May 15, 2017 - For Nicola and Amanda!

Today's run was sponsored by Nicola and Amanda! Thanks so much for continuing to help fund the Ty Taylor Memorial Campship Endowment. We're getting so close to fully funding the endowment, I appreciate your help! Soon, YMCA Camp Miller will be able to send a deserving camper to camp for free every year in honor of an amazing man.

Running is many different things to many people. For some, it's about the workout. For others, it's about the social aspect of running with friends. Others run to explore, to meditate, to reach a goal, to grieve, to raise money... If you've read my blog, you know that I run for all of these reasons.

But when I left the house on Monday morning, it was with the sole intent of taking some time to think. I had a potentially difficult meeting coming up, and I needed to think carefully about how I was going to proceed. My legs went on autopilot as I began the Statues 3 Miler route. You can read about other runs on this route here, here, here, and here. My thoughts centered primarily around how the ability to change my perspective and take a fresh look at the path forward might help me. What were my objectives? How might I present that information? I went through several scenarios and soon arrived at the Salt March Statue. Wikipedia gives a good quick look at the Salt March, or Dandi March, but basically it's the story of how Gandhi initiated the literal march as an act of civil disobedience, and began the figurative march to Indian Independence. You can read more about the Gyarah Murti statue on the so.Delhi blog and take a look at a video here.

Typically, upon passing this statue (which happens frequently when I go running), I acknowledge Gandhi-ji with a wave, or a hand on my heart. On this day, I did something different. I stopped. I walked around to the back side for a fresh look. I took a break at the statue and thought about how he may have approached his tough decisions.

The moment was poignant, as I considered this leader, who set out on a journey to the sea to prove his point.

But I also considered the followers. Without their support, the trip wouldn't have made the same impact. His point would surely not have been heard by the British. It was their support which was needed. Gandhi had big ideas and passion and cared about independence, but he thought carefully about how to deliver the messages of his people. People who were widely varied as illustrated in Choudhary's sculpture.

In the end, the Mahatma succeeded in changing minds and inspiring hearts. Renewed in the belief that my meeting was going to go well because I was aided by talented collaborators and representing good people, I continued my run and came across the Teen Murti statue.

The three statues (Teen Murti literally means 3 statues) are arranged in an equilateral triangle. Acknowledging the ironic fact that I wouldn't be allowed to pause and reframe this statue from a new angle since they are all the same, I grinned at the universe and finished my run.

I'm choosing to thank Nicola and Amanda for this run, because they are both involved with me in different groups at school. I've been grateful to share their thinking and I'm appreciative of their desire to help me fund the Campship. As I prepare to leave AES, I'm so thankful for the opportunities I've had to be part of important work. And as I prepare to enter a new school, I'm thinking about what opportunities for sharing thinking I'll have. Which ideas will become important? Will I have a chance to be a leader? Or perhaps, most importantly, how can I be an enthusiastic and supportive follower?

RUN STATS:

Distance - 5.15 miles

Time - 46:27

Temp at 6:30am, 87°F

May 6, 2017 - The 4th Charge of the British History Half Marathon

Today's run was sponsored by Isaac, Adam, Brianne, Scott, Justin, Jacinta, Nathan and the other AES Runners! Thanks so much for continuing to help fund the Ty Taylor Memorial Campship Endowment. We're getting so close to fully funding the endowment, I appreciate your help! Soon, YMCA Camp Miller will be able to send a deserving camper to camp for free every year in honor of an amazing man.

It's not easy to write a sentence that can fully introduce the importance of my running group. Over the years, the AES Runners have challenged me, supported me, indulged me and more. They've trained me up for my first half marathon, my first marathon and more. They've (almost) always said yes to my crazy ideas for runs. And they've pushed me to create a monster - The British History Half Marathon. And they've consistently opened up their wallets to donate to my causes. This year alone, AES Runners past and present have donated over $600. Amazing.

The British Half Marathon was born in 2014, from a desire to do a long training run on new territory. It occurred to me that a point-to-point run could take us pretty far from home. A 13 mile line on a Google Map brought me to the Coronation Memorial and the BHHM quickly started taking shape.

You can read all about that inaugural version here. It's also referenced pretty heavily here. For various reasons, 2015 and 2016 never got write ups. Here's a quick look at last year's event.

If you're paying attention, you can see it all. A bus, over 20 runners, historical monuments, note cards with "fun facts." It's all there. The only photo missing is the one from the end. The one showing my stitches. I'll come back to that.

Here's a video of this year's event.

