Promises kept

THIS POST WAS TO BE PUBLISHED LONG TIME AGO. MY APOLOGIES FOR MISSING TO PUBLISH. THIS IS FROM LAST YEAR’S 24-HOUR EXPERIENCE. HOPE YOU ENJOY READING IT THIS LATE.

In my head, I crossed this line many times over. Powering through 20, 30 and 40 sleepless hours, running, working, and more running has been the norm for the last year and half, and when someone posed the question, ‘how long have you ever run/rode’, its been a tough question to answer.

My association with Santhosh goes back to the day I started to get back to running, after a long break, recovering from injuries. I was quite fit when I came to India, and unfortunate incidents threw me in to a spin, one which took me two years to recover. First thing I did when I met him at a fitness meeting was sign up to train with him. Everything else after that fell in to place like pieces of a puzzle. My love for running almost is as old as I am, my parents diligently waking us in the morning for a morning dash. Immediate next step was to purchase a cycle, another love of mine, and pedal on to the runs. I barely knew running/riding community in Bangalore at the time, but I kept with it on my own, finding a few friends here and there who would join me on short rides. Needless to say, I slowly started to figure out my way around Bangalore, and got to know more runners and riders.

While training with Santhosh for 6 weeks, of which I traveled a few, I put together a Himalayan Run with a couple of friends, and went on to run a 80k course in the Kanchanjunga Range. Needless to say, it was memorable, and impressionable. I knew things shifted within me from simple running to full on endurance. When any one asks me how long I can go, I tell them, for days if I must, but speed is not my thing! Inherently, if you put me on a race start line, I tend to run backwards 🙂

I kept in touch with Santhosh throughout, supporting and volunteering at his ASHA runs and efforts. He is a guy to depend on, and to go to when one wants blunt advice. I have seen him through some major changes in his life, and I am extremely impressed by his courage, foresight, commitment, and and maturity. Rather than using cliched statements as the ‘Monk who sold his Ferrari’, I would rather use the adage he prints on his every t-shirt. Run, Teach, Educate. Working just as any of us would for a living, he didn’t quite see the need to continue in that path, and he was all of 29 when he made the decision to quit a coveted job, and commit to educating and volunteering at a handful of schools such as Ananya, Sita School and Spastic Society. I can never summarize all he does without running through reams of paper. I will tell you a little about what we did over a weekend, a little over a week ago.

Santhosh attempted 24 hours 2 years ago, and logged 156kms. Last year, after soaking in rain, being chased by a bull, in addition to fever which developed overnight, he stopped after 20 hours of running.  He does this to raise money for ASHA, a organization he is an active part of. One may wonder why he suffers through any of it. That’s the thing. Why not? If he can put his talent and determination to good use for the good of others, why not? Over the last year, I saw him struggle with demons that settled in after not finishing one more run he planned, the 48-hour Strides of Hope. For any runner DNFs can outweigh any amount of motivation if one too many happen in a sequence. He trains one too many runners who fall in love with running all over again once he starts admonishing them for being irregular in his own not-too-serious but I-don’t-like-it sort of way ! The breakfasts, lunches, and the fun running groups give every runner a whole lot more reasons to stick with the plan. For him, personally, not finishing a run he trained for and aimed to do, is disheartening to say the least. What he needed was a good finish.

When we announced Bhati Lakes, I asked Santhosh if he wanted run it. He wanted to check with his coach before he committed. That, is the level of his professionalism, which is much appreciated. He might be able to run a 100miles on a whim, but he will not do it without preparing for it, mentally and physically. He came back to say that he will do the 100miles. I was thrilled as I had been trying to get some of my favorite runners together for a good race. Arun was going to be there, and this will be the first time they will meet. As time went on, Roger from Nepal confirmed he will come run Bhati Lakes too, in the 100-mile category. What more can a race director ask for? Needless to say, I was thrilled. As the time came closer to the race, Santhosh wanted to know if I would let him run the 50-miles and not 100-miles. Would I let him? Good question 🙂 Yes, ofcourse, I told him. I could sense his doubts. No more DNFs. I agree. And what a race he ran! A little hesitation after 60k but the finish made up for everything and all DNFs and things sundry, then again, I digress. Let me tell you about his 24-hour run two weekends ago 🙂

His usual emails went out to all those who support him on his runs, training, and events. A few answered in the positive, and a few weren’t available. The rest were running the race Sunday morning, and couldn’t afford to miss much needed sleep and rest. Rajeev, and Meenakshi showed up and, Manjula and I were there by 3pm to help set up. Manisha was a pleasant addition to the team though she has never been part of the runs or these events. Vinod who was to be there with his cycle couldn’t make it and we hadn’t taken Manjula’s cycle with us thinking two were good enough, mine and Vinod’s. With only one cycle which could be used on a trail, we were down to only one person who could pace him at night. Having ridden the trail and the fact that we didn’t have a powerful enough light on the cycle, I wasn’t inclined to letting anyone try it out. By the first loop was done, my cycle tires were balded by mud, brakes non-existent, and visibility near zero. It was time for a decision and it was to pace Santhosh all of 24-hours, whether I cycle or run. Day time will have about 600 runners on the same trail, and cycling on the narrow one-person sections was out of the question. Decided to ride through the night, and run the morning hours. Until the moment was I considering doing what I was going to do? Not a chance! Wasn’t prepared with anything, least of all nutrition! Thanks to Santhosh’s mom, who cooked up a storm, that I survived too.

