Prathima's Miles & Milestones

Unleashing the Inner Champion

With a friend encouraging me to start my first Ultra ever, I registered for Bengaluru Ultra to run a distance of 25 km at GKVK, Bangalore on July 30th, 2023. Several friends who had trained sincerely enrolled for crazy distances like 50 kms & 100 kms.

I did several 10 kms for a month alone as I had just finished the previous quarter with my swimming technique session at Kensington with my Coach. Hence, I can clearly say that I was unprepared as I had not attempted a 21 km before the Ultra. I was nervous & just visualised the race & the finish line.

I collected the bib on a Saturday morning well rested, & purchased a new pair of socks. I also purchased a new pair of shoes 2 weeks before the race to prep in it. Chose good carbs & was optimistic that I’ll give all my strength since I told myself that I had conserved the energy from the training short distance runs. Tricking the mind with affirmations is necessary before it goes into a negative spiral loop due to my under-preparedness. I’d not recommend this to anybody. Staying active in the same sport before the race is more important than a different sport as the body uses different muscle groups.

A week before the race religiously increased my water intake to 2.5 to 3 litres per day. As usual, the race day jitters never let one sleep. The previous night our hydration bags, and the snacks/gels were ready. We started at around 4:00 a.m. in the wee hours of the morning wearing our bibs & with super excited smiles on our faces. A good friend of mine picked us up one by one as we live & train in the same neighbourhood.

We reached the venue in an hour’s time chatting & giggling in the car. We finally got serious as we venue got closer. We parked the car & it was still dark. Yet, we saw a lot of runners warming up. We clicked some pictures for memories. Warmed up, picked up our hydration bags, emptied our bladder, & got towards the start line. The sky had turned bluish by then.

I met new people who were first-timers like me at the Ultra & which gave me some confidence. I enquired about the running groups, training, and nutrition that they follow in their group. It was insightful yet on the same lines as I’ve been mentored. There were a handful of entries who had registered for 100 km. A glimpse at 100km runners gave me a shock down my spine. It is still difficult for me to imagine & here I was witnessing them run the crazy distance. Only respect.

The 50kms & 25kms started at the same time. Luckily, some friends spotted me to wish me luck & enjoy the trail & only make it a memorable first ultra. The race vibes were high. The countdown started in the dark, & we started our smartwatches with a loud yay! Plenty of people, dark patches, gradually the darkness faded as the sky lit up.

In no time, the first 5k was done & my watch beeped. The location was serene & divine. I read all the vegetation details on the board, plantations, & people looking at the sky & worshipping the sun or the crops for good yield or their experiments. I kept making guesses about my surroundings & observations to keep my mind occupied & not complain about tiredness or feeling breathless. I had an eye on my heart rate & was at my easy pace of 7 & 8ish. The body was in the inertia mode.

It was 15 km in no time & friends yelled my name as they passed by me as I slowed down a bit & walked. I took a breather & got started again. We all need that one push & then there was no stopping until I hit a 19kms. Passing my friends but had no energy to wave or shout their names. The eye contact told several stories that words cannot convey. That’s the bond with runners we share.

Clocked 21kms which is the half-marathon distance confidently in 3 hours. I applauded myself & was proud of doing this distance with the bare minimum training. My body & mind were in sync as I was aware of this as I had accomplished this distance earlier in several HMs. Post the HM distance the body & mind started quarrelling. I took an hour & 15 mins to finish the next 3 kms as it was tough for me to run. I did consider the hydration at points. The sunlight was harsh as I completed my 15-ish kms.

My legs felt very stiff & could not bend comfortably. Suddenly the body felt too heavy for my legs to carry me forward in the run. I chose to walk. By then, the 10 km & 5km crowd entered the same loop as mine like a swarm of bees. I felt that I’d be carried away by the wind as they approached towards me in the opposite direction. I told myself to hold my horses, but to save myself moved to the International runners lane as I had no other go. A volunteer corrected my action, & moved me back to the correct lane. By then the crowd had passed.

There were family with kids stepping out for their morning walk on the lovely Sunday morning. I overheard a few conversations between a father & daughter, a son & a mother disciplining him, etc. It was lovely. I was still walking as both my body & mind had given up. However, I enjoyed the ambience & the path. A small muddy stretch was a bit of pain but it was doable. My eyes lit up after seeing the crowd flaunting their medals on the other side & I knew I was close to the finish line. There was some energy that I pushed to run for pictures towards the finish line happily, accomplished. All I could say was visualisation helped.

As they say, running is a mental game & not a physical one. This was the first longest run ever in my life. Then the dopamine hit. I’m glad I finished stronger & broke my record of earlier distances. The mind can truly accomplish more than what the body says. Wishing more miles & trails as I move ahead in life.

Reached home & recovered well — Miles to Go Before I Sleep by Robert Frost literally came to my mind.

A wonderful memory etched in my mind to cherish for years to come. 
A word of encouragement made all the difference to me to register. 
Always look out for people who trust in you more than you trust in yourself. They are the precious gems.