Prathima's Miles & Milestones

“Only for tough runners” — Standing true to their tagline

The course was set amidst a very scenic terrain full of lush greens and insane elevations. Every detail of the event seemed to be crafted carefully by accomplished runners who understand what it takes to run and make it memorable for the running community. When I read the email conveying there are no flat surfaces, I burst out laughing thinking — “Are they trying to intimidate me or challenge me?”

As the month of July-August starts, it’s show-time for runners. It’s a true test of our practice runs all round the year. All the 4 AMs, sacrificing your favourite food, following strict nutrition plans & diet, weekend sacrifices, fatigue, sleeplessness, the injuries, “don’t feel like running today”, and “body says no” — are valued the most as these days bear the fruit for us.

On a Friday evening, I wrapped up work the fastest I ever could & met a friend to stay back at his place which is 4 km from the starting point. A mere Twitter connection over a few years before the #wemetontwitter happened. We gelled well though we are decades apart haha. That’s the beauty of hanging out with people who have similar goals and passions in life. Greeted with a warm hug, we first did a checklist if we were well equipped before the race starting with the bib pins & bibs.

The night before the race as usual is a restless sleep with barely a few hours of sleep. Not the REM sleep. We discussed his experiences at the hellraces, in Uttarakhand, his DNFs (Did Not Finish), the strategies of other runners he observed, the weather, the mighty mountains, synched our run calendars, past run learnings, the upcoming runs for logistics, the leaderboard and some run stats here & there. Went through the TRORT course for the 300 mts elevation & strategised for the race during our walks post dinner. The morning started with a heavy downpour, yet the 4:30 AM marathon took place with a check of headlights we heard. Luckily, since the half-marathon was not told of headlights, yet it was pitch dark to even spot another human, let alone the route/directions, the race was delayed by 30 mins.

This was literally a childhood dream of playing in the rain, and slush with friends without being stopped by any 🙂 We warmed up in the rain and greeted our fellow athletes, all pumped in the start line. I was super excited having made it despite less training in the last 30 days. I showed up and that’s all that matters. A quick call with the Coach, & I’m set to soar, fly higher. Wished each other good luck, clicked pictures, set up our watches, and shoe laces, & the countdown started. My heart rate was high as I was super excited amidst all the obstacles and repercussions.

It was a completely slushy course. There was rain & I still stuck to our strategies. Uphils took my breath away yet wanted to cover up the distance & speed with the downhills but the wet shoes, the slush, the drizzle, splatter from other runners, made me slow down to avoid slippery & injuries. I looked around as the greenery was not something I observed daily. The locals supporting and clapping for us. The cattle, the fields, the constructions, the yield, the farmer’s conversations, the kids playing around, high-fiving them was fun.

The energy laddoos while crossing the elevations felt like a Tirupati climb. I had barely walked in some sections, yet runners in the directions said — it’s just 500 mts away and views are to die for. Buckle up, and jog, but make it sooner as the laddoos are getting over! “It’s an easy descent, Prathima. C’mon get back on your feet” some friends said. Some new friends shouted my Twitter name “BangaloreHudugi” lol. That made me giggle as I just waved. Sometimes I’m surprised by the impact of being on social media. 
The aid station every two km helps though I stopped at alternate ones. Halfway through the race, & I was on time. Wanted to speed up but the instance course wasn’t easy. Not my best timing of an HM, yet had a lot of self-talk, decision-making, retrospecting life, & gratitude talks. The beauty of running is that it’s not physical, it’s all in the mind.

I’m glad I did not give up and made it to the finish line in 3 hours and 13 minutes scaling an elevation of ~300 meters.

My friends were waiting for me at the finish line screaming my name! 
The medal felt heavy, yet I loved it. Feels great when you know someone is expecting your presence. A much-needed validation of an HM was a long due. I’d cleared the first race of the season & this was just the beginning of the many races this season. The deary sweaty hugs are all I live for & cherish for a lifetime. 
The breakfast was yummy starting with Ragi malt, the superfood. Synced my watch on Strava. We were all set to drive back to the city towards normalcy thinking our of next race on the calendar.