tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73914732024-03-13T10:06:28.153-07:00Opendro's WorldSports and Adventure. More to follow...Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-34874366733803374082022-12-27T22:11:00.006-08:002022-12-27T22:14:09.899-08:00Kangsoi or Chamthong<h2 style="text-align: left;">How to make kangsoi or chamthong, Manipuri staple vegetable stew?</h2><p>There are two styles I make. One with oil. Traditionally it used to be without oil. Without oil is what one should take if there is fever.</p><p>With oil:</p><p> - cut some garlic, onion</p><p> - sizzle in oil, don't overheat the oil or char the garlic/onion</p><p> - Add chopped vegetables (mostly green - beans or even leafy ones), potato slices. ginger and green chillies</p><p> - Stir it for a couple of minutes</p><p> - Add water, enough to submerge the vegetables. Too much water will reduce the taste of the soup.</p><p> - Add turmeric powder, optionally a bit of pepper/jira powder</p><p> - Add salt.</p><p> - You can add any other vegetables that require less cooking after boiling the other vegetables for a minute. E.g. cauliflower or spinach can be added after boiling others for a minute.</p><p> - You can boil without pressure, in which case, boil for about 7 minutes.</p><p> - Or, close pressure cooker lid, but switch off just at one whistle. All 2 minutes stay closed. Open it after that even if there is pressure.</p><p> - Stir it well, specially make sure that potato slices are broken down to some extent.</p><p><br />Getting it to cook to perfection needs some trial. For beginners, best way to check is if the potato slices are cooked and can be crushed with spoon.<br /><br /></p><p>Without oil:</p><p> - No garlic and no turmeric.</p><p> - You add onion ginger, green chillies, potato slices when water is cold. You need to estimate the water in the same quantity as was with oil.</p><p> - Once the water boils, add the vegetables.</p><p> - Add other vegetables that don't require much cooking.</p><p> - Add salt. Boil with/without pressure as was done earlier. Open almost immediately after pressure.</p><p> - Stir it.<br /><br /></p>Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-58977149089848278922021-01-11T01:46:00.002-08:002021-01-11T01:46:37.327-08:00 Hot bath or cold bath?<h2 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h2><p>I tried googling up and everyone seems to suggest each one to have plus and minus of its own. Though I agree with them, I don't agree that you can choose any one as you wish. I'm telling from my experience.</p><p><br /></p><p>Experience tells me that if one is going to spend (being physically present) the day in a temperature (avoiding the term weather because one can sit in a temperature controlled room) reasonably warmer than the room temperature, a warm bath is what I will recommend. Example, a typical Chennai or Madurai summer without air conditioner or cooler or an outdoor activity in Bangalore summer.</p><p><br /></p><p>If one is going to spend the day in a temperature reasonably colder than the room temperature, a cold bath will help. Example, a winter in Bengaluru or native place Manipur.</p><p><br /></p><p>Why? On a hot day, I feel more sultry after a cold shower. Similarly, I don't enjoy coming out of a hot shower in a cold weather. It makes me feel more chilling. On the contrary, body feels good coming out of a warm shower on a hot day and feels ready to face the day's heat. Same case for the other scenario of cold shower on a cold day.</p><p><br /></p><p>A similar experience can be described travelling on a well chilled car to commute in a hot weather. The body won't like being exposed to the extreme sides from the room temperature. It can however adapt easier to one side.</p><p><br /></p><p>It is not a surprise then that hot countries love hot beverages such as tea, coffee, etc. while cold countries love to add ice to whatever they drink. We have messed up quite a bit over time of course. Like, I hate the chilling air condition in the summer in India, because it is just plain bad for health. I usually end up using a sweater. On the contrary, I spent most of my winter back in school days where temperature was a single digit (in Imphal), I never wore a sweater to school or college. I took cold bath too, head to toe every day, even on days when I was having cold. Have I grown older? Nope. I feel the same experience when I visit Ooty hill station. I feel quite comfortable with the cold weather. But not with the chill air condition of the office.</p><p><br /></p><p>It is worth trying for everyone :-)</p>Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-78608347403577997142019-11-04T03:31:00.002-08:002022-03-24T21:46:58.094-07:00My experience of Malnad Ultra 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>[Update from 2021-edition]: 2020 edition was cancelled due to covid-19 pandemic. I went for the 2021 edition where they kept only two distances 50k and 80k. I ran the 80k and won the race which saw less competition, again due to the pandemic situation around the world.</i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I had been longing for a mountain trail ultra marathon for a long time. There aren't any in India, specially in the south, except for the CTC events such as Javadhu hills and Yercaud (Severoy hills). I couldn't participate in Javadhu hills due to lack of time. When I had time, they stopped all sport events due to the unfortunate event of Kurangini forest fire. That accident has left deep scars in our hearts.<br />
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The same year, Malnad ultra started. I heard of Malnad as a beautiful place from Sv (wife) as she had done GMC (Great Malnad Challenge) twice. Ashok Thiruvengadam, a cyclist and runner enthusiast, with a good soul and poetic heart, enchanted me about Malnad Ultra. Deepak Mhasavade, my cycling team-mate, had also done the same. So, I was all charged up to try one.<br />
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I registered for 110k as soon as the registration opened. But they introduced a qualification criteria. Two marathons or one ultra of 75k plus between Nov 2018 and Sep 2019. I don't usually run that much. So, I didn't even have a marathon nor was there a plan to run one. So, I had to register for an ultra marathon to qualify for Malnad Ultra. I ran the Bengaluru Endurance 12 hours in a stormy and pouring night covering a distance of 107.4 km thereby winning the category.<br />
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Team Challenge</h3>
As I came to know about team challenge in the event, I wanted to be a part of a team where adventure and endurance were a common passion. Formation of the team was more challenging than I thought as I didn't know any woman runner expect Shilpa Deo in my office. Over time, we did form a team in time.<br />
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Our team <b>Trail Crazies</b> comprises of Suma Rao, Shilpa Deo, Balakrishnan T in 50k, Shikha Rawal, Rahul M V, Jay in 80k and Apparajitha, Dipankar, Deepak Mhasavade, myself in the 110k category. The idea of team was just to have some extra fun. Nothing else. But we had the potential to win as per the rules of the team challenge. That added even more adrenaline to the event.<br />
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Honestly, I could drop out of the race just by giving my motorcycle accident 5 weeks ago and no training at all. But that is not me. If I can walk, I should be able to run ;-)<br />
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Added to the excitement was the incessant rain in the weeks and days preceding the race. The organizers also came up with a new course. So, it was going to be a new course for everyone!<br />
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With less than a week to go, Dipankar had to drop out. I was disappointed, but we didn't have a choice. There went any chance of winning.<br />
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It is not about winning anyways. So, we still kept the spirit high. Deepak and I wanted to run at competitive level. Deepak came 4th in last year 50k category with a finish time of just 5 hours. So, it was natural for him to aim for the top spots. I often end up comparing myself against the awesome Deepak and assess myself based on his, because I believe that we have similar abilities in running and cycling. So, we talked about sticking together as much as possible.<br />
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Race day</h3>
I had slept 3 and a half hours on Thursday night, one hour of nap on Friday afternoon and 2 and a half hours on Friday night. Jay, Rahul, Deepak, Shunmu (my college classmate) were in the same dorm in Kaantinivas. Stay was basic, which I was fine. But room smelled like cigarette. It was horrible. Otherwise, it was a nice place and we had nice and simple food. Suma and Shilpa were in Last Resort. Bala was in Golden Hills. Apparajitha (Appu) was in Jose's. Shikha started late from Bengaluru and was staying outside Ballavara.<br />
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We prepared for rain though some of us dreaded for the experience of it in the trails. Fortunately, there was no rain for the past two days and we could see star lit sky in the serene village and glowing green carpet of mountain tops in the day.<br />
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We all got ready on time before the 3:50 AM bus depart. We reached the race venue by 4:45 AM.<br />
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We, team-members met during and after breakfast. It was a difficult meeting consider we were in different locations and different start times.<br />
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I emptied bowels before the breakfast and flagoff of 110k category which was at 6:30 AM. It was quite a large number to my surprise. I couldn't even set my foot in the first 5 rows.<br />
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First 4 km was on tarmac with some gradient. We overtook scores of them. We kept a target of 6 hours for the 50k loop which had an elevation gain of 2000m and loss of 2000m, which meant an average gradient of 8%. I often compared this with 5% gradient Nandi hills road to understand the difficulty level though they are not really comparable. We covered the first 25km under 3 hours and we were doing good, staying among a small group of leaders. Kaliappan from Erode was with us for a long time. After about 35k mark, the sun became hot and gaining speed became difficult. The lead group of about 6 runners started playing cat and mouse, overtaking each other every now and then as one ran and walked. Some parts were so steep that just walking up or walking down was a challenge. I like running down and I was quite efficient in it. My shoe sole grip which I repaired for this race started peeling off. I peeled it off completely. Though the trail was slushy and badly beaten up at some parts, most of it were manageable. After the 35k mark, my right toe box started hurting. This is the foot that got badly injured during the motorcycle accident and I still think that there is some misfit with the shoes after it healed. I didn't want to run barefeet considering that I had a lot of popped blisters from a barefeet maraton on tarmac two weeks ago. So, I bore with it as I planned to switch to a fresh shoe or sandal at 50k mark. We also passed many 50k runners who were on their way out in the first 18k segment that was a two way trail. It became tricky to pass them on many narrow and muddy trails. Meanwhile, the sun became even stronger exactly at stretches where we didn't have tree cover. We jogged and walked. There were a few runners without water bottles and they suffered big time as the hydration points were 6 to 9 km apart.<br />
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Deepak and I reached 50k mark, which was actually 47.2 km as per gamin watch, exactly after 6:20. We didn't cross the timing mat yet. We went to baggage counter. I changed to sandal while he went to physio therapy. He had slight cramp on left calf. We took a break of 25 minutes and decided to proceed skipping lunch. The 30k loop had no volunteers at junctions, there were no tapes to block wrong turns, signs were difficult to spot or difficult to understand if spotted. Some junctions had totally conflicting and wrong signs. Some runners got really angry. Deepak and I kept it cool hoping that we would clear out of it. But that didn't happen. After about 9km, we were back to just about 200m from the start again and had done about 2 km loop twice. Our plan was to finish 80 in daylight and pick head lights for the last 30k repeat lap. But given the markings, we decided to go back to baggage counter and pick the lights. Some confusions were cleared up by then. Both of us were on right track. Rahul, Jay and Shikha caught up with us by then. Or should I say, we caught them up after we got lost and they were also stopped from proceeding after finishing their 50k. It was still a mystery, but more runners were there. So, it gave some comfort and confidence.<br />
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We lost a lot of time and energy. The 30k loop aid stations didn't have bananas, which we depended more. I would never take biscuits. Oranges weren't enough for me. Eletrolyte mix was too dilute all the time, but I would always mix more powders. Deepak and I started feeling different, a bad feeling, which made even jogs difficult. We took a long break on a road side, then decided to walk until evening. Evening came and we were still not okay. We decided to walk the entire course and finish that way. We got lost at many points. We also saw a series of wild boars crossing the trail at fast speed in the dark just ahead of us. I was really hungry and stomach started feeling a burning sensation. The trails was also really slippery and steep or wet and muddy here and there. Finally, we saw 74km mark at 7:30 PM and we expected to finish 80k in another hour. But we finished at 8 PM which meant that it would have been just about 2.5 to 3 km. We cannot tell the exact distance as we kept getting lost with very confusing signs.<br />
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We had dinner, met Rahul, Jay and Apparajitha (Appu). Appu had quit at 66k mar after seeing the trail as she didn't feel safe to walk alone in the night as she would mostly be alone for her finish target. She had trained hard for this and she should be really disappointed. But I was happy for her decision, which was the correct decision. She actually didn't look disappointed at all except for a guilt of letting down the team. We all cheered her up to not feel guilty about it.<br />
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We took better head lights from Rahul and Jay and proceeded with Pratheep from Coimbatore who had accompanied us half of the previous 30k loop. We chatted a lot on science - Deepak loves Chemistry and I love Physics and we both share some level of philosophy. We did bore Pratheep for sure, but he preferred to listen than give his own talk. We skipped a loop of 2 km in the beginning as we already did twice earlier. There were more people with us, slightly ahead or behind us. We didn't get lost this time except for a small stretch which Pratheep quickly found out from his previous log on the watch. Finally, we joined the tarmac which was about 400m to the finish. We decided to walk to finish together. Just a few meters walk and we somehow got tempted to a sprint finish. Deepak insisted that we do it. I sprinted off at my best with my sandals and we all finished just under 20 hours. We had food again before the bus which took off at 3:40 AM.<br />
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Reached the stay, took cold water shower as there was no hot water. We then slept before phone rings and chattering people woke me up at 6:00 AM. Slept for a while again before the call for breakfast woke me up again at 7:30. So, I had slept less than 8 hours in total over past 3 days!<br />
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Post mortem</h3>
Deepak and I still don't know what really happened to us. We both lack the experience of endurance running to know. I had done a couple of 100k plus and he has done only one. All were successful and were of different experience. This time, the feeling was totally different which I can't explain. We had done a lot of endurace bike rides and we hadn't experienced anything similar too. Both of us were panting with even slightest effort. Legs weren't a problem. We probably pushed a bit too hard in the sun, but that wasn't such a hard push and was of only a short period. Both of us have enough experience to ride or run with lack of sleep, with more or less food. I definitely expected a rejuvinated run towards the evening for sure. Anyways, it wasn't our day. But we decided to just finish instead of quitting.<br />
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Logs</h3>
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<div>
I logged the first 50k and last 30k. I cancelled the log of the first 30k loop as I was lost and also battery of the watch died. I kept it charging in baggage counter while I ran without watch. Deepak logged it though.</div>
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50k loop: <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4218887025">https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4218887025</a> (see only first lap, it was actually 47.2k)</div>
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30k loop: <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4218887166">https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4218887166</a> (we skipped a small 2k loop as we had already done that more than twice in first 30k loop).<br />
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My watch already logs lesser elevation gain. Others log more. So, we can add about 15% to my elevation recording.<br />
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Pics shared in Whatsapp by Ashok Thiruvengadam, the closest source of the pics being <u>Senthil Kali</u>, who may have collated from others.</h3>
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While I was too focused on the running, I missed even mentioning the beauty of the trail. Some pics I got are stunning and they tell the story which I failed in my writing.</div>
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Thanks Senthil for the pics and for allowing me to use them here.</div>
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Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-42722730942367740092019-08-19T06:06:00.002-07:002019-08-20T03:25:39.752-07:00A slushy attempt at 12 hours Bengaluru Endurance Run 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Just jotting down for the lack of time to write a nice blog :-)<br />
<br />
Finished a crazy race yesterday. <b>12 hours Bengaluru Endurance Race 2019 </b>(<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/589577574846300/">https://www.facebook.com/events/589577574846300/</a>)<br />
<br />
After the hypes around the beauty of Malnad Ultra, I wanted to experience it. So, I registered. But they put a qualifying criteria. I had to do either two marathons or an ultra no less than 75 km. I didn't have even a single marathon in the one year period they expected. I didn't have the enthusiasm to run two marathons just to qualify. So, I looked out for any ultra race. I didn't find any. So, I registered for Bengaluru Endurance Run 2019. Later, I discovered that Malnad Ultra would accept even if I logged my own run in garmin or strava and shared the link.<br />
<br />
I decided to run the Bengaluru Endurance Run anyway. I had to decide on a hard 6 hours run or easier 12 hours run. 75 km in 6 hours would be too risky considering that I hadn't been running at all. The only ultra I ran was 100k in 2012 and I had covered just little more than 60k at 6 hours mark in that race. Of course, I was a complete novice that time. So, I registered for 12 hours to be on safer side.<br />
<br />
As the event approached, my cycling friend who is also fantastic runner, Deepak Mhasavade happened to run the 100k Bengaluru Stadium run. This was his first 100k and he liked it. As we talked more about it, I happened to find that the current record in 12h race in India is just 120km. I was like, "Wow!". I enticed Deepak that we should grab this low hanging fruit and put our names on record before a real runner sets a new record :-) He immediately liked the idea and waited for his recovery and then registered for 12h at the same slot as mine, 6PM on 17th August 2019. Both of us are brevet riders and we are used to riding nights. So, I was confident of breaking this record. At the same time, we didn't want to take a risk by targeting too high too. So, we set 11 kmph as our speed and average as 10 kmph including all breaks. And push the last two hours to add a couple more km to break the record.<br />
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Just about a week to go, and venue changed to a farm mud trail as the original venue was beaten up by monsoon. The organizers mentioned that it was on a soft trail with mango and sapota trees. I liked the news of it.<br />
<br />
Being at night, we didn't have to worry about sun. So, I prepared for rain and mud. I borrowed my daughters rain jacket with hood, took my favorite shoe Kalenji Ekiden 50 with two pairs of socks, a sandal in case a soggy shoe gets too uncomfortable, bare feet if totally muddy and a lot of food (softly cooked rice mixed with finely chopped and fried chicken and eggs).<br />
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I wanted to catch some sleep on Saturday, but didn't happen as it was a busy day for me helping my daughter with her studies and tuition. Anyways, just one night, I don't care!<br />
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We had kept the food at Deepak's car with unlocked trunk, kept lights, and extra clothes there as well and it was parked along the trail. As the race flagged off, we had to remind ourselves not to overspeed as we are both inexperienced with the target distance. Yet, we ended up doing 11.5 to 12 kmph most of the time unless we consciously slowed down. We also decided to hydrate every couple of kms (3 laps was 1.8 km) and stretch for 3 minutes every hour. We also decided to eat 2 to 3 spoons of the food for every half an hour, except the initial 90 minutes. We both are used to eating heavily during brevet rides. But running is different. Hence, smaller bites.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: 1 person, standing, tree, plant, outdoor and nature" height="263" src="https://scontent.fblr1-3.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/69401535_731404627313477_41736559447244800_o.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_oc=AQltXnWG2L1QRmmbPXYl5CxYO-OzAVaZJGnNFgbDzzlCyBqD-LrboCqkJT7gJqR7nhQ&_nc_ht=scontent.fblr1-3.fna&oh=41cc3cee798f587ac03aab95a912ff4a&oe=5DD315E8" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How the trail looked when we started early evening<br />(Photo credit: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bhasinsports">https://www.facebook.com/bhasinsports</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Trail was nice, even throughout except at a couple of places. We were doing good. Stayed with the plan. We completed 42km or more in 4:14. Then came the drizzle which became rain. We put the jacket and continued. Soon, more than half the trail became pools of water. Deepak and I said to ourselves that we were not giving up while also being worried about the drowziness that would set in at our sleeping times. His sleep time is around 10 and mine around 11. We ploughed through the puddles with sand in shoes. I was more efficient than Deepak on the slippery zigzag mud trail. He was struggling to maintain the pace. He also felt slightly low and some discomfort in groin area. Earlier plan was to stay together throughout. But we kept an exception, that was as long as the pace was within the desired target. Deepak let me go around the 55 km mark. Soon after he quit, but fully satisfied with whatever has been done. I started feeling the sand within my socks. I removed the shoes and socks and evaluated my options: either to change to fresh pair of socks or run bare feet as sandal was not an option with the puddles. I decided to run bare feet simply because a fresh sock was still going to be muddied in 5 minutes. I'm not a promoter of bare feet simply because I believe that shoe is a nice gear to have for a runner. At the same time, I'm not averse to barefeet running at all. I never owned a shoe in my school days and even played football on bare feet. So, I ran bare feet. I had plenty of ouch moments as I stepped on hard roots of plants or something hard. Later, I checked the feet. Except for 7 or 8 red spots, I have no cuts.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: one or more people, tree, plant, outdoor and nature" height="300" src="https://scontent.fblr1-3.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/68693241_731495187304421_5617603149113065472_o.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_oc=AQkEF5m-DL-SZDJjEB7IixkqKnvFyXmOes-8WZbPFuHMqFCc5Hg7p15ma7YbWWC9DQE&_nc_ht=scontent.fblr1-3.fna&oh=30e12a1d4b0a03b5bf78ad62d531a8b1&oe=5DD0A5E4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How the trail looked like in the morning after rain stopped for a couple of hours<br />(Photo credit: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bhasinsports">https://www.facebook.com/bhasinsports</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: cloud, sky, tree, plant, grass, outdoor and nature" height="300" src="https://scontent.fblr1-3.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/68956616_731496200637653_1442761329558421504_o.jpg?_nc_cat=109&_nc_oc=AQn634me0s11cmlX6CUmgLcIv9GpwFemBzwJ-qIWrfz5nxOh-Ya8ktoWCtBRA6VvKHw&_nc_ht=scontent.fblr1-3.fna&oh=82aacbeb2048f1f3e68421f402ddf210&oe=5DDA8BCA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More on the trail. Best part was in the night for which I don't have a photo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Soon after mid night, my pace was falling as I was drowsy. I tried to take a nap, sitting and leaning on the car. Lost about 10 minutes and I didn't get the needed sleep with the cold drizzle. I checked if there was tea. It got over. But the kind volunteers made fresh coffee (black) just for me! While they were making it, I asked Aparajita if she had the caffeine gels. She had them. I swallowed one and I started feeling good immediately. Next lap, I took the hot coffee too. It was so pleasant to sip something hot at that cold and drenched moment. I didn't hide my jubilation with the magic of caffeine - I thanked Appu multiple times on the course whenever we crossed each other. I decided not to eat the rice for the last 5 hours as I knew I was well nourished and could last for 5 hours even though I might drain to emptiness at the end. I was indeed empty for the last two hours. The bananas that were at the aid station helped me. I covered more than 90 km within 10 hours. That was when I thought I should accelerate, though I knew I would be well below my initial target. But I was unable to accelerate given the nature of the trail - slippery and zigzagged. I thought, I would try with the shoes. Cleaned up the sand from the socks instead of dirtying another pair of socks. I lost a bit of time. But it was not helping. I felt it too heavy to take my feet off from the ground. Later in the morning, I would find the soles to have peeled off and that caused the extra drag in every step. After about 15 minutes, I decided to switch back to bare feet. I was much better. But I felt heavy in my lower abdomen, may be from the amount of eating. So, I thought, going to loo might help. I managed to lighten myself a bit thought I lost some time there again. I ran at my best possible speed which was usually limited by the trail. It was around 11 kmph on non-slippery sections and below 9 kmph at slippery sections. I kept running without thinking too much until the last 30 minutes. Just about 24 minutes to go and I targeted around 7 laps. I eventually ended up doing 8 or 9 laps. Fully satisfied. I estimated my distance at around 106.5 km. I woke up Deepak and we were about to leave. Volunteers said that breakfast was ready and I could get my distance after that. 107.4 km, i.e. 179 laps. My GPS watch read about 4% less. Deepak's watch was reading slightly longer than mine for the same distance we ran together.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: 3 people, people smiling, people standing, tree, shorts and outdoor" height="300" src="https://scontent.fblr1-3.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/68953554_731491917304748_6174493419075796992_o.jpg?_nc_cat=102&_nc_oc=AQnrSbrcy0lJNjckD9JQOuTHnHbDKYi9hTAJsGNmyy53l1WxGDJxBK6p-H8fPM4gvWs&_nc_ht=scontent.fblr1-3.fna&oh=ad6682f18765d9a7483d0a15b4c4f69b&oe=5E14A890" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At finish, with Bhasin sir<br />(Photo credit: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bhasinsports">https://www.facebook.com/bhasinsports</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Though I didn't set a new record, I was really happy with the distance given the conditions. I also got some attention from fellow runners as I was hanging around after the finish. I felt good. But I admired every runner there for the grit and resoluteness in their run. I thanked the volunteers and organizers for the great experience they gave. I had never met Bhasin sir before. It was a great feeling to have met the great man behind these tribes of endurance running.<br />
<br />
About my initial target of setting a record, it was not something that I was desperate for. As I said, it was just a low hanging fruit that I could have grabbed. Even if I set a new record, it would only be too easy for any real runner to break that. So, it is not a bid deal. I have no plans to attempt again :-)<br />
<br />
Now that I'm qualified for the Malnad Ultra, I'm eagerly looking forward to it.<br />
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I don't have any picture to share. When I get (from others), I will add some here.<br />
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<b>Note:</b> I ran about 20 to 30 km per week for two months to prepare for this race. I did 40 km in one particular week. What had helped me are:<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Running on back to back days, even if they were just for 7km. One Saturday, I ran 4 km at 4 AM (to drop wife to a friend's place for TRORT), 4.2 km at 9:20 AM (after dropping kids at school, leaving the scooter there), 4.2 km at 12:45 PM (to pick kids from school) and 15 km at 6 PM.</li>
<li>Spend at least 6 hours of most of my days in standing (cooking) or walking (usual daily movements) or jogging (on purpose) or cycling (commute). So, I knew, I could be on the legs for long hours. BTW, longest time I had stood is 36 hours though, in general compartment train. No sitting down, no visit to loo and no food. Just 700 ml of water intake.</li>
<li>I jogged considerable amount of time on bare feet on the badminton rubber mat as my daughter insisted me to be in the court many times. The mat is hard enough and slight rough. I would also join a few games when people want partners. I had developed one set of blisters because of this and the skin had hardened enough.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-5553566438821358732018-12-26T20:40:00.004-08:002019-01-03T04:02:41.359-08:00Family trek to Kumara Parvatha<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>What:</i> A two day trek to Kumara Parvatha from Kukke Subramanya temple.<br />
<i>When:</i> 23rd and 24th December 2018<br />
<i>Who:</i> 31 people, including 14 children, of which 4 are aged 7 or 8 years.<br />
<i>Distance:</i><br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>1.5 km to the start of trail.</li>
<li>4.4 km till Bhattara Mane, 675m elevation gain</li>
<li>5.5 km from Bhattara Mane till Kumara Parvatha peak with a gain of about 870m elevation gain.</li>
</ol>
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The distance will vary a bit based on how one selects the trail - some small steep sections had easier and longer alternate trails.</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
How I started trekking</h2>