The British History Half Marathon has grown into something special around here. The preparation begins early, with runners of all abilities training and me writing emails. An excerpt:

Depending on your side of history, Mangal Pandey either bravely became the first martyr of Indian independence or foolishly presented himself as a bhang and opium-induced traitor and mutineer as he attacked Lieutenant Baugh, Adjutant of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry and later, Sergeant-Major Hewson with musket blasts and talwar blows.  

Either way, he turned his musket upon himself and discharged a round into his own chest. It wasn't enough to kill him though, and he was hanged without recourse. 

On 6 May 1857, the 34th was was disbanded "with disgrace" for failing to perform their duty in restraining a mutinous soldier and their officer. It's widely regarded as the start of the Indian Rebellion. Or, depending again on your side of the story: the Sepoy Mutiny, the Indian Mutiny, the Great Rebellion, the Revolt of 1857, the Indian Insurrection, or India's First War of Independence.
Almost 100 years later, on 6 May 1954 Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister, CH, CBE, became the first human being to break the sub-four minute mile. 

An auspicious day then, it would seem, for the Fourth Annual British History Half Marathon.
Save the date 6 May 2017, history buffs and runners. More information will be coming soon.


Early bird registration begins today.

Yours,
Rao Bahadur Jason Coleman, Receiver of 17 Gun Salutes, HEIC, Event Organizer

You see, indulgence. And support. This is what the AES Runners have allowed me to become. A fake running event organizer and armchair historian. But mostly, a writer of silly emails. Another excerpt:

InclusivenessThere will be at least 19 of us running! While not the largest fake running event that I have ever organized, it's still a big group! Please be mindful of the fact that there are many different people with different paces and abilities on the road. More than anything, everyone wants to participate. This is a slow-paced race with lots of built in stops. 

Water, First-Aid, Emergency TransportationAs we will be running through a city of almost 20 million inhabitants, we are never far from any of these things. That said, there is no official support. Make sure to bring a phone, camera, battery pack, water, money, energy gels or anything else that you might need to be on the road for 2 1/2- 3 hours.

Indeed the 4th charge was an inclusive and participatory event. 20 runners showed up at 5:45am to collect my ridiculous home-made bibs, Indian Tricolor wristbands and board the bus to the Coronation Memorial. The fact that the runners were now a captive audience allowed me to read some notecards and set the scene for today's run. The Mutiny of 1875, or the beginning of the War for Indian Independence. See the 2014 post for more details on the history, today I'll concentrate on the run. 

As always, our arrival at the Coronation Memorial attracted the attention of North Delhi's early birds. More surprising to me though, was the sheer number of people out and about at 6am. The park was full of people! And statues of old, dead British guys. Among them was King George. Another note card from me (think elaborate descriptions of Durbars) and we were off and running. For the 2017 edition, there were several veteran runners. Memories of years past were flowing as quickly as the water from my Camel Back the year it exploded at the beginning of our run.

The first two miles of the run are not pretty. There's a strip of junked out cars, some olfactory delights and once, a steam roller that was laying fresh blacktop that we had to dodge. The first real point of interest beyond the Memorial is Delhi University. Sneaking through the gates ("Entry Restricted"), there was talk of monkey attacks (looking at you Alexa) and a quick stop to pose with Gandhi (because, India).

The first scheduled stop occurs at the Flagstaff Tower. This windowless castellated tower was the hideout of the few surviving British once the mutineers tore through town. I grabbed this pic from my elevated vantage point. I love it and everyone in it. They inspire me.

They also allow me to read them notecards, so it was a quick summary and an quote from everyone's favorite British-Delhi-Historian, William Darlymple and we were off again. But not for long. I quickly spied a group of men doing laughing yoga and insisted we join in. It was simply wonderful. It was not the first time I've spied these hysterical yogis doing their thing on a run, but it was the first time I've joined in. I've been emboldened by my impending departure and want to catalogue as many memories as possible. Today would definitely allow me to do just that.

Next stop was an Ashoka pillar from the 3rd century BC. At this pillar, I turned over my docent role to Laura, an actual history teacher. She regaled the group with enthralling history and I made a joke about erection.

Continuing on toward the Mutiny Memorial, memories of years past began to creep in. Like the first year when we cajoled the guard to let us in. And the second, when we knew he would. And the third. It was like visiting an old friend. Here the history took a decidedly revisionist bent as the cards examined the very nature of history. Who's story is it to tell? Can it ever be told accurately? Had we really already run five miles?

The next section has historically been where my "half-marathon" gains notoriety and extra miles. This year, I was bound and determined to not get lost or add too much extra milage, so I kept tight track of our turns. By now though, the route was feeling pretty familiar.

Stops at an old city gate, a powder magazine and The Red Fort were the locations of the first goodbyes. Among the great things about city running is the ability to jump in an autorickshaw at any point and rest tired muscles and cruise home (reasonably) comfortably. The signage advertising a magician at The Red Fort was a source of much revelry and we were off again.

