Dessert before the main course
Most look at a snapshot and think they’ve got it all figured. Here I take you through another journey that was critical in La Ultra - The High coming together.
Rajasthan Desert Run 2008, long before running was sexy
While practicing for Bangalore Ultra 2007 (which I’ll blog about tomorrow), Madhu and I thought of Rajasthan Desert Run, to run a marathon distance for 5 consecutive days, from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer. Thanks a million miles Vasanth, Satheesh Ram, Ram Sethu, Madhu, and the gorgeous Priyadarshini (founder Jan Rakshita and Nilgiri Windchasers Ultra).
Thank you Printo Manish Sharma for supporting us way back then even though running wasn't fashionable. Thank you Rahul Varghese (Running & Living) for sponsoring us with the t-shirts.
I had fallen sick before this endeavor of ours, nothing major. Back then it would be called just a viral infection. Now though I would have had to self-quarantine myself for 15 days. Hence I wasn’t able to train at all.
This was the route we had planned. Yep, that’s what a few race organisers copied, a bit too much. :) More about it later.
Vasanth, our race director. We don’t talk to each other anymore but without him, this run wouldn’t have happened. Thank you.
Finally, the J-day had arrived. The taxi (Innova) was sorted and we were all set to go.
Satheesh, Madhu, and I along with our “race director” Vasanth, were up and ready at 6 a.m.
With Satheesh and Madhu at a ran-dumb point we thought would make for a good start line. And the tradition carries on.
We started running from the outskirts of Jodhpur. Running along the railway track, as Ram later mentioned, reminded of “Sholay”.
One guy on the bike asked me, “why were we running?” My instant counter to that was “why are you riding the bike?” And he smiled back saying, “lage raho!”
Our spectators, young and the not so old, were amused at our effort more than in awe of us. Again, most of us can’t even comprehend the poverty that exists in India. We do such activities and then you see the poor do what they do in far worse conditions and it all seems like one big joke.
Another small kid asked me “till where was I going?” On hearing Jaisalmer, the kid, with a look of concern told me that “200 ml bottle of water would not be enough for that.”
And this was our aid-station. Yes, lot of plastic, I know. I know. Now let me get on with the her-story.
There were 3 big and fundamental mistakes I made during Rajasthan Run of which two were on the very first day:
1. You never run at someone else’s speed. Bio-mechanically, there is a limit to how slow you can go. Yep, not only fast.
2. During a multi-day event, you never take a 4+ hr break and then start running again.
I firmly believe in “you never leave your wingmate” (Top Gun) and this was not a race. Guess that’s why the first mistake happened. So the plan was to run together. After 10 km it actually became very painful.
Water from roadside matkas was amazingly chilled as compared to boiling hot water we were having. Unlike the rich who live in places like Panchsheel who don’t share anything, the poor themselves offered us water. Humans!
My knees were hurting after 20 km, just because of having run out of the blue. They hurt like never before and I couldn’t share this with anyone. After having done the 42 km, my knees were just so very painful. I still had 42 more km to run.
We were driven for the last 4 km or so till we reached Camp Thar at Osiyan. It was a brilliant sight. There were tents in the middle of a proper desert.
And for no obvious reason, it was lush green.
Ram was supposed to land at Jodhpur at 2ish p.m. and I had promised him I would run 42 with him. I started this run with him at 4ish p.m. I was gradually losing pace. I couldn’t keep up with Ram and at 5 km point (our first water station) I told Ram to carry on. I just had to stop at 10 km as I still had 4 more days to go. By now my ribs and knees were paining. imagine this, I had only run 42 km, not 100 km.
Sunil Chainani would have said, “Hey Rajat, good to know you are human too...”
Satheesh enjoying is hard earned debut camel ride.
And the night was rangeeli, as they would say, before we retired to our luxurious tents in the middle of the desert.
Early next morning we were all set go, paying no heed to local sense.
“If you’re ever stranded in the desert during the summertime, don’t do anything during the day. If you can, find some shade and stay in it. If there is no shade and the sun hasn’t come up yet, dig a hole and cover yourself with dirt.
This is the core message of every survival manual ever written. It’s also the wisdom that has evolved in the snakes, lizards, spiders, box turtles, and assorted rodents who inhabit arid climates. they stay undercover, or under rocks, until the sun goes down.
Some of us don’t have the sense that God gave animals.”
That pretty much sums up the day.
Our driver didn’t understand why we were doing what we were doing but was amazingly supportive.
We drove towards Pokaran till Pokaran was 42 km away.
As you can see the heat for the 2 days had taken it’s toll on us. But the smile was genuinely still on.
Tonight the plan was to stay at Pokhran Fort. Yes, where once upon a time, actually times, we had tested nuclear bombs.
It is a magnificent fort. Not sure what my ancestors have done or not done on the battlefield, but they did have some good taste.
We were treated like royalty.
And then we enjoyed the pool.
Pokhran was just so amazing, we wanted to showcase what were we doing with the fort in the background.