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I had never written a blog on trekking. So, I will include a long journey to my treks and our family trekkers group.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I had climbed a few small hills in my childhood on the cheiraoba (Meitei new year which is usually either lunar calendar new year or the nakshatra calendar new year around start of spring). But we never considered those as treks. Fast forward to college and then job. My Trigent office took us to Antara Gange caves, which seemed like a trek or team outing. The thought of exploring and trekking never came in my mind. Then came marriage and kid. In December 2005, my wife's office colleagues organized a morning outing which I didn't really know what it was. We climbed a big stone hill with a temple at the top. It was called Shiva Ganga. My daughter Numisha was just about to be 2 years in a week. She had so much stamina to climb up that she teased the big boys and girls from wife's office about their huffs and puffs. Yes, she was very clear and sharp at her English speaking at that age :-)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<img height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JqgprEgVbcMG-XKAg0Oxy1P68FhQsLiAH0G3yG5EfsIhLxY_SgcBmFEli_Cc4iIwgMr8gXLp3yJQg6jeDaTMITJgdjUG1YnQRO0yOykH_XaFYwmNVp8MpiqGiJMvCWnJoYKDEVvBu7sgWtfzHAr-wmpQ-522DWLjbjkVgyIWuxE7WzumQHZp28Xn1nmw6FGBSvVxDoeqEHau1Fk-KhhcxSQskIxRyIZwsJDoLCaiLicLK7hDoXVj7RgYyP9v04xasE1dMq-vR7KZ9zUvArDYpLZrYWQ63rvvvYQsdk-XQFkr39Q5Ck5MTU5OiJyZPpI-EsxDtWVWNhK60-qPqqf-YbMsmW4SYY31NU9XYw9HZRQgx8sZpT5OLGvlFOJfAsQWfk1qlHyxiwM3d1Ouwk6B87NxU_pJyKy-JvLBBV34unQgEOhvRDRS45EkaxE-0LFlecZ3-87Fk5YkgwOTDjN-OSApU5Q5gVXUdb8Q92dWbud3p3K24zysEgdfMcVfiPeyHpDNdYu4hUvfmOV-aBlRl_IBYYiakKCFX4GiuOnwA--_SSZBrespn1evByDeUaKKNxvLE2O0OZUC5kHP05aieusnz_rTxz4FfJSyEKF8i4nd4232h9n3ORWl6fqFtVP77ISKq_QugrB7AWDnht7KlGTF=w1207-h904-no" width="640" /></div>
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Numisha at the top of Shiva Ganga.</div>
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<img height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zll1cqBZ7HwM7DhP3EWRj1zai4VYZ0ZX9DcQW4Bf3djzwt19kv0SaflaWI9NgED2XJMecehkhZdCazN41_c5YnEJNNXIDQu2Sal02c1oAMA5BtITQJGI-uEh-jh2aa9ue-BQ_gMICE0rmqDIasNI_Uk_jsYZIEnB4iR0q7rVGQOdUIsMjy4sUG2qbV3CxievQ-ylC6_ecVcdgjRyPriS1CPJCFnIn9bUddbDwBHR5od77syD0I6Lw5EISKYmXQrx30k5puEcMNSxpeSOMAuRcMXrXAEV4-_0BqxvYrKbIGsJmDnPokWRAsdgO-8UXQNe3eRF-n9QyUYj7hk3u760-17ri84UBZSFU6oCSCrMgMKIgi0KWNZ9aKNA1JEdRa22Ej9CPlO-M9xPAZrEjhjNQ2AfArg42aI2CqpW51cQ2w9hI2AFRfAe5eNVWPRd0uqL_R2THyKPTx73Luiz7IWqvflrLsz6RREDXhS6O_6oTxU3Zns_Yenv1QjlQuIYOQUf-VRWBnB6uNeLfbFNC1_xn0-a0e4UdV_Z72hOi0SWjkN5Zi7EpVUjKk2V_Xtr6jZNqcOMLH2oTAtyhXppg697OGZ2THjkfC7UKoVPcx4owlt-teaX5QpiEIKv8XWbCZU2sqTn4AyuTMEcnuPqs5xnRMb6=w1207-h904-no" width="640" /></div>
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Numisha, Sv and myself at Shiva Ganga.</div>
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Nobody mentioned it as trek. I thought, we were just visiting the temple at a small rock that had no plant or whatsoever.</div>
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Around 2006, my wife, Sv (Senthilvadivu) bought a small tent from the US. I didn't have any plan of using it at any point of time. Then in January 2007, Rajesh, my room-mate in bachelor days, was advised to test his knee after a surgery for ligament tear. Doctor suggested a small trek. I was still very naive about the idea. But we chose a full moon night on 30th June as the day. Myself, my brother Chitaranjan, Rajesh, his college mate Meiappan, my office colleague Sudarshan and his school mate Chinmay went to Skandagiri by car and hiked the hill from a non-existent trail by looking out here and there and aiming for the peak in the night! We had used my tent and Rajesh's tent.</div>
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<img height="426" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BcbXhJFNafEp-WaEoE2Id93deoZT2dU_mp_aiUpu07EYV7cGH8c3xJOktV-lheEqb1Nlue4XnVlr5GOA5xGwjOev8nduBgE9kZWffbc82HMHCWxxyGP9M2X2UWCeScsAjLlsqNzbu3AW6tO1uDx7n6udSV4tFvZ2zld7emckY_dlzaBlHs23wpywpxztsldKPdctUNIsRhWcIS5TSyRKk00qqTgDpBz9UJDvVFK09CTEzvcHWlmqzs15fmZsrFdlPRePvBKRo-oagQitCM8OkO7H5PSASdyq9D-J1fegC_FVKhx4w1pWqqJk6SCZOBAuZi_L3ExopF0Dde7_jPQq8BR5Qzz6GMYuAYjM93RQxxcXx3pb2F8bPIXLloJSSABltrlJYDY21XlhziP28FC-rikW5b7hoZlQC7jhnb1u7FFWW_k5PdhNsXNy72wPD4_S6kmbf1SWbXb45J_-cmgJUJfdM9h9nj6i6Qzhb5kaNa0Az_aKnl2mcBdNYv9X6MDIN6eaGEcQBveMQ1MWBhoSVQV4vH-tAF8EZdE6_QXQyj9U4qvZdijI9ML5jC-Giynpft2RA8eW21N364ZjKLjhyWjXLIsFlSFTKLXn9UMUT8pYEeZC-_r9w58Po_eGyRdYZGdeMvouUFCmxY7H96MaFvi1=w1357-h904-no" width="640" /></div>
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My first formal "trek" Skandagiri</div>
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<img height="426" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oBD6ZbCkXx1FmqYRg0zuARzaoV5MmhPaivsrleQ611Nr9BIFjslbKGTxLC51n2O5naSDAsduufgddPOuPtdXKIiVruFFbW8iQTz_OiTmLWdP3AfG2ad_xTcmnrReFkuyOAcnyOMj5IuVOW2pOQP_RGMyHPNyw7Fc8tPvhEscMuxAmeUMzLHt4Afd7mG7EjcU3n2hBC6Ssm3VgqiBAUFivcCfMIGbUMXrG5QdCNZsEG3ZLJ4usf-CjuiGSIWFJGrQvmkJ_AIavVS8i7tcnCLlTcBRnj9F5YdCektAjFUi5HPPKX4BnB81cszCni7EJQxNuOL-LdEvTLYAVXp6kclCYE5xU7lFpQEwhGbJ1nzW6s-WDKH01x6wKSxj0X4nt40zE8VJ9dnHvRG3lTBdM7CiakFgnPKug2Z5wljbao-Pl3d_9LecRp90q9Cvq41JuWwVZGF7g5diOu3_84APW2mVodvKtKCstXZ9euSJzZcfvXwZVT5jOYd6tCjGoZvUR1893wVOYZv5xBXtPsqNkDQru0ESzbCCuKkmAajDTmz4IHj0SYn_D4T9E42pw9EkP9af_ZHgiNIOuypkHxV-Ad1v07WHgW7pvKWPzOWkGUKfOj-hvySpdDe8mlAyMxe3BCN_Z47Vu0csE3opfiOqSxpYY7R8=w1357-h904-no" width="640" /></div>
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Myself and Rajesh at Skandagiri peak.</div>
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We didn't really think that we were going to go crazy about treks. Then, Sv's office colleagues in Texas Instruments came up with a trek plan to Skandagiri in 2008. This time, we took Numisha too to Skandagiri. This gave an idea of taking children to treks.</div>
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Meanwhile, I still pursued a few big treks to Kudremukh, Mulayanagiri, etc. along with friends. It didn't really work out well as we were unprepared and we didn't have the same level of passion and seriousness of the wilderness.</div>
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Keeping up the idea of taking children to treks, Rajesh and I planned another Skandagiri night trek with Numisha and his daughter Nikitha, who is 7 months younger to Numisha.</div>
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<img height="426" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nwP2BRhIt6VDknMEeaaj9ub3zNn29vqsda4onShyIDL0yRJOdLk-Imgip_32ZamNv6KXQhQ7F8Cy1VgI90W4OhqpCJIqTgDknKf7MabnxOq2KZiioqLXF70swlhDDIOE8pwgx0qKepN-UbXMJSVnid3eXKm1r4IpH4WDHfuf0NIrfFfvsPqlKUfza0f27rJ8AEWhZCfwOZA8Lnjzmb76P4reDm0DLO5kUHewbFhKvTl7Y6glR7DyDT8NqduUBIouA6CEYOM09_el5ciQLq3NCHX-v9gsdXAcZMCKY9b4TX3FecFcdJpuOtotDFZSyWhqzv817buK7K9wlv7V_CPHpZHtMoRmNVNkDWbHHOdNO2mkD8D3TlMjqbSiof1f2bUbdS5xZkwWV8tm1aCnGNsqjW3USgFJRaqj8HlDNU1kCo-RjherXrG5fF1Mkkeb-3rwFad5sE0wJVr1tDtpYOCjMIWQqLF-3sf2hB_oIElo8R4ZIJ97xE5yPM-3LWCqhFySCAw7W2sCRJXp6ZwjwOTXFOhaluvX3jXUiwHzMNkYw6jx8yikb42NBBRcG5q9tkeNUxegwoyjmY7h5iJhc_JP2PXcFHEQBPXBwekYaTb3tY5p0xBCD6_0voxrgOFOyWfe89pTOvP7K4AOPbislJOEtcNC=w1357-h904-no" width="640" /></div>
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Numisha and Nikitha camping just before the Skandagiri peak in November 2009.</div>
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I was still unhappy from my earlier unfinished treks to Kudremukh and Mulayanagiri. So, I went on to do Kudremukh and Kumara Parvatha without friends, by joining the BMC treks. I did them comfortably and I realized that I love them. Soon, we did family treks with ladies of the house too to nearby hills such as Nandi hills and Turahalli forest. Numisha went on to do the strenuous Villiangiri hills when she was exactly 10.</div>
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Trekking took a backseat for a while as second child kept Rajesh busy. A couple of years later, I too got second kid. As soon as Sangavi turned two, we again went to Nandi hill trek with his two kids and my two kids and the mothers.<br />
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<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/13EhibWRAhrQdJ1h2wrFSrchiMc9KAkOD3TyR5zeNkwzaR2Xuqbo7EeEqIocWfmmKvvnkzCu5pE47XdDqFr2u3qC5Y2Hn_DwuMA4xh84TD4tX1WR-_AGBULhfm7BVLHg757_WPTL08uSnXdbcaK1AAIUc78zZgyKhgX6NYC1cMLBTv7hhqolEYOpiP1Y7hupsw_-2f8AcLLAQhizzPC8Hx7q3ggWXoMy45rMaI3APXLRSZDDZZ0RRRk-K-hecd4nwA2C7KNIQC4jZLD_HqvLAa9B4KqmdO7SrVtIDpuOI1he6Aax50s61FriNPLAOcvKSZOP9ZNsaHK7HvWV6Pa9wftcvNaTTWDHtVkwD_EAZH6vz0QL6-3u7umxuMnwQVJzfTDswDIf9v1GzP7pjL7eUEiBXUtNAV4W8mgphoiKMceUbEEdoVTflDN021YkY54RLETSTIuPanbiscwjRV8e7mQwiMtUE00bcZTRuZNdn7F1lp6u_PBzCrhFgN2Ygq-jOPIBbjcvduf0tAxl_Ch5k37w7RmA11d0VIyR-b2UgV7F1dPG8ZMKXuvO-Z1_uhxHAJR0lJUyg1-0wAy7HreLt6EhnC1ZwRacZlhoWNVmlud1oHVzCFqJHTnjHBCImqCw4HlptwgtJSZ66hzLrZ8wsnAnDu24vFmeokL52HMfj0FoGsBmnTGkGmKpQ_w_Wx50fV8rCCk5FRKgOFz2Jw=w640-h480-no" /></div>
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Numisha, Nikitha, Sangavi, Nithilan, Sv and myself on Nandi trek in July 2013.</div>
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<img height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8SDZb2NGitRa1-tMq55oyTLsbupBXjJ7oj6_33vt6n9OyhnA6lWiFPX-W21YPntxQccEi6KwPkciqH3_jqToZJvShSk9iz3sOpIIQZ02WVCRdQySKBR2YPCdlRu9-KITetBLu8igJ6d1PbD7L3m4lBQGogyZ0moxGQ0uL9MZCMGc4MBeQvu_70f6H0LzljMBZRtyGg7mkfs_uf8fRT0yvNKASAaihD4HerWMIICuvpb2HPvu0bCL6pvovSdVhycYRe7TnyIne2bhYFJIAoGt3hSwnPKPAjTnMmg-BGSThysX7uDik9V2PUe4c0vbczt-Opy3pWb8Uj_9AYs9-nI4BrScdZuHf3FCKaqpv9JlkP74CdFHfo3sXa9vRU8F6tkip85xnj-6mIZxLsUBGf121xVib7_7eudHctoitqPixPCxuVfc-d8XiLoPDrc3kjadH1OAIEFKyG2-RhQ2geLsBe2syWTcnm7LJUlWw2JTzDZWtkNRlKe2seB2YmFFJHnWwK1ct7o2kAkg1-0yetOEV5N9xZycKO3G-yUL71XnraOii1gM-B3CwqO9hUQg4N1ZPyhBIIzHpz4Rd26Gi8vP13QS8ndhiZ4Opzee8E0M6uIEzmQkKolIhlRbgw5qDHBpnHDtZ4JoCikHG8bKSAX_6E_Y_LC9xkYvt8b2xTnDRYdPPedjmIKPbYyBJfnHnMRCkcecbfZXgnRwJO7EdA=w640-h480-no" width="640" /></div>
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Mothers on the same Nandi trek</div>
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I think, it was in this Nandi trek that Meiappan brought a big gang of his apartment people for the Nandi trek in two mini buses. We couldn't sync up fully as their group was late and slower.</div>
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Rajesh's family shifted to Chennai. Meiappan and I continued many treks to Nandi with many other families. That was when we started gathering a Family Trekkers group.</div>
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I had wanted to take Numisha to bigger treks for a long time. I wanted to wait till Sangavi grows up a bit to join bigger treks and I was running out of time as Numisha would soon become busy with higher standard studies. So, we did Mulayanagiri, Kudremukh, Kodachadri, Tadiandamol outside Bangalore and to Chopta, Deoriatal, Chandrashila in Uttarkhand (UK)</div>
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Kumara Parvatha plan</h2>
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I kept telling Sv that Kumara Parvatha is a decent trek that can test one's strength. I kept this as the final trek. I left the planning to Meiappan. The trekking season just got over when he checked first time with the forest office. So, we waited. Finally, we decided to do this on Christmas/New Year vacation time as we always did in the past. Fixed the dates as leaving Saturday night, the 22nd December, climb the Sunday morning till Bhattara Mane, eat lunch and camp early. Climb the peak early Monday morning, descend and eat brunch at Bhattara Mane again and descend to base. That was the plan.</div>
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We announced the plan to family trekkers group around two months before the date. We also announced to the folks who did the UK trek. The commitment I asked was 2 hours of moderate to intense workout per week, minimum 6 weeks till the event. Focus more on quadriceps and core muscles.</div>
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Soon, Bala (Balakrishnan) with wife Annapoorni and sons Nishant and Gautham, Vela (Thanigaivelan) with son Siddarth, Ramanathan with son Vikram and Shunmu (Shunmugasundaram) with family (all from my CIT CSE) and Kiran from ECE confirmed. Rajesh and Krithiga with children Nikitha and Nithilan confirmed. Kalpana and her daughter Nishka confirmed. Chidu (Chidambaran) with son Vedant, Yogesh with daughter Shreya confirmed. Nirmalesh confirmed later without his daughter Anvita.</div>
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Training plan</h2>
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The run up to the trek is also equally fun part with various discussions, puns, pranks and teasers of the workout, the task, the mountain, the shopping and so on.</div>
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As the days passed, we created a separate whatsapp group for this trek so that we could discuss specific exercises and logistics. As the days passed, Shunmu dropped out as his daughter was not ready. Chidu brought in Sujay from his office. Kiran brought in his cousin (Girish). Yogesh and his daughter Shreya dropped out due to Yogesh work related travel date clash. To fill the vacancy, we tried getting more people even outside the family trekkers group. I got Putta Narasimha (from my cycling team Cleated Warriors) along with his son Kushal on board. Last minute, Chidu brought his first son Vaibhav and another boy from his apartment, Adiyanth.</div>
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Meiappan mostly drove the workout initiatives posting the count down days and the workouts he did, thus intimidating others to do the same. Kiran upped the game by posting his superman workouts such as 75 push ups, planks, air squats, abs crunches, etc. The rest of the folks did mostly air squats while Sv did mostly yoga. Ram, Vela, Bala and I were training for marathon in January. So, we never bothered about the workouts for the trek. Chidu cycles to work (25 km one way), which itself exceeds the needed workout quota. Rajesh has knee problem. So, I recommended only heel raises plus some weight reduction. Kalpana was also advised by doctor not to do any hike or run or anything that strains the knee. So, she was prepared to stay back at the base or at Bhattara Mane. Jana and Sv had done Great Malnad Challenge the last week of October. So, Jana was relying on continuing the similar level of fitness.</div>
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In the last 4 weeks in the run up to the day, I wanted to see how the children had been preparing. So, I called all children to Agara lake and ask them to run 5 km without stop/walk. I asked the same test for other kids in Chennai or elsewhere in Bangalore who couldn't come to Agara lake. Nishka and Kayal (Meiappan's daughter) besides Sangavi turned up in the lake . Nishka and Kayal struggled to run continuously, but they could do so in the next weekend. Vendant could come only one weekend and I hardly had a chance to see his fitness level. Bala's kids, Nishant and Gautham, couldn't come as they were out of station. Later, they joined the run, but far behind in the preparedness for something as strenuous as Kumara Parvatha. Annapoorni, Sv, Jana, Meis also ran or jogged. Bala was ensuring to push Gautham. I was ensuring to push the rest of the kids. Kalpana also jogged whatever she could. We followed it up the next weekend again. Bala's sons improved too. We couldn't meet the last weekend before the event as Bala went out for 30k race and Sangavi got fever. Otherwise, overall, we were <i>almost</i> ready.</div>
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Equipments</h2>
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I like a bit of rough experience with nature when it comes to trekking. So, I was against booking a room to freshen up. Still, Sv insisted that we book the rooms as ladies may not be comfortable. Meiappan booked the food at Bhattara Mane. I tried convincing the group that we don't need tents. But later I agreed for tents for only women and children. Then everyone wanted the tents experience. We decided that only strong men will carry the tents and the rest should carry water, sleeping bag, and extra clothes on their own. We also rented out sleeping bags to meet the missing numbers. The rest of the equipment list were very basic. We borrowed two tents from Arun and Deepak. Yogesh also lent his two sleeping bags. Thanks guys.</div>
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I booked a 33 seater bus and 6 basic rooms for Sunday morning freshen up. Rs. 700 per room in Anugraha lodge, each room accommodating roughly 2 adults and two children.</div>
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The travel</h2>
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The bus arrived a bit late, but was within acceptable time frame. We reached Kukke Subramanya at 5:45 AM. Checked into the hotel and plan was to finish everything and check out by 9:30 AM and start the trek. Surprisingly, we were all ready to checkout by 7:30 AM. A few folks took time to return from temple and thus took extra time. Putta started negotiating with the bus driver and inquired the traffic police about the possibility of taking the bus till the start of the trail. Finally, we boarded the bus and proceeded towards the start of the trail. Later, we came to know that the road was blocked for buses. So, we headed back to the temple parking again. We packed up the sleeping bags, and tents. We realized that one sleeping bag, which I borrowed from Arun, was missing. We left the parking lot exactly at 9:20 AM. Sv, myself, Chidu, Putta, Ram, Vela, Kiran, Girish and Nirmalesh carried the tents.</div>
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The trek</h2>
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All the children except for Gautham and Kushal carried their own stuffs which include sleeping bags (most of them), water and any extra clothes or jackets, flash lights, first aid kit, etc.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nVfH-6BeWXk/XCQ0ZRDnexI/AAAAAAAAPHk/f7au9vOWZh0B5mnooY6Wxm8zLSGp-ZVwgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_7772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nVfH-6BeWXk/XCQ0ZRDnexI/AAAAAAAAPHk/f7au9vOWZh0B5mnooY6Wxm8zLSGp-ZVwgCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_7772.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The walk to the start of trail. Nishka (7), Kayal (10), Sangavi (about to be 8)</div>
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We walked for about 1.5 km and reached the start of the trail. We took a group photo which couldn't cover everyone.<br />
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Just entering the trail</div>
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We were greeted by dense forest. Walked in complete shade and mud trail with a lot of tree roots crisscrossing the path.</div>
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Tree roots on the trail in some stretch at the start</div>
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We walked briskly. The front was led mostly by a group of kids guarded by one of the adults all the time. I tried to cover end to end clicking photos though I would eventually lose the most front and most behind group.</div>
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Annapoorni, Nishant (10), Jana, Ram, Vikram (11), Vela and Krithiga</div>
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Sid (13), Kayal, Numisha (about to be 15), Nikitha (14) and Nishka</div>
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Sid and Nithilan (10)</div>
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As we approached Bhattara Mane, about 1 km before, we were about to exit the forest and come under direct sun. There we regrouped the first few packs, ate some snacks mostly ladu prepared by Sv and potato chips (left over from my eating in the hotel in the morning) brought by Meis.</div>
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Soon, Ram led the restless kids to Bhattara Mane, our lunch stop and stop for the day. First group would have reached at around 12 noon. They left their bag packs at the Mane and retraced the trail to greet us. I was somewhere in the middle pack, walking with Vaibhav. Reached Mane at 12:20 PM.</div>
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Bhattara Mane palm groove ahead. One trail descending on the left leads to it while the straight trail bypasses it.</div>
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Stopping at Bhattara Mane</div>
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Nishka giving a hard blow at dandelion </div>
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The palm groove around Bhattara Mane is a calm place to walk around</div>
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The place had rich number of butter flies</div>
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We waited for Meis to bring the tail of the group. He had ordered the lunch in his name and the host wanted to see everyone before we could start eating. Most of the food was over except for <i>anna saru </i>(rice with sambar). The sambar had some potatos which I fished out. No other vegetables were found. We were hungry. So, we all ate well. Most of us had butter milk too. I showered in the tap water that was flowing all the time from the spring. Some of us took nap here.</div>
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We explored and walked till the forest office to find the camping site.</div>
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The ground ahead (behind the trees) is the camping site. On the right (not in pic) is the forest office.</div>
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Evening snacks time as we set up the tents.</div>
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Some of us took naps here again. I also napped for about half an hour. Kids were playing all the time. By evening, we headed to the first view point near the forest office.</div>
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Vaibhav (15) at the view point in the evening</div>
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Putta and son (Kushal, 8) flying at the view point.</div>
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The gracious five</div>
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Kids attempt a jump at the view point</div>
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Chidu with sons and Adiyanth (14)</div>
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We headed back to camp site before dark. Meis had requested for an early dinner. Putta and Chidu were negotiating with the forest officer (Abhinash) for an early start at 4 AM. He agreed for a 4:30 AM start "unofficially" at our polite request with a warning that we stayed together as group all the time and not make noises in the dark. Our intention was to get a glimpse from the peak at sunrise. We gave our names, contact numbers and ID card details.</div>
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Rajesh, Kalpana and Vaibhav chose to stay back as it would be risky to ascend 5.2 km and then descend the whole 8.5 km the same day. Their staying back also simplified our logistics of starting in the morning as we didn't have to worry about leaving any item behind. We planned to just wake up and leave. No plans of morning duties - no brushing or loo unless urgently required. We already filled water in the night itself.</div>
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We had dinner and ready to sleep. It was near full moon night, but the sky was not clear enough. Meiappan was disappointed at not seeing the stars. We managed the tent allocation in spite of one missing tent. Most of us slept nicely. Sv and I decided to sleep outside with sleeping bags. It was not cold. It was in fact pleasant. Those who needed to use the loo went to forest office before the crowd woke up. We all helped each other to get ready by 4:30 AM with a bit of shouting and pushing. We woke up the forest officer and got the fee receipt. Bags were checked for plastic. We all had re-usable bottles and boxes for snacks. So, we didn't have to pay any deposit which people collect after bringing back the plastics on the return. He also gave three "Clean Mountain" bags to collect any plastics on the way. We never got to use them as the trail was very clean.</div>
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My estimate for the peak was about 2 to 2 and a half hours at brisk hike. We were already 4:45 AM by the time the briefing was done by the forest officer. We had enough flash lights besides the near full moon light. We still had to be careful with the steps as the rocks on the way were not that visible. I was driving the pace from behind. Kayal had slight fever and she had continuous nightmares in her sleep. She was doing good initially, but slowly started falling off. I asked Meiappan to take care of her while she still kept up with the group of Nishka and Sangavi.</div>
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As we walked further, we could see a patch of trees on the right and we could hear water stream in the dark. The stream sounded decent amount of flow.</div>
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After some distance, the lead group shouted that the trail was descending towards right, instead of ascending. Putta shouted from behind that there is only one trail and asked them to proceed. As I reached the descending point after a couple of minutes, I saw the ascending trail on the left. So, I called everyone to turn back and follow me. Later, I would realize that the descending trail was for <i>Kallina Mantapa</i> (stone hut), which I could see on the return in day light.</div>
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Some kids were asking for a break, which I agreed at kallina mantapa which never came as we missed. We soon reached the Shesha Parvatha, the peak before we entered dense forest again. The last km to the Shesha Parvatha was very windy as we crept up gorges. We had to spend extra effort to keep up the pace.</div>
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The trail also became more tricky with loose mud and gravel.</div>
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The tricky trail with loose mud</div>
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At day break. The green bag was provided by Forest Officer and is labelled "Clean Mountain"</div>
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Ramanathan with Vikram and Sid. View of the valley down a deep cliff.</div>
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Finally we reached Shesha Parvatha with amazing view of fast moving fogs. It was just day break, but the sun was still elusive.</div>
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The foggy and windy morning at Shesha Parvatha</div>
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With heavy wind and fog, it was a bit chill, but not that bad. Most of us managed with just light clothing.</div>
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A nice rock with a clear view to the valley at the bottom and mountains around at Shesha Parvatha</div>
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Gautham (8) being dragged up the Shesha Parvatha by his mom :-)</div>
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As we waited for the entire group to regroup, we opened the holige and chenna poda (Oriya sweet brought by Kiran). As the last person arrived, we clicked the last of the pics and proceeded further. The next stretch was again a dense forest.</div>
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Putta didn't want to proceed further as he doubted his son's ability. I offered to carry his bag and asked him to lift his son if needed. He never had to carry him as his son kept going on his own.</div>
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The last stretch of the forest before Kumara Parvatha peak</div>
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After the dense forest, we experienced some loose rocky trail and then a huge steep rock before we reach the peak.</div>
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The rocky trail before peak</div>
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Girish (Kiran's cousin) joined the group. He carried a lot of classical film songs (Tamil).</div>
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Sujay from Chidu's office said he enjoyed the trek and group</div>
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A large single piece, steep rock to climb</div>
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A tricky rock to climb. Sangavi slipped climbing this. There was an alternative trail on the other side of the rock.</div>
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View looking back after climbing the huge steep rock</div>
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We reached peak around 8 AM.</div>
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At the peak</div>
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A personalized pic for everyone at the peak on top of the makeshift temple stones</div>
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We spent a lot of time eating, enjoying the view and clicking various photos. Finally, we asked someone to click a group photo for us. We started descending at 9:20 AM.</div>
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One group photo at the peak</div>
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Return was mostly uneventful. We could enjoy the clearer view a lot better. It was becoming a bit hot too. I had to remind kids to keep hydrating.<br />
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I clicked a few pics of the mountains in the bright day light.<br />
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Nirmalesh on the descend</div>
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Jana, Krithiga and Meiappan trying out an alternate trail on the descend</div>
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Kallina Mantapa as we saw on the return</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uB1lwjEcNqY/XCRMEPWsbGI/AAAAAAAAPNI/z8nR33-Usdo3pV3OVQ9c3xRSYMD-9W5kgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_8216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uB1lwjEcNqY/XCRMEPWsbGI/AAAAAAAAPNI/z8nR33-Usdo3pV3OVQ9c3xRSYMD-9W5kgCLcBGAs/s640/DSC_8216.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We reached camp site at 11:35 AM, thanks to Nishant, Nithilan and Sangavi who were literally racing ahead of us. Bala and I had to chase them, slow them down by asking them to pose photos, etc. We also filled water at the stream after the Kallina Mantapa.</div>
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At the camp site, Rajesh and Kalpana had done the toughest job of packing sleeping bags and tents by removing the messy clothes and by drying them before packing. Kalpana had also kept nice breakfast for the kids. Vaibhav seemed to have had a nice sleep till 10 AM and headed out for a good time with the cat in Bhattara Mane. The children were so active that they started running and playing fight games with sticks. They either forgot that they had trekked the whole morning or they didn't know that they still had to descend further.</div>
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We distributed the items to be carried and ready to head to Bhattara Mane for lunch. We had lunch and started descending at 2:25 PM.</div>
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I was behind everyone, as guard to Nishka and Sangavi who were doing PPP Perfect Pace Partner as they termed doing slow, steady and non-stop descend. It was hot day. We caught up with the group somewhere half way. The lead was way ahead and must have been out of the trail by 4:15 PM I suppose. I got out by 4:40 PM. There was a discussion of bus coming to pick us up and negotiating with driver. We waited for the last members to come out. People were enjoying fruits that were available at the entrance to trail. Finally the bus refused to come. Some were talking about taking an auto. I refused auto for myself as 1.5 km on flat surface was hardly anything after the arduous trek. I had always included the walk from temple till start of trail as part of the trek. So, I hinted that we all should walk and help anybody who needs with the luggage. Finally we reached the bus. We refilled water bottles from the public drinking water tanks available between temple and parking and headed to the Kumadhara for bathing. After that, we headed for early dinner as kids would fall asleep soon. There was a sudden downpour. Some of us ran. Neo Mysore Cafe was Putta's suggestion and food was nice there. Some used loo for the last time. There is a toilet in the parking ground too. Then, the bus headed back to Bangalore. We reached Bangalore around 3:30 AM.</div>