Our revelry was soon squelched when we passed what could only be understood as a dead body. Questions and curiosity sobered us all as a brave runner went back to check it out. After what seemed like an eternity, there was a twitch and a rise of the chest, assuring him enough that there was life left in that body, but how much and toward what future was uncertain. The next mile was a quiet one.

By now we had run almost nine miles, so a break for drinks and mental decompression was quickly organized. At a busy intersection in the alleys of Old Delhi, our drink stop allowed for a lot of gawking. And almost got us run over by motorbikes and chicken trucks. Oh, and don't forget the van full of goat heads.

From Old Delhi, the route almost runs out of Mutiny material.There's a mile long section in the hot sun over an overpass (re-included in this year's run due to last year's inability to cross the train tracks any other way, adding an extra mile). There's a stretch of the Janpath and things start to look familiar. It's our Delhi, the Delhi of India Gate runs, the Kessel Run and countless other pounded pavements from countless runs with the group.

The last (almost) scheduled stop comes at the Secretariat, center of operations for the Indian government. Although it was not created when the events of 1857 took place, I like to stop to look at the quote written over the entrance:

“Liberty will not descend to a people. A people must raise themselves to liberty. It is a blessing that must be earned before it can be enjoyed.”

In seeming fully disrespect for the people of the country that they had violently overtaken, the British inscribed this scolding. However, it turned out that the people of India would get the last word. Not only did the overthrow the Raj and declare independence, but they left the inscription so we can still read it today.

The last last stop on the BHHM was added this year. It was a stop to commemorate the spot where I ran into a pole last year and almost broke my nose.

I stumbled for three steps, tried to keep running and continued staring at my GPS. Feeling like I had been punched by a prizefighter, my only thought was, “Get the group back home.” Then a more rational idea emerged. “You just ran into an iron street sign. Look up and take a moment to assess.”

Despite my efforts to plan a memorable day of running and learning, The Third Annual British History Half Marathon had taken a distinct change of course. What had started as a successful edition of a run that takes colleagues and parents on a guided history tour of one of the world’s most dynamic cities had turned into a dizzy, bloody mess. “Stitches?” I asked.

“Stitches,” came the reply. On my way to the hospital, I reflected on our running group.

I wrote those words as the introduction to my recruiting profile last year as my family made the difficult decision to leave Delhi. We've been here for nine years and it's been amazing. Our running group has been a major part of my life and I'm going to miss everyone in it beyond belief.

Thanks friends.

RUN STATS

Distance: 14.2 miles? 15.2 miles? Certainly not 13.1 miles.

Duration: 2:44:33? 3 hours?

My GPS Stopped half way, so I have two workouts for this run, and the stats are off.

May 3, 2017 - For Chico and the Gang!

Today's run was sponsored by Chico! Thanks so much for continuing to help fund the Ty Taylor Memorial Campship Endowment. We're getting so close to fully funding the endowment, I appreciate your help! Soon, YMCA Camp Miller will be able to send a deserving camper to camp for free every year in honor of an amazing man.

This dedicated run had to be this classic. It's the kind of run that needs to be run with a friend, so when I met Laura at the gate and she suggested the Back Door Five Miler, I couldn't have been happier. It's a classic route that sneaks its way through not one, not two or three, but four places that seem like you shouldn't be allowed to go. I last wrote about this route almost three years ago to the day!

The first back door is the best. We ran through the open gate on the back side of the Safdarjung Railway Station. "Just act like what you're doing is totally okay," is the mantra of this run. Unfortunately, the entrance was the easy part that day. A huge, fat mama monkey was with her baby on the stairs to the bridge that took us over the tracks. "What do we do here?" I asked. "Just go," was Laura's nervous reply, followed by, "Don't look at it." Obviously, I've written this post, so you know I made it. The bridge leads right to the platform and before we knew it, we were like the sultry muse of Prince's Raspberry Beret in reverse as we ran out through the in door. In door.

Running to the train station for Harry Potter themed 9 3/4km race

Back door number two is behind the Leela Hotel. Over the years, this has slowly turned from a small door, to a bigger door, to no door, to what I expect will soon become a full-fledged road. Can't stop progress I guess.

The third back door is the rear entrance to a sprawling government employee housing complex. Complete with bungalows, apartment towers, underground parking and their own park and shops, New Moti Bagh feels like it could easily be in Anytown, USA. It's always a trip running there, but today was special. The back door wasn't just the normal red and white barrier arm, but a full-fledged locked metal gate across the whole entrance. Having arrived to the seemingly impenetrable wall just behind a man on a bike, we decided to wait. He pounded on the door, we all waited. The gate was opened and we cruised past the guard, no questions asked. "Just act like you belong here."