All the Thakurs were all set to get on with it.
Today was the day of the third major mistake, probably the most important one. A pair of shoes (my favorite brand & model) that had failed me earlier during the Bangalore ultra marathon, I trusted them again. I had brought 3 pairs of shoes for this run with the plan to rotate my shoes... I was to pay later for this.
It was hot, like the hottest girl around and a bit more. But yet beautiful in the rawest form.
Then I had one of those “Forrest Gump” moments. For no good reason, I decided to quit at 40 km mark. I wasn’t tired, I couldn’t feel any pain, I didn’t feel too hot... even though, as you know, I am TOO HOT!
Madhu just kept marching on.
But Madhu, without asking what was the matter, simply said that he would walk the last 2 km with me if I wanted to. That was just plain beautiful. That’s what really got me started again.
Then Satheesh joined me for the last 2 km. This is what long-distance running is all about... Camaraderie!
When I was 14 years old, I was learning “Jeet-Kun-Do”. The trainer knew I could take a lot more pain than his regular students. One fine day, he decided to kick the living daylight out of me. He punched me >100 times on my abdomen, stepped >100 times on my abdomen, and then hit me with a stick on my back and shoulders, and suddenly, out of nowhere, I told him, “I quit. No more of this sh*t.”
Had I carried on with him, I could have become really good at it.
Once done, we decided to drive to Jaisalmer as next day running was very unlikely for any of us.
And that’s where child beer comes from.
Our tents were in middle of some decent desert.
We had signed up for hard work during day but then luxury and comfort at night.
We just rested.
“Pain is only a messenger, respect and appreciate it, but then carry on.”
When I’m told “I/we are proud of you,” I’m not entirely sure what that means. Not that people say that very frequently to me.
Yesterday evening I was told that “I had nothing to prove to anyone.”
No, I don’t. But I have a lot to prove to myself... To be in a meditative state ... where no amount of pain affects me, where I can connect with myself, my deeper self. That Zen feeling, I’m in the middle of no-where, it probably affects no one else, if I finish this event. But to me, that’s all that matters as of right now. It’s like putting the rest of my life in a pause mode. Just to be in sync with myself.
Probably, training, after all, isn’t that over-rated.
Madhu and I had a long discussion lasting under a minute and I told him that wanted to run the next day. And he said that he would be there for me providing any support whatsoever.
Most runners today would recognise either of these things. I am wearing sandals to run. And the gadget is a footpod by Polar, from Finland. Yes, barefoot runners, I predate dinosaurs.
I wasn’t going to quit today... no matter what!
The very first private set-up I worked-cum-trained in, had “Body-Mind-Soul” written on it’s door. Today, I didn’t want to care about “Body” and I’m not sure if a thing called “Soul” exists. But one thing I was sure about, that “Mind” was going to play a very important role today.
And I got some business ideas.
The night before I was watching “Fast & the Furious” and icing my left leg at the same time. All I was thinking about was “Bring on the pain.”
I started the day wearing sandals borrowed from Vasanth, “the dude” as my sandals were too painful. This was because it was way to painful to put on the shoes. My little toe was big “Toe Black” as Priya said.
It was an amazing gesture from Vasanth when he offered to walk with me. He could see and feel the pain I had because of the disappointment of not having been able to run yesterday.
I & Vasanth started at 6:30 am as I wasn’t sure how long would it take me, if I were to finish 42 km. We had a 4 pm train to catch.
I started with hobbling for first 2 km, which took me 25 min. At that rate it would have taken me 8 hrs 45 min.
And then I switched to my shoes.
Madhu joined us after that. He was doing a thing called “power walk” which we were able to do at 10 min / km speed. At that rate it would still take us 7 hours. I was finding this speed very painful, but I carried on for 5 km with Madhu. I was in far more pain now.
And then we saw this dude. We did have a debate if it was a dudette. We agreed on cause of death. Dehydration. Followed by being run over by us. Then it was time to move on.
Kids wanted our energy bars and gels. We had enough spare, so we shared with them.
And by now I was feeling a real HIGH, moving at some crazy speed in that heat. That’s what runners look for.
When we got done with our 42 kms for the day, thinking it was crazy hot, we saw these guys doing what they do day in and day out, making a total mockery of all our efforts.
We took out our banner to have one final pic with it.
And one last pic of the studs.
This was coming from our (Madhu) conversation, that India has everything, Thar Desert, Himalayas, Oceans, Forests… we should be running everywhere. Going to Manali and then evolving to La Ultra - The High were obvious next steps.
Some would wonder if you have heard of this route before, with exact points for layovers, you aren’t mistaken. There is this lady who, in early 2009 had joined our (Runners’ High, Bangalore) 0-10 kms training program for the first Bangalore 10 km race. No, she wasn’t the brightest student. But yet we want all our students to excel in life.
She then borrowed (polite word) the route done by Ram along with us and got on with organising a run there herself. Found this link in under a 30-second google search.
But then again…
