Chhole Bhature Chase: The Half Marathon Edition

 

 Piping chhole(chickpeas) with fluffy just out of the wok bhature is our catch-all 🍴. Its for all emotions(Bored,Tired,Happy,Sad,"kuch achha khana hai","aaj khana nahin banana hai"..😃) and distances (FM,HM,10K,5k,1 mile and  0 miles 😴) .

So, last year-end I signed up to train for a spring full marathon. Though I didn't believe that I was ready, my husband of 2 decades felt it was high time I spent more time outside pacing the pavement than indulging in my favorite nagging-at-home hobby ..whatever 😃. And thus began my journey at a pace closer to 15 min/mile. Sometimes walkers on the pavement would ask me"Aren't you cold dear" on my fourth mile and I would simply smile back thinking "Naa. just running in slow motion."   My lovely coach always encouraging me with her words of wisdom that slow and steady is good and on race day I would rewrite a different story. The story of me finishing 26.2 miles in 61/2 hours.. Naa scratch that.. Me dodging the dreaded straggler's bus..🚌

Ah, this weekend was a rollercoaster ride of running woes!  My long run distance was 13 miles and my regular go-to loop had ice ❄❄ built up. A blend of last-minute switch to a new loop in our nearby park, wind 🍃, and cold 🥶 turned my slow-motion long run into "Is my apple watch even working today " kind of ordeal..Looping around a lonely trail in a park🌳 I had surely completed my first solo Half Marathon distance of this year but it still didn't feel good enough. At 3 hours and 42 minutes it went beyond any stretch of my imagination and training🏃🏻‍♀

Slightly dejected, I reach home only to be greeted by the magical aroma of Chhole Bhature running through the air. All feelings of disappointment melt away with each savory bite. Happiness wasn't just in the air – it was in every spicy bite.😋

Me: "I think I will be DQed on race day"😃

Son, in a puzzled surprise: "What's a DQ in running?" 😯

Me:"Never mind 🙂🙂" as I relished the last bite of our savory catch-all Chhole Bhature. 



Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 19, 2024 at 1:16 PM

    Funny and fun!! my mouth is watering now.. who made Chole bhature while you were running is what I wanna know

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. R KohliFebruary 19, 2024 at 1:30 PM

      Thanks :-) My husband got it from Bikanerwala in Edison. They serve the most amazing chhole bhature

      Delete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 19, 2024 at 1:34 PM

    As always loved your blog… congrats on your amazing run and hope you enjoyed your well deserved chole bature

    ReplyDelete
  3. Neeti NarangFebruary 19, 2024 at 1:43 PM

    Nice one leena …love the connect :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neeti NarangFebruary 19, 2024 at 1:45 PM

      Hey ramanpreet .. Wanted to say ramanpreet ended up writing Leena as I was responding to her in the chirpy quill chat .. sorry my bad

      Delete
  4. AnonymousFebruary 19, 2024 at 1:46 PM

    Raman.. love your style of writing …what a fun write up… and you will have great time on ur first FM…i will be rooting for you hard..

    ReplyDelete
  5. RamaFebruary 20, 2024 at 3:27 AM

    As always, funny and quirky in your own style, Romi! I could see the bhatura in front of my eyes as you relished your last bite!!

    ReplyDelete

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