The final back door is a door in the fence that opens to a private walkway between the Railroad Officer's Bungalows and a golf course. It parallels a public park and actually offers vertical rise in a mostly flat city. It ends at another bridge over the tracks to another government housing development.

RUN STATS

Distance: 6.24 miles

Duration: 57:49

April 26, 2017 - For Melissa!

Today's run was sponsored by Melissa! Thanks so much for continuing to help fund the Ty Taylor Memorial Campship Endowment. We're getting so close to fully funding the endowment, I appreciate your help! Soon, YMCA Camp Miller will be able to send a deserving camper to camp for free every year in honor of an amazing man.

This write-up is so late in coming that I'll actually dedicate two runs to Melissa. Thanks for your generosity, I appreciate it

The first run was actually in March!

Melissa, the generous donor behind this post, was visiting Delhi. As our incoming Middle School Assistant Principal, she was in town getting to know the school as part of the transition visit. When I heard that she was a runner, I couldn't resist the offer to play tour guide, so I volunteered myself to guide a morning run. Probably not fully knowing my history, she agreed. Since she was staying at the Claridges Hotel, I decide to take a loop around Nehru Park, meet her at her hotel, hit the tourist hotspots near the hotel and finish with a half lap of Lodhi Garden.

The run was an immediate introduction to urban Delhi running. Monkeys and dogs were our companions as we headed toward the Gandhi Smriti. The Gandhi Smriti is the location of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948. It's now a flashy "high-tech" interactive museum and a taciturn preservation of his few possessions, his simple living quarters and an immortalization of his final footsteps. Gandhi was assassinated in the garden of the Birla House by a Hindu nationalist that opposed his stance on Pakistan and his doctrine of non-violence.

The spot where Gandhi-ji was killed. Notice the footprint, the path traces his last steps.

Flashy Interactive Museum!

And, oh yeah. We had tea with his granddaughter. (far right)

Our run continued past another commemorative site, the site of the assassination of another famous Gandhi (no relation), Indira. Indira Gandhi was the third Prime Minister of India and was actually the daughter of Jawarharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister (who's death site is just down the road from hers!). She was assassinated famously by Sikh bodyguards who were retaliating for Gandhi's ordering of Operation Blue Star in 1984. The house is also now a museum. I still haven't visited it, but writing this post reminds me that I only have a little time. I think I will make this a mission.

We continued running, chatting the whole time, discussing the relative merits and dangers of running in a mega-city. It was as we were crossing the street near Safdarjung's tomb when it happened. I came pretty close to getting hit by a bus. Granted, it was starting from a dead stop at a red light, but it was close enough to encourage me to have a quick discussion with the driver and to (probably) scare Melissa off from running in Delhi entirely! Tranquility was restored when we arrived to Lodhi and took a leisurely half-loop in the city's idyllic heart.

RUN STATS

Distance: 7.43 miles

Duration: 1:01:32

April 26, 2017

This was the run that Melissa actually sponsored, an early morning run after a night of wonderful rain! It managed to cool things off a little, but not much. I met Justin at the gate and we set off on an hour-long run where I thought I could show him some new spots and mix it up a little bit. The first hit on this route was the pedestrian over-bridge that crosses the train tracks near the Chanakyapuri Railway Station. To call this a station is a bit of an overstatement. It's really a platform. As you can see, the station itself looks like it hasn't been used in a while.

This run features a few up and overs. First the railroad tracks, then up and over the Ring Road. We continued on through what has been a rough patch in the past, but is now absolutely terrible. Tons of construction, ripped up roads, into bright headlights...and back to the Rao Tula Ram Marg and a dash across the Ring Road at ground level.

From there, I had the idea to try to "sneak in" the front gate of New Moti Bagh. I've never tried to go in the front gate, so I thought it would be worth a try. The guards greeted us with "Good mornings," as we passed through the gate and it was a success! We took a lap around this strange anomaly of a planned community with amphitheater, parking garages and private fruit and milk shops and headed out the back gate.

Then it was all business as we headed home. Running with Justin keeps me honest. He likes to run fast. I know I slow him down, but I like to think he likes the company.

RUN STATS

Distance: 7.23 miles

Duration: 1:01:04

Running For a Reason 2017

It's time to finish this.


In 2010, the world lost Ty Taylor. He was a camp counselor. He was a father. He was a son. He was a friend to many. To me, he was a mentor.

Growing up at YMCA Camp Miller is an important part of the lives of the children of northern Minnesota and beyond. It definitely was for me. Ty played a huge role in helping me to become the person that I am today. For that, I'm thankful and I'm doing everything I can to repay the gifts he gave to me.

