Sometimes the smartest training session is the one you don’t try to win. Last week I finally accepted that my knee does not care about my race calendar. I withdrew from the Delhi Half Marathon. Trying to rebuild enough fitness to chase my original goal in October would mean compressing training exactly when the knee was… Continue reading Week 11/20: The Reset Button 🏃♂️🔄
Author: Bhaskar Thakur
Bhaskar Thakur | Marathoner | Ultra Runner | Storyteller of the Road
From mountain trails to city marathons, Bhaskar Thakur has run across terrains, temperatures, and time zones — with a grin, grit, and a Garmin.
An avid runner since 2015, Bhaskar has completed over 50 races, spanning ultramarathons, full marathons, and half marathons, including legendary events like the Comrades Marathon (South Africa), TCS London Marathon, Valencia Marathon, and India’s grueling Khardung La Challenge.
UPI: Pehle Pyaar Hua. Phir Shaadi Hui. Ab Maintenance Maang Raha Hai.
There was a time in India when Cash was King. Not metaphorically. Actual King. He lived in a brown leather wallet, travelled folded inside your pocket and occasionally emerged smelling of sweat, petrol and paan. You bought samosa — cash. Pooja ke phool — cash. Auto — cash. Driver salary — cash. House-help salary — cash.… Continue reading UPI: Pehle Pyaar Hua. Phir Shaadi Hui. Ab Maintenance Maang Raha Hai.
Week 10/20: i Pron-ate- IN 🤳 🏃Bro!
Week 10/20 — Ahmedabad Marathon Training Every September, the world discovers that the phone in its pocket has suddenly become prehistoric. A new iPhone arrives. Better camera. Better processor. Better battery. Better something-that-I-didn’t-know-was-bad-until-Apple-told-me. And somewhere in Pune, I was conducting my own product launch. i Pron-ate-IN Bro. No titanium. No 48-megapixel camera. Just one 51-year-old… Continue reading Week 10/20: i Pron-ate- IN 🤳 🏃Bro!
Week 9/20: Back on the Highway
Last week, the chassis came back from the workshop. This week, I finally got to take it out on the highway. Not racing. Not flooring the accelerator. Just checking whether all the nuts and bolts stayed where the physiotherapist had left them. After two weeks of protecting the right knee, Week 9 was about getting back… Continue reading Week 9/20: Back on the Highway
Week 8/20: Chassis at the Workshop
Last week the chassis went to the workshop. The engine was fine. It wanted to run. Unfortunately, the right knee had other ideas. So Week 7 became physiotherapy, exercises and run-walks. I stopped asking, “What pace should I run?” and started asking, “Knee kaisa hai?” Week 8 was about getting the chassis back from the workshop. Not racing… Continue reading Week 8/20: Chassis at the Workshop
Week 7/20: Two steps forward, One back
Marathon training plans look wonderfully linear on Excel. Week 1. Week 2. Week 3. Mileage goes up. Long runs get longer. Marathon-pace blocks get faster. Eventually you arrive in Ahmedabad and run 42.195 km exactly according to plan. The human body apparently doesn’t use Excel. After the knee problem in Week 6, Week 7 was… Continue reading Week 7/20: Two steps forward, One back
Turmeric, RAM and Deep Fry
There are three things that can probably explain India better than the Constitution. Turmeric. RAM. And deep fry. Let me explain. Turmeric — haldi — is secular. You cut your finger, haldi. You have a cold, haldi doodh. You are getting married, haldi. You are not getting married because nobody likes your face, haldi on… Continue reading Turmeric, RAM and Deep Fry
BPJ 6543
Where Does Man End and Nature Begin? My father acquired a bajaj scooter working his ass off, providing for us. Registration number: BPJ 6543. I inherited it, which sounds considerably more romantic today than it felt then. I brought it from Jamshedpur to Pune by Indian Railways. For three years, it was my transport. Friends had… Continue reading BPJ 6543
We Made the Road to Kailash Easier. Did We Make the Yatra Easier Too?
Humans have always wanted to trade, risk their life. On the Nepal–Tibet tragedy, the ancient roads we still travel, and my experience from last year! what is Kailash? Perhaps long before someone looked towards Kailash seeking Shiva, someone else looked across those same impossible mountains and thought: There is salt on that side. We have… Continue reading We Made the Road to Kailash Easier. Did We Make the Yatra Easier Too?
Week 6/20: When the Knee Gets a Vote
This was supposed to be another build week towards Ahmedabad. Instead, it became a useful reminder that marathon plans are written in Excel, Garmin and Runalyze — but the body retains veto power. The week finished at 49.1 km of running , plus one strength/other session. On paper, considerably lighter than planned. In reality, there was… Continue reading Week 6/20: When the Knee Gets a Vote