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It was a very fulfilling trek. Everyone did really well though some of us should have ideally done a little more workout. Except for a few harmless falls, it was uneventful. We all had fun.</div>
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Here is the log from my GPS watch on the ascend. I forgot to log for about half a km between Bhattara Mane and after camp site.</div>
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From Kukke Subramaya till Bhattara Mane : <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3249923035">https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3249923035</a></div>
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From forest office till peak : <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3249923616">https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3249923616</a></div>
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From Bhattara Mane till end of trail on descend (not till temple) : <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3249924256">https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3249924256</a></div>
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Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com0Subrahmanya, Karnataka 574238, India12.6637167 75.615856000000008-12.8583178 34.307262000000009 38.1857512 116.92445000000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-7359102682738082602016-10-10T03:41:00.001-07:002016-11-24T02:02:40.162-08:00How steep can you climb?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ganapathy and I attempted climbing Basavanabetta using single speed ratio of 43:16. On the way, we two were calculating the maximum gradient one can do using a given gear ratio or the amount of force required to climb a given gradient. I tried googling for any such existing article or formula. Since I couldn't find one, I'm writing it down here if anybody wants to refer.<br />
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What is gradient?</h4>
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It is height gained divided by distance covered horizontally multiplied by 100.</div>
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gradient = (height gained / horizontal distance) * 100</div>
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What does it take to climb or push an object?</h4>
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Many articles seem to be confused between power and force (linear) or torque (rotational). Power helps in moving faster. Torque helps in rolling against a resistance (gravity or wind or whatever). Of course, power and torque are related. But the problem comes when people try to use a power meter and calculate their max power on a flat road and then try to deduce how much gradient they would be able to do. What is the problem? On flat the rider would have reached the max power in a gear ratio that allows him to spin a an optimum cadence, say, 100 rpm. That cannot be applied when we want to calculate the maxi gradient one can climb up in a given gear ratio, because at that limit, the cadence tends to zero. It will be zero when he just manages to prevent a rolling backward. That is the limit we are interested to calculate. Now, you see why power is useless here.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Another simple example if you remember physics is that when you lift a heavy bag and walk on the flat road, you do zero work because gravitational force is downward and displacement is horizontal. No work means zero power! But we constantly apply a force upward on the bag so that it does not fall to the ground.</div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">Final gear ratio</span></h4>
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<span style="color: #222222;">A rider applies the force on the pedal. We will assume that he always applies the pressure tangential to the crank arm to avoid loss of the force. This force is then transferred onto the wheel at the contact point with the road, which makes the bike eventually move. The final gear ratio, <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>r</i></span>, from tire to pedal is:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">r = (rear wheel radius / </i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">crank arm length</i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">) *</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> (</i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">number of chain ring teeth / </i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">number of rear cog teeth</i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">)</i></div>
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What is the maximum gradient a given gear ratio can climb?</h4>
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Lets assume the gradient is <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>x</i></span>. We will find out the angle of the road to the horizontal level, say, <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"><i><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">θ</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Then,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">θ = </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"><i>tan</i></span><i><sup style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-</sup><sup style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">1</sup></i><i>x</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, lets find out the force that drags the bike backward on the up slope. This force will be applied tangentially at the contact point of the tires. Lets assume the weight of rider and bike as </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">w</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. The force that drags backward, </span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">d</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">, will be equal to:</span></div>
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<i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">d = w * sin</i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">θ</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"><br /></i></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;">Here, we are going to assume infinite amount of grip to avoid tire skidding downward. Now, the reverse force on the pedal due to the up slope, say, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>p</i></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;">, which is tangential to the crank arm, can be defined as:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">p = r * d</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"><br /></i></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>=></i></span></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"><br /></i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">p = sin(</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: 16px;"><i>tan</i></span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><sup style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-</sup><sup style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">1 </sup></i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">gradient) * (rider weight + bike weight) *</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"> (rear wheel radius / crank arm length) *</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"> (</i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">number of chain ring teeth / </i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">number of rear cog teeth</i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">)</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></i></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">Lets take the example of my attempt on Basavanabetta with 43:16 ratio with 170 mm crank arm and 700x25c tires. Average gradient of Basavanabetta is 10%, but I will take 15% to accommodate the steeper sections, which will be the challenging part.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">The reverse force on the pedal will be:</span></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">p = sin (</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: 16px;"><i>tan</i></span><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><sup style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-</sup><sup style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">1</sup></i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">(0.15)) * ((59 kg + 15 kg) * g) *</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"> (335 mm / 170 mm) * (43 teeth / 16 teeth)</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"> = 58 kg * g</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">where, g is the acceleration due to gravity.</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"><br /></i></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I didn't evaluate the acceleration due to gravity to keep the force in humanly conceivable number. Another reason I didn't evaluate is that I'm going to find out if I will be able to prevent the bike from rolling back with full body weight on the pedal when the crank arm is horizontal to the ground. At that moment, the force on the pedal is also my weight multiplied by </span></span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">g</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;">. Since my weight is 59 kg and </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">p</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">is 58 kg, I will just be able to hold onto the bike without rolling it back. But I will not be able to pedal the bike up the slope. Even if I lower the gradient significantly, I will be able to pedal up only at 3 o'clock position of the crank arm and will be forced to roll backward as I won't be able to put my full weight equivalent force perpendicular to the crank arm.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">Oh, I didn't give the formula for the max gradient. That is easy now. If we assume the max gradient as the limit at which the bike just stops rolling up when the rider is standing on the pedal and crank arm is horizontal to the ground, then</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>m = p</i></span></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">where, m is the rider weight</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">=> m = r * d</i></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i> = r * w * sin</i></span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">θ</i></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">sin</i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">θ = m / r / w</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"><br /></i></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Hence,</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">θ = </i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">sin</i><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><sup style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-</sup><sup style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">1</sup></i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">(m / r / w)</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"> = </i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">sin</i><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><sup style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-</sup><sup style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">1</sup></i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">{m * (crank arm length / rear wheel radius) *</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"> (number of rear cog teeth / number of chain ring teeth) /</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"> w}</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"><br /></i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">Then,</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">gradient = tan</i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">θ * 100</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If we assume a road bike with smaller ring as 28 and largest cog as 28, rider as 70 kg and bike weight as 12 kg, then the max gradient angle,</span></span></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">θ = sin</i><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><sup style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-</sup><sup style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">1</sup></i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">{70 * (170 / 335) * (28 / 28) / (70 + 12)}</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"> = </i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">sin</i><i style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><sup style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-</sup><sup style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">1</sup></i><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;">(0.433)</i></div>
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<i style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px;"> = 25.67 degree</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>Hence,</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i>gradient = tan (25.67 degree) * 100</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i> = 48%</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Please remember the caveat I gave :) This is the gradient at which the rider will just be able to hold the bike from rolling back with its full body weight on the pedal and crank arm being horizontal to be able to leverage the gravity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
One can deduce the minimum gear ratio to climb a given gradient and weight.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In summary, what helps in climbing higher gradient? Longer crank arm, smaller chain ring, larger rear cog, smaller tire diameter and a lighter bike of course :)</span></div>
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<br />
I have deliberately excluded the possibility of using power in the upward stroke as I hate cleats!</div>
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Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-44036777571364234112016-05-18T20:00:00.003-07:002016-12-07T20:55:34.373-08:00Trans Am Bike Race 2016 - My Accounts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Trans Am Bike Race is a race of about 7000 km with various kinds of terrain and landscape, temperature ranging from 0 degree Celsius to 42 degree, which can happen on the same day, altitudes from sea level to 11500 feet, with total gain of about 165,000 at a very conservative calculation. There are bad roads, rough roads, smooth roads, bear infested roads, thick forests, totally dry places. It takes through mostly country roads and there are places where supplies are 100 miles apart.</div>
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Writing about every detail of the experience for me alone will sound like J.K. Rowling's novel, leave alone about compiling stories that I got to hear from other riders. Here, I will try to give a gist of the race while I focus mostly on my journey, how I survived the distance in spite of a horrible health condition, that happened in a bad timing, and in spite of my lack of adaptability to a food habit that is poles apart from my regular eating routine.<br />
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I'm not a good writer who can make the story interesting and absorbing. Besides, the essence of this story is more focused on my peculiarly helpless condition. It is not the finish I envisioned. I was not excited writing about it. That has caused the delay in writing this blog. However, I do understand the importance of writing this story for my point of remembrance as well as for others who had been with me all through the race.<br />
<h4>
Dedicated to</h4>
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I dedicate this ride to two women who are most important in my life - my beloved mother, Ibemhal Heigrujam and my adorable wife, Sv (Senthilvadivu). My late mother has taught a lot about hard work and meaning of pain and suffering, which her life was full of from childhood till her last moments. Sv has been a pillar of support for 15 long years in every endeavor I take up, even if it meant something she didn't agree with. She had gone through a lot of hardships specially during this ride.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Tracking links</h4>
<a href="http://trackleaders.com/transam16">http://trackleaders.com/transam16</a><br />
<a href="http://trackleaders.com/transam16i.php?name=Thoudam_Opendro_Singh">http://trackleaders.com/transam16i.php?name=Thoudam_Opendro_Singh</a><br />
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Result</h4>
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<a href="http://transambikerace.com/results/">http://transambikerace.com/results/</a></div>
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The month before</h4>
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After having ticked almost everything in terms of accessories, I was just left with a month of training. I already had four weeks of training by then, which included 15 hours of running (4 hours per week) and 170 km ride to Basavanabetta. Another 15 hours of running and one Kalhathy climb pending for May month.</div>
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Anticipating mostly fat based diet in the USA, I tried transitioning to low carb, high fat diet. It was 90% soaked and boiled groundnut with omelette. I successfully passed the whole of April on this except chewing some raw cabbage now and then.</div>
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As luck would have it, I fell ill in the first week of May with very high fever. It continued for one week, totally on the bed with blankets in peak summer. It subsided a bit by the end of week, still not completely gone till half of second week. I just survived and went for Kalhatty climb the second weekend. The third week had a different problem altogether. My chest and whole nerves on the hands were burning with full of body aches. I never had this experience in the past. I went to a gastroenterologist suspecting acid reflux from what I read up. He sent me back to a general physician without even checking anything as he suspected dengue. General physician sent me for blood platelet count. It was just below normal. He asked me to be on abundant fluid and check for dengue next day morning. Next morning, the result came negative and platelet count also increased to normal range. The problem slowly subsided in the next few days. I restored my normal diet, but no appetite. People had started asking if I should be going to TransAm in this condition. I was so focused on the race that I suppressed all my problems.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
The week before</h4>
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I got a work from San Francisco of<span style="font-family: inherit;">fice for a week so that I could acclimatize. But this period turned out to be a nightmare as I could not sleep in the night due to jet lag and I had to force myself working in day. Anita (<a href="http://www.anitabora.com/blog/">http://www.anitabora.com/blog/</a>)</span>and her husband Sandeep had agreed to see me off to the start point, which would save me from driving myself 800 miles. Sandeep also charted a couple of nice course for my training ride. I set the bike up as if I was riding TransAm. We started well and stopped for a freshly baked bread around 30 km along the way. It was not even 20 mins since then I had severe urge for urination. Soon, I was bonking (zero energy feeling in cycling lingo) and followed by very frequent urination. Sandeep thought I was dehydrated. And I knew that I was not. My urine was very clear and my body started feeling some burns. I thought it was due to my severe lack of sleep. I also noticed that I was unable to breathe normal. Heart rate would spike up even with slightest effort. I would force Sandeep to stop and wait till I gathered some energy. It never helped. After some effort, we finished a climb and a downhill and I slept on the road side while Sandeep called Anita to pick me in the car. After this, we cancelled the second ride plan. I ran a 10 km in one morning. Nothing else.<br />
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Sandeep made a lot of uncomfortable inquiries about my preparedness on the clothing and equipment. I was certain that I had everything I needed. My judgement was primarily based on my assumption that I was going to ride hard all night and sleep only during hot day. Besides, I knew Sandeep of a different rider, who would take a cycle shop even for a 400 km ride. I was also going to target 20 days finish which would deprive me the luxury of comforts. After he insisted, I bought a pair of leg warmers, arm warmers, full finger gloves, a heat blanket (basically wind proof blanket). He also gave me his saddle bag (after he noticed that my custom made bag was touching my thigh while pedaling) and two handle bar bags for snacks.</div>
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Race day - first day teaches me many new lessons</h4>
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Sandeep and Anita drove the whole of Friday from my hotel to Astoria. I was sipping water conservatively to avoid frequent urination. We had breakfast in McDonald. I also ate a couple of plums. I started feeling that burning in my body, specially the limbs. I told them that I would take a nap and I fell asleep. I was alright when I woke up. We checked into Columbia Inn, walking distance from the start point. I had earlier packed all my clothing and bags, including bike bag, into the box and Anita agreed to post it for me to GENERAL DELIVERY in Yorktown, which was the finish point. I asked her to post a week later so that it didn't have to wait too long there.</div>
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We had a good dinner the night before. Sandeep helped me to select some snacks from Safeway to try out along the way. Most of it were sweetened bars of cereals, dry nuts and a few dried meat (jerkey). I was again with the same burning feeling most of the night. I hardly slept. I was ready well before morning.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4K4QmuCb_eE/WCgQGfVsYlI/AAAAAAAAIOk/S4BTHQvh_ZonbnRD7gMkGjiqVMQKYvzPgCLcB/s1600/04a%2BColumbia%2BInn%2BAstoria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4K4QmuCb_eE/WCgQGfVsYlI/AAAAAAAAIOk/S4BTHQvh_ZonbnRD7gMkGjiqVMQKYvzPgCLcB/s640/04a%2BColumbia%2BInn%2BAstoria.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Columbia Inn, about to check out</td></tr>
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Sandeep and I walked to the start point for briefing. There were already people gathering - riders as well as family and friends. Nathan Jones recognized me immediately. After all, I had asked so many questions in the forums (facebook).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aMxYgLqGeSg/WCgSS0E7YmI/AAAAAAAAIOw/NXWigmkgU_wJjAQQagMfT4oJnFqgnhuHwCLcB/s1600/Nathan%2BJones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aMxYgLqGeSg/WCgSS0E7YmI/AAAAAAAAIOw/NXWigmkgU_wJjAQQagMfT4oJnFqgnhuHwCLcB/s400/Nathan%2BJones.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan Jones</td></tr>
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People were chatting and inquiring each other about their desires, what their plans along the route. Some were modest about their goals. I was not. I was still positive of a good race though inside me I had cast a doubt and had many uncertainties cropped up in the mind.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QFZrfJVcvUI/WCgT40wsyOI/AAAAAAAAIO4/ZEK77ooKk-YxbVrpKcZw1SAXz5pyGXV6wCLcB/s1600/Astoria%2Bwith%2BSandeep%2Band%2BAnita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QFZrfJVcvUI/WCgT40wsyOI/AAAAAAAAIO4/ZEK77ooKk-YxbVrpKcZw1SAXz5pyGXV6wCLcB/s640/Astoria%2Bwith%2BSandeep%2Band%2BAnita.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At start with Sandeep and Anita<br />
BTW, Anita writes very good : <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.anitabora.com/blog&source=gmail&ust=1479105522263000&usg=AFQjCNGWQJ1PK7PSqMaWN1AMgjbg_wI3Zg" href="http://www.anitabora.com/blog" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: medium; text-align: left;" target="_blank">www.anitabora.com/blog</a></td></tr>
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After some briefing by Nathan, we were good to roll at sharp 8 AM. People from the east (Yorktown) would have already started at their 8 AM, three hours before us.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5NU7GDmPApI/WCgU8nBx7VI/AAAAAAAAIO8/p-E2I_OJQvoNo1yHUJ7IiKAaKUu6psZngCLcB/s1600/Flag%2BOff%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5NU7GDmPApI/WCgU8nBx7VI/AAAAAAAAIO8/p-E2I_OJQvoNo1yHUJ7IiKAaKUu6psZngCLcB/s640/Flag%2BOff%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start line up</td></tr>
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Nathan led us out of the city and we were soon out on our own.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vvaMNXaEVdk/WCgWSR17MCI/AAAAAAAAIPM/BaF_7GUjIb8AU7yqzhOlh25UFsOPblTiACLcB/s1600/RideDay1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vvaMNXaEVdk/WCgWSR17MCI/AAAAAAAAIPM/BaF_7GUjIb8AU7yqzhOlh25UFsOPblTiACLcB/s640/RideDay1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Astoria - photo courtesy: Nathan Jones</td></tr>
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I already had some snacks in the hotel room and I had no plans to stop for breakfast. I had purchased a bag full of snacks that would last for two days even if I were to ride non stop. I had 4.5 litres of water and that should be sufficient for 15 hours of ride at moderate pace. We got dispersed very soon. I didn't have a map. I relied on the track on my watch as the watch would give me a long lasting battery. But the resolution of the track was not good enough at times and I also had to be careful at forks as there was no map. Still, it was 99% usable. And I would have to make small mistake for that 1% and come back to correct course.</div>
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I planned to click a lot of pics through the cellphone which was dummy without network connectivity. So, I clicked many in the morning on the first day. Morning was in and out of 101 as we were routed towards more scenic trails away from traffic. It was a nice morning with literally no traffic. I was a bit surprised to see some sections away from tarmac, that was on pavements on the beach, passing by those Saturday morning walkers including toddlers and elderly folks.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e31SV0CQ3lQ/WCgYSki0HUI/AAAAAAAAIPY/fd3dcIbtTzA9M0GVUZWQPRniJ6TJXzP3QCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160604_092700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e31SV0CQ3lQ/WCgYSki0HUI/AAAAAAAAIPY/fd3dcIbtTzA9M0GVUZWQPRniJ6TJXzP3QCLcB/s640/IMG_20160604_092700.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a nice beach pavement on a Saturday morning,<br />
negotiating around small children and senior people at times.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_kwT0KRp8XY/WCgavwtyWeI/AAAAAAAAIRM/ZzCd1Gqms9E72pelpzJmNtSwRVUbvyaAwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160604_101443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_kwT0KRp8XY/WCgavwtyWeI/AAAAAAAAIRM/ZzCd1Gqms9E72pelpzJmNtSwRVUbvyaAwCLcB/s640/IMG_20160604_101443.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quite magnificent rocks on the west coast</td></tr>
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I also clicked a selfie myself. I volunteered to click some pics for others who were struggling to capture a photo of themselves with heavier camera. I told myself to go easy and not to push at any point. Focus was on riding more consistent.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-56KyQJ0r7FQ/WCgaxIZaUTI/AAAAAAAAIRQ/tUv1gVa_HFM67uUhPfnQgMQHH4ErKnZUACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160604_101452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-56KyQJ0r7FQ/WCgaxIZaUTI/AAAAAAAAIRQ/tUv1gVa_HFM67uUhPfnQgMQHH4ErKnZUACLcB/s640/IMG_20160604_101452.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One Selfie</td></tr>
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After a couple of hours ride, as we were riding in and out of 101, I missed a turn and I was going downhill. As the watch showed off course, I stopped and turned back before I went too far off. I also saw two more riders zipping down the same path and I shouted to inform them. I kept eating the snacks bars now and then. I was not sure how my body was going to react. Soon after, I was having the urge to leak. My energy was going low. I increased my water intake to cope with the leaks. I started climbing gradually. It must be within 4% to 5% gradient at places, along the beach or in the woods not far away from the shore. It was still manageable.</div>
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By noon, I really needed some food. But I didn't have an idea when it would come. My plan was to keep riding with the stocks I carried and eat when I passed by food. I didn't want to adjust my ride around food and water, which was why I carried a lot of water bottles. Post noon, I reached a beach town, probably Garibaldi. I don't remember many of the place names. I will try to construct by seeing my ride log and google map timeline. I should have been able construct the precise place names from the credit card transaction history. But I'm able to download old history. So, I will just narrate with vague place descriptions.</div>
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There I stopped for food. I didn't know what to eat and the kinds of restaurants and the kinds of foods they would serve. I just stopped by on a road side restaurant, ordered through a small window. I ordered a burger and french fries. I waited long for the food to be ready. When it was ready, I was unable to swallow. My mouth was really dry and hurting. Even my favorite potatoes were not pleasant. I filled one bottle of water here. I still had one bottle. I took time and ate the food slowly. I rolled out after a long break just for a meager lunch. It was getting hot.</div>
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From 101, I turned towards beach again along 131.Then from 131, my watch was showing a sharp left U turn towards Netarts Bay Drive. The road was very poor, narrow and small. I couldn't believe that it could be the road I should be taking. But then, GPS wouldn't lie. But since I didn't have a map, this weird feeling happened whenever I had to deviate from a main road towards a small lane. There was this restaurant right after the left U turn, on the right side on an elevated platform, open air with a roof. People were eating stuffs and I stopped nearby thinking whether to order something appropriate or not. I couldn't understand what this feeling was. I knew I had to eat, but so much hesitation because I didn't know what to order or what they were serving. Hesitation to face the unknown. The timidness was beyond my explanation. I rode around the parking area and decided to skip. As I rode away from there, I stepped onto the water on the right walking over the rocks on the shore. It looked like a big lake, because I could see some land on the other side. I washed my face to cool myself and tasted the water. It was salty sea water! Enough of trying. I continued and I had just one bottle of water left.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KdU6Hqxz5LU/WCgbOn62BCI/AAAAAAAAISc/Y1pRGoiDpEQw6HLrrUYL6xqdnvQF2-BmQCEw/s1600/IMG_20160604_140053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KdU6Hqxz5LU/WCgbOn62BCI/AAAAAAAAISc/Y1pRGoiDpEQw6HLrrUYL6xqdnvQF2-BmQCEw/s640/IMG_20160604_140053.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Netarts Bay Dr, where I tasted the water!</td></tr>