From my blog, March 2014:

When I was sixteen I joined the staff as a CIT and when I was 17, I was an Assistant Counselor. That's when I met Ty Taylor. He was an amazing guy that had a life story that blew my mind as a 17 year old from Minnesota. We worked together all summer and he was a big influence in my life. He inspired my love of adventure, my ability to laugh at myself, helped me appreciate the simple things that surrounded me and taught me about the value of unconditional friendship.  

In 2014, I used my marathon training as an opportunity for raising money for the Ty Taylor Campship Endowment. I did the same in 2016. Today, the endowment is $3000 away from generating enough interest to send a deserving child to YMCA Camp Miller for every year forever. It's my goal to raise that money this year.

Please consider donating. It will help a kid have the experiences that I did and it will motivate me to keep running every day from now until raceday. And beyond, if necessary. Anyone who donates will have a run dedicated to them, and a write-up on this blog! Please make sure you let me know you donated so I can write up your run as soon as possible.

Here's the link for donating - http://www.duluthymca.org/give/ Just choose the Ty Taylor Campship option.

If you prefer, here's a direct link.

My goal for this year is to get 40 people to donate and convince one friend each to donate. 80 donations should be enough to finalize this endowment and start sending kids to camp!

Who's first?

For Michael! - Naked Guys, Car Crashes, Snakes and Wrong Turns

This run is for Michael! At a random discussion before work, my fundraising came up and he humbly reached into his wallet and donated without hesistating! Thanks a lot, I appreciate it. The Campship fund in memory of Ty Taylor is growing every day. Donate here - http://www.ymcacampmiller.org/donate/ty-taylor-campship-endowment/. 

The idea behind this run (and most of my runs, frankly), came from the desire to see a new part of town. I'm sure that idea would resonate with Michael, he's seen more of this city than I ever will.

We started out on familiar roads, headed toward India Gate. On the approach, we crossed a group of men walking down the sidewalk, escorting two completely naked men. It was likely that they were Digambara Jains, or possibly Naga sadhus. Each group focuses on attainment of their religious goals through asceticism taken to the extreme. No possessions means no clothes. 

I'm not quite sure what to make of what happened next. As we were crossing the street, an autorickshaw stopped to let us cross in front of him. While that in itself should have been the surprising thing (it never happens), it was what happened next which really shook me. As soon as the auto stopped, the car behind it smacked into it. After establishing that the drivers were okay and the damage was minimal, we continued on our way. Days of processing have left me at a point of confusion about systems thinking. I know we often present quite a sight in the streets of Delhi. While stark naked men may be passé, a group of foreigners running on sidewalks, streets, railroad tracks, etc., isn't. I had never considered us as potentially dangerous, I had only thought of us being in danger from cars, dogs, and worse.

And then, we saw this.

A man, asleep (we hope) on his motorcycle, parked in the middle of a four-lane highway. The traffic moved effortless around him. Thanks go to Adam for capturing the photo.

The goal of the day was to complete a long run (14 miles), visit Indraprastha Park, and see some new things. Less than five miles into the run and one of those goals had been accomplished in spades. The second goal was just around the corner. Running to Indraprastha Park is not ideal. You get there on busy roads. It's alongside the Ring Road, not far from the Yamuna. Without understanding exactly where in the city I was, I've seen the park from buses and cars several times but the green space it occupies on the map is conspicuous. The focal point of the park is a large Buddhist stupa.

The Stupa was envisioned as a symbol of enduring world peace and was dedicated in 2007 by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It contains relics donated by him, The President of Sri Lanka, the President of Mongolia and the Prime Minister of Nepal.

Running to the park was eventful. Running in the park was quite nice. It was good to get off of the pavement and the park itself is quite big. But running out of the park...

The difficulties of the park's location became apparent as soon as we tried to get out. Like many parks in the city, there are few entrances/exits. We ran to the end of the park, met a wall and tried to shortcut out through a nursery. When no exit was in site, we turned around and Emma jumped into the air screaming. It was a snake. Add it to the list of things that could kill us on a run. NOTE: I'm just going ahead and assume it was a cobra. It couldn't possibly have been anything else.

The next section of the run was what I had feared it would be - along the edge of the Ring Road. It wasn't too long before we turned away from Delhi's most traffic-ridden artery. We did it at the Nizamuddin Railroad Station. At one point, I had dreams of crossing through the station over the pedestrian bridge, but after an a day of pushing the limits of my friends' trust, I decided not to. We quickly got lost, jumped a wall, turned around and found our way through the warren of alleyways in the railroad adjacent neighborhood. At one point, someone said that it was more intense that last weekend's Old Delhi run. They might have been right. An underground tunnel, a parade of rickshaws, the entrance to the station, hundreds of school kids, and then - Silence. Within 100 feet, we had gone from absolute craziness to complete serenity.