We started at 5pm, Saturday evening, with many hugs, and wishes from friends and fellow runners, and headed out to get to know the route, greet people, and set a pace. I forgot my camera and rushed back to get it so I could capture a few sunset images of Santhosh on the trail. By the time we turned around, it started to slightly drizzle. Thankfully we made it back without it coming down on us, and I did the wise thing of tucking away the camera in the tent!

Now that we had the route figured out, and pleasantries done, it was time for some serious running. Darkness fell all around us. Trees rustled, light breeze brought in the chill, and tiny drops here and there set the tone for the night. Santhosh and I hoped that it won’t come down on us and impede our progress through the night. It was very important for us to log all the miles we could in the first 12 hours at an even pace. We set out on our second loop, and Santhosh set in to a pace he is comfortable with and I tried to adjust to the darkness, narrow path at places with ditches around, non-existent brakes, and mud that stuck to tires and chain with vengeance! An easy conversation ensued. All topics sundry. Our minds wandering, and tricking us in to a self-sympathetic state is a high possibility while running in darkness, mind and body protesting. Getting over these hurdles is practiced during night training runs when you shock your body a little resulting in it finding ways to cope and adjust to long hours of night running. Santhosh had been in training, and by now, he knows what the long haul results in. I, for one, have been through one too many long nights and days in a row that shocking my body any more, well, does shock it at all!

After each loop, we had our wonderful friends, who had come out to crew, take turns to take care of us. By the third loop, Rajeev figured out that I was in it for 24 hours, and prodded me to eat. Carbs it is, and we were surely eating our share. Nutrition, hydration, and timed rest are key. No two ways about it. If you ever plan to try out ultras, ensure you are talking to a coach, mentor, or a trainer. Listen to your body, and heed their advice.

By 5am, we recorded 7 loops, logging a little over 87.5km. No fatigue yet, just plain adrenalin kicking in. We had 6 loops to go in the next 12 hours if we wanted to meet our goal of 160kms+. Did I think we could do it? Absolutely. Another loop and we will have daylight to guide us better on the route. Through the night, I kept slipping, and falling, cycle chain would jump if I tried changing gears, and get stuck and had me running with the cycle, losing my phone, and searching for it in the fields alone, stumbling over rock and skipping became passe. Another loop and we had daylight. This brought on a different kind of trauma. The knowledge that any of those roots, rock, and narrow slippery paths could have had me taking a serious tumble was unsettling. But that is endurance sport to you. Deal with it, I thought to myself. I got through the night, and that’s that! As runners were set off in waves, path was crowded and half the trail wasn’t fit for cycling. So we ran those sections together, instep to maintain pace, and ease the strain of another step. What a sight it was to see runner after a runner pass us by both ways, greet if they knew us and cheer us loop after loop. It was great to experience their energy,  so bountiful, after a full 12 hour night. We felt refreshed, reenergised, and motivated to keep putting one foot in front of another with each passing runners’ encouraging words.

By the time we hit 20 hours mark, heat started to get to us. That day heat peaked at 39 degrees. For our tired bodies, it felt to be much higher. Hydration! We paid attention, and our crew Rajeev, Manisha and Ajay helped us cool off with ice rubs after each loop. What an essential factor it was during those hot noon hours. Manjula had come back that morning, and was keeping Nischal company on the route, ensuring she doubled-over and laughed at her jokes!!! Manjula is known for her pjs as we call ’em, but can’t help laughing every single time. They are intelligent, and highly apt 🙂 It actually helps to have such a pacer when one is struggling to stay focused, and log the miles.

As it got closer to 22 hours, we were neither in a position to go back for a longer loop psychologically not logistically. We wanted to hit the 24 hour mark and that was what the thought was. Santhosh and I decided to run shorter loops at that point of time, to manage our energy, be closer to the aid-station, and hit the time stop as planned. We calculated that, if we kept up the current pace, we could complete 160km n 24 hours. We trotted, walked, and ran at a good stride through the last 1 and half hours as our body’s limited resources influenced every step at that point of time. We came down one last short loop in the last 16 minutes, and it was a beautiful feeling, all tiredness pretty much starting to feel alien. We went out walking, and came back strong, sprinting the home stretch! WOW. We did it!!! What else? What more? Can we ask for anything more? I can’t think of anything at that moment, but I know we are moving on to bigger and tougher things! Now I can always say I have done 24 hours at a stretch when someone asks me although I know I have gone longer during my races! For me, it simply is a confirmation of my own strength, both physically and mentally, and a confirmation of my friends’ faith in me that I will stand by them when it matters.

Santhosh that day crossed a few milestones, set a record for himself with 160kms in 24 hours, and set the bar high for ultra runners. He is a runner, a coach, an educator and a great friend. Come join us for more runs, and the Strides of Hope in particular if you want to run a mile or a 100 with us in January 2011. Check out the event at http://www.stridesofhope.com.

