This makes me so happy! Food of the gods - even though your artery narrows just at the sight of that. Yes friends : that really IS bacon stuffed in waffles. Nom Nom!

20kms in my village...

My morning began just at the first sight of the sunshine before 5. I ran past the sprinklers again, it wet my white bandana, and I was set. I ran 15km in 70 minutes. I realised something annoying about my personality. I am perpetually dissatisfied. You could say this means I am always open to growth, evolution experience, learning. Wouldnt that be nice? Really, it just means I am bitchy and hungry!

I know I am lucky to have a fast metabolism physiologically, but I'm realising that my personality has a fast metabolism too. I process an experience instantly and am immediately looking for the next thing. Theres no appreciating the provebial tree or the big picture or whatever your favorite cliche is. Hence the dissatisfaction with the 15k (9 miles) and a desire to round it to 20k for the day. I wanted to conquer my dissatisfaction and left again to clock in another 5 to make it 20 - a round figure! and I did! At Midday again. The midday run was in 19 minutes, just under 5k!

Goodtimes! Atleast for sometime...

Our own little Purgatory...

I read the book "On a Pale horse" on my flight over to India last November. It is written by Piers Anthony, a famous Sci-Fi writer. In a nutshell, the book is about a man who attempts suicide and his soul was so much in balance that Death comes to personally collect his soul. Zane, the protagonist, shoots Death in the head instead of taking his own life and thus, is forced to assume the face of Death. When a persons soul is in complete balance, they are taken to a place called Purgatory where they exist till their soul shifts to good or bad so they can eventually move on to heaven or hell. The actual description of Purgatory is uncannily similar to Catholicism.

Its a word that means limbo, to wait, to not move forward, or even backwards for that matter. Its a word used to describe the afterlife but I guess we could be living this way unknowingly even. Maybe you are in your own little Purgatory, happy to live for the day, drifting and not really addressing tomorrow.

Anyway, it is a humid day in Delhi today, and even at 5 in the morning, the sun was up and shining. I ran through the sprinklers in the park, which did an excellent job of waking me up. 12k this am, followed by 20mins of weights. Started off very slow but ran the last 3 miles at a pretty decent clip. The whole thing took me 85 minutes (and included staring at my annoying hair in the gym mirror). Will clock in another 30 minute run at midday when its in the mid-40's! Yesterday was an easy 6 miles which were not at all enjoyable!

Inspiration...

I adore my niece. Children somehow have the ability to sense your deepest fears and your deepest anxieties. Ever since I first held her in my arms, I knew that she knew. And she always did. Mind you, she is yet to be 2, but she always knows in that little head of hers. Even if I keep a straight face, she will look at me deep in my eyes and reach out to wipe a tear only she sees. Its quite magical sometimes what children know. Thanks to modern technology, I get to see videos of her growing up even though I cannot be physically present.

Children are inspiring and can teach us alot. They have no inhibitions about what they look like when they try hard; they lay it all on the line without fear. They dont really know their limits so they have no awareness or anxiety about approaching them. If they know someone believes they can do it, they are certain they can. Watching them work together towards a common goal reminds me of everything that is pure and good and redemptive about humankind.

Some food for thought: When was the last time you gave something special your "all"? When did you pull so hard for a dream that you got red-faced and your hands hurt from your simple adamant refusal to let go? When did your effort simultaneously exhaust and invigorate you? For what (or whom) are you willing to dig your heels, get rope burns on your palms and slide across dirt on your behind? When was the last time you pursued something with the optimistic abandon of a child?

Ran and climbed stairs with my weighted backpack again. It sounds ridiculous when I see it written down: 10km, followed by 420 stair repeats. Took me 2 and a half hours. Plan to do another 150 repeats with my pack in the middle of the day.

I was grinning like a happy idiot this morning after a very good run - looking up at the sky and appreciating the lovely weather. When I realised! It was still 35 degrees!! Given the recent runs (no pun intended), this temperature practically feels like winter.

Anyway, 65 minutes 14kms at 5am.