We had also lost almost of the group. Well, not lost, exactly. Much of the group that day isn't training for a big race like me, so they took off after 5, 7 or 10 miles. At the end, two of were left to run the remaining four miles home. It was hot, it was exhausting, it was a great accomplishment at the end of the route.

What a run!

RUN STATS

Distance: 14.43 miles

Duration: 2:12:08

Soundtrack: A collection of Prince albums, of course. RIP.

For Dr. A! - The Old Delhi Half Marathon

Dr. A came in with a very generous donation that showed up in my records after a plea that would get this run in the books! Thanks for urging me write up my travels around my Delhi. But the thanks is truly for helping to establish an on-going campship that will award a scholarship to needy children in the name of my friend, Ty Taylor. Everyone else can donate and get a dedicated run just by clicking on this link - http://www.ymcacampmiller.org/donate/ty-taylor-campship-endowment/

By the way, Dr. A is no stranger to travel writing. Check out her work for the Washington Post here.

Saturday's run marked the third or fourth installment (April 2014) of the Old Delhi Half Marathon. There's nothing official about this run, it just happens to be 13 or 14 miles round trip. There's certainly no rigamarole or pomp associated with it. Not like the upcoming British History Half Marathon. There are no bibs, no note cards. The attraction and the allure of the run is its destination.

Old Delhi calls to us. We spend our days in leafy Chanakyapuri, where the streets are wide, the cows are few and as they say in our CPR classes, the scene is safe. Old Delhi is none of those things. It's crowded, chaotic and cacophonous. It's a little dangerous.

But more that any of those things, it's interesting. Old Delhi is real. It pulses and breathes with all of its inhabitants and it wraps you up.

Like last week, the run drew a crowd. 12 wonderful friends showed up early on a Saturday morning to head to Old Delhi. Getting there was largely uneventful. We took it easy. The air wasn't great, the heat was already getting up there and we had a large spread of runners. (Confession-these are my favorite runs). Everyone comes out, we run along at a nice pace, we chat and we enjoy the scenery. At least, the scenery that can be seen. Delhi Gate was shrouded in the Delhi pollution, and from our position high on the Raj Path, we could just make out the outline. Undaunted, we continued on.

And that's when I saw it. My second most favorite font on a building in Delhi. And it was just around the corner from my first! The All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society building has an absolutely incredible Art Deco font. The letters are so tall and skinny!

Taken from the AIFACS website. I'll take a better shot someday.

My favorite. The subtlety in the U! Oh dear.

After that occupied my time for a few minutes, we arrived in grand style to the Heart of New Delhi - Connaught Place. Our entry into the inner circle was heralded by too many street dogs to count. And they were angry. At what, exactly, was unclear. Each other? Us? The apparent lack of commitment and dedication to the revitalization of the "largest financial, commercial and business centres" in the city?

We left the dogs to their platitudes and continued on. From CP, the run gets "interesting." As Laura and I were running alongside speeding, deafening traffic on Minto Road, I leaned over and yelled, "This is nice. Relaxing." The population density seemed to double or triple as we crossed the border of the two Delhis. Looking up, I saw three hornbills in flight. I tried to attract the others runners attention, but I think they just assumed my muffled yells were related to me getting run over by an autorickshaw or falling in a hole. At least I saw them. Or was it a diesel-injected dream?

And then we were there. The literal edge of Old Delhi. All twelve of us stopped for a group photo in front of the Turkman Gate, one of the five remaining entrance/exits to the walled city of Shahjahanabad, the seventh incarnation of the city of Delhi.

After the photo (and a breather), I immediately took the group on  a wrong turn. It was wrong for two reasons. Number 1: We were going the wrong way. Number 2: We ran past a smushed cat that was suffering far worse intestinal problems than Adam. Back on track, we headed into the fray of Sitaram Bazaar. We were dodging bikes, motorcycles, bicycle rickshaws, cows. You name it, we saw it. Old Delhi was positively buzzing with excitement at 7 in the morning on a Saturday and it was a workout just avoiding running into everything. At one point, it was suggested to me that I not bump into the cart in front of me. Why? Because of the legs (goat?) sticking out the back under the tarp were dangerously close.

From the Sitaram Bazaar, the route turns to the heart of Old Delhi at the Chawri Bazaar Metro Station. Many years ago, Kate and I ventured into the warrens of lanes and "go-downs" to have our wedding invitations printed. Years before that I was hopelessly enamored and agog at the smells, sight, ,and sounds of car horns honking, especially when I realized there were no cars on the street. I was passing a row of shops SELLING car horns and advertising by letting their product blast out its message.