Barriers?

Find me some! Nothing feels undoable, and no fences seem visible. I must have regained my sharp sense of self and determination over the last half decade as nothing feels impossible, no barrier feels logical and practically, everything seems simple. Now don’t say I am weird! Have put it to test, and I am totally sane 🙂

We have had a few busy weekends, and we were ready for another one. It had been pouring in Bangalore for the last few months, but that day was an exception and only the sky was overcast. Manjula and I decided to head out a little early so we won’t be late for the race briefing that Friday evening. As usual, we were the first ones there! A little later one by one, they made their entrance, and after a bit of socializing, briefing was under way by 4.30pm. Riders listened intently while I went over the race rules to prepare to crew the next day.

GR Photofile: Arriving at race brief venue. Pic courtesy organizers.

GR Photofile: The brief! All very attentive 🙂 Photo courtesy organizers.

GR Photofile: Riders, crew and race director. Picture courtesy organizers.

GR Photofile: Vivek and Manjula with Sriram. Picture courtesy organizers.

I was Manjula’s sole crew so we hired two drivers who would take turns to drive. Slow driving on busy highways can be tiresome and we didn’t want to take a chance. We were preparing for a 20 hour haul you see! Little did we know at the time that Manjula will storm through those miles under 13 hours!

We were getting a little anxious as we still had things to pick up for the race. We said our goodbyes and packed up by 6.30pm to go pick up ice, and first-aid. I still needed to cook Manjula’s meals and pack ’em for the next morning. To add to all the time constraints, it was Diwali that day, and I hadn’t yet lit lamps I wanted to in and around the house! Diwali is one festival I like being a part of just for the lights! Dropped Manjula at her house and came home to light the lamps and decorate the outside! It was beautiful night with no rain, and made it easy to see flickering lamps light up the area! What a beautiful sight! Wrapping up the celebration, I got to making Manjula’s meals and packing for the race day, sorting through and remembering where each thing went. By the time I hit the bed it was close to 2am! Alarm went off at 3.30am and it was time to load up and pick up Manjula!

As I loaded up the cycle and bags in to the car, and waited for the driver to arrive, I had a sudden realization that I don’t have the key with me, and that I locked it in the trunk! Panic aside, I decided to not spend time searching for it beyond the usual places such my pockets, inside the car, and around the car as I hadn’t gone anywhere besides load up luggage from the time I pulled the car out of the garage! A mad dash by my loyal team of helpers to Manjula’s house and back to pick up the spare key I have to say, saved the day! Another incident the previous night in combination with morning’s one had me wondering if we weren’t meant to be at the race line!!! My driver fell in to the sump in the garage after parking the car, and hurt himself a little and losing the use of his phone for it was water logged! Again, my loyal helpers at the apartment came to the rescue, giving him their phone so we could communicate, and picking him up in the early hours just so he wasn’t late to take me to the race! What more can I say about someone’s loyalty and generosity? That’s what makes all these adventures so unique. Every one of them is an experience, and very varied!

Picked up Manjula just a few minutes later than planned and made our way to the race venue. As we hit the last few kms to the place, Vivek’s KYNKYNY race jeep pulled right in front of us, and Manjula and I smiled seeing that! The race was on, already 🙂 Vivek and us were the first ones to arrive, and as one by one started to arrive, a charged atmosphere was evident! Crew and volunteers started to pour in as well. It was great to see so many I know and ride with. Though having met the man, Samim, only the previous day and interacted only a little, I knew what was in store for the riders! Have heard about him but had never seen him in action and, a treat was in store! Mechanical checks, breakfast, and chatter all done, it was time to flag off the event by 7am. Manjula had her nerves in check by the time race started, and lined up behind Samim to be flagged off. It was going to be a rolling start as the first 9kms ride was going to be on traffic-heavy roads. Sriram flagged them off, Samim lead them, and all the crew cars followed the official cars.

GR Photofile: Riders, crew, volunteers and organizers. Each on their own mission.

GR Photofile: Intimidation? 🙂 Friendly warfare!

GR Photofile: Manjula and her crew.

GR Photofile: Manjula just before the race.

GR Photofile: Getting a handle on nerves before the race.

GR Photofile: Vivek. More nerves!

GR Photofile: The race

GR Photofile: Samim signaling start of the race.

GR Photofile: A little nervous himself? Every race director should be 🙂

From the moment riders hit the road, they were in good safe hands of Samim the Race Director, who constantly ensured all riders stayed in line, traffic wasn’t upon them, and kept a safe look out for all riders! As a Race Director myself, I knew this was going to be a race to remember and long for more! Samim, Sriram, and the team did a fabulous job with race details, route instructions, and management, and as we saw on the route, time-station support was on the mark. I would have been disappointed if it was otherwise!

GR Photofile: Riding together till Kengeri. Samim keeping the pack together.

GR Photofile: That was just beautiful to see all riders, disciplined and focused.

