I
have always believed that one does not conquer a mountain. The mountain
welcomes us to experience her and in the process we are conquered. The Everest
Base Camp trek undertaken last year taught me a thing or two about the
magnanimity of the mountains. I survived
the acute mountain sickness and came back with a truckload of fond memories
including the simplicity of mountain life and real experiences of the summit
mountaineers.
David
McCullough Jr. one famously said, “Climb the mountain not to plant your flag,
but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so
you can see the world, not so the world can see you.”
Providentially,
nearly a year ago, my running mentor and guru, Daniel Vaz, sent me this inspirational
one-liner. How was I to know I would learn the very same lesson by running and
walking the 100 kms of the Blue Nilgiri Mountains in South India?
The
whole journey has been a very humbling lesson for which I will be eternally
grateful and something, I am sure, I will fondly recollect even on my deathbed.
And,
that is why, this blog post to share my experiences for posterity.
After
running the 50K in the Hesarghatta trails at Bangalore in November 2012, it was
always in my mind to experience the joy of long distance running beyond 50 kms.
And this year, sometime in February, I decided that I wanted to run an UltraMarathon.
When
I wrote to Daniel Vaz about it, the plan was to attempt 75 kms in 2013. Since this
also had to coincide with my annual India trip in December, I started searching
for a suitable race around that time. The GlobeRacers Nilgiris 100 kms UltraMarathon,
conducted by Kavitha and her efficient team, fell right in place. The scenic
hill station of Ooty in South India, backdrop of the beautiful Nilgiri hills, lush
green tea gardens, and the first women’s only Ultra – the allure of this
phenomenal experience was irresistible.
The
catch was they only had a 50 kms or 100 kms category. With trepidation, I decided
to go for the 100 kms. After the registration, I reassured myself to take it
one day at a time in training and only go for it provided all went well and I
could train safely without injuries.
As
if the 100K challenge was not enough, I also turned vegan in May 2013.
Going
vegan was in my mind for a very long time.
I had been reading about the various benefits of vegetarianism and
veganism. As a health practitioner, I also needed to experiment on myself before
I could tell others about its benefits with conviction.
Having
said that, some amazing people like Scott Jurek (author of ‘Eat and Run’ and a
world famous ultra marathoner), Rich Roll and Brendan Braizer have been down
this path before.
I
also found vegan inspiration from within India - Vaishali Kasture (Boston
qualifier), Deepthi Prasanna, Venkatraman Pichumani (cardiac survivor and
evangelist of good health and running), and many more people had many lessons
and insights on vegan running and nutrition.
I did
not need any more convincing that this is the way forward for me. Sometime in
May 2013, I gave up totally on all animal products including egg, milk,
chocolate, cheese and honey. However, I also needed to take some Vitamin D and
B12 supplements since I discovered I was low on these during routine blood
tests.
On
the positive side, after turning vegan, the recovery after all the hard runs
and workouts was extraordinarily amazing. I did not experience any soreness and
always raring to go the next day.
Along
with the physical challenge of the 100K and the nutritional challenge of
turning vegan, I realized that I also had to train my mind. I was sure that the
structured training by Dan would get my body in shape. But, I also needed
something to make my mind unwavering. I began to religiously practice Isha Kriya meditation for thirty minutes every day.
 |
| My gratitude poster for the Nilgiris 100 Km UltraMarathon |
Six
months of intense physical training included waking up at 4 am, running back-to-back
long distances, alternate speed runs, hills on treadmill, tempo runs, whole
body strength and logging almost close to 250+ kms every month from August. But
obviously, a visit to the physiotherapist for various niggles and sprains were
inevitable!
Finally,
in the beginning of the December of 2013, I was ready to pack my bags for
Bangalore where I would spend a week with my parents before driving down to
Ooty with a bunch of friends who were participating in the run. Conversation
with parents and relatives, eating home cooked delicacies by Mom, hydrating
every hour and being in the moment at every moment helped me to taper well and
feel rested in Bangalore.
