Because of travel today and early morning and evening darshans, there really was no opportunity to do the run. All told it was many hours of walking and a full 22 hour day.

I travelled south today to nearly the tip of India to Rameshwaram for my friend Mohan’s fiftieth birthday celebrations with visits to temples and multiple darshans.

There were two more runners in the group and we decided to put in an easy short run in the evening before dinner time.

Babloo, Sukriti and I set off in the crowded market area outside the hotel and did an easy five kilometres avoiding traffic and dogs. We came back fresh as day, ready to have a gentle evening with food and conversation before next days early morning darshan.

As I think I wrote last Monday, I like these Monday runs. It sets the tone to the week. Perhaps a few more of these and I will ask Eilish to make it an occasional habit. Perhaps between Friday and Monday, I can choose a rest day. While I ran, the young boy worked out. He finished up with an impressive two minute walk sit. I continued the run. He came and said bye to me before leaving for school. I continued the run, playing with the incline and pace throughout.

Because my long run happened on Saturday, I was to run an easy forty five minutes followed by stride work at the end.

When I began, the park area was already full but I found parking at my usual spot. I ran slowly, my body never quite picking up the pace. The exhaustion seemed quite apparent although exactly why I don’t know. Pollution? Wearing a mask for some of these runs?

At any rate, later in the day, taking a short nap on the couch, I felt quite wiped out. At a work meeting in the evening, I was better, gaining some energy with a cup of tea.

Unusual to do the long run today but I had travel coming up in the week ahead so Eilish was going to give me an easy session tomorrow and a hard session on Monday. Let’s see how that goes.

Meanwhile, Gaju joined me here in Nehru Park and we ran comfortably around the Shanti Path, Niti Marg, Vinay Marg loops and finished up a half marathon distance.

I wanted to run this morning but I slept in a bit and even though I could have squeezed out a short run, I decided to take the rest as inputted in.

When it comes to one kilometre repetitions, I got to think about my head in where I need these to be. What’s the pace. How should it feel.

Of course Eilish inputs in the information and the RPE as well and I stare at those numbers as if absorbing them. I need one kilometre intervals to feel hard but not insane. I need to feel as if I’m working it, but not killing it.

So on it went. Again and again. Gaju and I were nearly midway before the light started to change. Then it became brighter. Then it was all done.

Even though I woke up tired, of course, I had to run. It is a godsend to have Gaju and Coach Ravi during a day like this.

Tired, cold, a bit lethargic pivots to smiles, a few jokes and eventually finding your stride on the track. Or in today’s case, a road run.

Ever grateful for these chances, these relationships that have provided so much in these daily runs.

This time because of travel, I didn’t run on Tuesday.

Listening to Jacqueline du Pre before dawn at the start of the week is magical. I wonder why I don’t do this more often.

I had to travel today and I knew I would miss the Tuesday run, so I wanted to make it up.

I started off very slowly on the treadmill and increased pace through the run. The light beyond the window changed colours as Jacqueline du Pre played on weaving her magic.

It was a most satisfying start to this Monday.