GR Photofile: Shobhit and Manjula

GR Photofile: Sam riding with Manjula

Manjula suffered through the first 30kms with muscles which were too tight, and mildly cramping. Pain was visible in her expression as she pushed to keep up, and get in to a rhythm. Once we hit Kengeri, and riders were free to pursue the target, Manjula fell behind, and knowing her, I knew it was affecting her. As for in any competition, not being the last one is a major morale booster. We hit the first aid station with her still not feeling completely at ease with the pace, but when I saw her shoot through the aid station without as much as a call for additional water, I knew she was settling in physically and emotionally, and boy was I right! She picked up speed, and started to communicate more with the crew. It was then that Samim pulled up next to her and rode along as his agenda was. It was a beautiful sight! Two power riders cruising along the highway. Sight of riders does something to me! Its that raw power that is on display, which impresses upon me the beauty of the sport!

Samim left to find Shobhit, the young rider from Mumbai, who hadn’t ridden beyond 70kms till that day! He tried on cleats for the first time that previous day during the race briefing, and here he was pedaling away on Mysore highway with a goal of completing 300kms!!! If that is not sheer determination, I can’t imagine sharing another glowing example!

Just before the second time station is when she wanted to eat any solids, and that too, handed to her as she rode! She was on a mission, and she was on a roll! She cruised through the second time station as well, and this time she looked strong. Samim was at the aid station and he rode along to catch up with her again, and after a short while rode ahead to find others. By now she was clocking about 28kms/hour on an average, peaking at 31.57kms/hr on the return.

We found Aman struggling again with his cycle, which seems to need attention quite often. This time it seemed to be his tires! We passed him and Samim, and started the Chamundi climb! She didn’t break a sweat! I was waiting for her to signal us to stop, or catch a breath before she dived headlong in to the climb! After all, she just did 140kms+ non-stop!! Not a word. All she wanted was some food handed to her, and kept pedaling. It certainly was a beautiful day for some serious cycling. Cloudy and not too hot, humid but not too stuffy. This is my first time to Chamundi, and I loved it. This is Samim’s second climb of the day already, and he was making it look as though he was riding flats. I couldn’t help but watch the man ride!!! Some power there, and some grace! Ok, before I break in to a song and dance about it, let me tell you more about the day’s ride 🙂

GR Photofile: Aman, and Samim. Aman's cycle needing attention.

GR Photofile: Shobhit's support. Manjula on the way to Chamundi.

GR Photofile: Samim and Aman.

The third time station was on top of Chamundi, where Sriram waited for us. A quick dash for a sip of water, and off she went again. She is an extremely responsible rider, and yet, I was worrying about her nutrition. It looks as though she hadn’t eaten much, but in reality, she was maintaining an even consumption routine. A banana here, a biscuit there, some protein biscuits now and then, a good dose of water, coconut water, and electrolytes.

GR Photofile: Making her way up Chamundi

GR Photofile: Love that! Samim.

GR Photofile: Half way to the top. Samim

GR Photofile: Almost up to the top. Manjula

GR Photofile: At the third aid-station on top of Chamundi. Shobhit. Samim and Aman.

As we got ready to leave the Chamundi time station, Shobhit, Aman, and Samim reached the top, and I was thinking that there was no sign of Anita. We saw and passed her support car a few times when I would stop to pick up replenishment for Manjula, but haven’t seen it in a while in the recent hours. She is one power rider too, and she has got the whole Cleated Warrior team backing her up 🙂 or rather cheering for her, and Sandeep and Reena crewing for her. Cleated Warriors is one fun team with a whole lot of potential, great show, and passion to ride and accomplish. Wondered if she had a flat or something mechanical.

GR Photofile: On her way back to Bangalore

As we hit the downhill, I was psyched, but I don’t know about my rider. She looked as though she was just getting started. Physically, I know it wasn’t exactly that, but her spirit was just getting in to the groove of things. For any endurance athlete, that is a major factor in winning or losing, or just finishing. Half way down, I saw Anita climbing. It felt good to see her, looking strong on that climb. From pictures shared by her, I know Samim met her on the uphill, and rode with her again all the way to the top! That was the third climb for Samim that day! Unthinkable? Yep!!!!

I am kind of lost for words here. I want to write so much about all the power riders that day. Each of them in their own element, fighting cramps, braving mad traffic, pushing back self-doubt, and a journey surreal. This is the first of its kind endurance cycling event in India, the Bangalore-Chamundi-Bangalore, 300k. Conceptualized by Samim and worked on by Sriram and their team, it is meant to push the barriers of endurance, and prepare riders for more to come. Cycling as a sport has picked up multifold in the last few years, and riders are itching to experiment, reach for higher goals, and push those muscles to more pain. BCB got the perfect launch. It was actually perfect to have the number of riders it did, who were in every sense of it involved in their ride, and the event, and were there for pure passion of the ride, and represented the spirit of the sport. A smashing hit among riders? A resounding yes.

Vivek, Craig, Shreyas, and Dipankar zoomed by us on our way to Chamundi, in the opposite direction, and we were guessing that some of them had already pulled in to the finish zone by the time we hit the first time-station on the way back. Later I will find out that Vivek pushed through cramps for a whole of 160kms! Major madness there is to this man! As per his self confession, he isn’t an endurance rider. He rode that day for sheer pleasure of riding an event Samim was involved in. Dipankar and Craig pulled in second and third, and Shreyas rode to the finish line after them.