I
had connected with Dharmendra, a wonderful runner and an amazing personality to
hitch a ride to Ooty. Together with Sudhir, Sanjay and Dharmendra, all mere
Facebook friends till that significant morning of 19th December, all
of us embarked on the car ride that would take us to the start of the
UltraMarathon.
Long
conversations on running and life ensued in Sudhir's car, which was driven by
Sanjay all the way to Ooty. We saw some interesting wildlife like peacocks,
spotted deer, kites, wild boars and monkeys at Masinagudi and Bandipur. And
then, as we turned a corner, we saw the glorious Nilgiris hills at a distance.
My heart skipped a beat imagining what was to unfold in the next 48 hours! We
stopped a bit for group photographs. Dharmendra climbed up a tree and was doing
pull ups on a branch! It was an instant childlike moment. The air was crisp and we could smell tea when
we reached Ooty around 5 pm. The race organizers, Kavitha and her team had gone
for marking the tracks and setting up the course.
It
was a solitary and contemplative moment. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said,
"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen".
My family, particularly my soul mate, my parents, sisters and brothers, my running
coach, Dan, a wonderful bunch of amazing friends and, not to forget, all those
who donated graciously to Isha Vidhya had actively conspired to get me to this
starting point as I embarked on the 100 km journey.
But
before the women’s only run on the 22nd, there was the men’s run
scheduled for the 21st. This gave me the opportunity to meet a lot
of runner acquaintances on the morning of the 20th after the bib
collection and pre-race discussions led by Kavitha, the lead race organizer.
Bare
foot Vishwanathan Jayaraman from Hubli was there along with his wife Bhanu. While
he has run 100 full marathons in 2013 and is a vegan, what makes him
extraordinary is that he is a true Gandhian who wears only self-spun khadi even
to work. His simple life permeates into his daily runs. And this made me have
even more respect for him and his supportive wife. His words to me were just as
simple, "Enjoy and feel the joy on the run, Priya. Everything else is
secondary".
Many
other runners made the moment truly magical. Lipsa Syal, attempting her first
100 kms, Abhijit Shome, Ashok Daniel, Bib Bala, Praveen Giriya, Kavitha, Vijay
Bariwal, Lihas and so many other Chennai and Ahmedabad runners. While many of
them were acquainted over Facebook, I was meeting many of them in person for
the first time. Jokingly, I told them that I was adding face to the book!
It felt
wonderful to chat with these stalwarts of ultra running who had inspiring
ideas, tips and experiences to share, not to mention the several photographs we
took in various groups.
As
the midnight of the 21st approached, I woke up to see the Men’s
Ultra participants off with some words of encouragement. The various
fluorescent colours, flashing headlamps and reflector gear in the dark was just
as fascinating as the cold outside, making all the fingers and toes numb. After
flagging them off, I tried hard to get some sleep, which was difficult with all
the excitement thinking of the women’s run the next day.
As
the afternoon approached, we were excited and happy to see the men ultra
runners finishing the race. Kieren D’Souza, all of 20 years and very mature to
take on the 100 kms, came first. Vishy, Dharmendra, Ashok and Abhijit followed
soon after. It was victory of mind over body and everyone had a story to tell
and share their experiences with us. It was extremely tough and humbling in
their words. I did feel a burst of happy emotion when I saw them cross the
finish line after the really long journey. For a moment, I wondered whether it
would be the same for us the next day?
I
had a picture of the course imprinted in my head. It was going to be 28 kms
mostly downhill followed by a 22 kms steep uphill gradient with hair pin bends
all the way to 50 kms followed by the same course backwards to the 100 K finish
mark!! My coach and me had agreed on a plan where I would run downhill and
adopt a run and walk uphill followed by brisk walking on the last uphill stretch.
