Downhill Focus and Human Warmth

Daily miles: 35.57 | Total miles: 10,800.65

I got up at 5:30 am and packed all my stuff. Freshly washed clothes to put on, and the whole backpack unpacked, aired, and repacked. That’s always such a great feeling. It’s the little things in life.

Around 6:25 am I carried everything outside and put on my shoes. Manju was already there. Aravind arrived at 6:30 am, right on time, and we loaded the buggy into his car. Yes, he drove me up that super steep hill and saved me a lot of sweat, struggle, and early-morning discomfort. What a gift.

He dropped me on the main road, and as I assembled and packed the buggy, I felt incredibly grateful—for the beautiful time at Tashi Farm and for Aravind’s support in so many different ways. With everything ready, I finally started running. Downhill.

My full attention today was on super-relaxed running and reducing the pounding on my legs to an absolute minimum. The first stretch was about nine miles without a single shop—just a steep, winding road descending relentlessly. Sometimes narrow, sometimes with shoulders. Many trucks crawled uphill at a snail’s pace; others were broken down in bends or right in the middle of the road, drivers doing mechanical work themselves. Cars, buses, and trucks overtook whenever they felt like it, visibility or not. I witnessed a few very close calls with oncoming traffic. Wow.

So I focused. On light steps. On not rolling an ankle. On dodging traffic. On staying safe.

At mile nine I finally had a coffee, and immediately people gathered around the buggy. I explained what I’m doing—and then explained it again, and again, throughout the day. People wanted photos. I received grapes, chai, a Sprite, cookies, water, cake, banana chips, a mango drink, and money. I said thank you a hundred times and greeted probably a thousand times.

People stopped in the most inconvenient places imaginable when it comes to traffic. Motorbikes pulled up next to me and started conversations while I was running—even in construction zones, through gravel, potholes, puddles, and loose rocks. It’s funny sometimes. Challenging always.

One encounter I want to mention was with Sham, a teenager who told me he is the world record holder for fastest typing. I laughed and told him that’s perfect—he’s one of the fastest, and I’m definitely one of the slowest. We both smiled.

Later in the day, I sometimes had to say that I couldn’t stop anymore—otherwise I would never reach my destination. It was extremely hot and humid, yet my legs stayed surprisingly relaxed, despite an elevation drop of around 1,000 metres. That felt like a small victory.

When I arrived at the hotel, Aravind had already spoken to the owner, and I had confirmed my stay by phone around noon so I could get a room straight away. Two young men kindly helped me get settled. Downstairs there’s a pure veg restaurant. I had a few snacks, and I think that will do for today.

I’m very tired and still have a lot of things to do.

India, you are beautiful.

Thanks for checking in, Andrea