GR Photofile: Manjula approaching the last timestation before reaching Bangalore

GR Photofile: Night riding begins on the way back to Bangalore

Reaching the second time station on the return marked the beginning of an end. In her mind, I knew it was time to go all out, and see if she can make it under 12 hours. I fixed the light on her cycle, and signaled for her to go for it. I wasn’t only crewing, but was also her mechanic as well! I simply love to see a good rider have what they deserve, a good machine.

As the day light faded, managing traffic that kept cutting her off got a little rough. We also realized that the light she was using wasn’t doing her any good. We tagged along doing out best to protect her from crazy riders, and drivers, hoping no one will crash her. A few almost did, and my heart would jump in to my throat as I saw the near misses. Mad rush to give her water at red lights, trying to stay with her in the traffic, and losing her on the way due to stalled traffic marked the night ride. We had once lost her that morning losing the sight of her for a minute while a car crossed her, and the knowledge that she left the water with us, with no money and phone, was traumatic enough till we found her again! I wouldn’t want to lose her at night on the rode from Kengeri to finish. Known for people being mugged, and crazy onwards traffic, it was essential to stay with her, and let her now tired senses be subjected to no additional strain. We kept watching the clock, and had been strategising for a under-12 finish. But when we had about 40kms left she already hit the 12 hour mark, and the chase was now to finish under 13 🙂 and boy did she do it. If any of you rode the Kengeri route, you will know that it is the last mile uphill that can get anyone, and this was a good 7 km uphill all the way to the finish line. You can see her power pedaling through that uphill after putting herself through 290kms already in mad traffic. I had been taking pictures of her while sitting on the car door window, and two cops on a motorcycle wanted to know what in the world I was doing! I pointed to Manjula and told them that we were in the middle of a race, and supporting her was what I was doing. They rode right next to her, looked at her, and fell back to tell me ‘cool, maadi, maadi 🙂 ‘. That was cool 🙂

GR Photofile: After the turn at Kengeri, and on the home stretch.

Samim had been following everyone’s progress, and when I updated him on Manjula’s progress he said that Anita and Shobhit were on their way, and that Shobhit was riding like a man possessed. How apt! That was exactly what I was thinking about Manjula. She was riding like a woman possessed. As the uphills seemed never ending, she started to ask the dreaded question, how many more miles to go. Right around the bend, we kept telling her. Can’t break that pace right now, and can’t have her wobbling on that cycle on the uphills. Sure as the sunrise, she pulled in to the finish line smiling, and mighty proud 🙂 Look at that smile, and what a hug I got from her! We could not believe what she just pulled off! A downtime of barely 25 minutes or so through the entire ride! Unbelievable!!! But then again, that is what endurance sport is all about. Digging deep for strength, which seems non-existent, pushing for power that only comes from sheer grit, and fighting a mind, which is fighting back.

GR Photofile: All done!

GR Photofile: The team!!!

She rolled through the finish line in 12 hours 48 minutes, and powered through the last 40kms in under 85 minutes. She just proved that endurance sports aren’t dangerous, nor are they foolish. One chooses to do it if they are ready for it. There is always the stray someone who will push that limit despite not being ready, but that doesn’t represent the general endurance athlete who prepares for it physically and emotionally. One doesn’t wake up and walk to a 100-mile start line. Lets cheer all the endurance athletes who are breaking through all barriers, and limitations to make India a proud venue for endurance sports in the months and years to come. There are so many events lined up in the next couple of months that for cycling and running in the ultra endurance category, it makes me proud to be part of it all in any which way, whether I am organizing, participating, volunteering and/or crewing. Its the complete experience that makes the sport so endearing.

Three cheers to all the organizers of BCB, Samim and Sriram for conceptualizing, visualizing and implementing, and for Samim for having ridden 350kms plus that day ensuring safety and comfort of riders. My friend Manjula who gave me the opportunity to crew for her. Every endurance athlete goes through a lot of contemplation before asking someone to crew for them. Trust, dependency, and patience is what they look for, and one too many athletes have had their races come to end just because of bad crew. Lets acknowledge all the crew members and volunteers at BCB, who worked hard to ensure this was a safe, fun, and competitive race. If you missed it, you will find the next announcement here when the organizers are ready with the next event. You can also check with Samim about their next plans. You will find him on facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=259887&id=543684680&comments&ref=notif&notif_t=photo_album_comment#!/profile.php?id=744658110.

We just might go back to our old tag line of Run, Ride, Endure 🙂 We just love it all. Congratulations Manjula on a challenge well met and a win well deserved.

