Recovery Week... AGAIN

First, I have to be a fair Dad again, and since I posted a picture of R1 in full armour in my last post, I'll just have to post a picture of R2 the stick fighter this time. :)

Sigh, last week's accidental recovery week has continued into this week due to travels and a minor cold, which I somehow caught in the dry heat of Delhi. Is that even possible - to catch a cold in 45C(113F) weather?!?!

A few things happened this week that really humbled me:

• Early in the week, I was heading out the door to the office, stressed out about the lack of training, and pretty much determined to have a rotten day at work, when I ran into my neighbours Mr & Mrs L bringing their 20-something daugther to the hospital again. She had contracted leukemia early last year and was on a wheel chair swaddled in blankets on a hot 86F day. Mr L was wearing a back brace, as he is in his 60s and is probably having backaches from regularly carrying his daugther in the wheelchair up and down the stairs. Mrs L was helping him, and when I said "Good Morning" and offered to help, they both gave me their usual beautiful smile and insisted that they can manage. To say that that was an awakening for me would be an understatement. Here I was, wallowing in self-pity about missing some training sessions, while there they were, exuberating the Lord's joy and peace in the midst of a protracted and terrible test. I drove off with a fresh resolve to not sweat the small stuff and to re-commit to prayer support for this beautiful family.



• Delhi is well into its hot and dry season. I arrived at night when it was an uncomfortably warm 35C (95F), and woke up to 45C (113F) in the morning. As you can see, it was a beautiful morning and even the pigeons outside my window did not seem to mind the heat that much. But the heat and dust combined gave me a scratchy throat and not the most pleasant of dispositions as I headed out in the car to the office. Right outside the hotel, we passed one of those colourful water trucks (looks similar to the petrol tanker that I took a picture of last time), surrounded by women and children out to get their (daily/weekly?) ration of clean water. I did not manage to take a picture this time, but I found this picture on Google that pretty much represents the chaos around that water truck. Again, it caused me to think about things we have come to take for granted and about the sheer contrast of lifestyles in India. In the hotel, there is a full sized pool, hot/cold running water, a shower and a bath in every room. Right outside the hotel grounds, these families living right in the capital of India (not even in the remote villages) have to depend on the morning water run for clean water. Suffice it to say that I now have a whole new appreciation of the clean, clear water that gushes out when I turn the taps at home.



• Last but certainly not least, I made fun of Steven when he posted about catching a cold. And of course I now have similar symptoms. :( And then Steven goes and run a scorching 6.2-miles in 38:08 @ 6:09/m pace on his 42nd birthday (while recovering from the cold). I am well and truly humbled. Go on over and wish the ol' fart a Happy Birthday! ;)

To the rest of you out there able to continue training, train safe and God Speed! I'll be out there before you know it. :P