I had a thoroughly enjoyable running week and brought some of the fun back into my running. On Monday I had a leisurely 8k with my daughter. We did not talk much, but I enjoyed her company. We went through the Kargil garden in sector 71 (see blue line) which made it more enjoyable.
On Tuesday I slept late and did not run.
On Wednesday I went for a fast 12 on my own. It was the first run after the Comrades where I tried to shake out the legs a bit. It is monsoon here, and by the end of it, I was soaked due to the humidity in the air. Non-runners may not understand why this could be called “fun,” but it was.
And on Thursday there is another lovely gap on my running calendar. Rest is benefitting me on so many levels that I have no regrets.
This gave me time to plan something special for Friday. And this resulted in 19k of one of the most interesting runs (and most u-turns!) I have ever done.
On Saturday Covalience runners ran in the Botanical Garden. I am almost tempted to revive my series on Running Gardens. What a shame that only a handful came, but I did not let that deter me from having a great time.
On Sunday (today) there was a race in the countryside North-West of Chandigarh. It was called the Shivalik Trail run, but there was not much of a trail. Still, we had flooded rice lands with beautiful reflections, the green monsoon revived farmlands and many friendly faces. Anandi and I went, and we both came back with one of these for the 10k race (which was just 8.5 according to my GPS)
It is interesting how extra time helps breed creative ideas. In South Africa and many others places, they have Park runs. I asked the organizers why they do not have one in India, but it seems that is not going to happen. So, maybe it is time to start our own? The idea is to have a timed 5k run every week where someone can measure himself over time. Since most races are happening on Sundays, we are planning to start this on Wednesdays so as not to interfere with any race plans. Look out for “Time Trial” if you are in the Tricity. Let’s see…
In August I am going to a conference in Rome for work. I am planning some early morning site-seeing runs. Here is a portion of one of them.
Keep running
Stephan
P.S. By the way, I am contributing some of the devotions on the Sportsspectrum site. Here is my latest one.
Running with a Friend 