Spinning the Wheels: Chennai Ride, launching BSA Tour of Tamil Nadu

I quite feel like I have wheels on my feet these days! Seriously. How else can one explain a life that is in motion constantly? We just finished ASHA 8K run, organized by my fellow runner and friend Santhosh, and we set off to Chennai to participate in a BSA Tour of TamilNadu launch ride organized by another friend, Suresh. Manjula and I reached Chennai at about 8pm, and decided to explore a bit of the place where we were staying and set out on foot. We had seen an authentic Saravana restaurant on the way in, and with hungry stomachs, and temptation of good food at hand, we weaved our way to the place through traffic filled roads. It rained heavily on the drive-in but nothing can change Chennai’s humid weather! It was pleasant though that evening to walk the rain soaked roads. Saravana restaurants aren’t famous for no good reason. Its authentic vegetarian food appeal goes a long way, and a wait of atleast 15 minutes to be seated is the norm. Once we got seated though we were ready to devour whatever was placed in front of us. Alas my appetite had taken a beating over the last few days, and all I could eat were mini idlis and a cup of milk! Manjula though enjoyed her meal, and we hung out chatting for a little bit until we realized our table was needed! Such is the demand for that place 🙂

Suresh having been tied up with the ride logistics was unable to meet us

early that evening, and we decided to call it a night so we could be out and on our way early in the morning. We had unloaded our cycles and stored them in the guesthouse office just so no one dreamed of walking away with them! Temptation, you know!

GR Photofile: Breakfast before the ride

Having been talking to Suresh about the event, I knew it would be spectacular and. it was! The group of cyclists included those we knew earlier, either via facebook (I have come to like fb quite a bit these days for having reconnected with a lot of my friends, and having met some very nice runners, and cyclists!) or personally. Others we got to know very quickly, introduced by Suresh, and cycle speak doing the rest!! BSA official, General Manager N.Shankar and AC Mohandas, IAS of TN tourism. S. Ramaswamy, CFO, Star Health and Insurance, Stewardson Raghavan, COO of EMRI, 108 Ambulance support were there to flag us off, and say a few words about the event and their association with it. Its great to see such support to events in India as they are just beginning to take off, and interest has increased multifold in the recent few years.

GR Photofile: Sponsors meeting the riders, and representing their organizations.

GR Photofile: BIkes at the ride.

GR Photofile: Before the ride at the Island Park.

GR Photofile: Chennai riders.

GR Photofile: On the highway

GR Phtofile: On Chennai roads.

We set off at 8.10am to cover a distance of 85kms from Island Grounds to Vedanthangal bird sanctuary. Riding through the city is a very different experience in general, and getting to see Chennai on wheels was a totally memorable experience. We weaved through traffic or should I say heaved through? 🙂 It was fun but at times a little scary with buses and trucks whizzing by at high speeds, and not bothered to look left or right! Once we got out of the city and to wider roads, it was all the most enjoyable, and Manjula and I found ourselves quite ahead of the pack, and were joined by a few riders, Bharani, and Gokul. Anuradha took off after about half an hour as she had a concert that night. She is a wonderful playback singer, having sung one of my favorites from Taal – ‘Ishq bina kya’! What an eclectic bunch of riders the group had! Totally welcoming of us, and loving every minute of the ride. There was an experience to be had there, and Manjula and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Weather too held up without run until 10am when it got hot and showed us Chennai might 🙂

GR Photofile: Pit stop

GR Photofile: Pit stop

It was interesting that I couldn’t find bottled water at any of the road-side stores! With sun beating down on us and aid stop a little ways, I tried getting some water and was out of luck. Suresh, the efficient guy that he is, showed up just in time in his support vehicle, and replenished our water resources. We rode along Ryan for a while and powered on to find ourselves in the lead pack again. This time Bharani kept us company all the way till we reached the sanctuary turn off. There we found one of the riders struggling through cramps, and stopped to look in to it, and then took him along to complete the last 6 kms at a slow pace. It took us 3 hours 35 minutes to complete the ride.What awaited us was a feast, sponsored by Ananda Bhavan. A vegetarian fair of rice, roti, curries, and yogurt was yummilicious to stay the least!

GR Photofile: Suresh saved us with water, and Ryan road with us later!

GR Photofile: Vibhav, the youngest rider with Suresh.

GR Photofile: Everyone devouring food 🙂

We were seriously tempted to stay and ride the ECR the next morning. Suresh lured us with promises of splendid dinners and personal tour of Chennai or wherever we wanted to go. But, our commitments back in Bangalore had us loading up our cycles, and heading back post lunch. We couldn’t say enough goodbyes as we were so taken by the crowd, and were smitten by their affection and care! We are certain we will go back to ride with them at the earliest chance we get, and look forward to them coming to ride with us in Bangalore. Srinath Rajam, and Neville were to come for Bulldog Sportz’s Bangalore – Chamundi – Bangalore ride, scheduled for November 5th, but said they might not be able to make it. It would be great to see them compete.

GR Photofile: The group after the ride, and lunch. Needed the food to revive on that hot day!

Sundar Rajan, 62, rode a full 170km and was the senior most rider, while Vaibhav, 12, was the youngest rider to complete 85kms. Venkataraman Venkatadri, Vaibhav’s father rode with him, making it a father-son duo, and an awesome image to take away from the ride. Vasanth Ramaswamy who is also the leader of TOT is a co-founder of TamilNadu Cycling club along with Sundar and Suresh Kumar.

There was Kenny from the Times, who suffered a minor fall but was a sport and tagged along in the support vehicle to see everyone finish. Besides that the event was off to a great start and completed successfully.

Gayatre Rajam, an athlete herself, completed 85 kms, and Vidya Singh, not having ever ridden a gear cycle earlier, completed 59 kms. Indira, an active rider, who also is a classical dancer, completed the full 85kms and rode strong.

