The young boy and I were running on Holi day, up and down the driveway. He said, Papa, isn’t this the best. The birds are chirping, the trees are rustling, what else could we want.

Nothing at all, I thought. What else could I want.

When I got to track today, I knew I had to do what I had to do. What my head and body wanted me to do.

Because I had nothing inputted in, I made my own interval sets. The track gang was doing four kilometers tempo on the faster side. I did a couple of 400s and then joined them for a kilometre. Then a 200. Then a reverse repeat.

I was panting. I was panting.

But I was coming back.

This felt like coming back.

Just as the light began to come up, the sky shifting its colours, the birds in the thicket of trees near the 300m mark started twittering. Perhaps complaining

I wonder what they thought of the sound of pounding sneakers before dawn. Whether it disturbed them or if they didn’t care. They must think something.

The young boy was doing 200m repeats with a 100m walk in between with the track gang.

Gaju and I ran a gentle six kilometres together. I’m able to run after these days of injury, inflammation and medication.

Spring is here. The dawn is lovely.

Not wearing the boot today. Feeling so much better than the past few days. Can’t believe the kind of pain that was there on Friday and how much this has improved. I’m reducing my painkillers. Tomorrow perhaps a very short trial to see what happens. Fingers and toes crossed.

Waiting to get better and on my feet. Meanwhile, a short kickboxing and specific push up training for the young boy.

Because of my injury, the usual Sunday Nehru Park excursion is missing. The young boy and I agreed that he would run in the driveway while I sat on the ledge.

Instead, when I woke up, I thought I could sit on the guard’s motorcycle and give the young boy motivation and company.

That is exactly what happened. We stepped out just before 8 AM to a lovely spring laden March morning. After a short warm up, off he went and me riding pillion.

It was possibly the most fun morning I have had in recent memory. He got faster and faster, with me yelling out splits for each driveway length. I yelled that Not Like Us was playing in the stadium stands while he was running, I yelled that his competition was catching up to him. He got faster, the bike got faster, and his sister clapped for each round looking mesmerised.

Personal best for six kilometres for him at the end – absolutely flying in the last few rounds.

A perfect morning.

It’s beautiful weather as I’ve been writing recently. Perhaps that’s my biggest grouse in getting injured. I’m missing out on beautiful spring drenched March mornings – easily the best time in New Delhi.

As I write, I wear the pneumatic boot. I’ve been icing, elevating, taking painkillers and been in near tears too. Today the pain is significantly better than yesterday, but a crimson red patch on my foot shows the inflamed territory.

Just keeping my hopes up for this to abate over the next few days.

I’ve not experienced this level of excruciating pain. I could barely walk and I was certain it’s a fracture.

MRI and a very painful hospital visit says that it’s this condition that is a mouthful to speak.

I simply cannot believe it. How? I’ve barely begun training. Did yesterday’s intervals aggravate it to this extent? The answer is probably so but I still can’t believe it.

Here we go again.

I slept late and woke up blinking at my phone at around 4:30 AM. A part of me wanted to go back to sleep. But sense prevailed along with a stiff coffee.

It was unusually chilly and blustery today. I thought that spring was firmly here but the last dregs of wintry weather hang on.

I had 16 x 90 second repeats today with a 30 second gentle jog. After my warm up, I saw Ashwini coming down the front straight and I joined him for my first repetition. After that I was on my own for several repetitions until Suryansh joined me for nearly the rest of the session.

Because I was continuously running and towards the end walking during the breaks – the intervals themselves seemed shape shifting. In that they started at one point of the track and the start point kept moving along. Around the bends and the back straight the head wind came rushing towards us.

It was gorgeous.

In these first couple of weeks post marathon, I have the luxury of some extra day offs. Just as well – with a Swiss associate in town – and long days and evenings with him – it seems like the right timing.