I
carbo-loaded with simple lentils and rice, whole wheat bread, peanut butter,
bananas, dry cornflakes, dry fruits, dates, raisins, peanut and rajgira chikki
and hydrated with water through the day. I read some inspirational excerpts of
the book "Running with the mind of meditation" by Sakyong Mipham and
closed my eyes in peaceful meditation for a couple of hours in the afternoon.
As the evening of the 21st approached, I visualized the course and
the inclines over and over in my mind.
Sleep
was difficult and disturbed in all the nervous excitement, which got me even
more worried. Calls to hubby, Mom and Coach Dan, for some last minute pep talk,
helped get over the nervousness. I just had to take it one step at a time for
the children at Isha Vidhya and get it done. My mind was now ready for the
journey.
Around
10 pm, two hours before the starting gun, I started my pre race rituals that included
meditation, peanut butter sandwich, bananas, hydration and gearing up. Half an
hour before flag off I started warming up near the starting point. The
organizers took a few candid pictures of the gathering at the starting point. Much
later, after the race, I noticed that I was clutching the Isha Vidhya gratitude
poster close to my heart in all the pictures.
The
race started sharp at midnight. Four of us were running the 100 kms. Aparna
took off right away followed by Shibani and Lipsa who were running together
most of the time. I stuck to my race plan from the start and that meant that I was
slightly behind all of them.
There
was a car with Abhijit Yeole at the 37.5 kms mark and another car with
volunteers behind Lipsa and Shibani. Kavitha was following behind all of us in
her car to ensure compliance. At some point early in the race, Kavitha had a
doubt whether I was on the wrong track. I reassured her that I had spotted the
red arrow mark on the road. But, to be on the safe side, she went back to
check. I also ran back for almost 300 meters only to figure that I was on
track. This detour meant that I was far behind all the other runners by now.
My
first adventure of the race followed soon after. While many dogs near the
hutments were barking along the route on hearing our footsteps, not one dared
to actually chase us. And then, my flashlight spotted a pair of golden eyes
with yellow horns staring at me suddenly from the side of the road in the
hills. Only after crossing it, did I realize that it was a huge bison. Thankfully,
it did not charge at me, probably amused at all of us runners in the middle of
the night.
I
was running solo, enjoying the cool breeze of the hills. And then I turned off
the headlight to catch a glimpse of the moonlight and star studded sky. This
was truly a magical Zen moment. To see all those stars in a clear and tranquil
night sky made me realize our insignificance in relation to the cosmos.
Soon,
it was that transformational moment of daybreak. I spotted some domestic cats
cross the roads and some mongoose too. I never run with earphones, which
enabled me to soak in the sounds and sights of the elements. I heard the rustling leaves and the gurgling
of some falling water. The cool breeze made the experience even lovelier. There
were some local people on their morning routines. A quick hello in Tamil with
them and I moved on. This felt like paradise.
As
proof that I was hydrating well, I stopped for a few breaks to empty my bladder
on the sides of the road among the bushes. This was a moment of realization on
minimalism and how little we actually need to be happy. The rest of the run
downhill was a flow in absolute harmony.
At
the uphill incline with various hairpin bends towards Manjoor (Tamil for ‘city
amidst the fog’), I finally spotted Lipsa and Shibani. My race plan indicated a
run/ walk strategy for me at this stage. I waved them a hello and passed them
gradually. The rear car manned by Kavitha was following them now, instead of me.
Slowly one step at a time, I saw the Gandhi Statue marker and eventually
touched the 37.5 kms mark.
I
stopped for a quick water and gel refill at the aid station before moving on
from here. At this stage, Abhijit told me that Aparna was almost 2-3 kms ahead
of me with her own support crew. I ran through more tea gardens. I also saw a
mentally challenged man on the side of the road in the tea gardens and gave him
some dates. I heard the morning suprabatham from a speaker at a nearby temple
that calmed and soothed me. I was in a trance.