GR Photofile: Anu, Kavitha, Manjula and Indira at the begining of the ride.

GR Photofile: Vidya Singh at the registration

GR Photofile: Suresh with riders.

GR Photofile: Chennai cheerful riders 🙂

GR Photofile: What an awesome bunch of riders!!

Since we had to head back to Bangalore we could not make it to the tour of bird sanctuary but the rest of the group enjoyed a guided tour that afternoon.

GR Photofile: Riders in the bird sanctuary. Picture courtesy Suresh.

GR Photofile: Riders at the bird sanctuary after the ride. Photo courtesy Suresh.

It was a ride we decided to go to on Suresh’s insistence and for the love of riding, and that weekend is etched somewhere deep down in the recesses of my memory for its fun factor, energy, and the adrenalin rush. Two days of power packed activity made the weekend a perfect one. Here are the details of the tour we launched that day: http://www.facebook.com/simmsimm#!/event.php?eid=127706670583267. Tamil Nadu is known for its temples, rich history and beautiful coastline. Check it out and be part of the tour that drives home the message of a cleaner, greener environment.

ASHA 8K – Yearly run and more.

Event: October 30, 2010.

Last year’s ASHA was so much fun. We rode to the school on Sarjapur road, spent the morning with kids and adults running the 8k, manning the route on our cycle, and at times on foot when we lost our cycle to one of the kids who wanted to test out ‘aunty’s gear cycle’ :).  I was part of another ASHA run earlier held at Valley school, the one which I ran instead of volunteering. After this one though, I swore to myself that I will not miss volunteering at any of the runs.

Year later, and my crazy schedules permitting, I got to experience a weekend of runs, and rides that will be etched in my memory. ASHA run was held at Ananya, a school were Santhosh volunteers. Once  you step in to the school, no one can miss serenity and beauty of the place, set in a small compound. Maintained and kept clean by resident student themselves, it serves to teach them basic cleanliness, and routine of a daily life. What one couldn’t miss on this day though are the log huts that were all decked up to attract ‘customers’. Yes, customers 🙂 Santhosh and other resident staff got together and created projects which were owned by different sets of students to create, package and sell items such as diyas, friendship band, and terracota jewerly. I, personally, couldn’t contain my joy at seeing all those well made, tastefully packed, and professionally sold products. I bought all my Diwali gifts, and some for my home. I intend to recycle those empty diyas next year. They are that good!

GR Photofile: Ananya students' co-ops

GR Photofile: Stores set up by Ananya kids

GR Photofile: Stores set up by Ananya kids

This project was meant to teach kids simple crafts, business skills, maths and management. They are natural, one could see, and felt as though they have been doing this forever! Three cheers to all those who thought of the projects, encouraged and got kids involved, and spent all that time and energy to help kids expand their horizon.

GR Photofile: Stores set up by Ananya kids

Runners gearing up for the run.

GR Photofile: Flying high

Kids were allowed to pick their duties and contribute as best as they can to create team work and teach a sense of responsibility.

GR Photfile: Kids from other schools and organizations registering to run, and Ananya kids doing their duties.

GR Photofile: Ananya kids are taught discipline and to care for themselves, which you can see here.

GR Photofile: Place to find hot idlis and sambar, with chai.

GR Photofile: Keeping the environment clean!

There were runners from all walks of life, spastic society kids donning smart yellow tees, barefoot runners both kids and adults, ladies clad in sarees, which neither dampened their spirit nor their love of running, kids hopping playfully and spreading laughter and joy, Ananya kids manning the route to ensure no one got lost, Ananya kids again manning the water station and doing a beautiful job of it making sure no one went thirsty, hot hot idlis and sambar waiting for runners as they made it back to Ananya,

GR Photofile: Saree not a deterrent!

GR Photofile: Barefoot running. Its all in the stride 🙂

GR Photofile: Shoes or not!

GR Photofile: Aidstation manned by Ananya kids.

GR Photofile: A little tired 🙂

If this doesn’t make your weekend a happy one, can’t say what else can 🙂 I was so full of energy post all of it, I was restless while driving to Chennai that afternoon 🙂 Glad there was a ride to be part of the next morning, and spend that energy, or did I? There was more energy there than I could absorb !!!

GR Photofile: High energy kids

GR Photofile: Its all about running!

If you ever want to experience something as beautiful as this, below is information which will help you find next ASHA runs.

If you want to know the program Santhosh is involved in please go to: http://www.ashanet.org/bangalore/teamasha8k/index.html, and if there is any area, which interests you and you would like to be involved in, please write to Santhosh at santhosh.padmanabhan@gmail.com. He will put your volunteering hours and resources to good use. There is much more to ASHA activities than the 8k run I am writing about here.

First steps – 100milers

We did it! India’s 100mile races got off to a great start with many runners setting personal and course records! What a weekend it was. 16 male and 3 female runners blazed the trail as though yet to cool off winter’s heat wasn’t hot enough 🙂 After contemplating for months, we at Globeracers launched the first in a series of 100mile races to be held across the country. It was the perfect setting for those who wanted to test their limits. A trail that needed focus, heat that seared, and humidity that drained – a perfect setting for a tough race. 100-mile runners set off at 5am and soon the 50-mile and 30-mile runners followed. By 6.30am temperatures started to rise touching 37C with peak temps setting in by 1pm. 5 lakes, though beautiful, only added to the humidity topping 65%.