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I did some more small climbs. At one point, I saw a convenience store. I refilled all my bottles. I had bag full of snacks for which I would have spent nearly $50. I was in a dilemma. They were useless at that moment, but unsure if it would ever work again. Considering the weight I was carrying, I decided to dump all of them in the trash. Then I continued. It was getting hotter by then. The northern states have daylight of almost 18 hours. Sun rises around 4 am and sets around 9:30 pm. This makes a lot hot day between 10 am till 6 pm. After 100 miles, I was back to 101 again. I was feeling good again, but I still needed food. I was literally starving. There was this small creek side road, named Slab Creek Rd, Neskowin, around the 108 miles mark. I missed this turn as the course resolution on the watch was not good. But I seemed to be heading in the right direction overall. I had seen instances where it would merge as the low resolution track misses out the curves of the road. I was climbing and climbing faster as I was in an anxiety if the I was even going to be on course again. I peeped through the trees to see if there was a road on my left down the hill side as the track showed on my watch. I couldn't see anything. After climbing for about half an hour, I became off the course by a good margin. I decided to take a U turn and track back downhill. I put my goggles in the jersey, zoomed down the hill to find the turn that I missed. It was easy to miss in a low resolution track. I was on the course again. I rode in the beautiful, serene and desolate woods alone. I saw a cycling couple relaxing on the grass on the side and a couple of cars over the stretch. Otherwise, a rupturing silence was all that was around.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Garmin forerunner 920xt hangs, everything lost</h4>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was getting cool by then. I just rolled gently, tired but manageable. My log shows 124 miles at 7:46 PM. Around 8:30 or 9 PM, I noticed that my watch was not refreshing. I tried pressing all buttons. No response. Nothing at all. I tried to switch off. No response. I panicked. I tried everything. Then, I just tried a long, really long long press on power button as I thought it would switch off. It rebooted. I was so happy. Next moment, I tried to start the course again. To my shock, all the courses were gone. I cleared the ride log every now and then to prevent memory getting full. I had done that at 100 miles as well. So, I was puzzled. Then I remember Prashanth's (Bangalore Bikers Club) response in my thread on how to load gpx track on Garmin forerunner watch where he mentioned a similar experience. It never occurred to me that I could reset the factory and thus wipe out the memory. I was tensed. The road was straight so far, no junction. Yet I was afraid to move. I was thinking hard for options. At that moment, I felt that <b>my race was over</b>. No alternative map, whatsoever. I had spent hours to figure out and load the track on the watch. All that was gone. On the first day! That feeling is hard to explain. It was as if I was struck by lightening.</div>
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I opened my cellphone and turned on the GPS. I had downloaded some states map offline on the Heremap app. Heremap was failing to start often on my phone. I had to reboot every time this happened. Now, I had the map, but I didn't have the course. Knowing the odd roads TransAm took us through, there was no way I could ride by just referring some points of interest. I would have rolled just a couple of miles. I saw a convenience store on the right. It was 9:30 PM by then. I narrated my situation to the gentleman in the counter. There was no customer and he was about to shut down. I requested for his WiFi password so that I could download whatever information that could be helpful. I had never used smartphone for navigating a course earlier. I was clueless what I should be doing... pinged Sandeep about my situation. I told him why the snacks had backfired on me. He advised that I could download the cue sheet and use my cyclocomp (only distance) to navigate turn by turn. The problem with this suggestion was that I was not familiar with US roads, how they navigate through congested places or at junctions. I was not comfortable crossing even a signaled junction if it didn't have clear signs. As luck would have it, I had the RideWithGPS app on my phone. I opened it. I didn't even remember the password. But, it went through as I had logged in earlier. I remember logging into it only from desktop. Anyway, I was there. The next thing I noticed was that I had uploaded the entire TransAm gpx track as well as splits of 250 miles in my account. I didn't remember uploading them to RideWithGPS though I made those splits for loading onto the watch. I just thanked my stars for this miraculous act I had done without any intentional purpose. Some unknown force had made plans for my misfortune, I would say. The download took time as internet was slow. The gentleman at the counter was patient but I could sense that he was just waiting for me so that he could shut down. I bought a few snacks to buy time. And I still saw that the download was way too slow. When it was finally done, I tried opening it and the app crashed with 4300 miles of track. I requested the gentleman that I would need some more time as net was slow. He told me that he would keep the WiFi on and I could just use it from outside. Perfect, I thanked him so much. I downloaded the first segment and then 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. I didn't try to download all the 17 segments as I could do them later. Meanwhile, I tried charging my phone from the power bank that runs on four AA batteries. I bought the expensive lithium ultimate batteries to charge my watch. I bought these adapter that converts the AA batteries into a USB power out from dx.com. I had never tested with a phone like mine which draws 2A if not controlled by the power source circuit. The adapter didn't have a control circuit I guess. It heated up and burnt in a few minutes. I had two and tried the other one, different model. That also got burnt. I was having 12 lithium batteries and they would be useless now as SPOT device takes only AAA batteries. I was not worried about it now. I carried the 12 batteries since I didn't want to waste them. I tried to open the segment one. It opened fine. I was ready to go. Oh! I forgot to mention that I had to pay $6 per month to download map offline in RideWithGPS. My credit card would have required OneTimePassword if payment gateway was Indian. But I didn't need it for RideWithGPS.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I rolled and it was a joy in the initial couple of miles, with a clear track on phone display. Then I was having severe burn all over my body. It was not ache. It was a kind of a burn as if some chilli powder was mixed in my veins. I was slightly trembling too. I pulled over to the side and made the bike fall safely. I pulled out the blanket and rolled it over my body and lay down on the side which was a slopping gravel chip. I didn't see any other place where I could be away from the freeway. It was still safe distance. I had no clue on what I was going through. I closed my eyes and soon I dosed off. Then I heard a car pulling over and I got up. A lady's voice came "Are you okay"? I said, "Yeah, I was just drowsy and felt unsafe to ride". Another car pulled up and said, "You gave us heart attack". They all came from the next town as they were informed by another driver who had seen a bike that looked like a hit and run case. I apologized and explained my situation. It was past mid night. I continued riding. This was going repeat in many of the coming days though I would learn to handle them more efficiently in later days.</div>
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I kept looking out for options to eat as I didn't have anything at all. Nothing around. Soon, I joined 99W and I saw motels and town. I saw a convenience store at a gas station. There were cars with heavy sub and rock music. I ate some refrigerated sandwich along with potato chips. I also had a ball of puffed rice. I felt good. It was already close to 4 AM day break. I continued riding after a decent break. I passed through a stretch that didn't have tarmac, but only gravels. I think, the tarred road was just around and merged after half a mile. But the track showed me over the gravel. I reached Corvalis in the morning, 190 miles in little more than 22 hours. Not so bad considering my horrific incidences and starving mode. I didn't turn on the phone screen during navigation as I wanted to save battery. RideWithGPS would give two distinct and audible buzz if I was off the course or on the course. I would then turn the screen on and correct my course. This was a bit tricky in towns as I downloaded only the track, not the map again. If I had data connection, it would have pulled the map and overlaid. But I didn't have the data connection.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 2 - Cop stops me</h4>
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Just as I was coming out of Corvallis and after crossing the bridge over Willamette river, I joined the interstate 34E. It was early morning and there was hardly any traffic. I saw an upcoming right turn ahead as per the track. I was busy browsing the phone as I rode. BTW, the phone was mounted on the strap of the tuppeware bag using styrofoam sheet and zip ties till the end of the race. I got these zip ties from Sandeep during the practice ride. Cops pulled over in front of me with the siren buzz. I stopped. Cop stepped out and asked me to pull to the side. I was really worried now. He told me that I couldn't go on that road and that he saw me busy on the handlebar with something and I was endangering myself. I apologized saying that I was new to the country and came just for a ride. He took my name and other personal details and let me off with a warning. Later I realized that the bike lane was on the other side of the road, which would be left of the 34E. I never knew this concept of a bike lane completely on one side of the main road. I always thought that bike lane will be on each side of the road. This was a lesson I learnt on first day. India does not have bike lanes and the concept was new to me.</div>
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As I used my phone for GPS navigation, I didn't want to click any photo as it was inconvenient to remove it from the zip ties.</div>
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I continued riding. I ate a packed sandwich in the morning and then again around noon. I also filled water from a park on the way. I was going well all these while. And suddenly, I had this terrible feeling of burning in the veins. I was also drowsy. I was looking out for a place to take a nap. Since it was a country road, there were enough places I could just step away from the road and take a nap. I pulled over under a tree. As I attempted to take a nap, I felt the urge to leak. I didn't have much choice except using the trees. As I lay, I was thirsty and burning again. I drank and leaked and drank finishing almost two liters of water in an hour and all flushed away from the body. At that moment, I felt like doing a Moraji Desai (taste own urine) just to see what the hell was in the urine. After this cycle of drinking and leaking I was feeling good again and I continued riding without any nap even after one and a half hours.</div>
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Finding the phone charging point</h4>
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I was feeling decently good. I even accelerated my pace a bit. I had to charge my phone and I also had to eat somewhere before I start climbing the McKenzie pass. It was getting very hot too. I stopped in a gas station. I requested the gentleman inside the convenience store for a plug point for charging my phone. He told me that there would be one outside on the wall. I couldn't figure it out even after three times of explanation from him. He finally came out and he showed me the point with a cap on it. This was another first for me. I let it charge while bought snacks, water and goggle expecting snow on the way in the mountain. The charging was slow and I didn't have a choice. My phone required 2A for normal charging and I had only a 1A charger. I ate and drank and used the rest room. I also tried to take a nap sitting on a bench. After about an hour, I started riding again. If I remember correctly, I didn't fill all my bottles as I didn't want to climb heavy. I also didn't pack any snacks as I hoped myself to be in a food point on the way. As I rode along the McKenzie River, crossing the river over the bridge, it was getting cooler.</div>
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Climbing the McKenzie Pass</h4>
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McKenzie pass was covered in 5 feet of snow just a couple of weeks ago and snow was ploughed to let the cyclist pass. It was still not open to cars. Cyclists had requested the authorities in the area to sweep the debris and gravels off the road the day before. As I took deviation from the highway 126 towards the forest, it was completely desolate with tall trees everywhere. Cars were allowed till the next 7 miles or so, but no car ever came. As I slowly rode through the forest, I couldn't even see the sky through the tall and thick trees. This stretch till Sisters, the next town, is about 40 miles (64 km). I had no idea of the distance. And I had no idea of the supplies I would get along the way. I had just almond (raw) and ground nut (over roasted) with water, just two liters by then. I think, I didn't fill up all the bottles in the previous gas station. After some distance, there was a barricade bang on my path "Road Closed". I got shocked and really worried with the prospect of having to go back. I tried recollecting if Nathan told us to take the longer route or through this short cut. I clearly remember him telling us about the sweeping of the road. So, I pushed the bike on the side of the barricade and continued through the forest. I constantly drank, avoided pushing unnecessarily. I was really happy with the way I was climbing. Since I didn't have an idea of the distance, I just relied on the elevation profile on RideWithGPS to get an idea of how far I would need to climb. Just about the peak, I ran out of water. I ran out of food too. I kept going. There was no snow and I was a little disappointed. I could see some snow on the road side. I put the warmers, gloves and wind cheater. I still didn't have a jacket. It was good enough though it was still cold. I saw the streams on the side. It was dark and I couldn't see how clean the water was. I didn't expect industrial pollution there. So, I filled two bottles and drank whatever I could. Nothing to eat. It was already 11 PM. I kept riding, all downhill from there all the way to Sisters. It was already midnight.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Run out of food</h4>
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I was totally starving, not even a peanut. No 24 hour gas station. No motels. In India, hotel front desks are open 24 hours and I thought of the same for motels, but I was wrong. No where to stay and nothing to eat, I stopped in a gas station which was shut down. I rolled myself inside the blanket and slept for a couple of hours. I woke up post 2 AM. I didn't want to waste my time waiting till morning. So, I continued at the slowest pace possible hoping that I would get something on the way. I still had a little bit of the icy water I fetched. It was almost over and I was conserving just in case. Along the way, I heard some streams down a trail, but there was a sign that said that it was permitted only during day. I hesitated and thought for a while and decided to just continue riding, at crawling speed.</div>
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After a while, I saw a town coming up - Redmond. I saw a car driving into McDonald and opening it. I asked if they were going to open it. They said "No". On my prodding, they told me a shop a little down the road which would be open 24 hours. I went there. There were two of them. I bought some frozen sandwich, bought some snack bars again and some dry fruits. I stocked up water fully. It was already morning.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 3 - The Drowsy day</h4>
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I got energized and rode well for a while before I lost it again soon. It was frustrating and hot and climbing by the morning. There was no shade to hide. And no supplies in between. I kept going, eating whatever little I packed. I was worried about running out of water the heat continued like that. Stopped multiple times in the morning trying to take a nap, even if it was 10 mins, under the sun, at times leaning on the culverts of the road. I climbed gentle slopes at crawling speed. I went down the stream beside the road and filled two bottles while I freshened up and cooled myself. Water in the bottles were hot. As I approached Mitchel, small hamlet almost on the hill, there was a free water station for bikers. It has ice and a free flowing cool water pipe. I refilled all my bottles there. I stopped for a good lunch in a nice restaurant in Mitchel. That made all the difference. I was able to ride strong after that. Around 8:30 PM, I decided to check into motel, Blue Mountain Lodge Motel, early as they would all close by 9 PM. It was a low mileage day. But I looked forward to a good night sleep. However, I didn't get anything around for food. I went to a nearby convenience store and got some frozen stuff. I forced myself to eat that before sleep. I washed my jersey and shorts using shampoo. I hardly slept even though I checked in early with full sleepiness. Frequent leaking was not allowing a continuous sleep. I struggled to sleep after the break. I would have managed about 5 hours of sleep altogether. This was the longest sleep in a long time as I was having trouble well before the race as well. I forced myself to eat again. It was still icy, frozen burger kind of thing, not exactly sandwich. I was not even sure if it was supposed to be eaten without re-cooking. I refilled water from tap. Phone was fully charged. Set to go.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 4 - A strong ride that ended scary, 500 miles</h4>
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Terrain was a bit of up and down, but overall down hill. Crossed John Day, Austin and reached Baker City at noon. It was hot. I stopped at Sinclair gas station for hot bites for lunch. Some convenience stores stock hot food during the day. Other riders also rolled in. Most riders were already complaining about the soreness in the rear part due to sitting too long on the saddle. I didn't have any such issue as I had been cleaning the rear end with clean water to avoid sweat and acidity. I had never faced issues in my previous long rides as well. So, I was confident about these things. Back, hands and shoulders were fine too as I kept the handlebar high and rode more upright.</div>
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It was a larger group in a while. There weren't many stops and it was hot. So, riders ended up gathering in the same place. Since I was in the middle of the line up, I had more chances of bumping into someone or other.</div>
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I had burgers and fried chicken. It tasted good and felt good. I rolled out after about an hour of break. It was getting really hot. Air was blowing hot. But it was mostly rolling downward. All good. 4:13 PM, I saw rider applying ice outside a store in Richland. I too stopped and topped up water. Applied some ice. After about 15 mins, I also rode off. Some people were talking about a climb coming up, 7% gradient for 3 miles. It didn't sound bad. But I started having the same problem again. No energy, breathing not right, frequent leaking. I was unable to ride even in the lowest gear. I did what I had done the last three days. Drink, pee and repeat till all that were troubling me got flushed out. In a 3 mile climb, I would have stopped at least 10 to 15 times, cursing myself for not breathing properly. Soon, it was downhill at the same gradient. I just coasted without pedaling. I again saw some riders eating ice cream in Baker County. I stopped there to see what I could eat. I don't eat stuffs like ice cream even if given for free. In a desperate attempt to try and get some energy, I too ordered ice cream. I didn't eat or buy anything else as I was frustrated with food. I also didn't have an idea when the next supply would come. I pushed off. People were rushing to reach the next town before night. It was already 7:45 PM. I was unable to ride on the flat road itself. Wind started coming. Drizzle followed soon. I wore poncho, protected cellphone. I removed the poncho after a while as it was not really raining. I lost a lot of time without covering much distance. I was hungry. Feeling really low. I looked out for places to eat. There was none, though I could see some houses around near the dam or just before the bridge. As I crossed a bridge over the Snake river, I flagged down one car to inquire if the next town was nearby. He said, 30 miles with 6% gradient. It scared me, but I could not go back because there was nothing far behind and it would be uphill going back. It was uphill going forward and at least I would be moving head. So, I decided to focus on my breathing and roll as slowly as possible. The river was a really noisy one flowing down the slope with fierce force. That was the only sound that accompanied me. No soul, no vehicle. As I crawled up, I saw that I was nearing the peak as per the GPS. But I found myself being unable to stand itself, leave alone riding. I was trembling and inside me was burning like hell. I also ran out of water. I didn't have a grain of food. Anything would have been better at that moment. There was a bit of drizzle. I just kept the bike on the side, rolled the blanket over me and closed my eyes knowing well that nobody would come on that road. I had no idea if I would ever get better when I woke up. I just hoped that I would. I told myself that if I survived that, I would survive anything ahead. It was around 11 PM when I closed my eyes. I woke up after about a couple of hours I suppose and the burn feeling was gone. I didn't have any energy. No energy had become my new normal. So, I was normal again and continued riding.</div>
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It was downhill all the way to Cambridge. I stopped at Jay's Sinclair gas station store before day break and had some food and filled water. Then I stopped at Lakey's Cafe at 7 AM just to figure out the kind of food I would get in Cafe. A few old folks were having a lazy morning time with tea and some hot breakfast. I ordered whatever sounded like some potatoes in it. I ate well. Service was usually slow. I topped up water there and continued.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 5 - I was totally fried up</h4>
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It was getting hotter and hotter. There was a road repair going on. I rode on the gravel chips for about a mile before the workers there said that we couldn't ride and they would transport us for 2 miles in a pickup truck. They did that for all riders. I had hardly done 100 miles for the day and I wanted to stop at Riggins around 5 PM. I thought I would chill and rest and then ride in the night. I got into a homely restaurant run by an elderly lady. She introduced herself as the owner of the restaurant and that she would make anything I wished. She made a customized plate based on what I requested. Some green stuff, potatoes and burger. One plate was only salad. I forgot the name of the flower in it.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zgsjx8rAz9M/WCgbTmlM8dI/AAAAAAAAISc/BUXp477ZR9kydCr_Gs6OIvE7aApbfeMOwCEw/s1600/IMG_20160608_124421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zgsjx8rAz9M/WCgbTmlM8dI/AAAAAAAAISc/BUXp477ZR9kydCr_Gs6OIvE7aApbfeMOwCEw/s640/IMG_20160608_124421.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The host in the restaurant made custom salad that had nice flowers!</td></tr>
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This is how my lips looked after getting fried for two days:</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zIX9ZdeOVXc/WCgbYWWsOXI/AAAAAAAAISc/8Mut240ZsLs3PbVkqeHjECAjPnqI3NaQwCEw/s1600/IMG_20160608_131811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zIX9ZdeOVXc/WCgbYWWsOXI/AAAAAAAAISc/8Mut240ZsLs3PbVkqeHjECAjPnqI3NaQwCEw/s640/IMG_20160608_131811.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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I checked into a motel there. I asked around for some market to buy fruits. I chatted with my wife, Sv, and she insisted that I should find fruits from fresh market. I also bought enough snacks. I had spent a lot of time looking around for food. It was raining and it restricted my movement. I walked around, instead of riding. Sv also insisted that I did some stretches and some asanas every day without fail. I obliged as any input was better at that point. I went to a pub and packed two large meals, one for late dinner and another for early morning. Some of the things which worked earlier, such as puffed rice ball, weren't available as I progressed. Different places had different flavours of snacks, though some branded ones were common, such as oat and honey bars or loose pack, which turned out to be the worst of all that I had tried.</div>
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Meanwhile, I got to know from Sv how Sarah had ignited the fire among the leaders. She would later loose the lead on a bad navigation error. I had been totally disconnected from the world as I didn't have a phone or data and I was not really racing. I was fighting a different battle for which I was not prepared for. Racing TransAm is one thing and surviving ill health is another. I had to do both.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 6 - The best day so far climbing the White Bird and Lolo Pass</h4>
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I was charged up after good rest and good food. I rode and rode. I had never felt better in this race. I climbed the White Bird which was a 10 mile of steady climb at about 6% gradient. Just as I reached the peak, it was day break. And there a senior gentleman, TransAm rider, probaly Ed, was fixing a rear derailleur hanger as it broke. I stopped to eat fresh fruits, sandwich and water, all from my bag, at White Bird.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BdkHhO_NqQM/WCgbs1XJyLI/AAAAAAAAITU/0CbLzykc8psC_VaLgl-_jtXIjHW6O8ilQCEw/s1600/IMG_20160609_051910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BdkHhO_NqQM/WCgbs1XJyLI/AAAAAAAAITU/0CbLzykc8psC_VaLgl-_jtXIjHW6O8ilQCEw/s640/IMG_20160609_051910.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selfie at White Bird Summit</td></tr>
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I didn't waste time. I zipped down the hill at fast pace. Grangeville was nice and open lush green field with roads going up and down at some places. So slopes needed me to shift down. I used the momentum in most places. In a couple of places, it was rough road and downhill. My water bottle jumped out in a couple of times specially the one in the horizontal bar as it was pointing downward.</div>
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I was on a roll. I didn't stop for any breakfast or lunch. It was not hot as I rolled along the river side climbing the Lolo hot springs, which was a long 90 miles climb at gentle gradient and probably slight tailwind. This road didn't have anything. I could find a toilet - not sure what they call that, with pit right below the commode. It didn't have even water or hand wash. No food. I was feeling a bit tired and drowsy around post noon. I lied down for a while to take a small nap. The Lochsa river was majestic and beautiful.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IhZF3a4Y9ao/WCgb5CxkdAI/AAAAAAAAITU/8XcOY39daJAfGp6PVdsLgwYuwt4jElwIwCEw/s1600/IMG_20160609_080326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IhZF3a4Y9ao/WCgb5CxkdAI/AAAAAAAAITU/8XcOY39daJAfGp6PVdsLgwYuwt4jElwIwCEw/s640/IMG_20160609_080326.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lochsa River on the way to Lolo Hot Spring</td></tr>
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It was also a very scenic and enchanting road. Lush green forest on both sides of the river and road is along the river all throughout.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JuWNeF5Xdis/WCgcEWMX1xI/AAAAAAAAITU/1HqCDxPGV8Y91GRBBhXEY0dEzBbdtJTlQCEw/s1600/IMG_20160609_094635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JuWNeF5Xdis/WCgcEWMX1xI/AAAAAAAAITU/1HqCDxPGV8Y91GRBBhXEY0dEzBbdtJTlQCEw/s640/IMG_20160609_094635.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dark spot below the pic is from handle bar. I was lazy to crop the pic!</td></tr>
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There were some places safe to get to the water. I soaked my feet in cool water, filled my bottles. I also saw a snake that got disturbed by my joining onto the water.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JPKJEZqGCjo/WCgcUSCF1ZI/AAAAAAAAITU/WztaU3OXxJkM_KojrzUBXsZjXBS6e7q1QCEw/s1600/IMG_20160609_181413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JPKJEZqGCjo/WCgcUSCF1ZI/AAAAAAAAITU/WztaU3OXxJkM_KojrzUBXsZjXBS6e7q1QCEw/s640/IMG_20160609_181413.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River as seen on my right</td></tr>
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I reached Lolo around 10:30 PM. I stopped in a pub there, ate well and stocked up supplies. I spent more time than needed as the phone charging was slow. I didn't want to halt there. So, I continued riding. It was getting really cold at that altitude and latitude. It was downhill and I was a bit drowsy. Soon, downhill was over. But I was extremely drowsy, but not possible to nap on road side as it was very cold. I hadn't ridden even for 10 miles and I was unable to ride due to drowsiness. I spotted a store at the junction of 93S. I sat down and wrapped myself inside the blanket. I was shivering due to cold. The gentleman inside the store asked me that I could sit inside and take nap. I was reluctant, but he insisted. I thanked him and napped on the chair with head resting on the table. I was woken up by another angry staff later yelling that it was not a place for sleep. The other gentleman got embarrassed and told me that the other gentle man was unnecessarily harsh. I apologized and said, I would move on. I bought a chap stick for lips there as Sandeep had earlier suggested. By this time, my lips turned from burnt to wounded and it started bleeding every time I opened to eat.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TA7TXlX6n3I/WCgcLGpz0mI/AAAAAAAAITU/AoNAiDl5Ltg-vZLCqYuHj6RexPHdP6QcwCEw/s1600/IMG_20160609_190704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TA7TXlX6n3I/WCgcLGpz0mI/AAAAAAAAITU/AoNAiDl5Ltg-vZLCqYuHj6RexPHdP6QcwCEw/s640/IMG_20160609_190704.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lolo Pass Visitor Center</td></tr>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 7 - Unnecessary drama of my phone going dead, 1000 miles</h4>
