Two dawn dallies: Wednesday 13, Friday 15

Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5, Saturday February 16, 8:50AM, all jet lag and aches after interminable uncomfortable hours in airplanes and airports on return from a week in Pune, India. Just an hour or so left here, and then the short hop home to Edinburgh.

I've been fortunate to be able to run around the city streets and hill trails every day. On arrival on Sunday I started on a tired right foot with Pune Pootle. Monday morning, before breakfast, around dawn I set the pattern for the week with Misty Maharashtra Sunrise. I was out running before breakfast every day this week, and I have a small number of pictures from the dawn dallies of Wednesday and Friday to share.

Wednesday, February 13

The Wednesday morning run for me was the usual climb of Vetal Tekdi, then a bit of exploration on unfamiliar hill trails descending on the wrong side of the ridge relative to base at the hotel, a short-ish (but it felt so-o-o long) section of road work, more hill trails over Chaturshrungi Hill and down to the temple, to finish with a dash back to base along the Senapati Bapat Road. The early sun, the morning mist, and the dusty rocky trails were again the main event for me this morning.

Rising sun ascending Chaturshringi Hill from the north west ...

... on a track of bare hard rock.

Views over the misty city ..

... the edifice in centre shot is the Marriot Hotel, home for the week.

The sun through the misty haze.

Friday, February 15

We've noticed a temple low on the hill side, just above the city streets, with visible lines of trails stretching over the hill side from the temple. This morning I plan a shorter run. I have a little less free time, I must prepare for departure today, I have quite the hangover from the night before feasting and drinking with excellent folk who are colleagues and friends, from India and Romania. This feels like the right time for a bit more exploration. I set off to find the temple, and discover some new trails around and over Vetal Tekdi.

Gateway to temple steps.

Pretty little ornate temple.

Golden cow (or bull?) with rising sun behind.

From behind the trails there is a maze of footpaths through the trees. I choose the most obvious line of direct ascent. This soon turns into a delightful traverse to Hanuman Mandhir and along the way I spy a peacock in a tree. The views over the city to the east are gorgeous.

Trails through the trees ascend from the temple.

Peacock in the trees.

View to the east, sun over Hanuman Tekdi.

From Hanuman Mandhir I have the usual steep final ascent of Vetal Tekdi. I pause at the small temple atop the hill and do my best efforts to follow a generous elder gentleman performing suryanamaskar. From here easier and faster running along the ridge to Chaturshrungi Hill. I am entranced by the early sun this morning, like every morning this week. Looking to the south east just before the descent of Chaturshrungi Hill I am treated to the site of the city shrouded in mist and the distant mountains in silhouette.

Entranced by the early sun ...

... and the city shrouded in mist, distant mountains in silhouette

Now the short steep descent of Chaturshrungi Hill over rough ground, lots of bare rock, toward Chaturshrungi Temple. This is not ground to slip or fall on a fast descent, the volcanic rock is both hard and the surface is very rough.

Descent of Chaturshringi Hill on hard  rough bare rock

I am really enjoying the concentration needed for the irregular foot placement and balance correction here. The descent levels to a traverse to the right and soon the point where we can break off the trail into the top of the temple complex. Descending the temple complex on steps I am really enjoying the contrast with the descent on rough ground minutes earlier - now the movements are easier, regular, I feel like my body moves as a metronome. I have less than a mile of road work back to base, a good breakfast of grains, seeds, nuts an fruits, shower away the sweat which has my running kit soaked even at this early hour, an intense day of work, and then the long tiresome journey back home to Scotland.

I'll be back home soon, away from the heat and the sun, and back to the cold and the wind and the rain and the snow, but moreover back to the soft ground, and the lush green vegetation. I can hardly wait ...

Enjoy!