Today has been very special indeed. I finished my last long run in my "taper" before the Lausanne Marathon next Sunday. This run was intended to be just 1 1/2hrs but I stretched it a wee bit longer to get rid of the fat I'd accumulated in my tippling sessions on my recent tour to Coimbatore. I hurried home to shower and change so that I could zip to town to meet my bro-in-law Joe and my sister Leena, with Bryan. Monsoon couldn't make it because our neighbour passed away last evening after a long battle with a terminal illness.
I guzzled a few glasses of beer with Joe, before I left Bryan in their custody and went off to the golden wedding anniversary of Russell' parents at the "Goan Institute". I met old friends I hadn't seen in years and realized how much we all had aged since those heady days of silly antics, parties, dancing, football, firey eyes and dreams. As I pumped hands and hello'd everyone, grinning sheepishly and joking about scant hair, greying mustaches, crows feet and blubber, I felt a sense of depair as well as happiness. Despair because I saw how further aging had debilitated the ones that were already old in my youth as also news of some of my friends being no more. It was a raucous afternoon as we reminisced of pranks, daring-dos and bravado over guffaws, the switch to whiskey giving me a "buzz". The consequent light-headedness and soaring spirits got everyone even more boisterous:-) I met a gentleman, probably on the wrong side of sixty, who used to jog in those days when fitness was frowned upon. He was particularly taken in by my passion for marathoning and nostalgically recollected the days when he did 400m in 50 secs! We exchanged notes on training methods during his time in the 60s and 70s and the methods that prevail today.
As the afternoon wound down, I thankfully got a call from Leena that Bryan would like to stay over at their place for the night. I hungrily attacked the sumptuous goan cuisine and waved goodbye to everyone even as Bamoo threatened to confiscate my car keys and put me in a cab. So much for the science of "tapering" which proscribes alcohol in the weeks of the taper. I rued my fate in the Lausanne Marathon next Sunday realizing that I'd thrown caution to the winds once again. You are incorrigible Dan. Anyway - Lets do it!
As the afternoon wound down, I thankfully got a call from Leena that Bryan would like to stay over at their place for the night. I hungrily attacked the sumptuous goan cuisine and waved goodbye to everyone even as Bamoo threatened to confiscate my car keys and put me in a cab. So much for the science of "tapering" which proscribes alcohol in the weeks of the taper. I rued my fate in the Lausanne Marathon next Sunday realizing that I'd thrown caution to the winds once again. You are incorrigible Dan. Anyway - Lets do it!