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I rode on the Bitterfoot Bike Trail along the 93S. One road name struck me - Kootenai Creek Rd. Not sure how that is pronounced, but to an Indian who knows both Tamil and Hindi, that sounded like an abusive word (Kutte and Nai mean dog in Hindi and Tamil respectively and often means abusive). It was dark initially. Towards day break, I stopped on a store along the bike trail. When I continued, I saw that the phone screen was off. I tried various means to reboot, but no avail. At first, I thought that power button was gone. I wanted to remove the battery and reboot. But MI4 wouldn't allow me to remove the battery. I was devastated with this prospect. Since I used zip tie for mounting the phone, the tie at times used to move over the power button and I suspected that this had damaged the power button. I pressed hard again and again to the point of damage and tried even plucking it out in case it got jammed inside. I started inquiring for town where I could buy phone or a sports and adventure store where Garmin edge kind of device could be purchased. I even tried asking a lady who was on bicycle if there were any bike shop with navigation devices. I couldn't get any positive answer. It was still too early for the Verizon or AT&T stores to open. So, I moved along slowly looking out for shop after shop. Finally in Hamilton town and there were shops and they would be opening in an hour or so. I was ready to wait at the door of a Verizon store. I parked my bike. Ready to rest there. I tried playing on the phone power switch again. I saw a faint glow on the screen as I was in a darker area near the door of the store. Then it struck to me that I had turned off the auto-brightness mode and kept at minimum brightness during night to save battery. I felt stupid and extremely elated at the discovery. Now, I didn't have to wait for the store to open. I rode along.</div>
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After a while, I was totally on a country road, with no supply coming up. I wanted to eat something. As I was heading more south, I also felt a little bit of headwind. I was headed more towards east by the afternoon. I noticed only agricultural machines along and nothing else. By around 4 PM I reached Wisdom, a small county where I saw some sign boards of motels. From here I was supposed to take right and head south towards Jackson. The winds that blew from south to north was stronger towards the evening and I wanted to wait till late at night considering that I hadn't slept the previous night. I checked into a motel. I walked to the market, which was shut. Nothing was open except one pub with a sign board of gluten free pizza. I walked inside and ordered a medium pizza and a large pizza with extra cheese and chicken. The lady was surprised. But I insisted and I said, I would take some away. I ate full and requested her to pack the rest. She packed inside a few aluminum foils, two slices in each wrap and each wrap inside a zip lock bag. I thanked her. She didn't accept credit card, but it had cash machines if I would need to withdraw. I had cash and paid. I again didn't sleep well enough. I would have slept probably about 3 hours though I stopped for 10 hours in that place. It took time to get sleep again once I woke up due to bath room calls. I packed again, wore all the warmers I had and started riding again. I kept eating the pizza I carried, at regular intervals, which was like frozen food by then.</div>
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Day 8 - Headwinds started bothering really bad</h4>
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The winds were opposite in the early hours. I was getting gentle tailwind. I also saw snow in mountains at a distance. I could feel the chillness coming from the snow mountains.</div>
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It was freezing cold. I reached Jackson in no time. I had a Mexican breakfast (I could not remember the name) from a van. It was nice. I headed east and again towards Twin Bridges in the north east direction. I could feel strong headwind in this direction. But I was feeling strong and I rode really hard. Another rider overtook me on this head wind stretch and later I caught him up again before Twin Bridges. I was on the drops for the first time to fight against head wind. I stopped at Twin Bridges to buy water - just water. I kept eating the pizza from the previous evening. Soon I reached Ennis before 4 PM. As I was shopping in Ennis, I saw Morgan Allen from California. I hope, the name is correct. I verified the trackleaders log too. We had crossed on the first day as he caught me up after fixing his first puncture within an hour of flag off. He wanted to be among the top finishers and rode hard whenever on the saddle. But he had frequent punctures for no apparent reason. He had changed tires as he suspected it to be misfit on the rim. Then he changed the entire rear wheel too. It still didn't help. He rode the Tour Divide the previous year just to have fun and he was very serious about racing hard on this one. I could see his disappointment. I had also told my horror stories of food and illness. He narrated his story about horror food stories when he visited India. Then I told my extra stories of GPS watch failure and managing cellphone batteries and told him that I was going to buy a power bank. Hearing this, he just plucked off his power bank, which was zip tied to the frame. I said, "No". He said, he was thinking of quitting. I insisted that he should visit a bike shop as one last try. It was Saturday evening and his time was running out. I said, "Even if you quit, I didn't have the heart to take anything like that seeing the disappointment on his face". He said, he would buy one if he managed to fix his bike. BTW, rule does not allow riders to take any help unless the same service is available to everyone unbiased. I did take the power bank. He was offering many more things - he was loaded with GU gels, huge sleeping bag, various nutrition and electrolytes. I declined and wished him luck for his rear wheel. I continued riding.</div>
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As I headed south, my target was to reach West Yellowstone, which would be 80 miles from Ennis. The wind before noon was more from north east as I was riding towards Twin Bridges. I felt as if it was a cross wind before I reached Ennis. So, I was expecting a tailwind after Ennis as the route will head south. To my horror, it was a strong headwind. My bike is setup with upright posture and I'm very bad in riding in aero position. I just couldn't pick pace. At that pace, I was not going to make to the next supply at all. So, I decided to lie down by the side of the road and see if the wind would subside. As it didn't happen, I decided to head back to Ennis before the motels closed. The nights were terribly chill and that also became a concern if I were to continue riding. I rode back. It must have been less than 20 miles I suppose. I just managed to check into a motel by 8 PM. But restaurants were all shut. I was not comfortable walking into crowded pub with heavy music on the Saturday night. Back home, I live a life that is plain and simple, which excludes going to westernized places like pub and things like that. I was just uncomfortable. I tried a couple more restaurants. They were all closed. I tried another pub which seemed less crowded. I ate some food and ordered some for take away. I returned to hotel. I whatsapped to Sandeep about my evening and headwind. He suggested me to start checking weather and wind forecasts. At one point, I asked the forecast for the next day. Being the technically correct person all the time, he mentioned the rule of the race to me. But he said, he could tell me how to check! I wasn't even serious about the whole forecast thing and I told him that I would figure out myself. I was still not checking the forecasts. For every stop in motels where I got WiFi connection, I would update him on my food and energy level. I also told him that my problem and symptoms seemed like diabetic or at least pre-diabetic. He didn't agree though.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 9 - West Yellowstone National Park, 1500 miles</h4>
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I woke up early against the extremely cold weather. Temperature were just above freezing point. But I pushed myself out of the cozy bed reminding myself that headwinds wouldn't allow me to ride later in the day. It was a nice picturesque as I rode along the Hebgen Lake road.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wPjhvam0LhQ/WCgcXWsK9xI/AAAAAAAAITU/eGkEK7pYZvcPUffZagNBi8zBYgXWPpr4wCEw/s1600/IMG_20160612_082544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wPjhvam0LhQ/WCgcXWsK9xI/AAAAAAAAITU/eGkEK7pYZvcPUffZagNBi8zBYgXWPpr4wCEw/s640/IMG_20160612_082544.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hebgen Lake</td></tr>
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I was enjoying the view very much. Not a soul around. I crossed a senior gentleman who was riding the route in the opposite direction. He encouraged me and told me that I was doing well. We parted after about 5 minutes of chit chat. I reached West Yellowstone at around 10:30 AM. I wanted to buy a winter jacket as I was gaining altitude day by day and I was becoming vulnerable to cold weather with my health condition. Shops didn't have real winter jacket, but I bought a light weight one which cost me $180. It was really expensive! But I didn't find much to select. I bought another hiking socks and a few snacks. I rode on. I had to pay $15 as the route entered the National Park. First, I had a doubt if I should go ahead skipping the line of vehicles. Then, I decided to stay in the line. In India, no bicycle pays toll. The lady in the counter told me that I would have to pay even if I had walked. I swiped my credit card. Later I realized that it was a tourist place and that was the reason for the charge. I was again feeling sick. I was finding it hard to find a place to leak. People were everywhere being a Sunday in a tourist place and no toilet facilities along the way. I couldn't ride fast. I tried stopping every now and then to rest and take nap if possible. I also ate snacks here and there. It had become a routine that every meal would be followed by bonking that would last for 3 to 5 hours.</div>
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There were a lot of people crowding around hot springs where thick white fogs or smoke rose from the water.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5HW8PE99pHk/WCgcjHhso7I/AAAAAAAAIV4/5DurRNA2hhkTzpA2Tu2FGp31NDQvS6jagCEw/s1600/IMG_20160612_132049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5HW8PE99pHk/WCgcjHhso7I/AAAAAAAAIV4/5DurRNA2hhkTzpA2Tu2FGp31NDQvS6jagCEw/s640/IMG_20160612_132049.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot Spring</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0EsErUIjX-k/WCgcjjqKcRI/AAAAAAAAIV4/dMO_MXEk1loEZ2AP-C4EqGPquPZlXcfvQCEw/s1600/IMG_20160612_134723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0EsErUIjX-k/WCgcjjqKcRI/AAAAAAAAIV4/dMO_MXEk1loEZ2AP-C4EqGPquPZlXcfvQCEw/s640/IMG_20160612_134723.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot Spring in West Yellowstone National Park</td></tr>
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But I was feeling good in the late evening. I picked up pace. I had a long climb coming up ahead before mid night. I had to take a call if I should take a nap before the climb or go ahead. I saw a gas station along the way near Moran. I stopped there to charge my phone and also to take a small nap. It was very cold. But I was better off with the jacket now. I would have slept about an hour. Then I started moving. As I started climbing around 1 AM, one car pulled up on me and said:</div>
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"You must be on one hell of a mission".</div>
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"Yes" - I said, thinking that he was talking about the odd hour.</div>
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"Do you have a gun"?</div>
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"No" - I replied with a bit of a surprise at the question.</div>
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"The road is infested with bears in the night. Do you have a bear spray".</div>
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"No" - I replied.</div>
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He told me to be careful and drove off. Not a soul after that. My heart rate was going up with the climbing and anticipation of bear. Soon, I saw the huge digital sign board that read:</div>
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"BEARS ON THE ROAD. DON'T STOP ANYWHERE EXCEPT IN PULL OUT. DON'T GET OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE"</div>
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That made me even more alert. No sleepiness by then. It was four lane road with two wide shoulders on each side. I was riding right in the middle between the yellow lines with my light flashing from from left to right so as to scan continuously. The only consoling factor was that I could turn back down the hill if I were to spot a bear. I was imagining if bears could plan attack like those wolves in Planet Earth documentary. What if they attacked me from front and back at the same time! I kept going - no stop. It was about 17 miles of climb with gradient ranging between 3% and 5%. The jacket kept me warm. But the fingers were numb inside the gloves. My hiking socks were covered with plastic sheets as I slipped my feet inside the sandal. It was not good enough, but with my tolerance limit. I reached the peak before day light. No bear fortunately! I wanted to click a few pictures with the snow. But it was still dark. So, I passed some time eating some peanuts and almond seeds. Elevation was 9555 ft above sea level.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yV8BOP8BZdA/WCgcgwvCMXI/AAAAAAAAIV4/FsZtP98-lWoIKkvxsBFor9ssuZy5m4WyQCEw/s1600/IMG_20160613_035433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yV8BOP8BZdA/WCgcgwvCMXI/AAAAAAAAIV4/FsZtP98-lWoIKkvxsBFor9ssuZy5m4WyQCEw/s640/IMG_20160613_035433.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow as I saw in the dark</td></tr>
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I also took a selfie. I didn't realize how my face had changed by then.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3tUOrYbe1b0/WCgcu7qCvQI/AAAAAAAAIV4/QcwvxmkQGwQiG4QwcyObGqlUoA5QozR2QCEw/s1600/IMG_20160613_040650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3tUOrYbe1b0/WCgcu7qCvQI/AAAAAAAAIV4/QcwvxmkQGwQiG4QwcyObGqlUoA5QozR2QCEw/s640/IMG_20160613_040650.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the bear infested road. Notice few snow on the road side.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-45Feu9d0F3M/WCgcz17WxSI/AAAAAAAAIV4/jmn1Fj3zBKgMFyt4nCeV0SbLq3SmzgdJwCEw/s1600/IMG_20160613_041358_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-45Feu9d0F3M/WCgcz17WxSI/AAAAAAAAIV4/jmn1Fj3zBKgMFyt4nCeV0SbLq3SmzgdJwCEw/s640/IMG_20160613_041358_1.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A point at Continental Divide. This is a part of the Tour Divide (off road) race I suppose.</td></tr>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 10 - I quit!</h4>
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I rode down the mountain. It was fast but freezing cold. I couldn't bear with the temperate on my fingers and toes. I was just waiting for the sun to get warmer. It was still hiding behind the terrain and I could barely feel it. At one point where the light was directly on the road, I stopped to get some warmth. But it didn't help. I continued to roll. About 30 miles, I stopped at Dubois to have breakfast. The restaurant was crowded, very crowded. I sat outside. But I didn't mind as I was charging my phone and I wanted a break. I had had a good ride after the low feeling in West Yellowstone National Park. I seemed to be managing things within my limits now.</div>
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I kept riding. I crossed Crowheart by noon. Weather was cloudy. It looked as if it was going to rain. I welcomed the rain for a change. It was raining properly at Fort Washakie. I wore poncho and continued riding. Vehicles sprayed debris and slush to me. I reached Lander 3 PM. I stopped at a Subway. My bike was dirty with a lot of dirt and muck. I washed my feet with water from my bottle since I didn't want to walk into the Subway with dirt. Rain had stopped. I ordered chicken sandwich and plugged my phone for charging again. I spent too much time there. I also went to buy water and snacks from the Safeway nearby. I also picked a multi vitamin tablet packet. I left Lander around 4:30 PM. After a couple of hours of ride, Alistair Davidson, a 53 years old rider, caught me up while I was wearing warmers. We were talking about where we could stop. I didn't have much idea. But he had the ACA (American Cycling Association) map. This was the first time I saw an ACA map. It had details of places to stop on many famous biking routes. I had read many riders mentioning about this map in the forums. But I never fully understood the significance of that until I saw one and rode the route. He was talking about a church in Sweetwater Station, where we could get just place to stay and rest room, but no food or water. At that moment, I had the urgency to leak. As I spoke, I was literally going to burst. I waited till he moved. Then I relieved myself and I continued. Immediately, I started feeling some pain in my lower right abdomen. I carefully stretched a bit and continued. The pain increased further. Within an hour, it started hampering my right leg pedaling action. I imagined all the bad things that could happen - kidney infection, permanent damage to organ, full blown diabetes for lifelong, etc. etc. Sweetwater Station was just 10 miles away. But I wouldn't get any motel there. I wouldn't get anything for another 95 miles till I reached Rawlins that would be next day. I calculated myself if I should go back to Lander riding back 30 miles or take a chance going ahead. I tried more stretches to see if I could relieve the pain. It was not letting up. I decide to ride back to Lander. It was a painfully slow ride back to Lander. It was past 11 PM. All the motels front desks were shut down. I didn't have any data to find places that would open 24 hours. I tried one after another. Finally, I saw a motel that was open. The person in the front desk was a grumpy Indian, who talked to me in a very discourteous manner. The motel was also one of the most expensive, $90 per day. I didn't have a choice. He gave me $5 discount. I didn't even bother to push my bike as I locked it outside. I was dirty from the evening rain. My dresses were soiled and dirty. I had decided to quit as the pain was scary at that moment. Sv and my brother, Chitaranjan (pet name Nanao), had been tracking with concerns on why I had ridden back. There were an email chain of my family friends consisting of Rajesh, Krithiga, Meiyappan, Jana, Samundeeshwari (Sv's sister), etc. There was another email thread among my office colleagues which I didn't have access to, but I came to know later. Then there was the BBC threads which I didn't read often. I called Sv using the calling card. I informed her of my decision to quit. She sounded unhappy with the decision. She told me to take rest for a couple of days if required and then decide. The irony was that I decided to quit the race as I promised the family that I would not risk my health just for the sake of the race. Family usually knew me as someone who could take a lot pain beyond justification. I was just trying to be safer in the larger interest. And here, my wife was advising me on the contrary. She was probably afraid that I would take the same journey the next season if I were to quit in this one! I spoke to Sandeep. He also told me the same thing, which he said was general randonneurs advice. He also denied that I could suddenly develop diabetes. Anyway, I updated my facebook that I was quitting. I updated the TransAm facebook page too with the decision. I have put all my dirty dresses in a plastic bag for dumping into a trash. Sv, her sister (Samundeeshwari, or just Samu) in Virginia and my brother Chitaranjan (pet name Nanao at home) in California had started working on my return flight.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 11 - A happening day</h4>
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Meanwhile, my office colleagues and ex-colleagues were also trying to help. Sivakumar Rajan, my ex-colleague in my previous job in Trigent and current job in Oracle, had a brother in law who would have a lot of contacts across India. He was trying to help me. But I was refusing all help from him as I felt that it would be unnecessary trouble for others. The next morning he asked me to go to doctor. I refused. He found the motel where I was staying by seeing my tracks and informed the front desk person to help. Siva is a serious guys when it comes to helping friends. I didn't want him to take too much effort to help me as I didn't feel needed. I just assured him that I would go to the doctor. I went to a hospital a couple of miles away. I had never gone to medical care in the US. I have gone to hospitals in India in a few occasions. We have outpatient departments in hospitals where one could just walk in and wait in a line to see a doctor. No admission required. It will be typically 10 to 15 mins per patient, cheap (about $5 approximately). I walked into the hospital front desk telling that I had stomach pain. She sent me to Emergency Room. I thought, that was probably the procedure for them. In ER, the front desk collected my name and DL for address proof. She also inquired about insurance. I had taken a travel insurance just in case. They took blood and urine sample. They wanted to give IV fluid with sodium. I told them that I was not dehydrated. I knew that much. They insisted that it wouldn't be any harm and they would stop once the blood test result showed no dehydration. The results came in about an hour. Everything normal. They took CK test to see if I had physical exhaustion. CK was higher than normal. But nothing alarming. Finally, they couldn't tell me why I had the stomach pain. They sent me back after noting down the insurance details. I had no idea of how much it would be. I just hoped that it would go cashless and smooth. It would haunt me later. Another story on that.</div>
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BTW, I met one fitness enthusiast in Safeway the previous evening. He was tracking TransAm and was happy to speak to me. I met him again in the hospital as he was working there as lab technician. That was a pleasant surprise. He inquired about my kind of food and suggested a Thai restaurant in the town for rice.</div>
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As I returned to the motel, the guy at the motel asked me very unceremoniously if I was checking out. Else he would charge for the next day. I was going to stay for another day. But I didn't want to stay in the same motel. So, I said, I would check out. He said, he would give me another hour. I packed everything up as I had earlier unpacked everything. Then I went about asking for other motels. Everything was booked except one shady looking one. I didn't have a choice. I checked into that. But the staffs there were very nice and helpful. I slept for a couple of hours and I had a bit of undigested loose motion with some gas. This relieved me half of the pain. I was certain then that it was the indigestion from eating too much of raw almond. Things were either over roasted or not cooked enough. I couldn't eat any dry fruits too as they were mostly mixed and even resin caused me trouble with urination. I avoided any sugary stuff as it caused severe burn in the nerves and muscles until I flushed them out with water and urine. Bread was the only thing I couldn't avoid.</div>
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Since the medical report didn't find any fault and I also came to know the probable reason for the pain, I decided to continue the ride. I didn't want to disturb Sv yet as it would be mid night there. Chitaranjan and Samu were working on the flight details and I didn't know about it. When I informed them of my decision to continue riding, they had to change their track. I went out to do the laundry. I hadn't eaten for 24 hours by then. I frantically tried to reach Nathan to inform my decision to continue. Others in the facebook informed them and my status was changed from <i>Scratched</i> to <i>Active</i> again. Nanao also asked me to buy a phone which they could reach me in case of trouble. Sv was more commanding me to do right away. Nanao told me that there was a shop that could close in 5 mins. I walked down the road fast. I knocked on the door harsh as I saw people inside. The staff there got annoyed as I tried to hide my anxiety and explain my situation. They plainly told me that they wouldn't be able to do any transaction. There was a cellphone shop inside the same office. The staff there was a nice gentleman and told me that he had an alternative if I wanted. He told me prepaid phones which didn't have SIM option, but I could just buy a plan and activate it. It cost me $85 all of it. I immediately agreed. He did everything and explained to me how to dial local and outside numbers. The plan had unlimited calls inside US for a month and some data plan.</div>
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I also wanted to change my electrolyte capsules. Those capsules wouldn't dissolve nicely in water. Hence I used to bite and swallow for every half a liter or water. I didn't want to continue this way. Hence I bought some electrolyte tablets which Sandeep had shown me earlier, an effervescent and fast dissolving one. I also got some gels for the next day in case I would have trouble with food. I also bought a rain pant, mostly to help in cold weather conditions.</div>
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I went to the Thai restaurant. I hadn't eaten for almost 30 hours and my stomach was clear of all the undigested food. I ordered two bowls of rice with chicken gravy. It was so heavy that I had to leave some of it. I went to bed hoping for a big day ahead.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 12 - The power of rice</h4>
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I woke up early as usual and started riding. I didn't eat anything. But I had the gels. I wanted to take it easy for a couple of days as I had starved the previous day and my body needed to gain a little more strength. I had planned to stop at Rawlins which was 125 miles. I felt so good that I rode and rode without any stop. No breakfast or lunch stop. Then the unthinkable happened. I skipped the only chance to refill in Jeffrey City or Muddy Gap. I thought it was in Jeffrey City, but other riders account suggests it to be in Muddy Gap.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UcruQz0cVhU/WCwbsCDka-I/AAAAAAAAIZE/ZSb4YzX_aMUCj6eEBiq3hee-3IppynFvACLcB/s1600/Muddy%2BGap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UcruQz0cVhU/WCwbsCDka-I/AAAAAAAAIZE/ZSb4YzX_aMUCj6eEBiq3hee-3IppynFvACLcB/s640/Muddy%2BGap.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 Forks Muddy Gap Services also known as about the only thing you'll find between Lander and Rawlins.<br />
Image courtesy: TransAmBikeRace facebook.</td></tr>
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I didn't feel the need as I was feeling better than normal without unwanted urination. Rice made all the difference. I popped in a few gels in between too. As I headed south, I faced very bad headwind. I was still able to pedal through, but at that pace, I was going to take more time than plan. That would also mean running out of water. There was nothing in between. Another 30 miles to go. I tried to conserve as much as possible. Water ran out 20 miles before. I just couldn't gain momentum. 20 miles without water is not a big deal, but a big deal while fighting against wind or any climb. I was completely dry. It was hurting to breathe itself. I just tried to conserve as much as possible. Since I didn't have water, I couldn't take the gel too. Later I heard that Illaria, the lady from Italy, too had to flag down a car to get some water in the same stretch. It was climbing before Rawlin and that added the pain further. I entered Rawlin. I saw a road side fruit van (I forgot the term they used). I bought various fruits and stated eating with juice flowing over my hands. I felt so good with juicy fruits. After that, I looked out for restaurant. Some restaurants were closed. I went to McDonald as I didn't want to think too much. I ate and packed some. But it was not enough. I booked a motel using the phone I bought in Lander. I rode to the motel and slept. I overslept past the restaurant closing time and I couldn't get any other food. I ate some chicken nuggets that I had packed from McDonald. It was not enough. But I didn't have a choice.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 13 - Headwind gets worse</h4>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I fought against the headwind as I was heading straight south further. I see no other option as the road was all the way to south. I stopped under the tree when I couldn't ride at all. Otherwise, I just rode slowly or very slowly. I was amazed how well Elyse rode against headwind. She used to overtake me often as I would again overtake during her longer breaks in the night. I had breakfast at Saratoga. But I didn't have lunch as I didn't find any place to eat. I didn't see anything in Riverside too. Soon I entered Colorado state. It was beautiful. I stopped at Walden for pizza at 5 PM. It was more of community service restaurant. The shop was about to close but they said they would make it for me. I refreshed while they made the pizza. It was too hot for me to eat. I ate as much as I could, actually more than I should. I packed the rest. The shop closed as soon as I stepped out. I wanted to take a nap before I started another climb to reach Granby. There is another route from Walden to Kremling without going to Grandby and Hot Sulphur Springs. But my route is through them, more climbs probably and thick forest. So, I wanted to take a nap before the ride in the night. I sat down on the bench outside. There were too many mosquitoes. I covered from head to toe and tried to nap. People were chatting and walking now and then. I didn't really get to sleep. Soon, the mosquitoes disappeared as the weather become colder. I got a nap of about an hour or so. I decided to continue by around 10 PM. This was when I realized that I ate too much. The roads had those gaps that would give very unpleasant jerks every couple of seconds. I don't know if those gaps were due to crack in winter or engineers made them purposefully. It didn't seem like purposefully done, because I saw bitumen full up in may of those gaps. But they looked so uniform in pattern that I thought it was intentional. This was common everywhere in the first half of the race. That made the stomach heavy and unpleasant. I continued at gentle pace. It was midnight when I reached 9600 ft. I had to attend to nature call to relieve my bowel. It was freezing cold. Since I wore bib short, I had to remove my jacket, gloves, jersey and rain pants. I went into the wood on the side. I had to remove the garmin watch as I couldn't pull out the jersey with watch on. I kept the watch on a log there. I realized that water was freezing cold and I was going to be in trouble to clean up myself. Others in the forum suggested baby wipes for such situations. But being an Indian, I was always comfortable with water and I didn't carry any wipes. I had tough time cleaning up with frozen water and numb hands. Then I dressed up, came to the bike on the road side, washed my hand again before I wore the gloves. I started climbing further. That was when I realized that I had forgotten the watch. Garmin forerunner 920xt is a decently expensive watch. I went back to search. But there was no way I was going to find the trail I went to. I didn't even remember how far I had gone, though it seems just 5 minutes. Then I remember that I washed hand on the road. So, I looked out for the wet mark on the road. I found the watch to my relief. I continued riding further. I rarely forgot things. But later, I would forget the watch in rest room at later point of time. I returned in that incident too to find it from the restaurant staffs. Soon, I was going downhill. It was freezing cold and I was very sleepy and drowsy. I was often veering off the road into the tall grasses and gravels on the side! I was impressed how I could manage balance under the circumstances while I also scolded myself for being reckless and risking myself unnecessarily! Or was it really unnecessary? That was when I turned the phone data to check emails to keep myself engaged. People back home, friends and biking community, had noticed that I had continued riding and they started wishing me luck. For the first time, I replied to the BBC group with my surprise that they were still tracking a rider who had quit. It kept me a little more excited and awake. But I fell to sleep again. This sleep downhill ride was outright dangerous. I tried to take a nap, even if it was for 5 minutes. It helped to some extent. I ate the pizza I packed. I didn't stop in Kremmling too. There was road repair after Kremmling and it was a very slow pace. Soon, the route left the interstate 9 and took a detour to go around the other side of the Blue River. Later, I noticed that people with paper maps missed this turn as they were heading for Silverthorne straight.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 14 - Run out of water again</h4>
