Finally found something that I love

Wednesday, 6 November 2013

From 0 to 50 and beyond..

"Here goes nothing" - Yeah, that sounds a bit cliched but that's the first thought that came to my mind when I started the Bhati Lakes 50k Run. It was 5:20 a.m., pitch dark and cold, and I had just my running buddy(Mauj) and a small Petzl Lamp for company.The unknown forest trail loomed ahead of me. I had done a practice run at Kant Enclave before, but that was not the trail I was supposed to run on."Might as well talk and lighten up the mood. These 50 kms aren't going to be over soon" I told Mauj.

I had to do this, for myself. Not for anyone else but for myself. I've had lots of doubters in life, people who have said that none of my good habits will amount to anything. All of them believed because of my small stature and measly eating habits I won't amount to anything."What's the big deal if you can ride a 100 kms on a bicycle ?" Why do you run man, what will you achieve ?""or the most favorite question "What are you running from ?"Sometimes I felt stupid, sharing my passions with people who live half their lives engulfed in a sea of smoke and hard drinks and the rest half infront of a computer doing mind numbing tasks that won't amount to anything but a small sum of cash.

Their questions drive me, and on a lighter note my answer to their favorite question is "I am running away from your stupidity"

I love running. I love riding. I love swimming. For all of them I have had my parents to thank for. They were the providers, the enablers who led me to these passions.I started swimming in 8th standard as a 13 year old. My mom put me in swimming classes because she didn't want me "standing staring numbly at water when I am out with a group"Her passion, overcame my laziness and made me swim more and more. I did end up being a very good swimmer but more importantly it increased my endurance and my stamina. It taught me sportsman spirit.It transformed me from a weak small boy who caught a cold every 2 months to a star kid, who could train and swim 6 kms in the searing July heat for 2 hours.

During my college years, I lost my sports zeal, engulfed by the "college life". And then the typhoid struck.8 days of headaches, vomiting and 100+ fever taught me one thing, I've wasted enough time. Once I am back on my feet, I won't be going back again.

Enough of the background check, I came to know about the Bhati Lakes Ultra from my idol Arun Bhardawaj. On a random chat he asked me if I wanted to run a 30 mile race, and the very thought excited me. I registered on the same day knowing there would be no turning back.I had been training quite seriously in the previous months, with swimming and cycling in the forefront but running was never far behind.After Arun Sir's message, running took the lead. 557 kms of training in 47 training runs followed (including a run through an increasing elevation of 2200 ft ). Every kilometer built confidence, but who knows what will happen during a run.Yet pretty confident of the fact that I will pull it off, I hit the start line on the cold Sunday morning of the 27th of October.I was late, because of lack of preparedness ( and that cost me later in the race ) but then it was a part of the learning curve.My friend, Mr Sanjay Mangla gave us the lamp which became leading light as we hit the trail.

Kilometers 0- 10 : No light, not even moon light, a broken jungle trail road strewn with thorns and bushes."Say whatever, but there is fun in this madness" I told Mauj. Our running speed was decent enough (5'30 / km) but somehow the focus never was the speed but the distance that lay ahead of us.We shared stories of never giving up, I blabbered everything I knew about Ultra endurance races and of Dean Karnazes and Arun Bhardawaj.And then my foot slipped. I laughed at the mishap and told Mauj to be careful. Another kilometer passed when a thorny bush got stuck to my left leg. Not the most ideal start if I must say, but then I signed up for this.The trail got tougher and tougher as the distance progressed, and it was a good thing we couldn't see what horrors lay ahead of us.As the 8th kilometer approached the sky got brighter, it was past 6 AM. Mauj went for a loo break and I proceeded on the trail.The trail was surprisingly flat and easy to run, so I picked up my pace and raced to the complete 1/5th of my mission.

Kilometers 10-20 : Mauj caught up with me on the 11 km mark, even as I tried to rub off some of the sludge that had covered my shoe.Now that it was bright, we realized what a beautiful place this was. There were lakes and hills surrounding the trail.We picked up the pace a little to make up for the time we had lost due to the dark and then disaster struck.

"Are you sure this is the right way" Mauj asked me. "Don't know man, I didn't see a marker" I replied.We were running uphill through a rather narrow road which became more and more unpassable after every meter."You are going the wrong way, I've been lost here for the past 5 mins " shouted a fellow participant.

We ran downhill searching for a way, and were luck enough to catch up with some of the fellow runners who were on the right trail. "1.2 kms extra, so much for the lead I had gained" I thought.

Surprisingly, I saw my dad at around the 16 km mark. "Has he been walking for the past 6 kms?" I wondered as he clicked our pictures.

By the time we pushed towards the 20 km mark, Mauj was hurting. Funnily enough, 2 kms before we had been talking about finishing the race together."We'll cross the finish line like Dean crossed the Gobi March finish line" I had said to Mauj.

This was supposed to be us, yeah right!

Somehow he was getting cramps in his stomach, and he was in pain. We saw the race organizer, Miss Kavitha and she cheered us on. Boy, that was 1 hell of a needed boost up after running through complete silence. Abhijit Yeole, took our pictures and being the kind of posers that we are, the pictures did come out quite good.

" Hey! We are on camera! Smile! "

1 hour 54 minutes for 21.2 kms and the fun had just begun.

Kilometer 20-30 : Mauj took a break after 20 km as I soldiered on. The distance now began creeping on me with nobody to talk to, and after almost 2 hours 20 mins at the 25 km mark I decided to take a water break. It was the longest I had ever run ( my previous best being the 23 km run I had done on my 23rd birthday).Stopping for water made me realize I was shaky and as I continued on the toughest part of the trail (5 to 8 km ) things began going downhill. I stumbled twice or thrice and that brought in negativity.Saw dad at the 7 km mark who told me "In the last round you simply have to take the U turn at the 5 km mark". Ah, the mere mention of the finish line caused the " Finish Line Delusion ", and I began to dream of the finish even with 23 kms still to go.As I approached the 28th kilometer, the road split two way. With the markers fading I took the "right" turn which apparently wasn't that right. I met Coach Ravinder Singh who informed me that we were on the wrong way. Luckily for me, he met me after only 400 meters and was saved the extra 1.8 kms that he had traveled.

As I reached the 30 km checkpost, the friendly volunteers offered Electrol and Glucose biscuits which I gladly accepted. It was here that I learnt that I was in the 3rd place. And the energy was back.Even with fading strength and a 20 min late start, to be in the top 3 gave me confidence.

" It's the last time we'll be seeing you, so all the best " were the parting words from the volunteers as I started the return leg to 40 km checkpost.

Kilometer 30-40 : Mauj hobbled by, as I crossed the 32nd kilometer. "C'mon man, let's finish this " I shouted to him. He was visibly in pain. So was I. Running in road shoes on a jungle trail was a very bad idea.The rocks and pebbles had dented my feet and the dried up mud on my socks was causing blisters.The boost of being in the 3rd place drove me as I reached the 35 km point. "Just 15 kms more, that's easy " I thought. Boy was I wrong.The next 5 kilometers were a major source of tragedy. "Hitting the wall" is a term used in running which describes a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, which manifests itself by sudden fatigue and loss of energy. And I hit it hard, very hard that too while running uphill.

Every step became painful, I became angrier with each step. My pace dropped and when my GPS did not show another completed kilometer, I cussed at it. I cussed at the adventure cyclists who were out on the trail to have some fun."This route isn't familiar, why isn't the gate coming " I said angrily thinking about the gate which was the landmark for the 2.5 kilometer point.I wanted to walk, I wanted to fall down and sleep but I had read enough running stories to know quitting is not the answer. Plus, my competitive spirit wanted to keep the 3rd place. So I screamed at myself and continued.

I saw Dad walking by, meters after I had passed the gate. "Why are you not near the car, i need the supplies " I shouted. Looking back,I regret my anger but at that point everything I saw was wrong from my point of view. The wall had my body, all I had left was my soul.I took the car keys from my dad and struggled towards the 40 km point. 4 hours had passed and I had covered more than 41 kms ( due to my extra work earlier ).

40 kilometer turn : I opened the car doors, took off my shoes and got the gravel out.I opened my bag, and took out a can of Red Bull and gulped it all down in 1 go. "Still thirsty" went my brain as I opened a second can and gulped it down.I wore my shoes, checked my GPS which read "41.1 km" and thought "Time to test the wings"

Kilometer 40 -45 : The wings worked as I was freed from the wall. I settled into a more comfortable rhythm as I crossed the marathon mark (42.2 kms) where I was passed by the eventual champion Anil Kumar.I gave the car keys to my dad and continued. Mauj came walking from the other end. "It's over for me, I'm stopping at the 40 km mark and sleeping " he told me.I passed a couple of other runner who cheered me on. By this time I knew one thing, I'm going to make it.I reached the 45 km checkpoint in 4 hours and 48 minutes, but by then I had done 47 kilometers.

"This is your last checkpoint right? " asked the volunteer smiling. I smiled back realizing the enormity of his question.

Kilometer 45-50 : I felt like racing, I wanted to finish the distance as quickly as I could. "This was fun" I thought to myself thinking about the melange of emotions that I had encountered through the race.

I saw dad near the gate again, this time with my DSLR camera. "How much will he walk!" I thought as I ran past him as he clicked pictures.

