Coping with changes

Ever since I opted to work with the Nike Run Club, I have been doing an increasingly complex juggling act with my workouts. Like it is always stated: you have to give something else up if you want to add something to an already tight schedule. The guy that has suffered (and I feel awful about it) is Bryan. I have stopped dropping him at the bus-stop since the last one month and poor Minoti, who sleeps the latest, gets dressed to do this chore.

Bryan is now an adolescent at 14 yrs of age and I have spent the last 11 yrs waking up and helping him get ready for school. He acts grown up now and does not absolutely need me to drop him at the bus-stop but I do feel he misses this. And so, today I ditched my workout and spent time making his favorite protein drink and dropping him on the "bullet". He felt nice about it and I could see it in his eyes. I again felt a sense of melancholy as I was consumed with nostalgia at the times I spent with him during his growing phase. I think that my repeated bouts of melancholy are due to the fact that I miss these aspects of being the father that I have been to Bryan.

I went to Aarey and rehearsed the warm-up that I have sequenced for the Nike Run Club. I was interrupted by Rajesh, who has just completed the 50K Bangalore Ultra, for some guidance on how much recovery time he should be taking. I wound up my workout with a quick round of strength and flexibility before returning home. On the way out of Aarey, I saw that one of the dogs that was bitten on its neck, had died. I drifted into a pensive mood again as I recalled my intense love for strays. I truly appreciate the efforts that Rajeshwari does to take care of them. I support the effort financially and feel nice about it. I think I will go to church today - I miss the quiet moments at "Holy Name Cathedral".

Guitar Man

I had a nice time at Bangalore with the Nike Run Club, learning a lot of things to add to my repertoire of strength and stretching routines. They'd flown me down and had me lodged in a swanky hotel, with car and driver at my disposal etc. I had a surprise opportunity to visit the Bangalore Ultra bib collection-cum-pasta lunch venue, courtesy, "Runners for Life". It was a fine afternoon meeting up with runners, some of whom I'd known for years and others that I'd known from mails exchanged. There was Bhaskar, Sunil Chainani, Rahul Verghese, Srini, Amit and others that were introduced with a "Meet danzico" :-). I was really surprised that so many runners actually read posts and remember you. I am now not able to introduce myself, to the running community, as "Daniel" anymore:-)

There was the pasta lunch which had international class to it. There were olives, salads, pickles, aloo tikkis, veg pasta, spaghetti bolognaise, chocolate mousse and a nice fruit drink. It appears that someone with real knowledge of carbo-loading had gotten the chef to prepare this lunch. I don't remember when was the last time I'd eaten so well, with as many helpings:-) Thru' all this I drifted into a reverie as I listened to "Guitar Man", a track I used to play on the guitar at IIT-B, especially since my roomie, Percy used to ask me to play it every night. I felt a touch of melancholy for no apparent reason as I heard the words.

Who draws the crowd and plays so loud, Baby it's the guitar man.
Who's gonna steal the show, you know Baby it's the guitar man,
He can make you love, he can make you cry
He will bring you down, then he'll get you high
Somethin' keeps him goin', miles and miles a day
To find another place to play.

Then he comes to town, and you see his face,
And you think you might like to take his place
Somethin' keeps him driftin' miles and miles away
Searchin' for the songs to play.

Then the lights begin to flicker and the sound is getting dim
The voice begins to falter and the crowds are getting thin
But he never seems to notice he's just got to find Another place to play,
Fade Away. Got to Play. Fade Away. Got to Play.