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After a very late night, I jumped on the treadmill for a short and slightly woozy run.

Hopefully all the walking around the airport later counted as something.

I woke up fairly early and after coffee in my room, it was back to the gym where I was about twelve hours earlier.

Toggling with speed in a cadenced manner, the hour went by reasonably quick. I followed that up with a solid workout to begin this second day in Switzerland.

It’s nearly the end of March but here in Switzerland the temperature is in the single digits. The air is sharp, fresh and cold.

It was an extraordinary day with Rajan Anandan and Katharina Lehmann for the 150 year anniversary of her company.

After that, it was back at the hotel and we agreed to meet for dinner in two hours. That gave me enough time to jump on the treadmill and get an hour under my belt.

15 x 1k. On the track, just thinking about it made my head spin.

When the young boy and I reached, Coach Ravi and Gaju were there. We warmed up together, and after that it was the stairs workout for the young boy and these relentless intervals for me and Gaju.

Bahut tough hai, Gaju said more than once. But we plucked them off. One by one. The young boy had long finished his stairs and 80m sprints. Coach Ravi had left for school duty. The track had recycled to a fresh set of folks but Gaju and I continued to spin around.

The work itself is just fifteen kilometres. But on track, interval after interval, it was a mental game.

The young boy joined us for 200m for our last six. When there were only two sets left, he said to me, think of the driveway, it’s just three rounds, you can do it.

I couldn’t have done it without Gaju or him. A rigorous morning well spent.

I thought I would try and put in a run today since I am travelling this week but I woke up exhausted. Slept in a bit before dashing off to start the week.

In a quiet part of Nyaya Marg – in fact that road is always quiet on Sundays – strains of classical music wafted through the pleasant spring morning.

The young boy said, Papa, that is MS Subbulakshmi’s Suprabhatam.

He had heard it once – partly – the previous week on a drive early morning to the track. I was amazed that he recognised it. That I had not even noticed is of no compare – but there you had it.

At the same stretch we bumped into Prerna who chitchatted encouragingly with the young boy before we took off down the road, passing the American embassy, circling around, retracing our steps, and then down Shanti Path and back up to Niti Marg, waving at some of the regulars, including The Moonwalker to complete the run.

Before he came, I finished a slightly-toward-the-tempo side an effort with Shikha and now finished up at a good pace with the young boy.

Scrambled eggs, sourdough bread and juice at Fig rounded up a perfect Sunday morning.

Today, just rested.

Easily the best surprise was when Coach Ravi wished me on the phone when the young boy and I were on the way to track.

We both looked at each other – I had no clue how he knew. When we met him a short ten minutes later at the parking lot, he was carrying a bag with presents for me. Later, I would find a mug with a personalised photo and birthday message and a framed photo of me, Coach Ravi and the kids that I so often write about.

Today, Friday, is my optional run day, but instead I chose the Saturday intervals. I wanted to do something and reaching track and making it a short run wasn’t on the cards. Instead, mile, 800s, 400s.

For the young boy, it was a few 600 efforts followed by four blistering 400s. It was tough as nails for him. But he did it, and I joined in for the last one – a bonus round for me.

Later, pull ups, leg raises and an all round workout finished up the morning for an early start to the rest of the day ahead.

Today, after yet another late night, I did a quick driveway run. I started off thinking I would keep it short, but then I simply didn’t want to get a yellow. Same thinking as the young boy yesterday. Done and out.

After a late evening and one too many old fashioned, I woke up debating whether to go to track. I halfheartedly tried to wake up the young boy.

Then I said, It’s okay, let’s sleep in today. But I will get a red, was his reply.

And that was that. The best decision of the week.

I reached track with the young boy with us listening and alternating between all manner of music – from soppy love songs to electronic. After the warm up there was no debating it, I had to do the intervals.

The young boy joined in for nearly every 200 for my 400 efforts. By the time I was mid way, I felt much better and was in training zone. All in all, it was an incredible workout.

As I wrote, best decision.