50 kms were done in 5 hours 9 minutes, but still over a mile was left. "So that's what people talk about when they say the last 0.2 miles of a marathon" I thought and smiled.I saw the checkpoint in the distance and I sprinted. I wanted to showboat across the finish line.I saw Mauj standing there, smiling. I gave him a high-five as I crossed the finished line, in 3rd place after 5 hours and 21 minutes.

PS : Dad ended up walking 25 kms !

I always cry when I achieve something big, but this time I didn't. Because this "something big" was not the culmination, but the beginning of something new.

A lot is yet to come and these 50 kilometers are just the road to the start line.

Saturday, 16 November 2013

The "Why" of it

Some say (sorry Top Gear! ), why do you do it? What's the fun in it ?

How can you get out of your bed when it so cold ?

All I know is (again sorry Top gear! ), i love doing it, the reality is the fun part of it and I just use my abdominal muscles to hoist myself out of the bed (the cold being a non-factor )

I love doing it - Running is and always has been something that was a part of the human culture.Not always the most popular thing otherwise we would have been without locomotives, it was a basic necessity to move fast if your food was live and had legs.

Pheidippides was the first guy who ran and became famous (though he died after it, but if run barefoot for 42.2 kms after a war you WILL be dead because of the exhaustion ) but running has always been in history.

The cold breeze that blows across your face (or hot breeze like in Badwater ), the rush of blood, the adrenaline that flows as you overtake a fellow runner or see the finish line and the surge of emotions that come through after you cross the finish line are some thing non-runners will never understand.

When I first ran a half marathon, I had doubts. Doubts whether I could touch the distance, whether I was even capable of doing the distance. 21.097 kilometers is a long distance ( don't judge me Dean/Arun ) for a first timer and I had my fair share of doubts.When I crossed that timing mat, those doubts were gone. Everyone who has ever questioned you, made you believe you would amount to nothing - "Up Yours!! I am capable enough to put my face down and cover a distance on my willpower and strength. "

During the 1st time its about making it, from the next time on its about improving. "Be like the river and not the lake" I was told by my dad and river is what I choose to be.

Faster and Better. And what do you get from it? Satisfaction, joy, happiness and the immense pride that you are above the million other homo sapiens who can't do what you can.

Legs were designed to move and if you prefer to hang them loosely without challenging yourself, well its your choice. I love challenging myself because its the only way I know I will improve and so I move.

Reality is the fun part :"Move! If you can still move you are still alive"Common sense right?

Try running once, early in the morning with the cold breeze blowing or in the evening while the sun goes down or in the afternoon while the sun betas down on you or in the night when you hear the silence out loud.

There would be one thing common, you'll feel alive. You'll feel you're getting somewhere. You'll feel a connect with yourself. You'll feel your life does have a meaning outside your offices, your PCs, your air conditioned rooms and the ties that bind you to other homo sapiens.

My friend asked me, "So hows life beyond the marathon training"I replied " Beyond it? Life's virtual."

Getting out of bed : It's actually not the hardest part actually.Neither is opening my computer strained eyes after 5 hours of rest. Neither is the cold ( its 11 degrees outside and the coming months will be colder) or the heat or the rain.

Why?

Refer to point 1. I love running.

When we love someone, we go out of our comfort zone to be with them. And we sacrifice a lot for them.

Running is 1 great love. You get out of your comfort zone and she in return makes you stronger.Makes you more patient, gives you 1st hand experience of life, teaches you willpower and determination and makes you a better person.Plus you can two time on her with other sports ( which makes Triathlons an exotic affair :P)

" I run to seek a void " - Haruki Murakami

I run to be alive.

Thursday, 23 January 2014

Mistakes, Humanity, Pain and Hope : SCMM 2014

So, I am back!I've been meaning to write more often, but the only time I get on weekends goes away sleeping trying to recover from the training.

Now though, I am sick! Chest congestion. As a result, I have missed a training day (1st in 85 days) and have had to take a day off from work.

Anyways, a happy new year to all (23 days later, the year is still as fresh as new :P )

I participated in my 1st official Marathon, The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon on the 19th of this month.

For me the marathon experience was not about finishing it. I knew I have enough in me to walk to the finish line if I had to. The real issue was my timing. A sub 3 hour marathon was my goal.

Now, a few months back I ran the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon and ran it a little beyond my expectations at a 1:25:01.I wanted to go faster and be better in Mumbai. What I missed was this : Before the ADHM, I had run 14 HM distances in the same year and at the end of each of them, I felt as fresh as daisy. It was if , Half Marathons had become my best friends.However, I had done just 2 distances past 25k, 1 at Bhatti and 1 solo marathon with my cousin.

Hoping, my legs would hold on easily and that hitting the wall would be easily negotiable (thanks to the numerous articles I read on it) I headed to Mumbai. #MISTAKE 1

I love Mumbai, honestly. The people are friendly and helpful and it has the SEA!! For a Delhite who was suffering under the cold weather, a lovely sea breeze and bright sunshine were magical.As I had been in Mumbai before, I was fairly confident that I would manage it all on my own.

I landed in Mumbai, 12 hours before the race without a crew #MISTAKE 2

In the entire month of January, I had trained and then tried to protect myself from catching a cold. A day before the race, while returning from training, I didn't change my wet training clothes and raced back home.Plus, I took a bath with almost cold water . You know what happened to me(Hint : It is the reason why I got time to write this) :) #MISTAKE 3

At my guest house, there was a bit of miscommunication ( I was supposed to share my room with someone! NO WAY DUDE! ). It eventually got sorted out and then I made #MISTAKE 4 (Stupidest of them all) : I went for a RUN! Yay!

I have to run 42.2 kilometers in less than 10 hours time, I am in an unknown neighborhood and I am running a bloody 6k for fun? ( PS : Do not try this )I ended up twisting my foot in the dark and at the time it seemed very minor, plus I was on a runner's high so I continued back to my barracks.

I had originally planned to eat something filling, but I think I taw a Tubway ( saw* Subway*; sorry Tweety Bird). I ate a Veggie Delite Sub a day before the race, with my lunch being the in-flight "meal".Alrighty then! #MISTAKE 5

I had originally planned to sleep at 7 in the evening so that I could get up at 3:30 and have atleast a proper est before the race.However, 7 became 9 ( they look similar as well ) and though I was in bed by 9, there was 1 "small" problem : The lights of my room just wouldn't close. No! They just won't! There was no switch.I did contemplate breaking them, but my peaceful (read : dumb!) streak took over.

It was 11:30 by the time my eyes got tired of being irritated by lights and decided to sleep. #MISTAKE 6/TRAGEDY 1

3 hours and 30 minutes later, I woke up all fresh (yeah right!) and read to race ( oh yeah! )

I reached the race venue ( after gulping down a can of sugarfree red bull and a lunch box of cashews {not as big as you think} ), reached the starting line in half sleep and though it was pitch dark, I put on my Oakleys ( Hehe!)

Kilometers 0-10 : Boy, this was fun. Off I went running a sub 4 pace like I had planned. The beautiful marine drive was looking gorgeous and the sea breeze made me go even faster. Plus, my running friends, who I had never met personally cheered me ( I heard my name called out atleast 5 times, which was so awesome! Just imagine running through a crowd, and unknown voices cheer you on)

At Kilometer 8, the fearsome Peddar Road Flyover loomed and I raced up it trying to keep my 10k time below 40 minutes. The incline was a bit too much, but somehow I got past the 10 k at 40:01

PS : Here, I realized something I wish I never would have : "Still 32.2 kilometers to go"The finish line syndrome had struck.

Kilometer 10-20 : My target for the HM was a 1:28 and I seemed to be quite on track, Passing the 14k mark at 56 minutes.The Nike Running Club Crew was standing by the road side, and I passed them pointing to the Nike Logo on my Manchester United Shirt ( Theatrics are totally my thing! )

Very soon, I reached the Bandra Worli Sealink.Note : I had really been looking forward to this ever since I had registered for the marathon. The very though of running on the Sealink was giving my insides a funny feeling :P

The sealink was something of monster, the winds were extremely strong and were pushing back. I tried to draft behind runners but they were few and far between.

PS : It is very easy to jump off the sealink. No kidding, the railing is so easily jumpable, you can take one awesome leap right into the sea.

Funnily enough, everytime I saw a camera I started running with a closed mouth. My Delhi HM pics were a brilliant teacher of how to pose while running.

The end of the sealink marked the end of almost half the race. I was still in stride, in pace and in form.But the bad times were coming.

Kilometers 20-30 : The Half marathon mark went by at 1:29:21. I was in full flow, consuming liquids and being a conscious human being by throwing them at the side of the road where there was a lot of other bottles. ( That weaving was costing me distance , but i won't count that as a mistake. Being environmentally conscious is not a mistake)

At the 25th Kilometer a funny thought came to my head, a quote from Dean Karnazes' book "Run!" : "Why couldn't Pheidippides have died at mile 20? "I was slowing down a little, the 27th Kilometer came at 1:50:04 and I had a target of atleast 29 k at the 2 hour mark.Then,disaster struck.

All my mistakes began to add up as my right leg began to cramp. As soon as the pain shot though my leg, I was alarmed. "Not this! And that too at this point!"I couple of girls cheered, go Manchester United and I obliged by running through the pain.

My pace had significantly slowed down, but the will to finish was keeping me going.

