My first Bangalore Ultra!

I know it's been exactly 2 months since i updated my blog! Everyone has a excuse and so do i - busy in work (the most regular one).
After a steady and successful kaveri trail marathon, the thoughts of doing a 50K run at bangalore ultra started. With the new found fellow runner, i thought i can do it.Think again my boy - you only have experience of running half marathon and the longest is 25K. my mind was going circles with + and -. But then RFL came up with a category of 37.5K run which suited me perfectly. Pradeep (he ditched me in the last moment by participating in 25K!) and me started training around a month back. But even during the trainings, the maximum i had run was only 21K!
Then came the day of the run - it started with us meeting with a small accident (my mistake) near my office on way to the run location. Pradeep's jaws were bleeding! what a start to the eventful day...

4AM - The bus was ready at cubbon park to take us to Hesargatta. It was full of runners many of them doing their first ultra. I had many with me for a company!
5.15AM - Reached hesargatta. Doctors reached in 10 mins and put plasters in Pradeep's jaws - said it was a light bruise. My heart felt happy now finally after 1 hour of tension in the bus.
5.35AM - still pitch dark, started some light stretching to get into the run groove and changed to my run gear - full tracks, ultra sweat t-shirt, waist pouch to hold mobile and foodies, lastly my favorite sony wireless mp3 player.
6AM - time of start. A1 gave some briefing about the route and it was slightly bright, but enough to run in the trails. (imagine the 75K and 100K runners who started @ 5AM with a torch in their hand!)

6.01AM - started slowly, allowed most of my runners to overtake me as i wanted to maintain a steady heart rate before getting the speed.

7AM - slowly increasing my pace, but going very steady. the climate was very good, but still cold. gathered the run momentum required.

7.22AM - completed the first loop of 12.5KM. great, i felt! was on track with the planned timings. my aim was to complete 37.5K in less than 5hours. met pradeep during my return. he was among the top 10 and going strong.

9AM - by this time, all the 25K / 12.5K runners had started and the trail was buzzing with crowd. there was a small part of the trail where it was very narrow and wait for others to pass. met my uncle on my way and he was going slow, enjoying his run. took some snaps in between. finally completed the second loop.

9AM to 10AM - great going! i thought, (how wrong was I?) 3 hrs and 25K was my personal best. only one more loop to go and i was still going good (not so tired). nearing the 27K mark, my legs have started tiring and i started to walk. by the time i reached the 29K mark, my speed was 6K/hr. I was taking 10 mins for every kilometre! I applied some ice on my calf muscles and slightly started to jog-walk-jog mode. better, but negligible. I reached the road part which was downhill and switched completely to jog mode. by this time, i was stopping at every available aid station to replenish myself with electrolyte/peanuts/sandwich pieces/bananas. I finally reached the half way mark of the 3rd loop - 31.25K. My legs have stopped to obey me and the time was 10.05AM.

10.05AM to 10.45AM - i immediately called up Pradeep and asked him to come to 35.5K mark to pace me from there. I've to finish before 11AM to complete the run under 5 hrs! It was uphill on the return and i had to walk. But i started to walk briskly and jog whenever possible. I saw the aid station near the 35.5K mark, but had to stop there for the final replenishment. had some electrolyte and peanuts and finally reached the point where Pradeep was waiting for me. Time was 10.45AM.

Last 2KM - 15mins and 2 kms.... not possible with my current speed of 6KM/hr (even less sometimes). He started to instill some confidence on me and made to slightly jog with him. I handed over my waist pouch and cap to him to lessen my weight (crazy me!) But then there was a sudden inner me talking - think about the finish line, the happiness you feel when you reach there, think about self glory, etc...
I started to gain momentum. There was another 37.5K runner in front of me. i wanted to overtake him but he was around 100+ metres ahead of me. by the time i reached the 36.5K mark, i had picked up my pace seriously and time was 10:53:40. 6mins and 1 KM to go. My average speed should 9-10KM / hr to reach there.

I really wanted to overtake my fellow competitor and i was going strong. My pace was increasing with the feelings of glory beckoning. I asked Pradeep to go fast to the finish lane to take my snap (even @ this time, i didn't want to forget the great moment) I could see the resort where the finish line is waiting for me. It was the last turn in the trail and then it was only roads. less than 250 mts to go..

I overtook my fellow competitor (had a feeling of gold medal in mind, even though any of my other competitors would've finished 40-60 min earlier). He was walking then, but I was in my sprints!

I entered the resort with several people cheering me and i saw the finish line - wne to 11th gear as i call it - FULL THROTTLE - NITRO BOOST - USAIN BOLT speed - as you can call.

I did it - my hands were waving - the comperor was uttering my name - my mind was silent - the feeling of happiness was infinity and to make it happier - the time was only 4:57 hrs in total (i came to know that my watch was 3 mins slower than the official clock.. holy crap - for all the dash i made towards the end)

I stood 12th overall in my category - pretty for a first timer and was only 57mins away from being the best! (only huh?)
There were many thoughts - tell my family, tell uncle, put in my blog, tell my collegues, etc... and yes, lots of pain for next 2-3 days as i slowly recovered from my run.

I was only 4.5 KM away from completing my full marathon and i decided that the time has indeed come where i should set my eyes on my first full marathon.
Celebrated my victory at Gelato Pazzo with Cake Fudge and Royal Butterscotch!