My
wife has been a generous fan of my writing, but, that does not stop her from
being a dispassionate critic. In fact my wife and daughter (Biscuit, my going
on seven years Labrador for those not yet introduced, does not complain!)
frequently complain that I am getting repetitive and I also felt the same about
my blog posts recently. I promised to take a break from posting about my daily
runs. I could only hold myself for a day, i.e., yesterday. I met a bindaas
youngster today and am breaking my promise to my wife (and I have taken her
permission for it!).
It
must have been a case of getting the time wrong in the darkness that I hustled
Biscuit to hurry up whenever he lingered on at any place for deeper analysis of
any particular spot or a detour from the normal route. When I finally got him
to his room and started for my run (even Shanmugham, our milk provider also was
early today!) I was in for a surprise when the mobile showed 3:57 AM under the
streetlight’s glare. I was tempted to go back and give Biscuit another small
walk, but, waking up people at that hour could have been dangerous for my physical
well being, I shall have to make it up to Biscuit sometime over the extended
weekend!
It
is not my usual habit to quibble over an early start, but, this one is
significant as I sensed company when I reached Uttamar Gandhi Salai. The
youngster was running strong and we only got to run alongside when he came to
the right side of the road after Gemini flyover. I initially thought that he
must be one of the Chennai runners on a long run, but, when I broached the
subject of running with him, I was pleasantly surprised.
Now
is the time to introduce Mr. Avinash, he has completed his XIIth and is doing a
Crash course for the Common Law Admission Test, today being his last day of the
course and exam being on 10th of May, 2015. There are two
interesting aspects to these details;
Our
idea when we were that age of celebrating after a course is completed used to
be a few extra hours in bed, a movie etc., but, this guy, who stated that he
was an athlete in school upto Xth class before he got sucked into academic
pressure of +2 and professional exam coaching, his idea of celebrating last day
in Chennai before going back home for Law entrance exam in a week is a long run
(he is from Nagercoil and is staying in a hostel in T Nagar!), gets out to run
before 4 AM in the morning! What’s happened to the youngsters nowadays!
How
he chose Law as his career is also interesting, he says there were enough
Engineers and Doctors in his family and anyway the brick and mortar and the
like does not interest him, he wants to try out a new field and Law should be
lucky to have him. Tribute to his confidence is that even when he was told that
he was running alongside the father of a graduate from the prestigious Law
school from Hyderabad, he had no questions. He believes in crossing bridges
only when he gets there. I liked his attitude!
He
was clearly unfit from two years of only mental activity and was profusely
sweating and panting when we reached the Gandhi statute. We parted after
exchanging names. Rest of the run has nothing much to write home about except
my interaction with Col. S K Singh, new friend I made during running the Island
ground loop (I remember he told me he was the Chief Engineer with the Army).
Today, owing to my earlier start I met him on Sivanada road on him second loop
and I told him an orderly was hosing water on the concrete floor and he should
do something about. He said, it was recycled water, but, still it should be
used for watering plants/lawns and not concrete floor. He promised to inspect
the place when he got there on the run! I finished my run at 7:27 AM, a
leisurely 3:30 32K partly due to a very humid day and a relaxed feeling because
of the early start.
Having
broken the promise of not posting, a gist of yesterday’s run would do no harm I
guess! I ran a 3:27 32K (4:23 AM to 7:50 AM) with a meeting with a Rajasthani
couple at the lighthouse. One more state gets representation in my circle. I
did not bore them with my Jaipur connection which I would inflict on my next
encounter.
But I still wait to read your daily runs.
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