Kilometer 30-38 : Honestly, this was all a blur.All I remember from the 31st to 33rd Kilometer :a.) I high fived a bunch of kidsb.) I was overtaken by Ashok Nathc.) I was cursing at the Half Marathon walking crowd asking them to get out of my wayd.) The elite athletes went past me and I had shouted "Go Kimaiyo!" ( for Lawrence Kimaiyo who eventually finished 2nd)

I was incoherent and in severe pain, and the Peddar Road flyover was approaching again.I had strategised with my guru (Arun Bhardawaj), to walk uphill.

In retrospect, walking uphill was a 2 edged sword.

The amazing Mumbai crowd cheered me on, offered me a pain relief spray, food (which I refused) and

water ( which I thirstily gulped down ) as I struggled up the flyover.

Walking broke my rhythm, my stride and as I moved on it seemed my stride just would not come back

The sub 3 dream was gone, and 3:30 was fast fading.

Running solo has its disadvantages, and they were showing.

Kilometer 38 : I think, Karma pays you back.

All that training, and then a time more than 3:30? I would have been really heartbroken.

The vociferous Mumbai crowd was keeping my spirits high but not my speed.

And then a voice came from behind " Hello, Just 4 kilometers to go"

From 38 to 42.2 : The voice was of a young runner, Pritam Kumar.

Pritam was an underprivileged runner, from Rewari in Haryana and was being sponsored by the Run with Me group ( God bless them! Even in Bhatti, Coach Ravinder Singh of RWM had saved me an extra 2 kilometers)

In full stride and a target of 3:30 he was the bus I needed to make it. We talked a little, but connected a lot.My strides picked up again as the energy was back.

Humanity had struck, and struck at a crucial juncture. One of the reason why I love running is everyone is honest and supportive. It is not fake, every single step you take makes you a better person and in a marathon, it is a bunch of REAL and BETTER people running towards a common goal.

I didn't care which kilometer I was on, because I knew I could do a sub 3:30 from my strides.

As we converged to the last 300 meters, the happiness engulfed me.

Pritam told me at the last 100 meters, "Go, Run fast". I told him " You go ahead, You deserve to reach the line before me"

I picked him up at the finish line ( luckily he was a thin as me :P )

The marathon was over, but the race had just begun.

I was disappointed at the 3:27:41 I had got, but then during a chat with my Ironman Friend, Nagraj Harsha, I received a few words of wisdom : " Never repeat your mistakes "

This was my 1st official marathon and with many more to come (sans the mistakes I made in this one), I just hope that Sky is the Limit.

Saturday, 2 August 2014

Running in Leh

And the prodigal son returns to his twisted keyboard.

Seems I have not written anything for ages and now that I am back from THE vacation I had been planning since I was 12, my mind seems to filled with words that need to written down.

Many people asked me, how was it running in Leh, at high altitudes?Many joked they could barely climb steps let alone walk there. At 11500 feet, Delhi people are bound to suffer altitude symptoms.

I'll cut to the chase straight away. No poetry. No long stories. This post is as simple as running.One word after the other.

Day 1 : Landing In LehDistance Covered : 5 kilometers ( Not running )

The first thing you notice when get to Leh is the landscape, the brown mountains in near sight and the snow clad peaks far away ( this was the scene in July). As you gasp at the beauty and take a deep breath to admire the view, you realize there is - THE LACK OF OXYGEN!

I, for one, was actually left breathless emotionally and literally.

Getting to the hotel I began to normalize a little, and when I say normalize I don't mean that my breath came back completely.

One thing, that did help was sleeping. A 6:45 AM flight meant only 3 hours of night sleep, and my mind was in desperate need for sleep. After waking up, the only place I felt breathless was the stair case lobby. No place else.

I did not want to stay in one place after lunch and keep sleeping, so I urged my mom to join me for a walk.

We walked through the streets of narrow, winding, uphill streets of Leh, interestingly without a breathing problem. That set my running alarm off, but I had to curb my urge to do anything stupid.No matter how good I felt, altitudes are not meant to be underestimated.

We got lost, and by the time we got back we had walked quite a bit.

As I hit the sack for the day, I was excited.

Time to break in my new Nike Free Flyknit 3.0 in Leh, tomorrow.

Day 2 : Well, that wasn't badDistance Covered : 14.5 Kilometers

One great thing about Leh was how polite the stray dogs were. No barking at runners, at all. They didn't even care I was running, unlike Delhi dogs who seem to particularly dislike me ( maybe I run too fast for their liking ).

I started at the Old Road, and the road went downhill through the city with little inclines in the middle.Not a hitch as I covered the first 3 kilometers at quite a decent pace.

And then the scenery opened up.

We run in a concrete jungle. Every morning, whether in Rohini Sports Complex, or on the roads that I run on, all I see is buildings. Big stupid concrete buildings. And a few trees. And, off course, barking dogs.

Just imagine, you take a turn and you see a huge range right in-front of you. And to your right.

Words can't describe it, you need to experience it. The road just went straight downhill and I was so full of the scenery I wasn't even thinking that my return will be on the same road, uphill.

I crossed the Airport at 4.5 kilometers ( that's how small the city is ), and continued on the famous NH 1-D.The landscape was engrossing and it was an Army area, so my patriotic self was singing at top volume.

I saluted a really tall Indian Flag and a lot Indian Army Soldiers who happily replied "Jai Hind" .

I crossed the "Hall of Fame" which is an Indian Army memorial.

At 7 kilometers, I realized i'd better turn back. I had no money, no water and non-tired legs which would have taken me to trouble.

After crossing the airport on the return leg, it became all uphill. And when I say uphill, I don't mean flyover uphill. No, not even Barapullah flyover uphill. No, not even Gwal Pahadi ( Gurgaon-Faridabad Road) uphill.Those things are practically flats.

This road started rising when I was at 9.5 kilometers, kept a steady incline till 12 and then went crazy.

Mukteshwar (7500 feet) seemed a joke. This was going on and on and on. I could practically hear engines of cars screaming for mercy as they climbed up the road. I felt proud that I was up to the task and at the same time begging for the incline to end.

It ( and me ) stopped at 14 kilometers. My hotel was no where in sight.

It was time to find and run my way back.

Day 3 : The only easy day was yesterdayDistance Covered : 8.5 Kilometers

The touring party with whom I was travelling, decided to go to Pangong Lake.And I was super-excited!

We left at 6 AM (which was stretched to 7:30 AM, thanks to another bunch of tourists ), with my running gear packed. "I'll run a good amount there", I thought.

The route to Pangong is insane. It has a pass at 17680 foot, called Changla. The route is so ravishing, you cannot close your eyes.

Unfortunately, the route is 162 kilometers long. And the road is broken for the most parts.It took us 5 hours to get there.

That lake is even more beautiful than you see in the pictures.

And it is located at 14001 feet above the sea level, which by the way is not a good altitude to run in after 5 hours of travel.

Anyways, I changed into my gear, and started running.

And the altitude hit me.

11500 was a piece of cake. 14001 had me in tears, literally. 4 kilometers in, surrounded by big dark snow-clad mountain I stopped. Out of breath, I recalculated my strategy. I had reach back, alive.I had gone off road to get a feel of running by the lake and the re-route was an extra 0.5 kilometers.

As I was on my way back, an ITBP jeep passed me. The guys in the jeep seemed surprised to see the crazy guy running by the lake.

Note : On my way back, I decided my next return to Pangong will be on foot. The idea for Pangong 101 (similar to Hardrock 100) was born. More to follow soon.

Day 4 : The vertical kilometer ( and 20.1 more )Distance Covered : 21.1 kilometers

Kilian Jornet is my favorite ultra runner. He is a mountain gazelle who absolutely relishes the mountains.He says, "Consider the Mountain to be your friend rather than a challenge".

I disagree.

Mountains are mean. They are unforgiving and have no respect for reputation.

Even if you conquer them, you are instilled with fear.

I took the same route as Day 2, only went further. I decided to make up for the shorter distance run the day before and ran up to a lake, which doubles up as the Ice Hockey Rink in winters.

I remembered my struggles on Day 2, and decided to take the Old Road ( on which my hotel was located, directly instead of going through the main market )

What a decision!

In retrospective, that day made me stronger and more determined. It made a better runner.

At that very moment, it killed me.

That road climbs. Boy, does that road climb.

1.5 kilometers. Non stop. No winding turn to reduce the gradient. Dolomites Vertical Kilometer is the toughest sky-race in the world. Kilian Jornet takes 32 minutes to run that 1 kilometer.

This road was not Dolomites, but it was no less. I stopped twice. Once at 500 meters and then at 1000 meters. Each time cursing the mountain, and seeking the end of the road. The road finally ended at 1500 meters and it had made a man out of me.

I wasn't happy even though I had done a Half Marathon.The competitive me wanted to beat the mountain.

Day 5 : The Polka Dot JerseyDistance Run : 14 Kilometers

For those who follow the Tour De France, the guy who rides the best in the mountains is given the Polka Dot Jersey.

The Old Road mountain was my Polka Dot.

I don't like losing. And so I did what I knew.

I took the same road I had been running on and when the climb began, I switched into my zone.

Short rapid strides, forward bent I ran up that 1.5 kilometer road. I laughed at every point I had stopped the day before and at the end, I knew my fear had taken the flight out of town.

PS : I had planned to run at Khardungla (17380 feet, the highest motorable road in the world) that day, but due to inclement weather ( snowfall!!! ), I was unable to do so.I'll be back.

Day 6 : What doesn't kill you, makes you strongerDistance Covered : 16.1 Kilometers

I spent the last day in Leh, at the Prasar Bharti guest house which is 2 kilometers away from the old road.This implied I would not climbing my old friend on Day 6.

