After a night of tossing and turning mulling over work strategies, I didn’t make it to Nehru Park.

Back last night and rested in today. Busy day at work.

Rounding up the morning before taking the flight was an early excursion to Aurangzeb’s burial ground. After that it was a short drive to Malik Ambar’s tomb and post breakfast, a visit to the Buddhist caves at Ellora. Running, to be continued, in the coming week.

I had brought two sets of running clothes but the day started early with a second visit to Ellora and some of the lesser known caves and a view from the top down to Kailash.

Running thus proved elusive as afterwards, we made our way to the horseshoe Ajanta.

This morning before leaving for Aurangabad, I reached fairly early at Nehru Park. It was dark down the road connecting Fortis, past Sanjay Van and the mysterious sounding institutions that populate the long slope to Ring Road.

Nearing the Qutub Institutional red light, I saw a girl riding pillion with a man (father? brother?) and god forbid, boyfriend. She was much too young. Much too young to be on a bike riding without a helmet at 5 AM.

Her straw blonde hair blew in wind even though she was most evidently Indian. Everything about her was Rihanna. When I tried to see them again in the rear view mirror, they were gone. Where to?

Meanwhile, on my second round of Shanti Path, a hazy blue sky pushed through the blackened sky. The intervals were secondary today; Rihanna on my mind.

And hope to make up tomorrow.

Progressive run like last week except I was more attuned to how to strategise the pacing. Finished strong and ran off to site afterwards.

I hit Nehru Park early enough and put in a steady forty plus minutes. Back home it was the THENX core workout and I was done for the morning.

Rest Day Monday.

Because of a late evening, I started a bit late this morning. Nehru Park as usual was packed, overflowing. It seems like another time when these roads were near empty. Now parking is nearly impossible.

I started with my friend Gokul and did a steady five kilometres with him and then set off on my own for the next hour and half. In between I ran a couple of kilometres at a faster pace with a couple of familiar runners. that rounded up Sunday morning.