At
the break of dawn, it was another magical moment with the orange glow and a
line on the horizon, below which mist and dense fog covered the small town of
Ooty. The smell of morning fresh tea rafting through the air and some smoke rising
from the nearby huts told me that somewhere nearby, a morning cup was brewing.
This was when I realized that I had left the city far behind and was up on the
hills. I stood enthralled and did my salutations to the sun god. A young man
from one of the tea estates asked me in Tamil about the race. I answered him on
the run and he cheered me on.
The
morning bustle started soon. A bus was now plying on the garden route. Some
people on their bikes shouting out a cheer for me. Sporadically, some tea
pickers had started their walk to the tea garden, their place of work. Another
new day had begun.
By
now, Kavitha’s phone was my only connection with civilization. I was calling
her once in a while for being reassured that I was on the right path although I
had seen the arrow marks all along the route.
At
around 6.00 am, after approximately 45 kms, I left the tea gardens and suddenly
realized I was alone in a trail inside a forest. There were many langurs (black
faced monkeys) jostling up and down the trees. And then, at the 48.3 kms mark,
I heard a growl. After all the morning stillness, my ears were sharp to the
sounds around me. I instinctively knew that this was no ordinary growl. I stopped
to look around and I looked up to spot a leopard staring at me from a tree
almost 30 meters in front of me.
I
froze and stood still. The first thought in my mind was "I will soon be breakfast
for him, say your last prayers quickly". My heart also reached out to my
soul mate and my mother, “How will they react when they heard the news?”
The
cat did not budge for a minute, which made me a little less scared. I thought,
probably he was not hungry? He has had a kill and was resting? In a flash, the
entire previous big cat training came in handy. I stood erect and still for
another minute and gently walked backwards for almost 400 meters after which I
turned back and was walking away briskly. I took the phone out of the backpack
and frantically trying to reach out to Kavitha and my soul mate. No signal
whatsoever. For the first time in the whole run I experienced fear face to
face!
As I
was gently retreating backwards, I heard the footsteps of a human being behind
me. Never have I felt better about hearing another human sound. It was the
sound of help, the sound of me surviving!
It
was Aparna, who was returning back after touching the 50 kms mark. I briefly
told her about my encounter and my thoughts of returning from that point. I was
not going to sacrifice my life to finish the race, was I? She told me, “You
have reached this far, don't quit and get disqualified. Go reach the half way
mark, Priya. Everything will be fine” She was indeed extremely helpful to then allow
me her car and crew as support for the rest of the way till the 50 Km mark.
By
now probably because of the car and human sounds, the leopard had disappeared
when I crossed the tree. This was truly divine
intervention at work. I reached the 50 kms mark shaken but relieved. I requested
the support car to help follow Shibani and Lipsa, who were trailing me, through
the section, so that they do not encounter the danger I had to face.
I then
walked up to a small hut by the roadside, and used their washroom, thanks to
the caretaker of a tea garden and his wife.
I replaced the bandana and the headlamp with the visor and sunglasses. And,
this break helped me prepare for the second half of the run.
As
soon as Lipsa and Shibani arrived at the 50 Km mark, all three of us decided to
cross the trails running together with the support car behind us. Lipsa was
running strongly and I was just behind her, followed by Shibani. And Aparna was
way ahead of us.
After
almost 12.5 kms downhill on the tea gardens, Lipsa called it a day due to heat
and cramps. For someone who had done only 20 kms in training even daring the
100 kms was commendable and she managed to successfully finish 62.5 kms of
those 100. I was in awe of her mental strength and capability to take things in
stride and stop when her body told her too. The simple act of giving up spoke volumes
of the maturity and levelheadedness of this young woman.
By
now, at the 70 kms mark, the intense heat of the overhead sun in those hills was
shining straight on our heads. This heat with no tree cover, an uphill gradient
and hairpin bends was a killer combination.