But it was not an issue. I had another friend to accompany me. Rain!

It doesn't pour in Leh, it drizzles. And it is a persistent drizzle.

Snowfall in the higher peaks had made the environment a lot cooler and rain and blustery winds added to the whole experience.

I went till the "ice-hockey" lake again in the drizzle.

I still climbed the inclines in the middle and the consistently climbing road from the Airport till Prasar Bharti.

I got back cold and wet, but triumphant.

It was a moral victory for me, to maintain a decent mileage in the high altitude and not give in to the demanding mountains.

Postscript : Back in Delhi, I haven't had much chance to test out my new found powers. Distance seem easier to cover, but the humidity of Delhi can really sap your soul.

Those who want to know how different I feel after getting back : A lot.Maintain a decent pace for long periods does not feel difficult.More importantly, killing mental blocks has become a lot easier now.

Lets see, what I can do with this new found power in more conducive weather.

Till then, keep running. :)

Jai Hind.

Saturday, 9 August 2014

What I think about when I'm running

First off, a disclaimer. The post title is not a violation of Haruki Murakami's book. His book's title is "What I talk about, when I talk about running".But I will admit this, I misread the title at first which made me write this blog post :P

I don't think there is any runner, who does not feel a flood of thoughts coming through his/her brain.

Some people are more retrospective/philosophical ( my category ) , some are not, but I think anyone who has run, if not anything, must have had this thought atleast once " Where is the finish line? " :P

Writing what I think while running came to my mind (while running ) on a cold, dark February morning at 5:30 AM. I drafted this blog in my brain that day during an 11 kilometer run. Its mostly in conversation form, with the conservationists being me and my brain.

1st Kilometer : The street is dark and I hope the dogs don't chase me.Brain : "Why run? Why not walk? Why not ride your bike? Why not swim?"

Me :Swim?"Until humans figure out how to swim through hardened tar, I don't think I can swim on the road. Also, its February, stupid!"

Bike?" Hmm. Good question. People love riding bikes. I do, myself. Personally, I think it is less strenuous to ride your bike than run. Maybe I love running more."

Walking?"Are you kidding me? You know how long it takes to walk a kilometer? Plus, walking is boring.I'll walk at mile 70 of an ultramarathon when my legs cannot function at more than 8 kilometers/hour."

Brain again :Why not sleep then?Me : " Remember, when you were sick? Remember the days when you could not get out of bed? Remember time when you just wanted to breathe the fresh air and let it caress your hair but you couldn't? Well, now is the time you make up for that lost time. Believe me, it will feel better after finishing the distance, rather than waking up 2 hours later and then gloating about it. "

"Hey, there is a cyclist, lets pace with him!" *30 seconds later, the cyclist has a shocked expression on his face, as a man in running tights chases and overtakes him*

2nd Kilometer : This white line!

Brain : Remember Dean Karnazes' story on Badwater?Me : "Yeah, here is the white line ( the line marking the end of the road in white paint ). "

A little background : Badwater 135 is the toughest footrace in the world ( certified by National Geographic Magazine ). The race starts in the Badwater basin (272 feet below the sea level ) and runs through the gruesome Death Valley desert. The temperatures are in the range of 50+ degrees in the day and the lowest it goes is 44. As if running 135 miles was not enough, you do it a range of High Passes that slow your progress to a desperate walk. The race ends at Mount Whitney Portal, 14000 feet above the sea level.Legendary Ultramarathoner, Charlie Engle often asks the groups he is addressing " How many of you can run a mile(1.6 kilometers) in 12 minutes? ". Everyone raises their hand.He then replies " If you run this distance, at this pace 135 times over you will not only win the Badwater Ultra but break the course record by almost an hour and a half." {Now you won't break the course record at this pace though, it is 22 hours }

Anyways, Dean Karnazes' stated and I quote " The road temperature crosses 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and if you don't run on the white painted line on the side of the road, the soles of your shoes would just melt right off "

Back to the conversation.

Me : "Lets practise running on this white line."Brain : I'll change the setting for you.

Suddenly, I am teleported to another world. I feel as if I am running on an alien land. Just street lamps for company. No one is around, not soul as I run towards increasing darkness on the white line.

I don't feel the heat, but I get the chills as my feet rhythmically hammer down another kilometer.

3rd Kilometer : Of the World of RecordsBrain : Now that you are in the groove, lets get the competitive you out. Lets talk about records.

Me : "Records are a form of vanity. Running after them make you near sighted and kill the pleasure of running. But I won't mind doing a 2:05 marathon or maybe finishing Badwater in less than 20 hours or cracking a sub 8:30 Ironman. What would be the pace we would be keeping? I'll need some trusty pacers. Guys who can speak non-stop and push me through. But will the record be worth it? Off course, it will! It will be your driving force!"

Brain : Your throat called, it needs water*gulps a sip of water*

Me : "So yeah, what after breaking the record? Back to love? No! Lower the record further. Keep going low till you come out of the other side.All this talk is pushing me way too faster, this is supposed to be a recovery run man!"

4th Kilometer : Hey, we have company!

By now, my brain has started to run out of topics ( already! ). So it comes up with another idea.

Chemicalलोचा! (Straight out of Munnabhai - 2)

I don't know how many of you experience/do this, but my brain often introduces virtual people while running.

Dean Karnazes or Craig Alexander nonetheless!

So I am running in the dark, imagining Mr Karnazes and Mr Alexander running by my side.

Somehow, this hallucination of imagining people running with you is very helpful on real long runs, or at times you are down and out and have no strength to go on.

I often remember Dean's quote " Run when you can, walk if you must and crawl if you have to. Just don't give up!" and often imagine him saying this to me when I feel like giving up.

I also often act like I am Killian Jornet, jumping off curbs and acting as if it was nothing :D

5th Kilometer : Don't quote me on thatWith Dean and Crowie for company its the time for the brain to function

Here are some of the best quotes I came up while running.

"Running is the exact rendition of life. The weak give up and finish with guilt. The strong power through and finish with with a smile"" People like lactic acid in their drinks, I like it my legs " ( Beer contains lactic acid, the same acid which causes burning sensation in your legs when you are tired )" Sometimes you need a little insanity to feel sane "

But the best

"Watch out for that truck!"

6th Kilometer : Life and DeathNo matter how many stupid jokes I may make, deep down I am a very serious introspective person.

I have been lucky in the sense that I have not seen too many close family members die.

But then, life has not been perfect.A lot less hardships than many people, but I've had my fair share of bad decisions. Bad days I want to

forget.People I want to run over and things I feel I have left unsaid.

I breathe it all out and turn back with a smile.

Running is therapy.

Talking to yourself is the best way to get it all out. Running gives you the time to talk about it.

It also gives you the time to think about death. Your death.No, not because some truck might run you over.

Death in general. What will happen before you die? How would you die happy, without regrets?What would you achieve before you die?

Too depressing right?

Lets go the next kilometer

7th Kilometer : Roads or Trails?

Brain : So, where do you fell more PB Shelly-ish? Is it the roads or the trail ?Me : " They are two completely different individuals per-se. Trails are always the same, peaceful and easy to talk to. Ever changing landscape and running on them gives you that sense of being connected to the earth.Roads have different faces. You really cannot think when you have traffic coming at you and people staring at you. In those moments, your fists are balled and mouth filthy( if you know what I mean ). On the other hand, certain roads have magic in them ( The Western Yamuna Canal Link Road or my secret training base in Rohini Sector xx)There is another level of magic, the magic that came in the form National Highway 1-D, which was THE BEST ROAD TO RUN ON. {Read : "Running in Leh", written by me for more details}That magic has not been produced by any trail so far."

8th Kilometer : Science it upI can't really create a dialogue here, as I don't know who speaks at this time.

But I actually came up with this theory while running.

Even though Distance covered = Speed * Time

The rate of your conversation is often inversely proportional to the distance covered. Wait, let me explain.

I know we think a lot on our long runs, but, after a time I don't think any one wants to converse

altogether.We crave for peace and on a long distance run, we get it.Thoughts finally come on an end. I like to call it the "Running Nirvana"

I also have been guilty of creating some of my worst jokes on runs.

9th Kilometer : People PowerThe female population in Delhi is THE strongest set in the world.

And, I say this from experience.

Delhi Males are the world's worst oglers. They stare at you as if you are a creature from the outer realms of this galaxy.

I am a male runner and I get ogled by so many idiots, sometimes I think either a major percentage of the male population is gay or they haven't seen a person running.

My female counterparts, loads of strength to you and hats off. I don't know how your shoes manage to remain tied to your feet.

10th Kilometer : Almost Home

Brain : Now that you are almost home, its time to plan your dayMe : "Lets see. I have bathed and prayed. I'll go back and bathe again, then sleep and then......"*are you really interested in what I do after I finish a run? Get a life, pal!*

But, yeah running is a great way to get sorted if you are one of those *living by the time-table* types.Then again, why spoil your runner's high by thinking you have to get to office?

11th Kilometer : Final Lap!

I don't know how many of you do this, but if you don't then try running the last kilometer of your run faster than all the other kilometers ( or atleast last 50% of the total distance you run ).

Then only 2 thoughts come to your mind.

"Why are you slowing down?""Where's the finish line"

:D

Post Script :I hope you had a good time reading it. This one was really long and I didn't know how to finish it.