And then, Jama Masjid.

Jama Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India and was built in the 17th century by Shah Jahan, the namesake of the seventh city of Delhi and the builder of the Taj Mahal. It's the center of all activity in Old Delhi and we journeyed around its exterior before we split off into the group that would run back and the group that would autorickshaw back in style.

The next stretch of old Delhi was more dodging and more gawking. But not too much gawking, as full attention was needed to ensure uprightedness! Today there were no goat heads, but plenty of buckets of brains. And livers. The last sight in Old Delhi this morning was a man walking out with a carcass. Over his shoulder. Fully carved. No wrapping.

We exited back at the Turkman Gate and headed home. It was a long (basically) straight trip home with not too much excitement. Which I suppose was good. We needed some time to decompress and unpack the images that will surely be enduring images of our time here in the Heart of India.

RUN STATS

Distance: 14.11 miles

Duration: 2:10:01

Soundtrack: Modest Mouse

For the Mankers! - The Guapa Run

Another donation came in quickly from great friends and strong members of the AES running community - the Mankers. The future campers that will benefit from the Ty Taylor Memorial Campship thank you, as do I. More donations can be made at this link. Thanks in advance.

For this dedicated training run, I decided to run the route that Bernie and Laura have run more than any other - the four mile route that one or the other of them run several times a week with their dog, Guapa. I'll try not to gush on Bernie and Laura too much, but they have been big supporters of my running and have probably logged more miles with me than anyone else. Read any of my past posts and the likelihood is high that one of them was there with me. Here's one post I wrote about my bromance with Bernie as an example of my gushiness.

Just like the previous dedication, I wasn't sure what I'd write about as I took off, so I just opened my eyes and waited to see what would happen to me on this run. Living in India is a lot like living in the book To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, by Dr. Seuss. Except, the crazy things that Marco would see here are actually here and not in his mind. Almost as an answer to my dare, it wasn't long before I saw my first cool thing. It was the President's Bodyguard. As Wikipedia reports, the President's Bodyguard is an Indian Army calvary regiment. Today they are still an active regiment, tasked with the job of protecting the President of India. In addition to those duties, the mounted horseback troops are a prominent part of ceremonies in New Delhi and elsewhere.

They are based within the Rashtrapati Bahvan, or the Presidential Palace. As it occupies a sizable piece of the real estate in our part of town, we often have to run around its walls. It's not uncommon to come across the troops as they exercise the horses.

I didn't take a picture that morning, but I have in the past. It also got me thinking of the crazy animals we've come across on our runs in Delhi. Here is a sampling for you to enjoy.

The rest of the route was sadly, predictable. No crazy gutter dog on Safdarjung Road, no elephants at the Ashok and no camels. What about you readers? What's the craziest thing you've ever been surprised by on a run?

RUN STATS

Distance: 4:16 miles

Duration: 31:12

For Pat and Jack! - West Delhi 9 Miler

Thanks to the generosity of Pat and Jack, aka the in-laws, the 2016 fundraising drive has begun!

As part of my training  for Grandma's Marathon I am hoping my friends will help with donations to a fund that I helped to create after the sudden and unexpected death of a friend. Camp Miller Duluth YMCA is working to create a yearly campship in honor of Ty Taylor, but needs more funding.

With your donation, you get a dedicated training run and the corresponding write-up on this blog. Thanks for your generosity and encouragement as I gear up to run the 40th anniversary in my 40th year of life!

Readers, follow Pat and Jack's example - Donate here - http://www.ymcacampmiller.org/donate/ty-taylor-campship-endowment/ Let me know that you've donated and I'll write up your run!

The Run: West Delhi 9 Miler
The Inspiration: A book and my "coverage map"

Today's run was inspired by a wonderful book about Delhi called Delhi: Adventures in a Megacity, by Sam Miller. In it, Miller walks a spiral through Delhi, starting at Connaught Place. He writes about the things he sees and the people he meets. In many ways, Miller and I are kindred spirits, as this is what I do when I run. I plan routes to areas that are new to me, areas that expose the best and worst of the city, the old and the new. When I first began to write this blog, Miller's book served as a bit of inspiration.

Here's a video of him talking about the book.

Chapter Nine introduced me to West Delhi, and the Pacific Mall. This location has resonated for many reasons, not the least of which was Miller's description. When the book was written in 2008, malls were not a new concept in Delhi, but they were certainly more novel than they are now. The Pacific Mall was a particular novelty due to the fact that, according to Miller, it was a symbol of the abrupt turn to conspicuous wealth of the Delhites. West Delhi is not exactly the first choice for the wealthy capital dwellers, but the fact that they were getting a mall signaled the shift.