GR Photofile: 100-mile racers Arun and Roger waiting for the clock 🙂

GR Photofile: 30 and 50-mile runners waiting for their start.

GR Photofile: Roger accompanying Arun on his last lap

Roger, who puts on Annapurna race in Nepal, set out to run 100-miles, while Arun set a pace for himself for the coming 200km run in Calcutta. Every passing hour brought on more heat, and more suffering to the runners. To add to the misery, there were shallow gorges to cross, rocky paths to watch out for, and thorny bushes leaving their mark! We didn’t intend to make this run an easy one, setting the stage for a tough 100-mile series in 2011 starting with Golconda 100 in March 2011 in the city of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh with road/trail in mildly hot weather, Western Ghats 100 in June 2011 near the city of Bangalore, Karnataka with mountain trails in rainy weather, and Bhati 100 – II in Delhi in October 2011 in the end summer season weather rounding off with a 24-hour road race in Mumbai in December 2011. That is one packed 2011, in addition to our Multi-day races in Thar desert and the Himalayas 🙂

Pre-race get together had some runners showing up directly from airport, those who thought couldn’t make it show up, and some just before everyone left, but we were glad they could make it and get to know each other a little. Volunteers were there too taking in the energy and gearing up for the big morning. Sadly though some of the volunteers weren’t there with us at the race when Parvinder Singh, Andrew, and one of the runners, Manjula Sridhar stepped in and made the day!

Through the day we had Manjula like a true champion that she is, drop out to volunteer, Ravi almost give up and go back to finish 30-miles, Santhosh wavering after 60kms and deciding to push for a strong finish after a string of DNFs, Roger deciding to finish 50miles rather than a 100, Corinna, Dickie, Prem, Anand, Darvesh, Snorre, Ken, Asha, Tejpal, and Chinar finishing their first Ultra, Asha going beyond a 50km distance, Rahul being the first victim of the heat and needing to drop out due to cramps, and Arun settling in to a steady pace for a strong 100-mile finish. Amit and Dinesh dropped out after the first 20kms and called it a day, the only runners who didn’t finish, officially.

As the runners were weighed after every 20kms, a first for many of them, each of them experienced a different process of sorts, and were seen discussing their weight loss/gain and analyzing their runs, food habits, and their nutrition and water intake during the run. It looked as though they all learned something about their own run habits! Although many seemed to think their timing wasn’t good enough, it was a matter of mind over body that day when every runner who finished, finished strong, and left the field elated, and vindicated. All that training, and confidence were perfectly put to use.

Suraj Kund cops did their mandatory rounds to ensure all the runners were safe, and there weren’t any mishaps on the route, while runners struggled through heat and waning determination. They were supportive throughout and ensured we felt welcome and protected when a couple of mining inspectors showed up to check whether or not we were camping there to steal precious resources with coolers of water, and tents!

Suraj Kund management was extremely accommodating in allowing us to run through their development and camp on their premises. AllSports, Fitz Coke, Fortis, Suunto, RedBull, all were generous in their support and sponsorship. Archit of Real Adventures, our logistics partner survived 40 sleepless hours without a gripe!

Our volunteer interns came in the form of Delhi College students, who wanted to understand what the races are all about and how they worked. We enjoyed having them with us and seeing their perspective and take on things. Quite refreshing. Seen here is Prashant.

GR Photofile: Prashanth, one of our student volunteers.

GR Photofile: Santhosh receiving his certificate and medal. A much needed finish.

GR Photofile: Darvesh on the trail. Picture courtesy Manjula

GR Photofile: Vikram on the trail. Picture courtesy Manjula.

Beer at the finish line made it all worth it, especially for Prem, who told us that he would be expecting a pint to make all the punishment worthwhile. We are glad to have a set of runners who understand the sport, live for a challenge, and excel. Roger completed 50-miles with ease, and we felt that he gave up after enduring the toughest part of the race, running 50 miles at the hottest hour of the day, and giving up as it cooled down. He says he will come back to finish. We look forward to it. Asha walked her last few miles and finished as the night fell while Arun kept up his steady pace. As we settled in to the night, Arun was the sole runner on the route, logging miles after miles. As dawn broke, Roger came back to see Arun finish, and ran the last lap with him, which Arun sprinted! Some power he had left in those legs!

GR Photofile: Runners chilling post race.

Arun was the only one to finish 100miles, Santhosh finished first in Men’s category, 50miles, Asha was the only woman in the 50-mile category and finished strong, while Snorre finished first in Men’s category, 30-miles, and Corinna stood first in Women’s category, 30-miles.

GR Photofile: Runners still looking good after the race.

What more can a race director ask for? Runners who are happy, a race that concludes without any major incident, and smiles at the finish line. We, at Globeracers, are very much looking forward to a strong 2011 racing season. Ultras in India are here to stay! Come race with us and, yes, consider it a run on your vacation in India 🙂 That’s the way of a Globeracer!