I'd love it if you guys shared your thoughts( those which you get while running and on the blog in general ), would love to hear them :)

Cheers and keep running!

Monday, 19 January 2015

The Redemption

Time flies.. After being ravaged by the cold, tattered by incorrect preparations and heartbroken by Peddar Road, i struggled to a sad Marathon Debut of 3:27:41 last year. I wrote a blog, connected the dots to see where I went wrong and promised myself some redemption next time I came to Mumbai.

And here I was again. 5:41 AM(Late as usual), as the runners rolled out from VT, commencing my 42.195 km journey to redemption.

A lot of things had been different this year : Training, nutrition, hydration, accommodation, motivation.

Few people to thank here, before I start yammering : Mom and Dad(For their unconditional support), Sugandha Ranjan( For faith and motivation), Shreyas Karnad ( The mastermind behind plot to redemption ), Ramakrishna Purnam and Dharamendra Kumar (For Nutrition{No, I didn't eat them, they gave me Gels, C'mon!}), Anurag Sharma ( for bringing over my race belt and waiting for me as I showed up late) and Mr Subash Amin (for the awesome accommodation which was at really close proximity to the race venue).

Running long miles, is not the answer. Back to back runs of 10 miles through the week are hardly as useful as a week consisting of mixed workouts, an interval session, a tempo run session, a long run session. This change in perspective meant that I tried real intervals for the 1st time in my life, ended up doing solid hill repetitions and doing a race pace long run of 20 miles.

Cross training by biking, a little bit of swimming, stern core sessions and most importantly rest days to recover came in handy. Mileage wasn't low, but wasn't insanely high and not at the cost of recovery. There was more sleep and more time to recover.

As easy as it seemed and given my yearning to go out and hammer out more miles ( as I write this, I am struggling to even walk and I am thinking of running 14 hours later :P ), this technique of efficient training seemed to be working.

Landing in Mumbai, way before the race helped acclimatize to the significant rise in temperature. I "chilled", doing two easy paced runs on Marine Drive, bumping into Kenyan Pros and a Boston Qualified Irish Girl. I ate everything this time around, knowing that playing with my diet would be the worst thing to do.

The race was based on a 5 Gel strategy, 3 of which I got from Ram Sir and 2 I had to collect from Dharma at the start line. The night before the race, I bought some pasta and downed it with half a bottle of Gatorade and half a bottle of water. Carbo-loaded, I slept ensuring 7 hours of sleep before I started with race prep. I even managed to surprise myself, by arranging my clothes, shoes, socks, race bib, the only thing missing was my race belt, which I was to collect at the start venue.

Race Day :"Time for the show", muttered my dramatic brain as I woke up to my 4 AM alarm. having promised Arjun, company through the run I proceeded with my pre-race meal of 2 Belgian Choco Shots, 1 Besan Laddoo, Half Bottle Gatorade and another Half Litre of Water. Right before leaving I downed a Can of Red Bull.All set, I proceeded downstairs as 4:55 with Arjun already present on the race venue, Anurag Ji waiting with my belt and Dharma with my gels.And the gate was locked. Having disposed off some the liquid through my oral cavity as an acid reflux due to nervousness, my stomach grew more and more queasy as I frantically searched for the guard. With every wrong key that he inserted into the lock, 5 strands of my hair became gray. I left at 5:15 AM with 25 strands of grey hair.Jogged through the darkness, stopped for a leak at an empty public leakhole pretty aware of the fact that there would be a major rush in holding area.5:25 AM, standing in line with my belt, gels and partner inside I consumed my first gel. Found Anurag Ji, drilled bigger holes in my Bib(one tough sheet of paper that thing is made of) with my earphone jacks fit it in my race belt and moved to the holding area.5:33 AM, searching for lineup A I made my way through the barriers, spotting my supermom, Sayuri Dalvi who gave m a pre race hug that calmed me down.I started jogging, music blaring in my ears and my app all set as I saw the start line."Here goes nothing" I muttered as the chip beeped at 5:41 AM.

Collection Complete (1-10 kms) :"Dharma is right up ahead" shouted Rahul as I ran past him. Dharma gave me the 2 gels I needed."Go go go" he said as I stuffed them in the back pocket of my shorts, which now looked like an orange in rear end (or atleast felt like it).I ripped out the ill fitted earphones(note to self, need to stop losing my earphones time and again), let the music blare and my Nike Lady speak her feedback after every kilometer, through the speaker.One of the best things is how people try to sprint along with you, as you go past them. 3 tried but my Poker Face( Lance Armstrong Tip : Show it like you are doing it effortlessly, it weakens your rivals)intact I ran past them.Maintaining my pace for a 40 min 10k, I thought of how betrayed Arjun must be feeling when I realized I was running behind him at the incline at 8 kms. He was running strong, gunning for a time of 3:05 on his Marathon Debut as I matched him stride for stride.10k down in 40:05, It was time for my second gel.

You high bro? (10-Half Way Through ):Gels suck without water, Atleast GUs do, but there was no dearth of water.Lemon Sublime kicked in as I was shocked when I had a negative split(positive movement)on my pace. Carrying on at my pace, I moved ahead. The crowds cheered as I blew a kiss :P. I heard someone call my name in the dark which prompted my response "Arrey waah". Maybe it was the caffeine, maybe the endorphins but boy was I high.My usual show off when I saw the Nike Run Club group, shouts "Ganpati Bappa Morya" "Jai Hind" to the half marathon crowd on the other side of the sea link made me realize i might be wasting a bit of energy doing this. Nonetheless, I swung my arms up to Bhangra Beats :P.

Sea link was a lot less windy this time around, and as I reached the toll gate I asked the gatekeepers if I needed to pay the toll.I made it a point to thank every volunteer this time around, and so the guys and girls at 20k were a bit surprised when I told them "Good job guys, you rock".I spotted my friend, 2 time Ironman Nagaraj Harsha, who called me out. I was delighted to see him,

maybe too delighted as I blew a kiss to him as well ( Yes, I am straight. I was too high and too happy to realize I was doing that).Last year, the mess up began at this point. Consuming my 3rd gel, high fiving the crowd of kids by the side of the road I carried on.I felt rather relaxed and easy, just a bit of a pain in my left foot thumb caught my attention. Unperturbed, I moved forward.1:25:24 and 21.1 kms done. Just needed to repeat it again.

Dadar Station (21.1-30 kms) :Carrying on at the same pace, I refused a slice of orange at 22k and was clicked doing so (If people needed any more proof of me not eating, well, it is now documented)

I wish I had hair like her.

Carrying on at the same pace and feeling real good about myself, I spotted a crowd. The slower bunch of the Half Marathoners, who inexplicably were running on the same road as the marathon runners (Ok, we may not be Elites, but we are not junk either). My friend, Akshay Samel put it rightly as "it looked as if we were at Dadar Station". Dodging them, I carried on at the same pace only to see their number increasing. "Marathoner, coming through" became my war cry as I tried hard to achieve my targeted 30 kms in 2:03. The only respite from the rush was the small U turn stretch of 1.5/2 kms where I consumed my 3rd gel, washed my mouth with Enerzal and then dove head first again into the crowd.My Nike app had stopped (It has been doing this a lot recently, after 25 kms). I ran purely on feel, the Kilometer markers and my phone clock. I was on track, on my way and well placed.30.3 kms in 2:03:29.The only thing that bothered me in the next 12 kms was the crowd. How long would they really last?

Kilian Jornet Mode Activated (30-36 kms) :A woman almost stopped dead on my tracks, prompting me to shout "Are you kidding me?". Not really my fault(sorry for not being sympathetic to the poor lady who was struggling through the 21.1 kms, but I too had a job to do, and I was nervous )I don't know how many weaves I made through the crowd, but I saw empty road on the wrong side.Kilian Jornet came into me as I leaped from the divider to the wrong side as I climbed the "dreaded" Peddar Road, leaping back again to the right side whenever I saw a kilometer marker, just hoping I don't miss a timing mat.Tough times resumed as soon as Peddar Road descended, the crowds merged again.I took my last gel at 36k and saw the time. 2:59:59 (the beginning of Sub 3 club), would mean I had 34 mins to run the last 6.2k."Should I spray paint a graffiti : Separate lanes for Marathoners and Half Marathoners" crossed my mind, as I rejected and continued to push through the crowd.Is this even real? (36-Finish Line) :"Enough time, just keep moving, don't be perturbed by the crowd, give way idiot, click the picture later" lots of thoughts came in my head as I coasted by Marine Drive again. "Chak De India" downed Messhuggah on my phone and certain surprised watchers, happy to see a marathon guy pass by cheered me.37,38,39,40,41 : All these kilometers I ran with my half marathon buddies. 13 minutes for the last 2 kilometers. Lol. This felt so good, yet a daunting task given I was pushing through Dadar Station."Sir, take the middle lane" said a volunteer on the last mile as I parted ways from the crowds into a separate lane for Marathoners."1000 meters to go", I put my hands on my face and started crying. I had no clue about time, I knew it would be Sub 3 was possible, I could do it and now that it was happening the feeling hit me.Boy did I cry. I cried and then I laughed. 400 meters to go I ran fast.Through my blurry vision I saw the clock read 2:57:10. I shouted something *secret for personal reasons* and the chip beeped for the last time.

2:56:24 was the official time Sugandha told me, though I was on course for 2:51 (as per the Mumbai Marathon App, nice touch Procam).

