Great start to the day accompanying an old friend Mukil in his maiden run. (3K) Here’s wishing him a lot of runs and great health in his future…
Followed by the Bengali run. Today Sharmila joined us too (5K). Amitesh had logistics issues. Also got the royal ditch from Atashi and Malobika 🙂
Starbucks time now!!!!
…and miles to go before I sleep” ( Frost)
Last year Madhumolli (my friend from school days – one of the few that just could not stand me – but that is a story for another day 🙂 ) excitedly told me that her daughter (a year younger than Natasha) had started running. Even more excitedly, I called her daughter up and before thinking much, promised to run with her within one year.
Managed to grab a train after meetings in London today, haul it to Slough, put in a 3K run with her and turned around immediately to haul back to London. We even managed to get her dad to run with us half the distance!!!
Awesome feeling to keep a promise!! Even more awesome feeling was to keep up with somebody one third my age on the running track.
Yesterday, while climbing up Murray Rd from the Falls, I heard somebody yelling my name. Sure enough, Aabhas Chandra – a colleague from long past – a decade in fact – had somehow managed to recognize me in a crowd thru all the changes I have gone thru in that decade!!! Both of us were in a hurry at that moment – so we scooted off at that time after exchanging pleasantries…
And then we got together this morning in the one way I know how to catch up with long lost friends – we ran for half an hour in front of the Niagara Falls and then grabbed a Starbucks!!!
Evidently, the arcs of lives meet more than once!!!
What was going to be a rather unique solution to a logistics problem – drop the rental car at the city location and then run back home – turned out rather horribly. Was not paying attention while driving. As a result, took a wrong turn while running back and by the time I realized it, it was too late. Instead of a five mile run on gentle slopes, it was nearly double the distance over three hills 🙁 In full sunlight, 88 degrees and a humidity that can put Kolkata during monsoons to shame!! Had to take not one, not two but three breaks 🙁
Since we ran out of Bengalis in our Sunday Funday Runday, I went ahead and ran by myself in the countryside. Instead of a continuous run on the dirt road, I just took it easy and stopped to talk to the horses and pet them. There were some lovely birds in the trees – unfortunately my iPhone camera could not zoom well… Then I came upon a snake – duly pulverized 🙂 Cooled down with a jump in the pool and now coffee time!!! Miss the Starbucks motorcycle gang though!!!
Since Roger always slows me down (Roger, if you are keeping zinger count, let me help you – it is Rajib: 2, Roger: 0 🙂 ) I figured I will put in a faster run before I meet up with our Sunday morning Bengali runners. Went to Fowler park and put in 5K at 8:25 pace which is plenty fast for me.
Not sure what got into my Bengali friends today but they showed up and suddenly started running like some mad Kolkata street dog was chasing us 🙂 We finished our 5K at 8:19 pace!! Needless to say, at the end I WAS panting like a mad Kolkata street dog chasing Bengalis 🙂
Speaking of speed runs, we ran into the real speedster Heidi from my old running group. As she blew past us, I think she thought we were out on a casual morning stroll 🙂
Starbucks time!!!
5K run in light drizzle in Milton.
Nothing else to report .
Discounting the fact I stepped on a live snake by mistake. That put a quick end to my running on grass. Immediately switched to asphalt 🙂
Based on how each of us darted our own way in a hurry, it was difficult to gauge who startled whom more 🙂
