Good deeds and race plans

As I walked down to Flora Fountain to pick up some dry-fruits, I saw a Municipal van pulling up at the kerb. All hell broke loose and some hawkers scurried away with their ware; however, I also noticed that the 'seasoned' hawkers were unfazed, probably because they pay "hafta". Then I noticed that the goons pick on an old man in his 60s who was selling bed-sheets off a bicycle. They tried to load the bicycle in the van while the old man begged them not to. With my penchant for intervention in the face of risk and with the bile rising to my throat, I held on to the bicycle and asked the goons to leave the old man alone. There were veiled threats and a cop asked me to "stay out of it!". I dared them to touch the other hawkers instead of picking on the old man. A crowd had gathered by then and seeing me take up cudgels with the goons, they hollered. Soon the cop and the goons realised that they'd have a scene on hand and let the old man go. I walked with a spring in my stride, triumphant with my good deed for the day.

The dry-fruits have been purchased, but I now have to develop a race plan for the Hyderabad Marathon: a race that I have been foolhardy enough to register for, despite my lack of preparation. I will go thru' my log over the last two months to understand the most reasonable pace that I should set. I have to draw a back-up plan for late race problem solving and can only hope that divine benediction will smile upon me in this marathon. All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go......