This run silenced a lot of things, silenced my demons, silenced the voices who questioned and said I was good only in Half marathons and can't sustain my pace.I heard the silence loud, I heard my blister scream and calves beg for mercy.I heard myself chuckle. Yes I made it :)

Qualified for Boston, Sub 3 Marathon goal, Enjoy a Marathon : All 3 checked

I promised Mumbai, I would be back. I hope I didn't let my 2nd favorite city(after Leh) down.

Better rush management, Better training, Better Shoe Selection, hopefully next year will be even better.

I hope this leads to a better path, better sponsors and better times in the future.

Keep Running :)

Post Script : I had 1 bottle of water, which the police officer at the airport refused to pass through the security check. When I asked him, what to do with, he said throw it. I told him, I won't waste water and a-la Milkha Singh I drank the entire contents of that 1 liter bottle infront of his eyes in 1 gulp, smiled and said "Now I can throw it".That's how high I was. Lol.

Friday, 7 August 2015

Making your mistakes in private

Well, I have to admit, the title of this article and what I'm about to do are completely opposite.It's more like "Making your mistakes in private and then giving a full view to the public, by blogging about them".

But then, who really reads this? :P

This is something I decided to write because :a.) I have too much time to kill (in between training sessions)b.) I haven't written much from a long timec.) People should know what it takes to be what you want to be

And don't let the title fool you. This article is about training and trials and errors.So *poof*, there goes the irony.

Training is a ground where you make your mistakes, try different permutations and combinations, completely screw yourself on some days and feel like Craig Alexander on other days.

I have my Ironman on September 26th. I'll not lie, I have been training for it. It's something that I love doing.I'm teary eyed whenever I watch Ironman Finisher videos and whenever I think of the finish line on September 26th, but in order not be teary eyed in my journey to the finish line, i prefer to blind myself with sweat.

Why is training important?

Well, simplest possible answer is you learn how capable your body is at one point of time and it gives you room to increase its capacity as you approach race day.That's glaring and visible and everyone knows about it, amirite?

No.

People ask me, how do you run at the speed you run, or how can you even imagine putting yourself through the torture of swimming 3.8 kms, biking 180.2 kms and running 42.2 kms?

Well, I train myself to take the torture. I train myself to bear the pain and grin through it.Something I picked up from Lance Armstrong(He might be a cheat but he is a brilliant tactician)was to learn to smile through the pain. Nothing more painful than seeing a guy blaze past you, smiling, even as you struggle to keep up with him. Not cool right?Well everyone can do that, if they train for it.

Every person I have met(and isn't a runner,cyclist,swimmer, triathlete or not involved in any other sport), asks me one question after listening to the distances covered in Ironman : "180 kms cycling? Really?"

And my answer always is this : "Yes, everyone can do it"

Trust me on that. I had severe bronchitis as a kid and was tiny and fragile.When I was 13-14, I remember my coaches screaming on me from one end of the pool and my mother looking for me from the stands.I wasn't allowed to slack. Never.And that built self discipline.

With my mom looking, i never stopped because I didn't want to let her down and it slowly became a habit.

I am a really boring guy to hangout with when i'm working out.I keep lapping the swimming pool, up and down. I keep running round and round the 500 meter track in sports complex.

Conversations?

Outside the pool, off the track, or if you can run with me, i'll chat you up.I enjoy chatting a lot, while running, if I find someone to chat to while running, nothing better than that. But the training shouldn't stop.

I became fast because of a simple reason : Work Ethic aka Training.And I am the laziest guy humankind has to offer. Ask my mom, she will vouch for it.But not on a training field. There it is a different story. I know the importance of showing up for the session and finishing my set. It's quite common sense if you ask me : You don't train, you don't succeed. Simple as that.

Plus hard training sessions make for good excuses to slack off in other areas :P

If I can do it, anyone can. That's my belief and trust me, anyone willing to try will succeed.

There is another dimension you get to work on and improve when you are training for an event :The nutrition, the gear, the add-ons you need to power through a race.

You learn what feels right to your body while training. I started off by running only by drinking water before the run.I added a banana before a workout, maybe during a run. I graduated to gels to see how much my body would need on the effort i'm putting in.At times, I try and deprive myself of the factors to make the nutrition more effective during the race.Trial and error.

You come to know which gear is working for you. Which shoe works and which doesn't. Whether your saddle feels comfortable to you or not.I learnt after 6 hour rides on the trainer that my bums hurt way too much even on very padded shorts.Given the triathlon suit has a thin pad, it will kill me as I try to finish the Bike Leg in Ironman.I learnt 0 mm drop shoes are not meant for me and that I should have sufficient cushion to keep my pace up while not killing my calves.I learnt my saddle is too far behind and feels very uncomfortable in rides more than 3 hours.

So I changed them. And none of it would have come to my mind if I didn't train for it.

Its always better to make these mistakes in private, you won't cause that much damage to yourself on a uncomfortable 6 hour trainer ride and changing your saddle afterwards. But realizing, that it is getting more uncomfortable by the minute, during race day, that is the worst thing can happen to anyone.

I learnt i'm not used to running in the late afternoons(and that's when Ironman Marathons happen) and that's something I am working on.

"You win a race in training. You merely show up on the start line to collect your medal"

It might be a cliche but its true : "A wise man makes his mistakes in private."

PS : 7 weeks to go to the race. I hope things keep falling into place. And some windfall appears and I have my tickets to Spain without paying a dime :P

Carpe DiemKeep TrainingJai Hind!

Thursday, 10 September 2015

The Trail that made me a man

People who are in the Ultrarunning circuit, say 1 thing " Distance is just a number"Ultra running is 15% physical and 85% mental.

That mental fortitude, physical strength and never die spirit is tested most in the Bhatti Lakes Ultra.

I have done the race twice. 50k in 2013 (even before I ran a marathon, details here) and a 100k in 2014.Those 2 races gave me more experience than any race I have ever done, built more character than anything ever has and taught me lessons on never giving up.

There were 3 things which were common in the races I ran in Bhatti :1. I had no clue how to run the distance I signed up for.2. I had no idea of things that can go wrong when you run for such a distance.3. I was late at the start line, both times. (Sorry Kavitha mam :( )

The trail, is one my most favorite places in the world to hangout. For a person seeking to clear his mind from the worldly noise, this trail is place to be.

Yes I am in love with this trail. Yes this love is blind. The amount of time I must've spent thinking "Why am I doing this" especially doing the 2 Ultras here is clearly a contradiction of my post race feeling of "Can't wait for next year!".

For starters, and trust me, this trail is unforgiving and tough. And humid. And has big thorns. And sand. And rocks. But terrain is not even half of it. The rolling hills, the elevation and the sudden drop (as soon as you cross the boulders along Lake Bhardawaj), it seems fun in the 1st loop. When you have been going on for 5 hours and those rocks crush your feet from beneath, you begin to squirm.

But I love this place.

People who are doing this race this year, for the 1st time. A few things to keep in mind :

1. THE TRAIL

Keep telling yourself its 10 kms one way.The trail will take you through a journey.The 1st km on tarred road with some rocks strewn on the way.As soon as you leave the tarred roads and trail begins, take care that you don't roll your foot on the rocks.

There will be a cowshed and a gate, at 2.5 kms.That gate is a source of joy to the eyes of every runner searching for the finish line.My past 2 attempts, were based on this gate. This gate meant "let's get the party started".

From 2.5 to 7 kms, be prepared to be thrilled. (if you love pain, otherwise prepare to be steamrolled xD)

This mound of sand, where I hold the FKT for the fastest climb and where I have tried million times to emulate Kilian Jornet is the 5k point.

People traversing the Shah Peak :P

Pro Tip : Try not to climb it during the Ultra, the clock doesn't stop.I'll satisfy your curiosity of how it looks from the top of "Shah Peak"

View from top of "Shah Peak"

A few hundred meters, a massive undulation and couple of really thorny shrubs later, you reach the 1st and the biggest lake. Lake Bhardawaj. No its not named after Arun Bhardawaj, even though he runs the trail like he owns it.

Lake Bhardawaj

You'll pass by a string a rocks, which look amazing with landscape, a cliff with a big drop and as you head downwards you'll reach the toughest part of the course.(Yes till now it was easy! Hehehe)

How do I describe it. You have to run through sand(Yes, the sand you have on the beaches in Goa), the trail is as narrow enough to inspire thinner build and the thorns start giving you high 5s.

That too shall pass. And you shall see another lake, this time to your left and trail becomes really enjoyable.

A couple of lakes later you'll see civilization. And then head back into the wilderness as you turn back.

"Do not go gentle into that good night; Old age should burn and rave at the close of day. Rage, rage, rage against the dying of light."

2. THE SUFFERING

I might detest the unforgiving nature of the trail, but there is something everyone should know.Suffering is good.

You will suffer. There is no doubt. If you don't, you didn't do it correctly.Enjoy the suffering. No, i'm not being cuckoo.

The more you suffer, the more you enjoy the spoils of victory.

There will be moments where you want to stop. Not continue.While my win at the 100k last year, the 1st 40 kms were a mess. 40% of a race, on this trail, was a mess.

I had GI issues, bad ones at that. My blood pressure shot up to 150/90 at 40 kms. The stomach hurt as I moved. My head spun.

25 kms later, I told my brother Abhishek, "Lets run faster, i feel like I haven't even warmed up".My stomach had eased. BP dropped. Boy I could sprint if I felt like that. Why?

I got through the tough part. Rest was easy.

