(Let me backtrack a week, to the speed work of last Wednesday. 8x1km repeats. That workout was disastrous with only 4 of the required laps happening at the required speed. The other laps failed for varying reasons- head wind, speed and my head.\u00a0Rahul and Mulraj had, of course, breezed through that workout.)<\/p>\n
Despite all my bravado, I began today’s workout on the back foot. There were 5 of us, Mulraj, Rahul, Amit, Russa, me, with Russa having 12 reps (versus our 16). 12 seemed like such a nice number.<\/em> The first crack.<\/p>\n Lap 1-5: The first few laps were fairly rhythmic. We ran as a pack. We planned to do 6 reps out onto Marine drive and 6 back. Russa would stop as we returned to the starting signal and the rest of us would go back for 2 more each way.\u00a0It was under control. We began slowly and built up the pace. It was going to be a good day!<\/p>\n Lap 6: This, last one, on our way out, was against head wind. That was the beginning of the end. It was really difficult and my mind went into a cloud of doubt. My lack of discipline and training over the last 2 months came flashing back and I crumbled.<\/p>\n Lap 7: I managed to hold my own and get some rhythm, thought, maybe I will make it through this.<\/em> But in the next instant the meandering continued\u2026Why is it so humid? Where is the rain? How will I sustain the pace?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Lap 8: This is when the real game began. More headwind. More fatigue. More struggle. I kept checking the distance on my watch. 258m. Horror of horrors! 142m more<\/em>. That I could subtract with such ease freaked me out. Just run dammit!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Lap 9: Even stronger headwind. Confidence dropped. Doubt increased. The fault line widened. And I heard a shriek\u2026Stop at 12! You can\u2019t do more. <\/em>Then a whisper… You’ve been chilling since the last 2 months. So how did you plan on getting through this?<\/em> And a smirk! You struggled last week too!<\/em><\/p>\n My mind had a mind of its own! I could think so much in 20 seconds!!!??? If I just focused all my energy on running I could have shaved off a few seconds!<\/p>\n And it did not help that Mulraj counted down the rest. \u201c3-2-1\u2026 Let’s go.\u201d Dude, give it a rest! Five more seconds of rest won’t change your life in any way.<\/em> But there was no respite.\u00a0Lap after lap his summon whipped us to start. (Just because you are in top form!<\/em>)<\/p>\n Lap 10: Oh god! What was this?<\/em> Was the wind pushing me back or my legs had stopped moving?<\/em> I was supposed to go forward. Good thing I’m stopping after 2 more. I really cannot kill myself like this!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n During the rest I announce to the boys, \u201cI need more rest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou get it after 12, for the last 4.\u201d After all these years Rahul knew how to handle my drama!<\/p>\n \u201cBut I’m only doing 12,\u201d I retort.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d he replies, \u201cYou are doing all 16.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will die before that\u201d I say.<\/p>\n But the words were lost in the breeze as they blasted off and I scrambled behind them.<\/p>\n Lap 11: Not bad. I am only a few steps behind them. 216 m. 327 m. 394m. Oh, thank god it’s over! <\/em>I press the lap button at 401m.<\/p>\n Lap 12: I began this lap with the thought that it was going to be my last one. I would stop with Russa and end this torture. I’m really not fit.<\/em> After all this settled in my head I ran a comfortable lap shoulder-to-shoulder\u00a0them. I could stop now.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n But no such luck. Rahul simply said, “5 extra seconds of rest and off we go.” Mulraj indulged me like a child and after 35 seconds, with my heart still racing, we were off.<\/p>\n Lap 13: Ok! So 2 more. I will stop at 14. <\/em>I bargained with myself. Chalo. Let this one roll. It’s not as bad as I imagined. 234m. 280m. 400m is so far!<\/em> Suddenly it was 381m. Soon time to stop.\u00a0Maybe not that far.<\/em><\/p>\n Lap 14: My mojo was back. And an old quote came to mind. Most people don’t run long enough to find their second wind.<\/strong>\u00a0Today was that for me. I ran after I thought I couldn’t run any more. And with that wisdom this 400m just breezed by.<\/p>\n Amit says 2 more. I just nodded in agreement. I was seriously surprised that I had come this far.\u00a0I would finish all 16 of them. Too good. The bloody rest is so short. Go. Go. Go.<\/em><\/p>\n Lap 15: Okay. Let’s do this. I am a runner. And I need to finish it. Oh, Marine Drive is so beautiful. Oh wow, 328m already done. This will finish soon. 30 more seconds and I will be done with this one.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Lap 16: Yay, it’s going end. The last one! I will begin slow and pick up after every 100m. And kill it<\/em>. The ridiculous me was strategizing in the last rep. I could see the boys zooming ahead of me. Something came over me and I shifted into cruise control. Then ever so smoothly, unknowingly, I ran past Amit, as I pushed the lap button on my watch. 402m done. All done.<\/p>\n
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