In
spite of all the regular hydration, proper nutrition en route and a pacing
schedule, my body was breaking up and my legs were getting harder and stiffer. Many
a time, I held my legs and calves in agony. At such occasions, I sat inside the
support car for shielding from the sun, but only for thirty seconds of rest before
getting up to keep walking.
It became
a complete mind game here. One step at a time, one child to Isha Vidhya at a
time, I told myself. At one such
occasion, the car driver asked me in Tamil "At your age, why are you
taking so much trouble"? When I replied that it was to send some under-privileged
children to school, he thought I was mad to still go on! Honestly, I was past
the stage of caring for such remarks and I continued walking.
The
volunteers were extremely supportive, handing me water along the way from the
car. I also dropped off my backpack and felt lighter. At one point, after seeing my pain, Shashi
told me to travel in the car for some distance. It was all with good intentions
unable to see the struggle of my body on the hills. I declined politely and after that he never
asked me again. Instead, he jogged with me to encourage me to finish the proper
way.
At
the 85 km mark, I started sitting on the sidewalks frequently. At each
instance, I held my heavy legs, stretched a wee bit and got my heart rate to
normal. Then, within thirty seconds, I got up and walked again. I am glad I
never gave my mind more than thirty seconds of this respite. Had I sat longer,
I wonder if I would have ever gotten up.
The
struggle was intense, but I was hanging in there.
13
kms to the finish, Kavitha hopped out of her car and decided to walk/run with
me. She saw me go through the emotions and my tears. I was asking myself loudly
“Why am I doing this to myself?” I was getting my answers from the smiling
children on the poster and the many who were waiting to hear that I completed
the journey. I felt grateful to everyone starting from parents, guru, god,
family and friends. But, reaching the 100 Km was feeling like it was just
impossible to accomplish.
At
this point, Kavitha asked me to dedicate every km of this last stretch of the
journey to someone special in my life. I had done a similar thing when I ran my
first full marathon and I had carried the same list in my pouch.
After
a while, my body just gave up and I had several emotional outbursts. I began
shouting at Kavitha “When is it going to end? How far am I from the finish?”
I
distinctly remember even cursing her on the intensity of the course. She took
all this shouting in a very positive spirit and continued to encourage me. At
every step, in my mind, I was so grateful to have her support at this crucial
juncture when I was crumbling physically and mentally. She was and is a true
sole to soul sister.
When
all else had given up, I remembered the Isha Kriya meditation. “I am not the
body, I am not even the mind”, I told myself every step of the way.
We now
reached Lovedale and Kavitha told me the next stop was Charing Cross. I cannot
describe the toughness and mental strength it took me to just put one foot in
front of the other and keep moving. I had tears in my eyes as I moved ahead.
By
now, it was pitch dark. Suddenly the traffic around me had increased. I knew I
was in the city limits and closer to the finish point. Around the corner, I saw
many of the Ahmedabad runners waiting to run the last lap with me. Little did I
realize that Kavitha had made a few phone calls en route to get them to support
me from here all the way to finish. They egged me on and screamed, “hip hip
hooray”! I felt like a winner returning home to the sound of victory beats.
And
then, just like that, I crossed the finish line. I almost fell to the ground
and did my namaskarams. Copious tears of joy flowed down my cheeks. I had
finished the journey in 19 hours and 20 minutes! Someone brought me the poster
of Isha Vidhya and I hugged it close to my heart.
In
the hills of the Nilgiri, I was humbled again. It showed me her beauty, her glory
and, silently, her toughness. This has been undoubtedly an extremely
challenging and arduous first mountain UltraMarathon journey for me. But,
ultimately, the mission was accomplished with gratitude to each and every one
who helped me make it happen. The list is just too long to mention here, but
those on the list know that all of you hold a very special place in my heart.
"When
involvement with what you have taken up is so absolute that who you are does
not matter anymore, then you are a devotee and this is devotion" says
Sadhguru.
I am
a devotee of the UltraMarathon for life.