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As I rode around the Blue River, I ran out of water. I knocked on some doors. But no luck. Then I filled water from some stream as there were plenty. The water was not clean, but something to survive. Just then, I saw a gentleman driving into his garage. I asked him for water. He was a senior person, at 60 plus, a retired soldier who had served in Vietnam and warfares like that. When I talked about heat, he quipped that India should be hotter. He filled my bottles from the tap in the garden while we talked of politics. He was saying about the predicament of having to choose between Hillary and Donald. He spoke of Dalai Lama and how he loved him. He spoke of the whole warfare in the West Asia and why they should have just left them. He spoke of the gun lobbies in politics. He kept on and on. I loved the talk for a while and then I just wanted to continue riding. I thanked him for the chat and water.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the village side of Blue River. Some riders without GPS miss the right right and continue on the highway itself.</td></tr>
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I was still not nourished enough. I had booked a hostel in Breckenridge. So, I just wanted to reach there. I was planning to reach there by 12 noon. But at the pace I was going, that was not going to happen. From Silverthorne till Breckenridge was supposed to be all along a bike trail. The gpx resolution I had gave me trouble to get onto the trail initially. It was fine after that. The trail protected me from the headwind to some extent. The trail had runners and bikers. It had toilets too, though I didn't have to use them. It was a peaceful and nice trail. I clicked a few pics.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical trail section on Blue River trail</td></tr>
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I saw names like Sarah, Stephen written with chalk on the winding of the trail in the start. I continued. I also saw some water kept midway for bikers. It was some 16 miles or so. There was strong headwind in the second half. The trail also had more ups and downs compared to the road. I was moving at pathetic pace, but managed to reach the hostel The Bivouac "Bivvi" Hostel. It was a dormitory with 6 people in a room. There were many hikers and bikers. I got a middle berth. Each berth had enough charging points. I showered and slept off. I still had the pizzas from Walden. When I woke up, it was too late for going out for dinner. I was happy for the fact that I overslept. I microwaved the last pieces of pizza and ate them. I was good to go for the highest peak in this race.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 15 - Hoosier Pass at 11500 ft, 2000 miles</h4>
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I left the hostel around 3 AM (time zone had changed) I suppose as I wanted to climb the Hoosier pass before hot day. I was doing good.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PT6Hw7rck4o/WCgd8RG3ubI/AAAAAAAAIV4/8SI6xqkuu1cv1L-ScOr1ysBN489bsDfsgCEw/s1600/IMG_20160618_052059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PT6Hw7rck4o/WCgd8RG3ubI/AAAAAAAAIV4/8SI6xqkuu1cv1L-ScOr1ysBN489bsDfsgCEw/s640/IMG_20160618_052059.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lips were bleeding every time I opened to eat</td></tr>
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I stopped and had breakfast at Fairplay. I also wanted to buy some more electrolyte tablets. But I could get them anywhere. It was frying hot. I decided to stop early at Cañon City at around 1 PM to escape from the heat. I went to a Mexican restaurant and had rice. It was not as good as I expected. I also bought a probiotic chewing stuff from a nearby Safeway store. I left the motel at around 9 PM. Reached Pueblo by post mid night. I stopped at a store there for supplies.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 16 and 17 - Kansas is specially dry, race at half way</h4>
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I stopped for breakfast at Ordway. There in the Cafe, one senior lady followed me as she had been tracking all the riders. She saw that Illaria was also nearing the place and went out to receive her as well. She took pictures with us and later I came to know that she had paid for our breakfast as well. I couldn't get to thank her. I cannot recollect the name right now and will update here when I recollect.</div>
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I shopped for some fruits. Illaria was trying to fix a cut tire using duct tape. She had a spare tire, but she didn't feel the situation needing the spare tire!</div>
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From here on, there was nothing for a long time. I reached Cinnamon Joe at noon. I ran out of water. I rode around the whole town for any restaurant. Nothing was open as it was Sunday. Later I saw a gas station which was open. I filled my supplies and took some break. Road was rolling and hence I really wanted to continue throughout the night. But I was dozing off every now and then. I called Sv to have pass some time and keep me awake as I rode alone in the desolate road. Road was also smooth. I kept going in drowsy state till next morning.</div>
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When I was having snacks at Scott City, Amy Williams rolled in. We were talking while eating. I told her that I planned to stop early at Ness City as I hand't slept the night before. I had already booked and she did the same. She rode off soon and I followed a while later.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HyOabk97Nno/WCgefBZxOQI/AAAAAAAAIV4/CMzU8nXTf28BoP_inJLNYuu-9B0vHjMVwCEw/s1600/IMG_20160619_143911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HyOabk97Nno/WCgefBZxOQI/AAAAAAAAIV4/CMzU8nXTf28BoP_inJLNYuu-9B0vHjMVwCEw/s640/IMG_20160619_143911.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheat fields along the Kansas road. Wind blows fine wheat dust and it could cause irritation inside jersey.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was just getting hotter and hotter. But I rode well and reached the motel in Ness City just about 1 PM. I tried for a few restaurants. Most of them were closed. I saw one cafe with sign board of some potato and chicken stuff in the meal menu placed outside. When I entered, the lady there told me that they were closed and there was nothing else. I pointed at the board and she apologized. Then I found a pub just near the motel and I had my lunch there. The lady there told me that it was harvesting time and people were busy and hence the town was quiet. While I was eating, a boy came in with a box of donuts. He told me that the lady in the previous cafe felt bad at not serving me food and hence sent me the donuts. That was really touching. I conveyed my thanks to the boy and to the lady. I checked into the hotel. I washed clothes and slept. I woke up at 1 AM. I started riding really furious as the weather was pleasant and I had good amount of energy. I also had some food in the bag. I was almost around 20 mph most of the time.</div>
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BTW, the probiotic seemed to help me to a good extent in my ability to handle better range of food. So, I continued eating them in following days too.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 18 - Just another hot day with bad road</h4>
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Just about morning, there was a store in a gas station. I bought some supplies. Then I realized that there was nothing ahead until Newton town. The road around Nickerson was so bad that I stopped to look at my map many times if I was on the right track. I was. I reduced the pressure on my tire and kept riding on really pathetic road. I had ridden in much worse roads back in India. So, I didn't have much to complain really. I was also running out of water and food as it was getting hotter and hotter. Then suddenly I noticed a house and there was a bench and sign outside with "Biker Riders Water", "Let it run to cool". The tap was already kept outside. I sat on the bench and thanked the unknown kind person.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EDltx9S3TLg/WCge8HzMkdI/AAAAAAAAIV4/7vnT_EoWBg8WSTXx6Z3j27c_rbi6rvYdwCEw/s1600/IMG_20160621_082126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EDltx9S3TLg/WCge8HzMkdI/AAAAAAAAIV4/7vnT_EoWBg8WSTXx6Z3j27c_rbi6rvYdwCEw/s640/IMG_20160621_082126.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sign with BIKE RIDERS WATER near Nickerson</td></tr>
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I continued and the roads became good after a while. I noticed very old cars around the agricultural villages. Myself being from village upbringing, the life there looked familiar to me, but something I never thought of in the US. </div>
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I reached Newton town around Noon. I ate pizza before entering Newton Bike Shop.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fEbyR9LPe9w/WCgfSJIPGBI/AAAAAAAAIV4/uY1K62xCjt0KiTIkZNvvDQZJUbvGlRWmQCEw/s1600/IMG_20160621_195732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fEbyR9LPe9w/WCgfSJIPGBI/AAAAAAAAIV4/uY1K62xCjt0KiTIkZNvvDQZJUbvGlRWmQCEw/s640/IMG_20160621_195732.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James and Heather of Newton Bike Shop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-niXYwTpJ9E8/WCgfKUrlhZI/AAAAAAAAIV4/h_HoDXnw_TgrjqDJFloorSPzWIw16ik4wCEw/s1600/IMG_20160621_195340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-niXYwTpJ9E8/WCgfKUrlhZI/AAAAAAAAIV4/h_HoDXnw_TgrjqDJFloorSPzWIw16ik4wCEw/s640/IMG_20160621_195340.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chuck Lee, Ilaria Corli, Mike Richardson and Elyse Williams.<br />
James commented Chuck was dirty with greases when he entered while Ilaria looked clean.<br />
But I had seen how Ilaria was when she was fixing the damaged tire :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BBr_apClXGw/WCgfJ_1tDUI/AAAAAAAAIV4/UOiXmmlcA7U5yn7wK9md6AJQ8bsHrZn9gCEw/s1600/IMG_20160621_194738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BBr_apClXGw/WCgfJ_1tDUI/AAAAAAAAIV4/UOiXmmlcA7U5yn7wK9md6AJQ8bsHrZn9gCEw/s640/IMG_20160621_194738.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newton Bike Shop had good collection of vintage bikes and other memorabilia. He had a chain from the first season winner in the rest room wall, for instance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5BiZLjYynlY/WCge6fY7PCI/AAAAAAAAIV4/PlI9MdJfr6InqhxYSggAxOtJn6SYFilGACEw/s1600/IMG_20160621_194650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5BiZLjYynlY/WCge6fY7PCI/AAAAAAAAIV4/PlI9MdJfr6InqhxYSggAxOtJn6SYFilGACEw/s640/IMG_20160621_194650.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They had almost everything that a long distance biker would need, including rooms to retire.</td></tr>
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James and Heather were already tired of anticipating my entry into the shop as they didn't expect me to stop for food. I didn't know that they would have food for riders. They were such a nice pair, very passionate about bikes and with amazing hospitality. I requested for batteries for my SPOT device which they didn't have. She managed to order them and get in time for me. They showed me the recreational center where I could use the shower, which was free for long distance cyclists. I had run out of my salt tablets. So, I decided to buy something from the pharmacy. I called up to check if they had any electrolyte for oral re hydration. They had something called Thermostabs. I didn't have a choice. I bought them. It takes time to dissolve, leaves some precipitates that chokes on throat if I were in a panting state. But it served the purpose. I didn't plan to sleep in the bike shop. I ate a lot of fruits there. My bike was ready with tires interchanged. I declined the offer to service my bike. My bike was still in very good condition except for the muck on the chain. I hadn't used the brakes so far. I charged my batteries. I took a nap sitting on the sofa itself. There were about 5 or 6 riders altogether at the same time. I spent around 6 hours there. Then I continued.</div>
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I rode well initially and then soon I realized my mistake of not having slept the time in Newton Bike Shop. I didn't need the sleep that time as I had slept in Ness City. But that was a convenient place and hot day time I could have used for sleep. I regretted later. I stopped in a store to take a nap. Then I continued. It was not enough. I stopped again on the road side again.</div>
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As I crossed Eureka, I saw three or four RAAM riders. A couple of them sleeping on the road side in their pilot vehicles and a couple of them overtaking me with their escort vehicles. Seeing the logs, my cycling friend, Srini, who did RAAM solo the same time, was passing through the same road at the same time. One of them could be him. I soon deviated from their freeway to join towards Toronto and Coyville. Around mid night, I stopped in a convenience store and tried to sleep outside. The staff noticed and told me that I could nap inside. I would have slept for an hour and continued again. During my sleep, I heard Mike coming in the same store and leaving.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 19 - Frantic search for water again</h4>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
As I rode slowly the morning, I was looking out for food and water. It was getting hot again. But there were enough shades where I could take shelter. But I desperately needed water. I went around the Walnut county houses, knocked on doors. Mike also joined me after a while. I had lost a lot of time. We went around a church to look for taps. Then we found a fountain in a children park. We filled and rode. He rode away. Just at the end of the county, there was a gas station and a store. I could have saved so much time if I knew about it. I ate some hot food and rested for a while.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
By post noon, the headwinds were so bad and I was not having any energy. Head winds were so bad that I was once wavering on the road and a truck honked from behind At one point, a car stopped by and asked if it was worth going. I said, I didn't have a choice. It was getting hotter too. I still rolled slowly with an intention to halt at Pittsburg. Just about Pittsburg, may be another 7 or 8 miles, I ran out of water again. The distance was a pittance. I could have just gone ahead. But the headwind was so bad that I didn't want to push further. I flagged down a car by showing water bottle. She said, she would fill it for me and she drove away with the bottle. It took quite long before she returned with the water. I felt guilty of the effort she took. I thanked her and moved along. I stopped at a motel in Pittsburg owned by another Indian, a very nice gentleman. I ate well, bought fruits and supplies from the nearby Walmart store and slept.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 20 and 21 - Fun at Missouri roads, 3000 miles.</h4>
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This is how a typical road in Missouri looks like:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6fdCLf5I6p4/WCgf6jwi4QI/AAAAAAAAIV4/y8hN7WLl2RcvYRtim2IvsLDqItHkztAWQCEw/s1600/IMG_20160623_105913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6fdCLf5I6p4/WCgf6jwi4QI/AAAAAAAAIV4/y8hN7WLl2RcvYRtim2IvsLDqItHkztAWQCEw/s640/IMG_20160623_105913.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wavy roads of Missouri</td></tr>
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The road goes up and down like a wave in the sea shore. They are significantly steep and I had to shift the gears every slope. There is a better picture in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/_KjZgyoJFH/?taken-by=transambikerace">TransAm Instagram</a>.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hQEwyCltuU0/WCgf75VqBMI/AAAAAAAAIV4/5ssnMHtd91MpfFpBxX1c9wNga9yQ2JQfACEw/s1600/IMG_20160623_082948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hQEwyCltuU0/WCgf75VqBMI/AAAAAAAAIV4/5ssnMHtd91MpfFpBxX1c9wNga9yQ2JQfACEw/s640/IMG_20160623_082948.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical city limit sign board - population, speed limit</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I rode without much events on this day. I also pushed hard as I felt good. People were very warm and it was very easy to indulge into a conversation. It was moderately hot and I sweated profusely as I pushed harder. For the first time I ended a day with sore muscles. For the first time in this race, I had used my muscles more than my energy and legs were asking me to go easy.</div>
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I had planned to stop in Houston, early again. If I had to stop in a motel, I had to do it before 8 PM and planning it was never perfect. After I checked into a motel, there was another gentleman who had ridden the TransAm route in 2011 if I remember correctly. He asked me if I stopped by the ACA headquarter in Hoosier Pass. I didn't even know about it. He rode one year just upto Hoosier Pass and then the whole route the year after.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bFSB7ZiFnRU/WCgf9doXNGI/AAAAAAAAIXw/2HCCcKYFVK05Y8FS6n8vRN5VrB-4Bl6pwCEw/s1600/IMG_20160623_194754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bFSB7ZiFnRU/WCgf9doXNGI/AAAAAAAAIXw/2HCCcKYFVK05Y8FS6n8vRN5VrB-4Bl6pwCEw/s640/IMG_20160623_194754.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This gentleman rode the TransAm route in 2011, if I remember correctly.</td></tr>
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I continued the next day on a similar looking road of Missouri. My legs needed an early break as muscles felt sore. So, I stopped early at around 4 PM at Farmington, which was 3000 miles on the course. The following is how a typical Missouri elevation profile looks like.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8riKvIRgBHg/WCn9g_7nM7I/AAAAAAAAIYA/lRF0lR0c8HgBuO6N7oDtW1l94UmgdC7yACLcB/s1600/Missouri-elevation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="566" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8riKvIRgBHg/WCn9g_7nM7I/AAAAAAAAIYA/lRF0lR0c8HgBuO6N7oDtW1l94UmgdC7yACLcB/s640/Missouri-elevation.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical elevation profile in Missouri</td></tr>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 22 - Crossed Illinois in a single day</h4>
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Illinois was another beautiful day. Full of energy and beautiful route. First thing I noticed as I entered Illinois was the corn fields.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6LZeTLxYGC4/WCggWWQ0jeI/AAAAAAAAIXw/q1EUrwLnid88c4x3CQXTCcPw3KGnUmFvgCEw/s1600/IMG_20160624_070925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6LZeTLxYGC4/WCggWWQ0jeI/AAAAAAAAIXw/q1EUrwLnid88c4x3CQXTCcPw3KGnUmFvgCEw/s640/IMG_20160624_070925.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turtle on the road</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FVYKNsClaUY/WCggOvmH9yI/AAAAAAAAIXw/mS8e14BgRKUPH1G3X499lpJQW5EU_Tn4ACEw/s1600/IMG_20160625_062512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FVYKNsClaUY/WCggOvmH9yI/AAAAAAAAIXw/mS8e14BgRKUPH1G3X499lpJQW5EU_Tn4ACEw/s640/IMG_20160625_062512.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large cornfields in Illinois</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrDxARNcNFI/WCgggGbRmNI/AAAAAAAAIXw/rvyZBjx4H-ITNFz36XopMPCxg3ElJfs3wCEw/s1600/IMG_20160625_063123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrDxARNcNFI/WCgggGbRmNI/AAAAAAAAIXw/rvyZBjx4H-ITNFz36XopMPCxg3ElJfs3wCEw/s640/IMG_20160625_063123.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cornfield in Illinois</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IA2dADEAa1Y/WCggbAKlfxI/AAAAAAAAIXw/TxpH7uDlCNowl1zhO3NffcwvUd9yXqVowCEw/s1600/IMG_20160625_124737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IA2dADEAa1Y/WCggbAKlfxI/AAAAAAAAIXw/TxpH7uDlCNowl1zhO3NffcwvUd9yXqVowCEw/s640/IMG_20160625_124737.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mississippi River. Not exactly sure where I clicked this. But in Illinois.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
As I was zipping up and down the roads in Illinois, Nathan jumped out of his car and tried to click a photo. Too bad, I was in a steep downhill in full aero postion. He missed the click. I continued the momentum to climb the next hump. He turned around and caught me at the up slope. He was returning from Virginia after the leaders had finished the race. He has spent the last 22 days on the road capturing moments of the race. Quite tough job! Thanks Nathan for making the event possible for the third year.</div>
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It was warm and hot, but the Shawnee National Forest trees kept me cool.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nuEUSa5MEv4/WCggxaQxL-I/AAAAAAAAIXw/xUKRXFih_dg85pXn2uiRfLhp9YYwoi_fgCEw/s1600/IMG_20160625_130639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nuEUSa5MEv4/WCggxaQxL-I/AAAAAAAAIXw/xUKRXFih_dg85pXn2uiRfLhp9YYwoi_fgCEw/s640/IMG_20160625_130639.jpg" width="474" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shawnee National Forest</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Trans Am Bike Race has to use Ferry to cross the Ohio River in Cave In Rock at the border of Illinois and Kentucky. This has a specific timing, between 6 AM and 9:30 PM. This is a bit tricky part in the race. If one misses the day's last ferry, he has to wait till next day morning. If one catches the last ferry, then he has to ride the whole night as most things on the Kentucky side would have shut down. I think that there was a time zone difference too, which would make it an hour advanced in Kentucky side. I was right on time for the ferry before 8 PM.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-IlclIiJCU/WCgguG-cG4I/AAAAAAAAIXw/6ZR-PMPDdd8Mo2FtUZN3cX_Z1tjPQc2vACEw/s1600/IMG_20160625_193035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-IlclIiJCU/WCgguG-cG4I/AAAAAAAAIXw/6ZR-PMPDdd8Mo2FtUZN3cX_Z1tjPQc2vACEw/s640/IMG_20160625_193035.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approach road to Cave In Rock</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cDG4HhFCBfk/WCggxD1Vp_I/AAAAAAAAIXw/TNZ-7xV0wmQyb4bFzrqAJCuvjKgNvtfeACEw/s1600/IMG_20160625_195518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cDG4HhFCBfk/WCggxD1Vp_I/AAAAAAAAIXw/TNZ-7xV0wmQyb4bFzrqAJCuvjKgNvtfeACEw/s640/IMG_20160625_195518.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for ferry in Cave In Rock</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I crossed Illinois and I still didn't have an idea how far the next town would be and where the supplies were. I didn't realize the time zone advancing. So, I was thinking that I would get enough time to reach a place to stay. It was drizzling and getting dark. I rode as fast as I could to reach Marion. As I neared Marion, I booked a motel online and called up the front desk to expect me a bit late as I would need to eat some food before shops closed. I packed some fast food from McDonald and proceeded towards the motel which was a bit off the course. The gentleman in the motel was a Gujarati Indian and he was elated to see me. His office was inside his house. He offered to prepare food if I wanted Indian food. I was glad to hear that but I declined. I slept off soon after that. This would be my last stay in motel.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 23 and 24 - Kentucky dogs keep my racing alive, 3500 miles</h4>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Kentucky was no different from Missouri or Illinois in terrain. It was slightly better of course. It was scenic and no major climbs that I could remember. But quite choppy elevation profile. It was typically about 15,000 feet total gain over 250 miles. From here on, the weather was nice in the night. I could sleep in the open any night. But days were still hot. I used ice bag hanging from my helmet to keep myself cool.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MLnNVGyQOMY/WCgg8swOHUI/AAAAAAAAIXw/ZTZJ2-CqHs0kWOOAzesEDpJrd6rLY5xOQCEw/s1600/IMG_20160626_191050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MLnNVGyQOMY/WCgg8swOHUI/AAAAAAAAIXw/ZTZJ2-CqHs0kWOOAzesEDpJrd6rLY5xOQCEw/s640/IMG_20160626_191050.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a nice lush green field in Kentucky</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
As I have been skipping sleeps, my rides became more erratic and inconsistent. I also started having trouble with my motion as I had been eating too much fatty food. I noticed blood in stool for a few days.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
One problem in Kentucky was the dogs that were let loose. Some of them were well fed ones and some of them were just small dogs. At one point, there were two healthy ones. They were ready to chase me as I could see from a distance. Not having a choice, I accelerated to gain some speed. To my surprise, those two also started running to gain speed. They were running right in the middle of the narrow road. I didn't want to risk being pushed to the far right. So, I went straight into the middle of the road. They were caught by a little surprise and tried to find a way to get around me. I made a nasty swerve around them and sped beside them. They were still chasing as I went in full speed with heart pumping to max limit. Most other cases were dogs that would be chasing from far off and I always had time to be ahead. There were a lot of such dogs. At another incident, there were four dogs. I had to stop as escaping from them was impossible. There were three or four cars lined behind me. I had to wait till the dogs moved away from me. The moment I started riding, one chased me again. I had to lift up my left leg and yell, while I also pushed myself to the extreme edge of the road. I almost went off the road.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was very drowsy and tired by the time I reached Berea city. I stopped for food and packed some. I spent enough time waiting for the sun to go down. Meanwhile, I was wondering if I should check into a motel. I almost went to one before I decided against it. I was still drowsy. I stopped on a road side to take a nap for an hour and then continued. I was still feeling bad. I stopped by a store to stock up. I crawled up the hill. From Bighill, there was a major climb and it was raining too. Cars were throwing debris and slush towards me. But I continued with a dull energy. Due to rain and mountain road, there was a car accident around Clover Bottom. The ambulance was already there and traffic was regulated. It was downhill to McKee and climbing up again. I reached a place called Booneville in the late evening. I stopped in a store for some food. The store staff advised me to stop in the church next as there was nothing ahead for long. He told me that most bikers through that road would stop in that church. I had never stopped in church. He told me that there would be no one. But there would be a shade behind, where I could sleep on the benches or on the floor. There would be shower, etc. After some thinking, that sounded like the right thing to do. So, I stopped there. There was already a lady in tent, still awake as she was talking on the phone. I tried to figure out where the shower and toilet were. I couldn't figure out and I had to ask her. Shower and toilet were a makeshift arrangement. No hot water. No flush for the toilet. It was smelly. But it served the purpose. I didn't have a plug point to charge my phone. Or I just didn't search enough. I slept for a couple of hours on the bench. And then I pushed off.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 25 and 26 - Nasty elevation gain</h4>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
When I was talking to people in Booneville, they were asking me which direction I was headed. I mentioned those places - Lookout, Elkhorn City, Breaks, Haysi, Honaker, Rosedale, Meadow View, Damascus, Troutdale. They were taking pity on me as they spoke of the climbs which they knew. The last part of Kentucky and starting of Virginia had elevations gains of about 25,000 ft over 250 miles. I managed most of it. I also caught up with Sony Malcom, from California state, during a morning stop in a store.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sony usually liked to sleep longer. He was saying that he would sleep on the way in some open place. That same night had heavy rain for about an hour and I came to know later that the rain spoiled his sleep as he was unprepared for the rain. I kept riding on the rain with pants on. I didn't wear poncho this time. I just wore the wind cheater. The rain had trickled inside the ventilator holes and I was fairly drenched. Since the water entry was controlled, my body was still warm though drenched. One car pulled up beside me and asked where I was headed and if he could drop me to my destination. I told him about my ride and he left with a sense of disbelief.</div>
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I reached Honaker around around mid night. I halted in a gas station and lied down on the bench outside. I woke up after about a couple of hours of sleep and continued riding again. Not a great day. But not a bad day either. I kept going. Sony and I played catch up gain for the next 36 hours. I was really drowsy on the 26th day noon. I stopped just before Wytheville to take a nap again. When I woke up, I was a bit hungry. I rode a little further at Wytheville. I saw Sony there again. He had overtaken again while I was napping. We ate together for one last time. I left the place a little before him.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I kept riding till 10 PM. I was in Christianburg and having a confusing time deciding whether to continue riding or take a break. I decided to take a break. I lay down at a gas station bench again. I slept for a couple of hours and moved on again.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 27 - A big ride and steepest part of Appalachian Mountain</h4>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I had a couple of muffin cakes, three bananas and some usual stuff and no particular food on this day. I was feeling really good. I was surprised that muffin didn't cause an issue. I was really loving Virginia. I clicked some random pics of the scenic route. Nothing specific about them.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lYqkz_Kzv7c/WCghHgTWoII/AAAAAAAAIXw/A-hSpdDNu4QTONxounwEE2l3_N1dgBAewCEw/s1600/IMG_20160629_183828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lYqkz_Kzv7c/WCghHgTWoII/AAAAAAAAIXw/A-hSpdDNu4QTONxounwEE2l3_N1dgBAewCEw/s640/IMG_20160629_183828.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US Bicycling Route 76 is well marked from Missouri till Yorktown in Virginia</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7y_jfthAD2I/WCghMs-Xe0I/AAAAAAAAIXw/fp3wob7qEhgjGZp7iWK0JPTsrftlJd8CwCEw/s1600/IMG_20160629_193758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7y_jfthAD2I/WCghMs-Xe0I/AAAAAAAAIXw/fp3wob7qEhgjGZp7iWK0JPTsrftlJd8CwCEw/s640/IMG_20160629_193758.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely roads in Virginia</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zxLvbit8N_c/WCghZd3J1_I/AAAAAAAAIXw/3NrN26QjOo8Hq_f2FCvc8nK8HtQ2_VljwCEw/s1600/IMG_20160630_093903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zxLvbit8N_c/WCghZd3J1_I/AAAAAAAAIXw/3NrN26QjOo8Hq_f2FCvc8nK8HtQ2_VljwCEw/s640/IMG_20160630_093903.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If I remember correctly, this was a diversion due to bridge collapse.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I reached Lexington around noon of 30th June. I passed through the congested town. I could have bypassed that if I had known about the alternative as I was not really looking for any food. As soon as I came out of the town, I saw a bear in front of me, crossing the road, coming out from right side woods to the left side woods. I saw a few houses here and there as well. My heart pounded. I didn't know what to do, It was slightly up slope and I could have ridden fast. I waited for a couple of minutes seeing if any car would come along the road. None came and bear seemed to have gone deeper into the woods. I continued riding. I knew of a bad climb coming up. My chain had collected some nasty muck from the rain two nights ago. The rear derailleur was not shifting any more. I stopped by a store and got a WD40 can. I took to a grass area, grabbed a bundle of napkin papers and sprayed on the chain and cleaned as much as I could. I still wanted to carry the car in case I would need. I wiped hands, wiped the rear rim and put the paper in the trash can. I rode off. The gear was shifting okay after that. But still some effort was required. The road there was washed out by flood. Only the loose gravels were there. It required some effort to gain momentum, though I was still in good mood.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
