The Heat Before the Rain

The monsoon is just about to start, and while everyone longs for the first good rains, we suffocate and perspire in excessive heat and humidity.

This morning, my training plan from Coach Greg indicates a long run of 1 hour and 45 minutes, divided into 5 minutes of warm-up, then 1 hour 35 minutes running between 5:00 and 5:40 minutes per kilometer, and then again 5 minutes of cool-down.

I get started at 5 AM, and it is 29 degrees Celsius. I plan to go to Sukhna Lake and back, which will take a bit longer and be a bit farther than the coach’s plan.

My Garmin watch says +0 after a while, indicating this is the worst heart-rate-to-speed ratio I’ve had in a while, since it usually gives me something between +2 and +4—a snapshot of your performance condition. (Mind you, I sometimes also get a -2.) It does not bode well.

Sweating and Listening

Yet, I am determined. Within a much shorter time than usual, my shirt starts sticking to me. It’s one of those T-shirts you get at almost any race, and this one is uncomfortable.

I carry a 500ml bottle of Gatorade and suspect that it isn’t going to be enough.

I listen to some of my usual line-up, starting with the Bible, which goes through the sermon that Jesus preaches on the hillside, as depicted in Luke 6. (A more extended version appears in Matthew 7 onwards, and if you haven’t read it, I can highly recommend it.)

Verse 35 jumps out at me today: “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return…” I must confess that lately I have not been following this—especially the lend part. Nobody says that following Jesus is easy.

Trees, Dogs, and a Gradual Climb

I get my average pace around 5:30 and keep it there. There’s a very gradual uphill all the way to the lake, which will make for an easier time coming back.

Chandigarh has cycling paths, mostly used at this hour by people walking their dogs, the odd runner, and yeah, some cyclists. The paths often pass between lanes of lovely old fig trees (called Pikhan locally).

I love nice big trees like those. They make the run feel a bit less oppressive. If only there were less garbage. Chandigarh used to be a lot cleaner.

Life on the Path

I also notice the doves in their usual spot where people feed them. Two squirrels playfully chase each other right across the path in front of me. Some rats are scrambling around before sunrise.

The Lake and the Yoga Detour

As I reach the lake around 12.5 km, I pause my watch and head toward the public toilets. I have to go in a roundabout way, trying not to disturb the crowds of people doing yoga.

Apparently, today is the International Day of Yoga. I could do with a stretch myself, but the road is still long ahead of me, and it is starting to warm up.

Luckily, the toilets are relatively clean and Indian-style. And yeah, no toilet paper—let me not bore you with Indian toilet technique here!

Soaked and Still Moving

I feel the downhill as I start on my way back home. By now, my shirt and shorts are soaked through.

I can always measure the distance I run during monsoon-time by how far down my body the soaking goes. My socks are still dry!

I have about a quarter of my Gatorade left and know I am going to have to stop for something more.

Listening to The Listener

I listen to The Listener by Taylor Caldwell and wonder at the variety of voices and accents the reader, Coleen Marlo, uses. Her Italian accent is wonderful.

And it is wonderful how the Listener behind that curtain truly understands all these people. It is a great listen.

Out of Gatorade, Into the Market

Around Sector 20, I run out of Gatorade. At Sector 33, I take a detour onto the market road. I get an ice-cold one-liter bottle of water and pay with GPay, as always.

By this time, I am on my cool-down and jog slowly through the gardens there. Then my planned workout stops—but I am still far from home.

Walk, Then Run Again

I decide to walk home and start my Garmin to measure that too. But after about 2 km of walking, I have to run, it is just too slow.

So I stop that workout, start a new running one, and go on my way.

Sometime during this period, I decide it is time to pick up my son’s bicycle where it is parked at our friends’ home (they are actually more like family to us). It was left there with a flat tire some time ago.

The Bicycle Push

This becomes another little detour. So, for the last kilometer of this three-part workout, I push a bicycle.

It must be quite a spectacle—this wet-wet foreigner pushing a bicycle on that busy road—but I am used to being stared at.

Home, No Cold Water

After my 26 km for the day, I still have to walk up the stairs to our second-floor flat.

And at home, there isn’t any cold water, since my fridge died yesterday.

My socks aren’t soaked, but rather damp. I guess it is still not far enough. Don’t let me fool you with some of my negative comments! I LOVE running, no matter the circumstances, the weather or surroundings. I hope you got a glimpse of that joy here. Please comment if you liked it or want to hear about something else!