I'm also intrigued by West Delhi, as it takes me out of the New Delhi Municipal Council Area and on to new roads. I'm on a quest to cover as much ground as I can. See my post about coverage here.

It could have been a fairly typical Delhi run, but I was joined by a new member of the AES Running Group for the run. Melissa has been in Delhi for two weeks, and was indoctrinated into my madness with a trial by fire. My warning in email said, "Could be gnarly. Could be amazing. No promises. :) It will definitely be a different route than usual." Her reply, "Duly warned." It seemed like she was up for anything, and we set out at 6am for the run.

We left school and cut through the ridge where we were able to talk about the dangers of monkeys while running in Delhi. We turned right and headed along the NH-8 where we were able to talk about the danger of being run over while running in Delhi. We turned left, made two wrong turns and talked about the dangers of getting lost while running in Delhi. At this point, I realized that I was probably monopolizing the conversation, so I asked the only question that made sense given that Melissa had turned up to run a 9 miler with no hesitation and also that we were cruising - "So you're pretty into running?" I'll paraphrase her reply. "I'm just getting back into it, but normally I run marathons in mountains and average about 60 miles a week." That put her strength into perspective for me, so I stopped worrying about whether or not she was worried about the "dangers" of running in Delhi.

So we ran. Along Patel road (a major artery), we saw temples (photo below), a tiny library in a roundabout, paperboys preparing their stacks for delivery, and people cooking and eating delicious-smelling breakfast. In an effort to avoid running over a flyover, we attempted to run under it. After crossing railroad tracks we were faced with a ten foot wall covered in barbed wire. But then I spied the stairs. They were half crumbled away and they led directly to the top of the overpass. We were forced to run down the overpass, dodging bikes, motorcycles and cars. We made it and decided to NOT run along the Najafgarh Drain, Delhi's most polluted water body. We did take the next left and eventually twisted and turned our way through the neighborhood of Rajouri Garden, with a purposeful detour on Magoo Road. Heh. Magoo. The final turn brought us to the final super busy thoroughfare, but we were able to run along access roads for most of it. The views along this road approaching the mall, brought to mind Miller's recounting of his walk under the Delhi Metro's Blue Line. Restaurants proclaiming to be Western! and a building with a Pegasus bursting out of it were highlights.

Finally, we arrived at the Pacific Mall. We took a selfie, hailed an autorickshaw and cruised back to school in style. It was a great run with great company and I saw a whole new section of Delhi that looks a lot like other sections of Delhi.

RUN STATS

Distance: 9.27 miles

Duration: 1:16:26

Temperature: About 80 degrees by the time we finished

Soundtrack: A Tribe Called Quest (RIP Phife Dog)

Ravindra Rangshala Run

The only ruins in the city aren't the ones that are centuries-old. Today we visited the Ravindra Rangshala and did some urban exploring.

In the thee decades after its construction in the early 1960s, the Ravidra Rangshala was the place for Dilliwallas to go for cultural programs, movies, theatre performances and more. Up to 8000 people could gather in the open-air amphitheater, nestled into Delhi's Ridge.

Today, it lies in ruins, abandoned and forgotten.

The final curtain dropped on the stage in the early 1990s, when the Supreme Court declared the Ridge a protected area. Incursions into the Delhi Ridge are frequent and always controversial. This one is no different. The organization that oversees it, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, wants to reopen the theatre and restore it to its former glory. If done correctly, could this project achieve the balance of conservation and education? The site is stunning, but the environmental impact could be severe if mismanaged.

My suggestion? Visit it while its still there. Stories abound about it being one of Delhi's haunted places. YouTube videos and blogs show adventurous souls poking around.  Here is my contribution.

The way home took us to the Buddha Jayanti Park. We were planning on a quick buzz of the Buddha, maybe some snaps to send off our friend Marc as he prepares to leave Delhi and head back to Israel. That plan changed quickly, when the jovial caretaker started asking questions. He quickly invited us into the pond and onto the artificial island to see the geese and the eggs that they've laid. He especially wanted to show us his favorite part of the island, a tree planted by the Karmapa Lama. Except, as he told us. "I enjoy this tree. There are pictures all over the world of this tree. I planted it." He told the story of how the original tree never made it, and so he tried three more times with three more trees until he got one to thrive!

And that air! What a great day for a run. We did again AESRunners! Thanks to all for entrusting me with your lives as I continue to come up with crazy ideas. That barbed wire wasn't that sharp, was it Veronika?

RUN STATS:

Distance - 8.72 miles (promised to be about 7.5mi)

Time - 1:20:34