If you have the will to endure, the patience to get through the suffering, you'll see miracles.

Suffering is necessary. It taught me how to appreciate even the smallest of my victories.

3. DON'T BE A HERO

Yes, its fun to suffer. Not if you are injured.If you twist your foot and are beyond pain, stop. Heed it.

Don't try to sprint through the darkness. The winner isn't the guy who runs the fastest. Its the guy who slows down the least.

You'll not be a Hero if you run on a broken foot. You'll be nothing but delusional.And even if you do, it will be curtains for the rest of your career.

Be safe. Hydrate yourself well. Eat well. Relieve yourself.Above all, enjoy the race. You won't find such beauty and serenity anywhere else.PS : I would have commented on being punctual, but I was 15 minutes late to the start line in the 1st attempt, 5 minutes on the 2nd. I was even late by a minute in SCMM.

So no, i won't comment on it. I practise what I preach. But please don't be late. It eats time out of your total time attempt :P

I won't be running the Bhatti this year. I have my Ironman in Spain on the 26th of September and would be returning to India on 4th October.

I wanted to pass on whatever I could to people who are doing it this year.

This race has given me a lot and I want to give back.Hopefully, I run again next year, in the arms of my old friend : The Asola Bhati Forest.

Have a good race everyone.

Wednesday, 28 October 2015

Arunaabh Shah, You are an Ironman!

A common question I'm asked nowadays is "How was the Ironman experience?"I have this simple reply "It was the toughest day of my life"

Yes, I have run a 100 km foot race. Been on my feet for over 15 hours.Run 1200 kms in 2 months. Done a sub 3 Marathon.

No, nothing comes close to this. Not at all.

Biggest learning experience ?When they say there is a climb, there is a climb. And no amount of trainer high resistance training or flyover climbing can prepare you for that.It will be a long and painful thing. So be ready for that.

It started on a cold morning on 26th September 2015. The water was warm enough though the winds and the 18 degree temperature were freezing the hell out of me.2 days before the race day, I had panicked due to the cold water and loneliness (nobody was around) and just done a 300 meter swim and rushed out.Next day, I decided to go again. Fear isn't an option. This time I went deep and went far. 1k. And then 500 meters more.While I stood shivering in the water before the swim that day, a Spanish athlete joked "You feel cold in this? This is pretty warm!"A bunch of Italians and Brits disagreed.Personally? The Spaniard was right. The water did get warm in the middle of the sea. That swim was very useful. Made me fearless. I even stopped to say Hi to several boats along the way.

I did some riding and some running too. Just to give the legs a little feel of the new environment.

The night before the Ironman was strangely relaxed. I tucked into bed with just one thought, "Finish the thing without stopping. "

Right before the race start, I met Gaurav Makkar. The man had a serious bike crash 4 days before the race, had 32 stitches on his face, and there he was. At the start line.I asked him " Did you try swimming? Wasn't the Salt water burning the wounds?"He replied "Its only a matter of 2 hours"

People love easy lives. They have excuses for their convenience. Sometimes the elements don't favor you. Everything goes against you and you decide, it wasn't my day.The man who was injured quite badly, showed up at the start line of the world's toughest endurance event with a smile on his face and will that wasn't injured.

What's your excuse now?

I made the choice (and a stupid one at that) to swim the finishing time group of 1 hour to 1:15. I stood there, with a bunch of people,who I had never seen before and might not see again, but I knew they were tough nuts.Customary to traditions, I shook hands and wished luck to the guys on my right and left.Shivering with cold, I waded into the water at 7:37 AM, knowing very well that the time had come to fulfill my destiny.

Swim(1:09.04) :

Knowledge is the greatest weapon a man has. Having done the open water swim in the 70.3 in Taiwan, I decided to keep my consternation in check by following the planned strategy.A couple of strokes with the head out till I got my rhythm in and I had assessed the waves. Once I was settled in, I put my head down and was greeted by traffic.

Now I know that drafting while swimming is very useful, but the traffic up ahead was just holding me back. I struggled to break lose and was slapped on the feet by the athlete behind me.With experience, I might be able to tackle this "rush" more effectively but I was constantly held back and was even kicked in the face and the shoulders a couple of times. All part of the "Ironman" experience.

Somewhat misguided by the loop distance, I checked my Garmin and was slightly alarmed at the fact that we had gone beyond 1 km and not turned back. Honestly I was more scared of going in the wrong direction and swimming more that what was supposed to be done. The turn appeared at 1.2 kms and as I swam towards the shore I saw the beautiful sunrise over Alcudia bay. Upon reaching the shore I tried to satiate my curiosity by asking a fellow athlete the length of the course. My exact words "Hey, I think my Garmin is showing a little more distance than the course. How long was the swim". The guy stared at me incredulously and swam away from me! How rude!

Now that the rush was less and my mind was in panic mode, I decided to push forwards more aggressively. As it turned out, we turned 700 meters into the 2nd loop. My super accurate Garmin was

telling the truth. I relaxed. As the swim was almost towards the end, I checked my Garmin.Decent enough swim :D

Me in the background, trying to figure out how to switch modes on my Garmin

Saw my Dad and waved happily as I saw him. Time to ride.

T1(8:37)Forgive me for not calculating my transition times. I guess it was a rookie mistake. To tell the truth, I though I was doing a pretty good and fast job in the Transition Zones.I put on my bike clothes on top of my tri suit. Stuffed my pockets with Gels and bars. Dropped off my bag and ran to my bike. Both no. 829 and 831 were already on course.

Reminiscing Chrissie Wellington's transitions from the numerous Ironman Videos I had watched on my trainer rides, I smiled at the volunteers and ran with my shoes in my hand. A helpful athlete reminded me to put on my helmet.As I clipped on my shoes and churned the pedals, I was ready for the 180.2 kms.

Bike(6:38:02)

Ok, call me a whiner. But this course was like the Stage of the Vuelta A Espana.Boy did I misread the course elevation.And on later analysis with Subbu Sir, I figured out a number of hitches in my bike training.

But lets start off with the ride first.The course was windy, from the start and to a body which is not as fatigued as it would get coupled with the shield from the buildings, the headwinds didn't pose much of a problem initially.

At the 1st hill, the 34 kmph average dropped to 27. Indication of things to come.We rolled through the Spanish countryside and even though I pushed my way through the 22 kmph head and crosswinds and the rolling hills towards Manacor, I admired the beauty of the bike course

The rolling hills dropped my average speed slightly below 30 and I pressed the panic button and pushed through at slightly higher pace not really feeling the additional effort I was making to mitigate the effect of headwinds.

I made my push towards the 100k mark,stopping for a short loo break shortly thereafter.Hours of trainer rides had helped me a lot, but they had derived me of the horror of riding in headwinds. 3 hours of riding in the Aero positon, my back began to suffer.And the trainer doesn't really initiate your leg muscles used while climbing. Which was going to be a BIG bone of contention as the course went vertical after some time.

My bloated body trying to battle the headwinds as the random cyclist photobombs me.

As per my career's story of screw ups in Debut Races, my body began to bloat. The nutrition strategy which had been constant till 100k took a toss as the body didn't want to take in anything. And it just got worse after that.

So much for gels.

And then we came across the "best" part of the course : The Climb

Coll de Femenia : The 1st real climb of the day, was also the most dreaded one. A Category 2 climb rising at 6% for 7.6 kms was enough to dispel the notion of breaking the Indian Record for the Ironman.The ride was reduced to a crawl and the only thing that came to my mind was to make my fellow athletes laugh. So to every athlete I passed by or was passed by, I cheered loudly and made jokes on how "flat" the climb seemed.As I trudged on, up the hill I was so bored of riding at 12 kmph at that I decided to force something down my gut (Food obviously). I opened a snack bar I ate half of it and while my body rebelled and shouted and tried to push back, I kept the rest of it in my back pocket. That was my last meal for close to 7 hours.

Finally redemption arrived as a downhill section appeared and then disappeared almost immediately.We continued to climb up on another category 3, 5% gradient climb(Ma-10 From Lluc) till we reached the stunning 125k Checkpoint : The Monastery of Lluc (which I didn't see as my eyes were glazed with exhaustion).

Sharp drop in speed as the climb began

I prepped myself for a descent towards Caimiri, thinking " and now Peter Sagan will take his rebirth and tear down the mountain", the 1st decent scared the daylight out of me. The bike just shot down at 60 kmph, shaking vigorously as the crosswinds cut across and then the hairpin bend appeared forcing me to slow down to 15 kmph, as the riders ahead of me leaned on their brakes holding on for dear life.

And this was going to continue for a while.

Fear? Ain't nobody got time for that.

Probably this was my proudest moment in all of the Ironman. I overtook a bunch of Germans and Italians. And then kept on descend-brake,descend-brake pattern, as I overtook close to 30 athletes on the way down. The only thing I was scared of was my brakes catching fire due to the friction.

At the bottom I thought my problems were over, but hey, here come the headwinds.And the rolling hills. And the bumpy roads.

We rode through small towns ( SO PRETTY!) and my small dream of doing a European Bike Tour Stage came true. There was a sudden sharp ascent as we approached 100 mile mark and I misjudged a gear change and off came my chain.

