Mixed marriages

I was one of a close group of friends of the bride' father, that was invited to a "sangeet ceremony" at "Saffron Spice". The wedding, which is scheduled for 30th is between a Bengali Hindu and a Catholic. I suspect my invitation had something to do with providing reassurance to the couple that " it can be done":-) I was informed by my friend, Aniruddh, that he frequently cited my case when he had discussions with the boy' parents about going ahead with the marriage. It was a nice evening with bollywood dance by the girl' relatives and some western jiving by the boy' people - a hilarious attempt to highlight fusion:-)

I managed to nurse the appertiff as a courtesy and also ate just enough to ensure my digestive system feels relaxed. I woke up feeling refreshed and went out for what I thought should be a recovery run. After my difficulty with my speedwork yesterday, I was prepared for a shuffle-cum-walk. I realised after just 1 km that I had a strength in my stride that surprised me. I went on to complete 8.2K at a brisk pace and even had enough time for some strength training. So what was it that caused me to feel strong and fresh this morning?? The search never ends:-)

Its raining parties

As soon as I'd set off at a shuffle to warm up before the speed workout that I'd assigned myself today, I could tell that it wasn't going to go off well. I felt the heaviness in my calves and my RPE would not recede as its supposed to, once the circulatory system has been kick-started. I set off at a VO2 max pace and ended up doing only 4 reps ie 2 reps shy of my target. I also finished each rep in a time that was rather disappointing but not surprising. It could be that I had not recovered from the 2-a-day (I seem to be over-doing this concept that is reserved for high mileage runners:-)) that I'd done on Saturday and the workout I'd done at NRC yesterday. I wasn't too disappointed as I still ended up stoking the fires in my mitochondria with that speed workout that produced a lactate burn. In comparison, my runner friend Venkat, who had similar misgivings, seemed to end up with a PB for the target distance he ran. Is it that he has yet to learn the art of listening close to his body or was he misled by the typical sluggishness that is not uncommon before one finds their "second wind"?

I have a rather busy week with three parties, one wedding reception and of course the new year celebrations. I have to find a way to shed the extra weight that I am certainly going to put on. I also have to find a way to do my long run on Saturday. It will be the last long run before the count down to SCMM. I wonder what kind of taper I should do, considering that my unconventional method applied pre-Istanbul had produced some remarkable results. I have to be careful though, because the heat at SCMM is the most significant factor in race plan and strategy.