From Vesuvius towards Montebellow, there is a small stretch of climb that goes above 10% gradient. I huffed and puffed there, getting off the bike now and then. Trees made it cool in spite of the heat at noon. The gradient eased soon after that. I thought I had sufficient water and snacks. But I underestimated the climbs. The climb took its own time in spite of my best efforts. One scary thing happened. My phone battery was draining out fast. This really worried me. I started pushing to my limits. It was a small gradient, but long and consistent climb. By 4:30 PM, I reached White Rock.</div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-336L4jqxEeE/WCghxj3Z_PI/AAAAAAAAIXw/j2Kfe88U1S05G5KAIBq9BKHRnH3o0aqAgCEw/s1600/IMG_20160630_150901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-336L4jqxEeE/WCghxj3Z_PI/AAAAAAAAIXw/j2Kfe88U1S05G5KAIBq9BKHRnH3o0aqAgCEw/s640/IMG_20160630_150901.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bridge near White Rock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Soon, I ran out of water and food too. But I was still doing okay. Road surface was really good and rolling. I belted down the downhill. Then came a few miles of slight up slope. I was still able to ride hard. I pushed really hard in that up slope that lungs were begging to slow down. I told myself that it would soon be down hill again at this momentum and please bear with myself as the phone battery was dying. Phone battery was running out real fast. I was almost there in Charlottesville. Just as I was near Charlottesville, I saw a small sign board saying "FOOD, SHOWER and A PLACE TO SLEEP, FREE FOR TRANS AM RIDERS". 3.x miles from here along the route was mentioned. I stopped by and was excited about the prospect of a shower, which I hadn't done for three days. My phone needed charging, I needed complete resupply. Just when I was browsing the map, my phone died. But I had loaded the segment in the other backup phone I bought in Lander. I opened the map and rode holding it in hand as I didn't have a mount for it. It was still downhill. Two bikers approached and they asked if I was Thoudam Opendro. I said, "Yes". I asked them if they could help me finding the place to the free food. They said, it was their house. They had come to receive me. I was touched by this gesture and compassion and passion for bikers. As I rode along with Bill and his son, he asked me what kind of food I would want. I said, "anything". He told me the choices. Rice was among the choices. I said, "Yes". I desperately needed it! He gave me two choices of rice - basmati and some other name which didn't want to stay in my head even after he told me twice. I asked for the other one, not basmati. He asked about the side dish. I said, "anything" again. He said, "some chicken". I said, "yes, in any form". He asked me all these on the way so that he could order on the phone to his wife and I could save time waiting for food.</div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PlEOHAxtbR0/WCoq7cv0zMI/AAAAAAAAIYY/97GPzulsDacCxWoU13v18Oab_GrN3JhDwCLcB/s1600/Bill_and_Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PlEOHAxtbR0/WCoq7cv0zMI/AAAAAAAAIYY/97GPzulsDacCxWoU13v18Oab_GrN3JhDwCLcB/s640/Bill_and_Family.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill, his wife Shawna, son Tanner and daughter Kailey (photo sent on my request)<br />
Bill rides road bike and Tanner rides MTB</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As soon as I entered his house, I plugged in all the devices - two phones and power bank. He offered to clean my bike, to which I said, "not required". I just needed to wipe the rim off the WD40 as it was giving a lot of noise and less effective. I didn't bother much all these while as it was in the rear only. I felt sorry for taking in my dirty bike onto his carpet and sofa. But he insisted. He gave me a soap or solution to clean my greasy hands. He gave me fresh towels, soap, shampoo, etc. I don't use soap, shampoo or toothpaste. I carried a small cotton towel of my own. All I needed was water. But I was so touched by the hospitality and sincerity of his willingness to help the bikers. He told me that he had all tools if I would need any repair. He also handed over a rear light in spite of me insisting that I would not need it. He also offered me gloves which I declined. Food was ready. I climbed upstairs to his kitchen and dining where Shawna had kept the food ready.</div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HVIAlusjmvI/WCoszd5G07I/AAAAAAAAIYk/lJDd3ih6OE0lF4kW_ILXeThV7fk72CH8ACLcB/s1600/DogRuby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HVIAlusjmvI/WCoszd5G07I/AAAAAAAAIYk/lJDd3ih6OE0lF4kW_ILXeThV7fk72CH8ACLcB/s640/DogRuby.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bills dog Ruby. He goes almost well with Bill's cat, not in the pic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There was a lot of rice, salad, some berries and some kind of melon. I relished them all. Bill was asking Shawna to wrap some rice for me to eat along the way. I told them that I could eat really heavy if it was rice. So, there wouldn't be any need to pack. I would eat them all to last till next day! They were quite surprised at how much I could eat.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was done. As I hurried up, I later realized that I didn't even keep my plate to the sink or dish washer. I just left on the table. I felt bad about myself as a guest, though I knew well that Bill and Shawna had the hearts to forgive me.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bill rode for 10 miles with me so that I didn't have to worry navigating out. I was heavy and puffing a bit to keep pace with him. He asked if I wanted to slow down a bit. I said, "Keep going" so that I would be off pretty soon. My target was to reach Yorktown by 4 PM and collect my items from post office before 5 PM, in case the post office would close on Saturday. I had hardly used the big chain ring except in the downhills. While trying to keep pace with him, I shifted to big ring and chain fell off. While trying to put the chain back, the bike fell to the ditch on the side and I tumbled upon it. The bike had a very heavy handle bar with a bags hanging on the aero bar. That caused many falls during leaning on various supports. Bill turned back and put back my chain.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I rode hard the whole of night. At one point I was very drowsy and I slept on a small county road, on the grass near Sheriff's office. I was woken up by the Sheriff himself after about an hour. I told him that I needed a nap as I was riding very drowsy. He didn't mind that. But I was already awake. I woke up and continued riding. I faced some drizzle in the morning. I stopped in a gas station for supply and rest room. The store didn't have rest room. But there was a potty in the gas station. I had to use it reluctantly.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I was on the road again for one last time.</div>
<div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Final Day - 1st July, Friday</h4>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was excited about the finish ahead. I rode even faster than usual. Some stretches were not even good roads. I just kept riding. I was amazed with how much the road turns to take us through various country roads. As I entered Ashland, riding along the railway track, I was stopped by an old gentleman. He showed my spot on trackleader on his cellphone screen. He had been tracking me and others to cheer tired souls like me and encourage me to keep up. His name was Tim Miller, who rode the Trans Am route in 1974, which was before I was born.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As I passed the outskirts of Richmond, one gentleman named Karthik from India met me outside a store where I was having my brunch. He told me that Sai and Abhirami (the couple from my college engineering class in CIT) sent him to take my pictures and to hand over some water as they couldn't do it themselves. I thanked him and them, but declined taking the water and other eatables. I was in the store anyway. Besides, the rule does not allow me getting help from friends. I also ran out of salt tablets. So, I put table salt in my water bottle for the last few miles.</div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YfhNaJERozs/WCgYe7gT0VI/AAAAAAAAIQc/2t1yvFp9LhEeBFYkmUz13vnZxOvkdxo0QCEw/s1600/IMG-20160701-WA0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YfhNaJERozs/WCgYe7gT0VI/AAAAAAAAIQc/2t1yvFp9LhEeBFYkmUz13vnZxOvkdxo0QCEw/s640/IMG-20160701-WA0006.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Richmond, photo by Karthik, friend of Sai and Abi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As soon as I joined the route 5S, I rode on the Virginia Capital Trail all the way till Williamsburg. It was a nice and really long trail. I felt drowsy along the trail and I also came to know that the post office would be open on Saturday too. So, I lay down for a while again. Soon, it started raining. Instead of riding, I just spread out the blanket over me and bike and waiting for the rain to subside. It was just 30 or 40 more miles to finish. I could have just finished it. But I was not in a hurry anymore. So, I rode leisurely. The road around Williamsburg towards Yorktown had horrible surface, a kind of surface that was washed out completely, but not loose gravels. I reduced pressure and kept riding with a jarring body. Just as I was about to reach Yorktown, it started raining heavily again. I couldn't ride as I needed the cellphone to navigate around town. My phone could not be mounted in the rain. So, I stopped again, trying to see the route now and then over the plastic cover. But I could not operate the screen over the wet plastic cover. Rain stopped very soon. Traffic was very heavy. I rolled to Yorktown finally along the beach trail. Beach was crowded. There was a "no entry" sign on the path to the Victory monument. When I inquired some people, they told me that pedestrians and bikers were allowed. I pedaled up and got someone to click a pic for me.</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iG6T3Sj0saw/WCgh_Smo_qI/AAAAAAAAIXw/tDDaoDEz7jApHxF2Ue7zLJ9I81ZxIoncgCEw/s1600/IMG_20160701_171733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iG6T3Sj0saw/WCgh_Smo_qI/AAAAAAAAIXw/tDDaoDEz7jApHxF2Ue7zLJ9I81ZxIoncgCEw/s640/IMG_20160701_171733.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tcnLuPnqfqs/WCgiAXXrp8I/AAAAAAAAIXw/wFi1hjejrPcAUHvSNfnsbliMB1kEsxx0QCEw/s1600/IMG_20160701_171747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tcnLuPnqfqs/WCgiAXXrp8I/AAAAAAAAIXw/wFi1hjejrPcAUHvSNfnsbliMB1kEsxx0QCEw/s640/IMG_20160701_171747.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was relieved to have finished the race successfully, though it took way longer than my target of 20 days. It took me 27 days and 7 hours to be precise.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I owe a lot to my family, friends, relatives, the cycling community in Bangalore and many unknown people around the world who had encouraged us all through the race. Sv has an account of her own which she kept while I rode on. That will be another story on itself, which I will add as anecdote later. He story has more characters, such as her parents who supported our children for school and their prayers for me.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I booked a motel afterwards. But I rode to a wrong address with a similar name. That made a really late night for me to take the rest. Riding in crowded town was not fun, in fact dangerous as cars honked behind me with no shoulder on the road. Next morning I walked 6 miles to post office and returned by cab. I disassembled the bike and packed it inside the bag after cleaning the dirt and grease.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I had booked my return flight from Dulles (Washington International) Airport, which was less than 10 miles from Samu's house. I asked Samu's husband, Senthilkumar, to pick me up as I wouldn't be able to drive without dozing off. My return flight was on 5th and thus I had three days of rest. Samu knew well how different and tired I looked than usual. She cooked really nice food for me. I just had to sleep and eat in a continuous cycle irrespective of whether it was day or night. Senthil dropped me to the airport in a ziffy as I made myself late in getting ready. I thanked them after I got to the boarding gate well before time.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I thank the GoGreenGoCycling team and the residents of my neighbourhood for the honor and encouragement given to me.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IHm_6c7Pc0M/WCo-VxcCeQI/AAAAAAAAIY0/_cpR4-lOq502T49fx3apZKAgjxBDdfXrACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160707_020408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IHm_6c7Pc0M/WCo-VxcCeQI/AAAAAAAAIY0/_cpR4-lOq502T49fx3apZKAgjxBDdfXrACLcB/s640/IMG_20160707_020408.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr Ali Poonawala and his wife Fatima, and GoGreen Rao at the airport when I landed in Bangalore</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Some moments that didn't have any specific recorded time</h4>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There were moments when I couldn't breathe deep. I was breathing very shallow and I would be scolding myself for not breathing correctly.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My race was done with so low energy level but with so much high hope that I was often reminded of the dialogue line <i>"Tujhe Holi khelne ka shauk hai lekin teri pichkari mein dum nahi"</i> in Dirty Picture. I will not translate it here.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I had carried a spare green color bag that could be crumbled very small. I sometimes hung it behind the saddle bag. At one point, I thought it was missing. But I didn't want to get down to check it. So, I pushed my left leg behind feel it hanging. My feet got almost stuck in the rear wheel spokes. It hurt me, but no injury or damage to the spokes. I felt very stupid about the action.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Once I saw a McDonald that was open for drive through, but not open for service inside. I went to the drive through for order. I didn't know how to make the order, but I spoke on the mic and listened to the speaker on the drive through. The voice on the speaker clearly said that they wouldn't take orders unless I was on car! I waited outside till 5 AM when they actually opened. They also don't make the regular stuffs for breakfast.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In one of the raining night, I was lying down on the floor in a gas station, in front of a store. The rain water came flowing on the floor. The station had a water tap outside too, where I filled my bottles.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
I never got to venture out into a campground. But I wanted to try and inquired about it from people. They said that I would need to carry a tent of my own and without tent, the insects would crawl over me. So, I stayed way from campgrounds.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Updated as and when I remember</h4>
</div>
<div>
The place I used to see for fruits on road side was called Deli.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As I saw nearly all the phases of the moon in one go, alone in the night, fighting sleep and other odds, the song that constantly came to my lips was "<i>khoya khoya chand</i>" sung by Md Rafi from the movie Kala Bazar. I realized how addictive the tune was in that moment.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here is a tribute my brother and team in <a href="http://kanglaonline.com/">KanglaOnline.com</a> made : <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxxln0eQCTk">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxxln0eQCTk</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I saw another couple of bears on the downhill towards Charlottesville. Later, Bill told me that those bears were generally not dangerous unless they had cubs.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The deers in the woods of eastern half of US are something. They are everywhere. Many of them manage to jump across the fence and many of them died on the road, hit by moving vehicles.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There was one more animal, smaller in size, something like a sloth, I forgot the name. They were also killed in many numbers on the road.</div>
<div>
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</div>
Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-71851043436894215252016-04-01T00:07:00.001-07:002016-07-14T04:25:51.151-07:00The Last Ride<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is titled The Last Ride just to emphasize that I'm stopping any bike race or any long touring rides after this ride, which is going to be a really long one.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Brief History of My Cycling</h4>
Ever since I started cycling in 2010, I had always done a big ride every year. In 2010, it was Mysore and back. It was big then, with my MTB Trek 4300. Then came brevet which made a distance like 300 km look like a newbie ride. I bought a hybrid bike Merida Crossway 10V in November 2010. I had no plans to own a road bike, but I still rented one for the 400 km brevet just to get a feel of it. Just after the 400 km brevet, decathlon offered BTwin Sport 1 for just 15000 rupees, an offer so tempting that I got it on the first day at the closing hour of the shop.<br />
<br />
All these while, wife supported me very well and never hesitated whenever I wanted to buy a bike. I raced almost every BBCh race in 2011, 2012 and 2013. And then I also bought an MTB KHS Sixfifty 603 in 2014 though I could hardly race after that due to tough schedules. Meanwhile, I did the <a href="http://www.opendro.com/2012/06/1000-km-on-bicyle-bangalore-belgaum.html">1000 km</a> brevet to Belgaum in 2012, <a href="http://www.opendro.com/2013/07/no-hype-bangalore-kolhapur-bangalore.html">1240 km</a> one to Kolhapur in 2013. By then, I had promised to wife to end my long distance cycling. Yet, I joined Chidu to draft the 1200 km <a href="http://www.bangalorebrevets.in/2014/07/bliss-in-the-hills/">Bliss In the Hills</a> in 2014. I rode myself as the route was tempting and also tempted to test if the route was indeed practical. I was not really planning to ride any race or long ride in 2015. So, I spent my time volunteering for the BBCh in a way to pay my debt to the platform that gave me so much fun. Then I saw another long line up of Cleated Warriors in the Bliss In the Hills 2015. I jumped in the last minute with the excitement of riding with my 600 km brevet partner and team mate Ganapathy.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Ultra Distance Cycling and Its Perception in India</h4>
<div>
Even though I heard about RAAM (Race Across America) ever since 2011 when Samim Rizvi rode as the first Indian ever to participate in such a great distance, I was never drawn to it mainly because I don't even participate in events outside Bangalore, leave alone outside state or country. Samim finished the distance in his second attempt though he missed the "Finished" tag by just 40 mins. We were all really sad for him to have got the DNF just because of an extra 40 mins over a 4800 km race. He made another third attempt which failed very badly.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Then came another rider Sumit Patil from Maharashtra who attempted but again failed miserably. It was while tracking his progress in BBC (<a href="https://groups.google.com/d/msg/bangalore-bikers/5sPJdlJBqcs/reryU2YaC9YJ">https://groups.google.com/d/msg/bangalore-bikers/5sPJdlJBqcs/reryU2YaC9YJ</a>) that I developed this urge to try RAAM or at least something close to it. While I do respect the distance and required endurance besides passion and determination, I felt that somewhere we are creating an over hype simply because no one has ever done it. Missing the target by a narrow margin is fine, but if one misses the target by a huge margin, quit at the very beginning of the race, etc., that too after travelling all the way to US spending a lot of money, it was not doing justice. This is not the only thread. I was often drawn to debates on other ultra marathon, ultra triathlon, etc. At one point, I was so desperate to try that I even tried calculating the financial damage I would incur if I were to do a RAAM. Then Divya Tate initiated planning for a race from Kanyakumari to Khardung La, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1094002007407514/">K2K Race</a>. I immediately jumped in and clicked "Going" in that event. Meanwhile, a lot of ugly scenes happened among brevet organizers in 2014 end. Divya was leading the official brevet, http://www.audaxindia.org/, which is affiliated to ACP. A lot of ground level organizers didn't agree with the way she took the decisions. At the end of the tussle, most riders from Bangalore were literally boycotting the ACP rides. Though I agreed with most of the decisions taken by Divya, I strongly felt that some of organizers were right about their displeasure of the manner it was done. To morally support the original Bangalore Brevet organizers, I decided not to ride K2K. Later, I also came to know that K2K would be a very costly race for me as it mandates two support cars and more crew members. I wouldn't go for such fancy race at all. K2K race is scheduled for September 2016 and I wish all the riders very best.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Meanwhile, I had to find a long race that is worth comparing with RAAM to test my myself. To test myself, I could just go on a lone self support ride all over India. But I also wanted to prove a point and show some of the doubters how a long endurance ride should be done. Honestly, I wouldn't have felt the urge to do one, specially outside country, if Samim or Sumit had finished the RAAM in all attempts.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Trans America Bike Race</h4>
<div>
Towards the end of 2014, Anita, my CW team mate and her hubby Sandeep were relocating to US. I got some goodies to pick from them. That was when Sandeep casually mentioned about <a href="http://transambikerace.com/">Trans Am Bike Race</a> (TABR). He mentioned that as a race across US on self support, the kind I like, cheap and simple. I immediately liked the idea and read up more on that later. 2014 was the first season. I followed the rides in 2015. It is a 4400 miles, i.e. 7081 km mostly through country roads. Eastern half is a well signed USBR 76 (the historic bicycle route 76). Perfect for me! When they opened up the registration for 2016, I immediately jumped in.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a3e9DO6sa3c/V0Pw-SXymqI/AAAAAAAAGbc/Efi-2nrPnigBjr1I1Yeb2_jXvm9TiiK_gCLcB/s1600/TransAm2016Route.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a3e9DO6sa3c/V0Pw-SXymqI/AAAAAAAAGbc/Efi-2nrPnigBjr1I1Yeb2_jXvm9TiiK_gCLcB/s320/TransAm2016Route.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The gpx at the resolution officially provided showed a distance of 6735 km with 50,000m of elevation gain/loss. Past riders have more or less confirmed to be about 7000+ km.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Uncertainties</h4>
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I registered in August 2015 for a race that is to take place in June 2016. I'm a person who never backs out from a race once I register. But things on the home front became really tight. I rely on my father in law for taking care of my daughters after school. He had to undergo bypass surgery in October. I kept some hope, but I reduced my chances to 50-50. Meanwhile, he recovered well and was even able to pick kids from school. Finally I applied for leave in office and booked the flight tickets at the end of March.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Planning and Preparation</h4>
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I decided not to take commercial sponsors as I felt that I didn't deserve any of that. Commercial sponsorship should be left for the real sports persons who compete at the professional level. However, I wouldn't mind taking money from commercial sponsors who could benefit from my ride. Since I was going to quit cycling altogether, in fact going to sell my bikes except commuter, I felt that I wouldn't be able to do justice to anyone. So, I decided to spend from pocket unless my employer gives me a surprise by sponsoring some part of the expense (high hopes!) :)</div>
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Bike : Kiran was ready to help me with a brand new Polygon bike. But I declined for the same reason that I don't deserve one. I will be riding my good old BTwin Sport 1. I will install an aero bar.</div>
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Navigation : I will load the tracks on a garmin watch and I will turn it off on straight stretches to save batteries. In circumstances when road is blocked, I will use my phone with offline maps. I split the entire course into splits of 400 km and loaded in Kiran's (Tusker) Garmin 920xt. It is a very light weight, battery efficient (20 hours in GPS, 40 hours in ultratrac mode) with lots of memory. I loaded the entire 7000 km at high resolution, which is about 38,000 track points and it consumed just about 1.3 MB out of the 8.3 MB it had. I had issues loading and navigating on this device. But all sorted out over a couple of days.</div>
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Light : Magnic light - two in the front and one in the rear. I will be carrying two power banks that run on 4 AA batteries. Each one of them have LED lights and I will additionally carry a USB LED light in case I would have to fix a puncture in the dark.</div>
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Tracking : I bought a <a href="http://www.findmespot.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=29&zenid=pu0m8q8ibhb766430v1969sls3">SPOT Gen 3</a> I will be buying a month service and my logs will go live in <a href="http://trackleaders.com/transam16">http://trackleaders.com/transam16</a> (2015 tracks are here : <a href="http://trackleaders.com/transam15">http://trackleaders.com/transam15</a>). I can be tracked using the link <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId%3D0qqAGBXfxmSHKfEJ6PHdoSWCLeLgXB9AF&source=gmail&ust=1464156465413000&usg=AFQjCNE5103VdlY_45q0wE4GRXYhuaUoyw" href="http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0qqAGBXfxmSHKfEJ6PHdoSWCLeLgXB9AF" saprocessedanchor="true" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">http://share.findmespot.com/<wbr></wbr>shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?<wbr></wbr>glId=<wbr></wbr>0qqAGBXfxmSHKfEJ6PHdoSWCLeLgXB<wbr></wbr>9AF</a> as long as I keep the tracker device switched on.</div>
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Batteries : I plan to buy batteries on the way as and when required. I will use a powerbank that works on AA batteries and use it to charge GPS watch and phone. I also ordered a solar power bank and it didn't work well for me. Moreover, it would be unwanted hassle considering that a set of AA batteries will last really long.</div>
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Speedometer : A cheap one I bought from dx.com.</div>
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Spares :</div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Two spare tubes</li>
<li>20 puncture patches and glue</li>
<li>One chain link</li>
<li>Mutitool (from Gana)</li>
<li>Mini pump (from Anantha)</li>
<li>Chain lube (wet)</li>
</ol>
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That is all the spares I will carry. I will be riding with a new brake pad from decathlon and a new pair of tires IRC Aspite Pro 26C.</div>
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I'm going to fit a rear mud guard.</div>
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Storage :</div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Five bottles - one in seat tube, one in down tube, one above top tube and one each at the seat stays. This should hold about 4.25 litres of water, i.e 4 x 900 ml + 650 ml.</li>
<li>Handle bar bag, about 2 litres I guess to store mostly food, poncho, jacket, etc. I will additionally carry a tiffin box hung onto the aero bar, again to carry food.</li>
<li>A large saddle bag, custom stitched, about 5 litres (30 cm x 15 cm x 12 cm) for spare dresses.</li>
<li>One frame (top tube) bag to store credit cars, cash, passports (two - as I have the VISA stamped on an expired passport).</li>
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Clothes :</div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>I will be sending off my travel clothes and bike bag (from Kiran) by US Post ground to the other end of the race.</li>
<li>An extra set of shorts and jersey. I plan to wash in wash basins on the way and dry it on the ride itself.</li>
<li>I will wear a slipper and hence no need for socks. One pair socks in case I face snow.</li>
<li>One pair gloves</li>
<li>One pair of goggles</li>
<li>Rain poncho.</li>
<li>Jacket.</li>
<li>A small cotton towel, handkerchief size.</li>
<li>A set of clothes - underwear, shorts and t shirt in case I need to check into a hotel on the way.</li>
</ol>
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Food : This is an area unknown to me as I will be riding in a new land. Water will be mostly from public drinking fountains or sinks in gas stations. I don't buy bottle water usually as long as I get regular water. Calories will be mostly from nutrition bars from convenience stores and fast food on the way (subway, grilled chicken, bread, rice, etc.). No idea beyond this. I will learn on the way. But I will always carry extra food just so that I don't have to worry about the distance to the next available food joint. I will be carrying some salt capsules.</div>
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Hygiene : I have stopped using any of the personal hygiene stuff, such as soap, tooth paste, shampoo, deodorant, etc. since August 2015. I never use skin lotions, lubes for the butt, etc. I will use clean water to clean private parts and wet kerchief for towel bath. There is some one who hasn't showered for 12 years (http://www.livescience.com/52719-do-we-need-showers.html), so no shower for 20 days looks nothing :-p I will use the gas stations and restaurants for loo. I will use the nature if situation demands and environment is conducive. Fortunately I can go without shaving for two to three weeks easily :)</div>
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Sleep : I plan to sleep under tree shades, road side, public park benches, churches or whatever available during the warm day, for four hours between 10:30 AM and 4:00 PM. This way, I don't have to setup tent and carry sleeping bags. This is the time that is least efficient in riding. I will eat as heavy as possible before sleep. It is better to ride in the night. I might check into a hotel if situations demand.</div>
