60km Trail Ultra
Sometimes, you need to test the water with both feet
I don’t recommend this approach but it is how I operate. Some times, I do think it’s necessary.
To give you a glimpse into my running history, prior to this race I haven’t even run a marathon distance (42 km) the longest I’ve run is a 25-26km run leading up to this race. But I had my eye on the Malnad Ultra which was a 100km trail run, which was happening later that year. To qualify, you needed to complete a run which was at least 50km. I figured why not make this trail run both a training run and a qualifier? I mean how hard could it be? So, I signed up for it.
It’s not like I was new to running, I was training for a triathlon so I did have pretty decent mileage in them legs but not for an ultra. So, I Googled, what I would require for an ultra run, read a few articles, saw a few videos and in conclusion I needed a trail running shoe, a running bag with a water bladder, sun glasses and energy gels. Off I went to Decathlon and I shopped all the above items, I still have that running bag, slightly withered though. I remember the first pair of running shoes I got, it was clunky and large but it did seem like it will do the job and it did.
The day had arrived, feeling a little anxious, my first running event, the race location was way outside the city, I took a cab to the venue. Left home around 3.30am since it was about a 90 minute drive and I had arrived at the location. It was dark when I got there and I was one of the first to reach the venue. The race director gave the final briefing and the race started at 6am, if I’m not wrong, it has been awhile.
I learnt so many lessons in this race.
The aid stations were placed every 3-4kms and it was a loop system. Each loop was 7.5km and I had to run 8 loops to hit the 60km mark. But being a noob, I packed my bag full of water, gels, chocolates, stuff I didn’t need to carry because of how well-stocked the route was. I could’ve gone much lighter.
The first two loops, I breezed past I felt good and I went at it, third loop is where things went downhill and fast, I hit a wall, I finished the third loop and half way into the fourth, I had a major cramping situation, my groin and both my hamstrings were crying in pain. I couldn’t even stand and I just lay flat on the trail. Runners passed me by and asked if I were okay, I just waved them off saying I was cramping like crazy. I laid down there for a good time, nearly 20 minutes, the cramp would’t go. So, I waited, contemplating what I do next.
This is not an come back story. I was ashamed, beat down and had given up. I went to the race director and told him I couldn’t continue any longer. I had run 30kms. The longest at that point. I took my stuff and caught a bus back to the city. On the ride back, it was a mix of emotions, a strange sadness but there was a fire in me which grew. I had no idea what I was doing or why I am doing this but I did want to do this. Before heading home I stopped at a pub, had a couple of beers and decided that in three weeks from that day I would run a 60km and prove myself I can do it.
And that’s what I did, exactly three weeks after, I ran from Bangalore to Kanakpura which is 60kms and proved my self that I could do what I set my mind to. After this 60km, I had another major cramp which lasted nearly 30 minutes, I found a shop with it’s shutter closed, I went and laid on my back there to let my cramps ease, a small crowd had gathered around to see who the hell is this person, came running here and now sleeping beside the road now. I didn’t care all that mattered was I ran 60kms.
I caught a bus back to the city and this time there was an air of satisfaction around me.
Summing up the story, I started this blog by saying ‘Sometimes, you need to test the water with both feet’, I’ll tell you why, I could have signed up for a shorter category for the first time and been happy finishing it, the reason I aimed big and failed even bigger pushed me to find new horizons, after all what is success without failure?
Practice 