You could feel the droplets of the low lying clouds in your face all the way. Turns out I was a tad overdressed. Did not need the second layer. I was afraid of the strong winds – but body warmed up very quickly.

Now for some hot Starbucks chai tea!!

Got together with Arup and Sanjib to celebrate Arup’s maiden marathon (New York Marathon, 2023). Incidentally, in our Bengali group, Sanjib is the one who completed a marathon at the youngest age (44 years) and Arup at the oldest age (52 years).

I still consider running a marathon as a victory of mind over body…

After seven successive runs, gave the legs a little rest for three days and joined back the group again for a run. Not stretching for three days is affecting the left leg muscles. One lesson I am learning is that it is less about the rest between runs (well as long as I am not doing more than 3-4 miles) but more about the twenty minute stretching after run that makes the difference between keeping my legs healthy and getting hurt.

Do you folks have any similar experience?

Running the risk of an admonishment from Michele, put in the sixth successive day of running. Will try to make a full week streak and then take some rest. (Michele is right, after all; the left leg muscles are reminding me that my younger days are way behind me). At least, listened to Arup and matched my T-shirt and shoe colors!!

That has not happened for at least 10 years.

For years I had been slipping in my discipline to run regularly. As a final ditch effort, I joined the running group I used to run with some 15 years back. Well, it is not the whole group per se. A few of the old runner friends who still get together to run.

That has made all the difference. Not only am I running lot more regularly now (today was fourth successive day of run), the peer pressure also has improved my speed. Valerie pushed me to go the extra mile and make it a 4 mile run today and we did it at a sub-10 min mile.

My solo runs are far slower.