I had pyramid intervals today – hard as nails – at least for me. Monu, Jeet and Ashwini had very kindly offered to come to Nehru Park to pace me.

While, I have done such intervals at track before, I can’t quite decide whether it’s daunting to do it as 400m splits or around the Shanti Path loop. Perhaps there are advantages to both.

At any rate, here we were on Niti Marg and we set off to warm up and do some exercise work at the inception of the workout.

It was Jeet who kept me company and paced me throughout. Towards the end of the third set – the five kilometre at the top of the pyramid – the horizon began changing colours. For all runners, we are used to training in the dark, but when dawn seeps in, there is an infused vitality in all things, and directly to the run itself.

Sometimes this is measurable and obvious, other times it provides the hope we need. At least, I look forward to the hope and the colours.

At the end, the run was just fantastic. Ever grateful to the track boys.

I had a day off from running today so I did a light core workout and ended with some plank exercises.

When I started this morning, I wasn’t sure whether we would head out to the road.

I was nearly two kilometres done at the track when Coach Ravi said some of the kids were ready to run outside.

Me and two other kids started off with Coach Ravi by our side on his trusty scooter. Usually, we take a left turn at the Bakthtavar crossing but today we carried on straight. The road was quiet, peaceful and a clear night sky hung above us like a domed, sparkly carpet.

At the T-junction, it was exactly three kilometres and we carried on left for another two, before turning around. By this time, four others had joined us including Jeet, Monu and Ashwini.

Ashwini kept urging me on to run faster, but I was already fast enough for an easy run so I tried to hold back. Not so easy after all.

At the last, only if you looked carefully, the eastern sky was beginning to show a hint of dawn.

The air was, surprisingly, much better today than it has been. The stars were visible in an otherwise moonless sky.

I had kilometre intervals today and I decided to do them at the track. Jeet and a couple of kids joined me.

Jeet with his runners built, is in his early twenties, has a gruffness about him, and barely smiles. And barely speaks. He’s fast and as I discovered today, he began running only a few years ago. He said he was injured and that my pace would be quite perfect for him.

I’ll easily take that comment, because running with the fast kids, my own training improves. And it so it went, around the track, including the rest between the intervals, that was a light run.

At the last set, the eastern sky began to show soft pink hues and I came down the home straight to complete the fastest kilometre of the day.

Back at home, it was hurdles, step ups, lunges, squats and other combination movements to round up a “quite”vigorous morning.

By the start of the third kilometre the shade of the sky was turning a soft pink. I looked towards the eastern horizon, as I passed the Australian embassy and was drawn to run towards it.

Looping around Vinay Marg, it was quiet, albeit a few people were making their way to the temples dotted towards that side of Nehru Park.

Continuing onwards and down Satya Marg, and then Nyaya Marg, folks had already begun snaking lines near the American Embassy. I passed a few familiar runners but otherwise it was a quiet morning.

Towards the end, the morning traffic was building up, but that didn’t seem to deter a group of runners who were beginning, hands on watches, just as I finished at my car.

I woke up fresh today. Surprising for a Monday morning. Perhaps because I ate consciously during the Sunday meals and had not the usual treat of Sunday wine or cocktails.

Because my event continued over the weekend, I slept four hours and woke up to a dawn sky. It was still dim but by the time I reached Nehru Park, it was bright enough.

It felt – from a circadian rhythm point of view – quite lovely. Perhaps also because of the novelty of it, since nearly all the runs – especially in the winter start in darkness.

Because it was 7:38 AM, folks like Shikha who I sometimes bump into were already in the waning stages of their Sunday morning.

Solo it was, without music and simply out to run relaxed. I picked up steam as the run went through its motions. One side of Nehru Park towards Vinay Marg, then the other side towards Shanti Path; Niti Marg the common road for the two loops.

Alternating between them, I finished the long run of the week, and started off the last month of the year.

Because of an event last evening, I slept in a bit. On to the driveway it was for a relaxed and music infused run session.

At the end, it was still dark, the crescent moon, sharp as a sickle, sliced the night in the easterly direction. Just to the right of the Medicity building. Dotted with lights, I wished them hope. It’s impossible to run in the shadow of a looming hospital and not conjure up several feelings.

It was back at the track after weeks. I had no idea how the interval session would go. I had an urgency to run, to get back.

While warming up, I learnt it was Coach Ravi’s birthday. Two coaches. Same birthday week. Probably near about the same age too.

I ran a couple of 400s on my own. But soon I was joined by Ashwini, Monu, Suryansh and a few others. I implored them not to run with me. Not while I was this slow and just coming back.

But they ran each loop with me. Or rather, me with them, as the group broke into different pace groups. It kept me fresh, relevant and of course – because of them – speedier than what I expected.

I couldn’t be more grateful.

Once again, I slept in but perhaps this time I felt as if I might be “catching” on sleep or overcoming the wedding + long run fatigue of the weekend. At least that’s my way of labelling it.

A quick run before dinner time rounded up a peaceful evening.