Frustrated, I dismounted from my bike for only the 2nd time (1st one at 100k) and yelled at the chain.I pushed on, hard, trying to make up for the lost time, but the headwinds simply nullified the effort. No matter how hard I pedaled I couldn't go beyond 30 kmph. Struggling and suffering in the Aero position, i remembered Gaurav's statement from the morning "Its only a matter of 2 hours". Much less actually. 170k, I grabbed a Cola Bottle from the Volunteers hoping it would go down the gut. I cheered the volunteers ( always love to do that) and then rushed.

As I approached the finish point, my Garmin showed 175.2 km.Thinking, there might be some extra loop, I stopped and was going in a different direction when all of a sudden a couple of spectators told me "That's it" and laughed.Shaking and aching, I got off the bike laughing and moved to T2.

184 kilometers done. 42.2 to go.

T2 (10:14)

Yes. 10 minutes. Bloody idiotic of me. But it was tough, the back hurt. Stomach hurt.I just jammed my bike clothes in the bag and decided to run with the tri suit chest open.

Also I decided to find a washroom. I was bulging and needed to be empty in order to eat.As it turned out I didn't find one.

Run(4:55:18, yes, 4 hours and 55 minutes)

Everyone who knows me, has asked me this."Why did you take this much time in the run?!"

To be honest, I expected to do WAY better than this.I analyzed a lot, and I think I conked because of my inability to eat, inability to clear my bowels(reason explained later) and the nagging pain in the back and in the stomach.

As I started running, the pace was a decent 5/km even going 4:30-45 at times for the 1st few kilometer. A volunteer asked me to zip my tri suit and I proceeded to do so.

At around 3k I found a Porta. And as I stepped in, I puked. And stepped out.Heights of inconsideration were visible. The sight inside was disgusting and the stench overpowering.

I decided to suffer through as I completed loop 1 of 9.5 kms. No Indian in sight yet.As I reached 14k, I saw Gaurav on the other side of the road and cheered up. Out of the 4 other Indians with me, he was the 1st one I saw and it lifted my spirits. I cheered him on and spurred on I ran through the 2nd loop to complete 19k.

2 women held 2 signs : "Smile if you peed in the swim leg" and "Don't underestimate a fart in Ironman".

I laughed so hard at the 2nd sign. A couple of college students cheered on loudly and a guy stood in the middle of the road, high-5ing. That kept the spirit up

The pace was slow, close to 6 mins/km but I tried to grind through till the Half Marathon Mark.I crossed my Dad on the loop and simply handed him my gels. I couldn't ingest them and there was no point carrying them. The route passed right infront of my hotel and I had the urge to visit the loo there.

Serious Question : Would it have been ok if I had gone to my room, cleared my stomach and resumed running? Or is it against Ironman rules?

At the Half Marathon mark, I decided to walk for about 200 meters.I'm not the fastest walker. Infact if there were rankings, I would rank in the last 10 of the World Rankings.

I resumed running. crossed the 3rd loop. Spurred on by the fact that 28.5 kms were now done, I carried on through the now energy-less, bloated, watery body.

At 30k, I began to cry. Out loud.

A lot goes wrong in my life. And a lot was going on at that time. And as darkness was falling and my body was simply failing me, my inner demons came for their twilight dance.

"No, this won't go wrong. I won't let it go wrong".

"Its only a matter of 2 hours"

I walked my way till 32k, wasting close to 30 minutes in the process of walking. At 34k, despite the disgusting condition of the Porta, i let atleast the water out of my body.Feeling a little lighter, I ran till the end of loop 4.

"Half a loop left. You are almost an Ironman. Go now"whispered the demons who were now the cheerleaders. From 38k till 39k, I walked, hoping Gaurav would catch up and i would run with him.Didn't happen. Instead I met a French guy, 1 loop behind me. I smiled at him and told him "Tough day right?". He smiled back, nodded and replied " Yes, almost over now"

I picked up my pace as I crossed the last aid station. I cheered loudly and thanked the volunteers and they cheered back and the atmosphere turned electric.

As the last kilometer approached,the sprint began. The perfect form resumed service and I finally perfected the "S" (after umpteen attempts) and I crossed the biggest finish line of my life.

I took off my cap and bowed to the crowd as Paul hollered on the loud speakers "Arunaabh Shah, You are an Ironman"

Ye"S"! :P

I stopped the clock at 13:01:15.

Its Official!

8 months of training. Over 3 years of planning. A dream come true.

The journey was long and difficult and a lot of people supported me through this :

Contributors to my Wishberry Crowd Funding Campaign :

Zarir Balliwala

Rajeev JainSayuri Dalvi (Supermom!)

Sahil Sheoran

Vaishali KastureSrikanth Desikachar

Manish Satyanarayana

Dhananjay Singh

Mayank Pratap Singh

Ashish Sachdeva

Supriya DevnaniYogesh V Chavan

Anubha Sah

Ramesh Thangavel

Sumit Khaneja

Sanjay Kumar Sah

Aditya Shah

Akshita Aggarwal

Abhinav Jain

Ramakrishna Puranam

Taruna Sah

Meenakshi Khemani

Anshul Sharma

Kartik Sharma

Vijay Kumar Shah

Sahil Sheoran

Konark Sharma

Vikrant Tyagi

Sajan Sachdeva

Anshul Sharma

Sugandha Ranjan

Ratnakar Bhatnagar

Vikram Singh

Ambika K S

Joy Shakadwipee

Chirag Dagar

Parag Pendharkar

Subramani Venkatesh

Prateek Anand

Abhinav Chauhan

Vijay Kumar Shah

Vikas Dhawan

Anubhav Agarwal

Sakshi Arora

Shaleen Thapa

Divya Chetty

Vishwajeet Singh

Anurag Sharma

Amandeep Singh

Ravikiran Gunale

Aditya Ghaisas

Satya Punouriya

Pavan Patel

Ela Boylla

Kishore Rajendra

Abhinav Shakadwipwe

Vipul Kumar

Varsha Shiva Shankar

Priyanka Agarwal

Nishant Prasad

Tushar Goel

Stuti Narang

Saurabh AgarwalSK Garg

My corporate backers : BECIL

My Coach and mentor : Mr Deepak Raj

My Gear Partners : Garmin India(Manish Kocchar, Satinder Singh, Siddarth Soni), The Bike Shop(Gaurav Wadhwa)

My Family : Mom, Dad, Sugandha

Mom : You took me to swimming classes and used to come and watch me swim, no matter how tired

you were, instilling the work ethic that took me to this milestone.

Dad : You never said no. From you, I learnt, if something needs to be done, you get it done. You never back down and this is my biggest strength now.

Sugandha : You were the 1st person not to laugh when I told the distances I run. We all need some faith in our lives, you gave me that.

A lot of lessons learnt. Step 1 of my journey culminated at the finish line of Ironman Mallorca.And another journey has started.

What's next?

Kona QualificationSub 10 IronmanUltramanand a lot more...

Let the journey begin! :)

Jai Hind!

Thursday, 26 November 2015

Recovery

You Came. You Ran. You Conquered.

And then?

If you did push to your limits, you hobble :P

Running to your personal best and the mere euphoria of the new PB dilutes the pain for while. But the real talking point is in the evening and the day after, when you end up walking like John Wayne and it becomes quite a conversation piece.

However, even though that walk is a nice way of telling people you got your PB, its better to avoid the misery of holding the railing while climbing the stairs.

Recovery is an essential part of your training cycle. The race you finished is definitely not your last race and many of you here are looking towards the other races on the calendar.We'll talk about how you can get back on your feet and enjoy that post race euphoria without wincing everytime you take a step :

1. Walk(after you finish your run) : So you have stopped your Garmin, collected the medal, taken the post race breakfast.Don't sit down immediately.

Walk, if not Jog for atleast 5-10 minutes after the race is over just to keep the blood flowing and letting the lactic acid flush out.

2. Stretch : Most of the runners must be having a normal stretching routine that they follow.If not, follow this video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdiAQ5XZLMgAnd make sure to do the stretch before digging into the post race bounty. It will get the blood circulation going and make you feel much more comfortable after it is over.

3. EAT! : Best way to recover is to gobble.As a responsible athlete, i'll urge you guys not to splurge on sweets and take a tonne of refined sugar or make merry as you down a six pack of Heineken.Choose a good recovery drink.Something like Fast&Up's Recover : http://fastandup.in/product/recover/Or any good Protein Shake, having a 3:1 or 4:1 Carbohydrate to Protein ratio.

And more importantly, catch up on a good meal with Protein rich foods.End the meal with a square of chocolate. That's all the sugar you've earned :P

PS : Keep the recovery drink handy and try to eat within 30 minutes of the finish.

4. Hot Tub : No, not an innuendo. Merely a suggestion. Take a tub(or a bucket like I do), fill it with hot water, put some salt into it and then, drink it.Just kidding.Dip your legs into it.If you have a tub, it is better as your glutes too get the warmth of the water, but it is not necessary.Keep them in the water till it gets cold.It helps in loosening the muscles and will give a fuzzy warm feeling.

5. Compression Socks/Calf Sleeves : They are worthy investment. Can be worn in the race and after the race.They are expensive, but they work. They get the blood flowing and avoid lactic acid build up.Popular brands include : Skins, 2XU, Compressport.

6. SLEEP! : Yes, you'll have a lot of messages from well wishers congratulating you on blazing the tracks and making them proud. And you'll be waiting desperately for timingindia to release your results in the evening.But till that happens, get some shut-eye time.Sleeping is body's natural recovery mechanism and highly underrated.I recommend it. Trust me, 2 hours of shut-eye works wonders :)

Have a great ADHM, everyone!

Cheers!