Today after a late night, I ended up doing nothing. I had a red day scheduled in but would have preferred to workout.

At any rate, late nights and such is something I can afford at the moment. But race training is always on my mind and it beckons.

When I began today, I was alone, then we were ten. Today, lane nine called for a relatively fast run.

Eventually it was just reliable Ashwini and me. Like two days earlier, I didn’t look at the watch until nearly the end of the run. The timing was good and the morning was set.

The young boy and I saw a magnificent moon this morning while driving to track.

I had 300s – lots of them – and the young boy joined me for variations of the distance before carrying on to his training.

Ashwini and a couple of the other track boys joined in too. They were far faster – as they are – as they should be – especially in the short distance but it kept me sharp throughout.

When the run finished, I was winded but managed to put in a quick circuit workout to round off the summer morning.

The track felt startlingly quiet today. Coach Nikhil and the track gang was entirely missing. The air sultry, the sky changing colours, and an empty lane nine.

I ran throughout without looking at the watch. Me and my thoughts, although writing now, I can only but imagine what I was thinking about. Making illusions about memories or perhaps it’s the other way around.

When I finished, I was surprised – I had run slightly faster than I imagined. By now the large glassy moon that had hung in the sky earlier had disappeared and the morning sky was pale and free of clouds.

I know I’ve written about this before. To begin again.

Today I begin again.

It would have been good to write that I had a blast of a run and I set the road on fire. But this wasn’t the case. It was simply good to be out in familiar territory – the roads around Nehru Park – and isn’t that in itself enough?

The young boy and I started at our usual time at the usual spot and he finished a strong ten kilometres. Usually, when I carry on, I step on the gas and change the pace, accelerating almost through to the end of the run.

Today, I could run only at a comfortable and slow pace. In itself this was fine; my body wasn’t quite ready to go for it.

Perhaps I need to sign up for a summer race. A short distance would be ideal. Training for it even more so.

Today, I’m recuperating from the lack of sleep this week.

As much as I would have liked to go to track, I am simply drained.

A good night’s sleep should lend itself to a solid Sunday long run and the week ahead.

A long travel back from Italy means that there will be no run today and a very unlikely situation for a run tomorrow.

Once again, I didn’t sleep much and did not sleep well but I wanted a taste of the Venice run again.

This morning I had Giorgia and she immediately started at a fast pace.

Many of the cobbled and brick laid streets were repeated and many new bridges and alleyways added – although there would be no way I could trace back the routes of the two days.

The sunrise this morning was even more magical, the light shone a bright orange against the walls of buildings, the sun rising majestically from a calm sea.

I barely slept last night. That’s okay because it’s not often you get to wake up in Venice.

The run was booked with Alessandro at the fantastic Go Running Tours and we had the city to ourselves. The sky was turning colours as municipal workers swept the busy squares, boatful of Aperols and carts of bread unloaded outside charming cafés.

I lost count (not that I was really counting) of the dozens of bridges that we crossed. I would have imagined that it’s not easy to find rhythm in this kind of running but then it’s easy to find when you’ve got great company and a skyline built out of history and romance.

I mistook the cemetery for Giardini; the sun was above the sea just to my right.

The air was clear and crisp, Venice was rising to a beautiful day ahead.