Today I went to the track after quite a while. I spoke to my friend Aditi who was in the area and asked if she would like to come. It wasn’t quite dawn yet when we pulled up to the parking lot at the same time.

My usual running partner, this side of town, Gaju, had gone to his village. A few other boys joined me for the 400s and 200s. It was a long and brutal workout.

It was dark when we began. At some point the night turned colours to a grey morning sky, though I can’t recall on what particular repetition of the workout. It is one thing to watch the sunrise in the horizon, it’s another to notice the change of colours in the sky. I find it as bewildering, this change of colours. As fleeting, as quicksand as thoughts themselves. There is, for me, no exact moment. There is watching the sky and see that change occur – if you see at all. But you can’t track that change, it just happens, like thoughts.

Aditi left. She messaged later saying she watched the running for a bit, and was glad to see my beloved track.

One of the boys did the work with me, the others fell off and joined occasionally. These guys are used to sprint work not the kind of work my coach puts me through.

Back home, I put myself through a rigorous workout.

I woke up this morning and decided to hit the driveway for the easy hour.

Peahens scattered about near the start point ignoring me. Ar some point, I saw a flock of birds – I don’t know what kind – fly across in a near perfect V formation. A ginger coloured cat glared at me.

I began to wonder if one of the goals would be to run an hour, without it feeling like an hour. Whether that should even qualify as a goal but a journey of itself. To reach a state of running one day without time and distance but just running. Wandering about, whether on the roads or to a destination or simply here, up and down.

Head cleared after a few good sessions and ready to hit the work week.

First, warm up with Gokul and Kapil.

Second, paced Kapil for a ten kilometre effort.

Third, ran with the young boy.

Solid morning – great fun – and very lucky.

I woke up with a start with the alarm. I slept in very early. After coffee, the loo and usual gathering of water, gels, keys, I drove to Gurgaon.

There were already groups of runners on the Gurgaon Faridabad highway. Making my way through the innards of Gurgaon, I reached the track. Dawn had begun pushing its way into the night sky.

Gaju, the Coach, and a couple of other young boys joined me. I had one kilometre intervals and I had no idea how they would pan out. But they did.

I ran all of them at under the prescribed pace and some by quite a margin. The other two runners fell off at some point, leaving me and Gaju to complete the job.

While it was satisfying to have this session under the belt, I cannot help but think that I can do this faster.

I will. I absolutely will.

Slept in again. Man, I must be tired or under slept or both.

Finally a good nights sleep after a few days.

Woke up and hit the driveway for a steady hour. Not anywhere near feeling optimal but great to put in a run after a couple of days.

The strength after was fantastic and challenging. Good work done before hitting the day.

Because of a second late night for Diwali, I woke up late. I had time to put in a run but I wanted to reach work early.

Almost a predicted outcome. Slept in after a long Diwali night. Probably will be the same case tomorrow because of another outing tonight.

Because I knew I would probably miss the next couple of days because of Diwali celebrations, I decided to run this Monday instead of taking the day off.

My friend Gokul and I tied up and met at Nehru Park. We did an easy one hour, talking through much of it. I remember that tracing our way back, we were quiet for a kilometre or two and the city seemed very still, the air cool and as if expectant with something.

When I got home, the young boy and I put in a solid thirty minute circuit workout.

A quite perfect way to begin the Diwali day. With best friend and son.