we parted ways.

The young boy did acceleration drills with other kids. I loved watching his training, leaping across cones and hurdles; the start point at the first bend of the track and well past the 300m mark.

Gaju and I who met after the Sunday marathon grinned at each other and began an easy run in lane nine.

Watching the training, doing our own thing, it was a lovely morning. The weather is firmly turning to spring, the light of the dawn sky changing its quality and its wake up time.

I woke up after very less sleep, made a coffee and went to wake up the young boy. He was fast asleep and after trying a couple of times, I didn’t have the heart to shake him awake.

So it was back to bed for me, except after less than four hours of sleep, but now caffeine fuelled, I could only toss and turn. Giving up, I began work instead.

Today the young boy and I went to track. It has been a long time since we went together. In my opinion, he took to it like fish to water.

He’s been training at IIT or at times at home but the Gurgaon track is different and it has been a while.

I did the warm up rounds with him and then watched him train. It can be something else – both unnerving and thrilling to see suffering in training in your own. You can see that they are putting in everything.

Or what they believe is everything until the needle moves in believing some more.

My coach must be slightly bananas to input in a week right after this crazy marathon. But is she? Or am I stupid to think that I deserve or should rest at all?

So I ran the nearly thirty minutes in the driveway and of course it was the best antidote in the world.

I hobbled out of bed today with nearly everything hurting.

I’m thinking back to the race wondering what went write but frankly I am thinking what if. Was it the illnesses? What was it?

Coach Eilish sent me encouragement and praise for the personal best. She thinks it’s the illness from last week. I’m all for that but I can’t help but thinking the what if.

I woke up at 2ish this morning to an article about Michael Phelps finding the best version of himself through detailed daily journaling. It kind of made me think whether I should go into that kind of detail in my posts here. But at the same time, apart from this, I have my excel sheet which is another kind of self-assessment.

It was about eleven degrees this morning – perfect race conditions – but cold for me – especially while walking to the stadium from Meherchand Market. We could hear the emcee and the sound of blaring music as Gaju and I shivered our way to the entry gate.

We warmed up for about ten minutes and then huddled alongside a couple of thousand runners waiting for the 4:15 flag off. The emcee sounded particularly pumped and urged to get the best out of us and the city of Delhi

Off we went. Two loops in the heart of central and Lutyens Delhi in the darkness. It was only around the thirties that the sky began to shift colours and by that time I had slowed down considerably.

I switched from an under three hour effort to conserving my energy. To have Gaju by my side was most helpful, not to say incredibly encouraging. He was definitely on track for the sub three but stayed with me nearly till the end detailing his own timing.

At that point, the last three kilometres, I was running at what I would consider ordinarily a very easy pace, but by now, I felt like each step was a huge challenge. But also one step closer to the finish line so I just had to count it down.

I’ve never been more glad to be at a finish line. As Gaju, waiting for me, per the timing mats, draped his arm around me, I knew it was a personal best for me, and a first time marathon finish for this young man, and in that, it was a bright morning.

The day before the New Delhi Marathon, I had an easy run. It was a simple 20 minutes.

In the evening, the young boy and I ran a very easy and chit chat two kilometres that was certainly less than the prescribed time but because I didn’t wear a watch I could only estimate it at twelve minutes or so.

I had my usual kadu and pasta before bedtime to wake up at the very unearthly 2:15 AM for race day.

Has seen action from Saket to GT Karnal Road. But running off nonetheless.

I woke up with a start this morning with a crack of thunder right above my head.

When I peeked outside it was raining lightly. Boonda bandi. So much noise for such little action.

I made my way to the track. Gaju and I did an easy run in lane nine. Coach Ravi joined us every alternate round. The track was mostly empty, glistening wet. A misty, lazy rain blew across us.

The night above showed drifting clouds but soon the sky was beginning to fill with a warm pink. Spring is coming.