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I have decided to ride from East to West for a few reasons. East side is flatter and I want to make use of this to tone up my muscles before the climbs start. Riding towards west also means that I don't have to face the morning sun in the face. Facing sun in the eye after a sleepless night is not good. Peak summer is June 21 and that is the right time to do the mountains in the west.<br />
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[Edit: 28-Apr-2016] My office is sponsoring an official trip to CA for a week before the race. So, I'm going to ride from west to east and catch the McKenzie pass snow right in time :) [/Edit]</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Training</h4>
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I don't have any plans to train for this ride. All the training can only help in the first couple of days. Beyond that, it is all about planning and determination. Having said that, I will be doing at least 30 hours of running and probably a few climbs to smaller hills around.<br />
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Major challenge will not be the legs, but other body parts such as palm, shoulders and back. I plan to keep the handlebar high as I plan to ride at slow pace. Aerobars will come handy when I want to relax. I will be doing some yoga asanas to strengthen and stretch my core muscles. Two months of yoga should be good enough.<br />
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[Update: 24-May-2016] As on 24th May, I had done about 20 hours of running and one ride to Basavannabeta and one Kalhatty / Doddabeta climb. I was on an experimental diet (high fat, low carb) during April and by luck or by bad diet, I fell ill on 30th April with full body ache, headache, fever, no appetite and stomach pain. So, not training in first week of May. In consultation with Putta Narasimha (another CW team-mate) I took more hydration electrolytes to bring up blood pressure and alleviate headache. It helped. I went to Kalhatty climb on the first weekend before recovering and fell ill again the following days. Blood tests showed low platelet (1.44) which is just below normal. I took rest, hydrated well and took papaya leaf extract capsules. No other pharma drugs. Next day, my platelet count went up to 1.98. The same day my blood test for dengue came negative. I still took a while to gain appetite. I started running slowly in the third week. I caught a bit of mild cold in the 4th week and thus no running as I don't want to be travelling (on 28th May morning) with cold. I will be doing some short rides with Sandeep in Belmont and around. He and Anita are going to drive 750 miles from Belmont CA to Astoria and flag me off. So kind of them. Yeah, I landed up in Astoria, instead of Yorktown, because my office bosses (specially Ananth Satyanarayana and Sharad Medhavi) pursued for an official trip to HQ so that I can benefit a few days of acclimatization there. Besides, I will save the air fare if I travel on an official trip.<br />
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And no yoga. No time! This is bad. But I'm raring to go.<br />
[/Update]</div>
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I also don't plan to ride this as a race, but rather as touring. That means keeping the heart rate at zone 2 and focus on breathing for the maximum conservation of energy. Plan is to be on the saddle for 18 hours a day and average 20 kmph on the saddle. I can attempt to do about 19 hours towards the last quarter of the race. Why a slower speed and spend longer time on saddle? Why not a faster pace and then rest longer? It depends on the individuals ability to recover and regenerate energy. If we spend faster than we can recover, it is just a matter of time before the performance drops. Another fact is that the faster we go, more energy is required for the same distance covered. For instance, walking 10 km in 2 hours will require much lesser energy than running 10 km in 30 minutes. In cycling, wind resistance plays even more bigger role in making the difference bigger. Bicycle is a very efficient machine, the most efficient way of transport compared to even walking or any other form of transport. If one knows the limit of energy one can spend in a day without hurting the next days quota, then it is best to spend all that energy in the slowest pace possible while we keep minimum time for all other tasks such as sleep, eat, hygiene, etc. That is exactly what I plan to do.</div>
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If I ever face any untoward incident that could cause delays, I would have five extra days above my target before my return flight. So, I have a total of 25 days to finish the ride though I would target between 18 to 20 days, i.e. about 400 km a day on average. Finishing is important under any circumstance as I wouldn't want to spend another attempt.</div>
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Why?</h4>
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I think, this ride will be on top of my most foolish things in life. One may call it passion. For that, I could just ride Kanyakumari to Khardung La and back on self support. Why go all the way to US? It is not as if I'm going to be a world famous hero if I finish or win this race. So, it is not making any sense at all for me. Besides, there is still a theoretical possibility of unforeseen failures. But then, if I do this, I will get some right to talk about endurance rides and how it should be done. My finish will also convey a message that riders like Samim or Sumit wouldn't be able to convey even if they had finished. If they had finished, people would have still said that RAAM is for super heroes, because Samim and Sumit are very strong and serious riders, who train on almost professional level. But if I finish, it will be more special because I neither train nor am a strong rider. BBCh ITT data are a proof. I'm no where close to most of the semi-professional riders. So, if I finish in a respectable time, it will give a lot of hope to many others. This is a bigger reason why I'm doing this. This is not a good reason and that is why I feel all the more stupid. Nevertheless, it will be a ride of a lifetime! I'm very excited about it.<br />
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[Edit: 28-Apr-2016] Sumit is in the RAAM 2016 roster again. Major Srinivas, a buddy who used to ride in the weekends with us in 2011, is also doing the RAAM. I wish them a good ride and comfortable and competitive finish this time. I will catch them at their finish line, which will be just about 100 miles from my stay at VA. [/Edit]</div>
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Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-35095341637760802632015-10-20T07:55:00.003-07:002015-10-20T07:57:03.696-07:00A couple of marathon to my name - finally!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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You are stupid and inexperienced if your first half of the race is faster than the second half.</div>
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You are untrained if you cannot run above zone 3 for a full marathon.</div>
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You are stupid if you don't plan your hydration and nutrition for a race that takes more than 3 hours.</div>
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Waiting for opportinity</h4>
I hadn't run a marathon till October 2014. But I had done one in Lalbagh garden in 2012 on my own. But generally, I don't have the motivation to go out and run such a long distance without the right atmosphere. Bangalore didn't have any such event except the oddly timed mid-night marathon, which has very unattractive course. I also don't have the time and energy to travel to other cities to do one. So, when Bengaluru Marathon (<a href="http://www.bengalurumarathon.in/">www.bengalurumarathon.in</a>) was first announced, I jumped in immediately and I was one of the early birds to register getting free tees.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
2014 Bengaluru Marathon</h4>
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I set a 3 hours target for this marathon. This is a stiff target, specially considering my lack of experience. I had done only one half marathon and that too was a slow one that took 92 minutes. So, running a double distance with more or less the same pace was a big challenge. But I practiced decently well, running thrice a week, two months before the event itself, most sessions spanning about 90 minutes and covering a distance of mostly 20 km. Two months of training is a lot for me, because I train for two weeks for most other races I participate.</div>
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Surprisingly, my work schedule that usually goes easy became hectic in the run up to the event. I also registered for the first <a href="http://www.bangalorebrevets.in/2014/07/bliss-in-the-hills/">Bliss In the Hills</a>, which is a 1200 km cycling through mountains with elevation gain of near 15,000 meters. Bliss In the Hills happened too close, just the weekend before the marathon. So, I didn't have any room for recovery, leave alone additional training. I did try a 10 km run in between to test if I was ready for a 42 km at that condition. I pushed for a 45 mins 10 km and that probably drained my energy more.</div>
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Anyhow, I ran carrying a bottle of gatorade. No nutrition and not enough hydration. Out of grit, I pushed myself hard and finished in <a href="http://www.timingindia.com/beta/my-result-details/NDIwODQ6dGltaW5nX3IxNF9ibV9t#head">3:32:49</a>. I felt really bad about it and I decided to run the mid night marathon. I registered, but something else came up and I couldn't run.</div>
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2015 Bengaluru Marathon</h4>
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I wanted to do well this time. But again, I couldn't train. I was without the support of my father-in-laws, who used to help with my kids study and school pickup and drop. I was in a water tight schedule to balance work and family. When my in laws returned in mid of September, I had to cover up my work as well. So, no training at all. Meanwhile, I decided to ride the Bliss In the Hills again with my Cleated Warriors team-mates, specially Ganapathy, who was my companion in my first 600 km ride in 2011. I did manage to run a 5 km. Ride Nandi repeats on one holiday. Accompanied wife for 17 km to practice for her first running event, half marathon in the same event. I also got to ride to Basavanabetta on Bakrid holiday. So, basically I was relying on my Bliss In the Hills ride as my training for the marathon. This ride is also a trial ride for something big coming on my way in the near future. Anyway, I finished the ride strong taking all the time I was given! I had two weeks gap this time before the marathon. So, I ran another 5 km and then another 10 km between - both in office treadmill.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Target 3:10</h4>
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I was ill prepared. But I set myself a target of 3:10, but was going to accept even a 3:15 under the circumstance. My plan was to do 4:30 a km pace all throughout. I mixed three sachets of enerzals of 50g each in a bottle and mixed water just to make it liquid. Plan was to sip it and drink water from the aid station. It was working well. I also got to run with a bunch of around 6 runners who were running at my pace till the half way mark. Towards the U turn, it was up slope. A couple of them went ahead of me and the rest went behind me. I was still doing good but I knew that my energy was going to drop as I didn't have any nutrition. I didn't even bother to see what was there in the aid stations, but I think, there was no food until towards the last 10 km. Or did I not look carefully? Anyway, I continued. My bottle was empty at around 28 km mark. I relied on the aid stations for my 3:10 target. The target was still in sight though.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
The mad crowd of half marathon</h4>
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Half marathon was flagged off 65 minutes after us. So, at my pace, I was going to catch scores of them as they progress their second half. There was hardly any space for me to run straight. I still managed through. Then came the biggest problem. Each aid station was heavily crowded and it was almost impossible to grab a glass of water without stopping for a considerable time. At one station, I grabbed two bananas and I felt much better in energy level. I gulped some plain water in another station. Still, it was way below the required amount. I was running low now, with very low pulse rate, trying to simulate a higher heart rate. Hands and legs felt the lack of blood flow - a kind of numbness for the lack of a term in my dictionary. I started walking a few meters every 500 m in the last 4 km. The target was then revised to 3:16, then to 3:17 then to 3:18 and finally to 3:20. Finally I saw the last 500m sign post and I pushed.</div>
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A <a href="http://www.timingindia.com/beta/my-result-details/MTEwODp0aW1pbmdfcjE1MTBfYm1fbQ==#head">3:20:21</a> finish. I was hoping for a prize, even if a 5th one in my age category of 35-40. When the result came out, I was 6th, two minute behind the 5th person. To my surprise, age category of 30-35 had lesser competition compared to 35-40. The older category of 40-45 was even tougher than 35-40. That is what mid-life crisis does to men! They are crazy and they are tough (LOL).</div>
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I will still do a sub-3 hour marathon sometime in the future, hopefully in the 2017 event as I plan to skip the 2016 one. A target in mind will at least keep me motivated to go back to the event at least. All I need is a two months training and some light nutrition on the course.</div>
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Keep running!</div>
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Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-41747920244635247012015-10-20T07:08:00.000-07:002015-10-20T07:56:17.272-07:00A shot at locally tailored iron man triathlon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
What: <span style="font-weight: normal;">A locally tailored ironman equivalent triathlon event (3.8 km swimming, 190 km cycling and 42.2 km running), organized by Chennai Trekking Club.</span></h4>
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When: <span style="font-weight: normal;">15th December 2013</span></h4>
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Where: <span style="font-weight: normal;">Chennai</span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.fmaa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/1471373_10202316353812888_1637050342_n.jpg?oh=276d8eefa45eb402a92bd8dc1a9ff2e5&oe=5684D63E" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="574" src="https://scontent.fmaa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/1471373_10202316353812888_1637050342_n.jpg?oh=276d8eefa45eb402a92bd8dc1a9ff2e5&oe=5684D63E" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Official Finishers</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TuCYKZ7eWUI/ViY7DEEijkI/AAAAAAAAFo8/Lz7_2nL_ZfU/s1600/1519885_10152129435882722_49316309_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TuCYKZ7eWUI/ViY7DEEijkI/AAAAAAAAFo8/Lz7_2nL_ZfU/s640/1519885_10152129435882722_49316309_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deepak did bike and run, but had to skip swimming. He continued mainly to give me companion.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I always keep looking for challenges as and when it happens around and when the fees are not exorbitant. I don't mind paying a bit higher fee if I can save the travel time and cost.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, when CTC conducted their first equivalent of half ironman in Nagala in November 2012, I immediately registered and convinced Peter that I wouldn't drown even if I had to spend a whole day in water! I had done a half marathon by then (Kaveri Trail Marathon 2011) besides two 25 km Bangalore Ultra (2010 and 2011). I had also done a 1000 km brevet by then (June 2012). Yet, Peter wanted to see my swimming in one of the swimming pool (Velachari?) a few weeks before the event. But I was too busy, but managed to convince Peter. I participated and completed with a lot of goof ups in nutrition and hydration in an apparently one of the hottest climate I had ridden a bike and slush and bad roads. But I managed (relieved).</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Then comes the announcement of the ironman equivalent announced for Dec 2013. Peter was kind enough to accept my registration without much convincing this time. By this time, I had also done a 100 km running on trail (Bangalore Ultra 2012, 5 days after the Nagala half iron triathlon). I also convinced my 1000 km riding partner and Cleated Warriors team-mate and close friend Deepak.</div>
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I looked for companion for the drive to Chennai. Darshan and Yatheesh were already planning to drive in XUV500 and they were kind enough to accomodate me and Deepak with a rear bike rack to be installed. Darshan did all the driving. They were supposed to do half iron distance.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Darshan also managed to get accommodation in IIT Chennai guest house through his father-in-law. What a wonderful gentleman Darshan! We reached a bit late there, but we all managed to catch some sleep while I took breaks to eat a couple of bananas every now and then. We reached the starting venue on time.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: justify;">
<u>Swimming</u></h4>
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People will laugh at me if I tell them that I know swimming. What I know is basically to float. Well, a little better than that because I had swum in river currents all my childhood. But I typically keep my head up, splash a lot of water, don't rotate body, legs and lower trunk sink below. In short, it is a lot of drag. So, my ability to swim near 4 km is just grit. Thankfully, water was not sea water and I didn't mind drinking it once in a while during the struggle. There was some confusion on the distance and number of laps. Sunil Menon who was a semi-pro in triathlon measured the distance and that saved me from an extra 300 m or so.</div>
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I came out of the swimming in about 2h30m with totally lost balance (due to too much head rotation). My friend Deepak couldn't swim the distance and had to stop in the start itself. But he was willing to do the biking and running parts to give me companion. So, he waited for me and helped me in getting ready for the bike leg. There was a long delay in the transition, more than half an hour, as I tried to regain balance and grab some bananas. I was low on hydration and nutrition due to the poor swimming technique.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Bike</h4>
<div>
I wanted to try out cleats in this event. So, I installed cleats. I also borrowed an aerobar from Suma, a Cleated Warrior team-mate, who was already half ironman finisher a couple of years ago. In the first couple of km, I had a cleated fall! I couldn't get up for almost a minute. Then, I also realized that the aerobars were too close to each other for my comfort. So, I ended up not using at all. I made it a point to drink a little extra gatorade to recover from the dehydration and also ate regularly at the aid stations. I sensed some cramps in my calves. The biking look was such that half of the loop had open headwind and the other half which is supposed to be tailwind was not so open road and thus we couldn't get much of the tailwind. In the headwind section, all I did was to hide behind the broad body frame of Deepak. It was hot and humid even in December - you know Chennai, though it was cold enough in the night. Towards the end of the biking, my body and legs recovered fully and I was all set for running. At the end of the bike leg, we lost about an hour searching for the start of the running as we headed in a wrong direction. A lot of phone calls and asking locals, we found the way back to start of the run.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Run</h4>
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Running is the easiest part for me. Having said that I bloated my stomach with plain water in my Nagala triathlon and I had to walk most of the distance in 2012. So, I was careful this time during the bike segment itself. We took sweet time to change clothes, pose for photos, drink line juice, eat oranges, etc. Finally Deepak and I started running. It was on a trail, uneven at many places, but superb weather, cool breeze. Kandappa Sir (https://www.facebook.com/kandappa?fref=ufi&pnref=story), who is a cycling enthusiast himself, biked along us with a flash light and carrying our water bottles in his bike. Deepak had done countless marathons (around 35 of them if I remember correctly) and I hadn't done one. But I had done a 100 km in 2012. So, both of us were confident. Our aim was to do an easy 10 kmph pace. But we ended up doing almost 12 kmph in the first hour and we cautioned ourselves to conserve. We took small breaks for every loop of 6 km. We covered the next 10 km too in an hour. Soon, Deepak started feeling something not right in his stomach. It was not side stitch. It was not exactly pain. It was not bloating. He tried to explain, but not something he had experienced in his long list of running marathons. We slowed down every now and then but avoided walks. Soon, we started walking too. We were still confident of finishing within 17 hours (official ironman events cut off time) though CTC has set 19 hours for us. But we started doing more of walk than jog. Time ticked fast and distance moved slowly. Deepak was feeling bad that he was slowing down me. But I was not willing to leave him, specially when I know that we could use up to 19 hours to finish. He had helped me so much in the biking besides waiting for 3 hours for me to finish swimming. So, we carried on chatting and walking while Kandappa Sir was also patiently admiring our comradeship. In the last 300 m or so, I wanted to sprint off and do a dramatic finish and the shutter bugs missed me in the dark as I approached them too fast (LOL). I took somewhere 18 hours from the time I entered water. Kandappa Sir was relieved from duty after almost 6 hours. Thank you sir. We will never forget your patience and support.</div>
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We called up Darshan to pick us up while we chatted and cheered others who were coming in later. After some freshen up and some sleep, we packed the bikes and bags and Darshan and Yatheesh did most of the driving. Thank you guys.</div>
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Thank you CTC, the most energetic, volunteer driven organization of any kind of sports. I have never seen such a strong organization.</div>
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Note: I was actually not planning to write a blog until I do a proper ironman event. But it is unlikely to happen and so I decided to pen the only one that is the closest I have done.</div>
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Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-45418803697854870592015-01-22T04:23:00.002-08:002015-01-27T04:19:57.681-08:00Time Trial Bike Setup - Basic and Easy One<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Time Trial is all about being aerodynamic. You can read elsewhere on drag co-efficient and drag resistance and why it is the single most important factor in anything in a stream of air or water. Rolling resistance is just too small a factor at higher speed.<br />
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You can also read elsewhere why we need to maintain various body angles - at knee, at hip flexor, at shoulder and elbows - to be effective and comfortable.<br />
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Here, my attempt is to come up with a quick TT bike setup where we can start as a base. This setup does not require any equipment or second person. All we need is a set of allen keys and a linear scale.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Crank Arm Length</h4>
It must be noted that having longer crank arm is detrimental to the aerodynamic position as it would force the seat to be lower to be able to reach the bottom stroke and at the same time, the knee would need to bend further at the upper stroke causing very close angle between thigh and abdomen (hip extension angle) when trying to be in aerodynamic position. Even if not for the hip extension angle, such as in a relaxed upright position, the knee flex would not be very powerful if the bend angle is very narrow. Cadence will also drop leading to inefficiency and lesser wattage. Here is a table with recommended crank arm lengths : http://bikedynamics.co.uk/FitGuidecranks.htm. In my case, I'm 165 cm tall and my correct crank arm would be 165mm.<br />
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Here is my own formula after analyzing the given figures by experts. The desired knee angle at any stroke position should range between 66 degree (can vary widely between individuals) and 154 degree (mostly consistent to everyone). To be exactly at these angles, the crank length must be within:<br />
<i>Crank Length = GTL * [cos {(180 - 154) / 2} - cos{(180 - 66) / 2}</i>] / 2<br />
<i>= GTL * (0.9744 - 0.5446) / 2</i><br />
<i>= GTL * 0.215</i><br />
In other words, 21.5% of the GTL. Wait, I haven't told what is GTL. When I wrote this article as arm chair theory, I thought that the length from saddle top to bottom stroke pedal, when knee is fully extended, can be inseam length plus shoe sole plus thickness of the pedal. I was wrong about this. Many sites talk about greater trochanter as more relevant length when it comes to saddle height. Without going too much into the technical details, I coin GTL (not necessarily Greater Trochanter Length, because I don't want to risk an error) as the maximum length from saddle to pedal (usually at bottom stroke) when knee is fully extended. Note that, GTL has to be measured by wearing the shoe to be used and half of the thickness of the pedal so as to maintain the angles mentioned.<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
The base TT isosceles triangle </h4>
I want to give a simple and quick setup which we can do without
protractor or trainer stand or a second person. All you need is a scale.<br />
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There are three important points we have to fix:<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Seat (top centre) height</li>
<li>Elbow tip (the end of the elbow pad of the aerobar) and</li>
<li>Bottom bracket.</li>
</ol>
With the three points above, we need to create a triangle. To be able
to use a scale, we will define it using the three lengths of the
triangle. It is roughly an isosceles triangle as the bottom bracket is
equidistant from the other two points in the maximum efficiency - aerodynamically and bio-mechanically.<br />
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Distance from bottom bracket to saddle top</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This distance is dictated by a knee bend angle of 150 to 155 degrees at the bottom of the stroke. If we keep 154 as the desired angle, the length from the saddle top (about the central point where we will mostly seat comfortably) to the bottom stoke pedal spindle position translates to 97.4% of GTL. 97.4% is cos(13), where 13 is half of the (180 - 154) degrees. To make things simple, we wanted to measure the saddle top from the bottom bracket. This will translate to 75.9% of GTL, which is 97.4 minus crank arm length percent.</div>
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Distance from bottom bracket to elbow tip</h4>
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This distance is same as the length between saddle top and bottom bracket. </div>
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Distance from seat top to elbow tip.</h4>
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This distance depends on the upper torso length. But I promised to keep it simple. So, we will keep this 75% of the above length between bottom bracket and saddle top or simply 57% of the GTL.</div>
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There, we have got the perfect isosceles triangle. This triangle focuses on the bio-mechanic aspect. But we haven't exactly ensured that upper body is as horizontal as possible. We can rotate this triangle around the bottom bracket, keeping the lengths constant, thereby without changing the overall body posture.</div>
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UCI mandates the seat nose to be at a minimum distance of 5 cm behind the vertical line passing through the bottom bracket.</div>
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The above distances have been made keeping in mind of this offset. Otherwise, we could set the seat position and elbow tip even more forward releasing more hip extension angle for better hip flexor power. If you want, you could ignore this and keep the seat position almost above the bottom bracket which will cause the elbow rest to move forward, ignoring the exact measurements that we created above.</div>
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For now, we will stick to the above measurements. We will maintain the seat position at an angle of 11 degree from the vertical line passing through bottom bracket. This will also give slightly better power by using our natural downward force of body weight on the pedal.</div>
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Rotate the triangle such that the seat top centre is behind the bottom bracket vertical line by a distance of 19% of the length between bottom bracket and seat top or 14.4% of GTL. This positions the seat at an angle of 11 degree from the BB vertical line. Sin(11) = 19.</div>
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Where do I begin? Since the bottom bracket is fixed and we have a setback of the seat behind the bottom bracket vertical line, we fix the seat first. Then fix the handlebar height, elbow pads and aerobars. That is it.<br />
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Other things to remember is to keep the seat mostly horizontal for comfort. Keep the aerobar such that forearms are horizontal and elbow bend is within 90 degrees. </div>
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Do some minor tweaks by trial runs. Each person has their own body proportions and joint flexibility issues.</div>
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If you have a road bike, chances are that your saddle is much more reclined backward from the bottom bracket vertical line. Bringing back to 11 degree might require the seat post to flip 180 degree assuming the seat post has an offset. In my case, I had to file the saddle clamps a bit to make this possible.<br />
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Next, the handle bar might still be too high if the bike geometry was built for an endurance ride, keeping body at slightly upright position. In my case, it is an oversize bike requiring the seat post to be at it lowest possible. Hence bringing the handlebar to its lowest possible height is still not enough to make the above triangle. If you have a raised stem, flip it upside down and it will take the handlebar a notch lower. That is what I plan to do for myself. This is an unusual case because I bought a bigger frame in the first place.<br />
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More on the theory, I found this link very useful : http://bikedynamics.co.uk/FitGuideTT.htm<br />
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Disclaimer : I'm not a cyclist in the first place, let alone a time trialist. I haven't validated my theories on any cyclist. I wrote this as I was looking for an easy setup guide for amateurs who wouldn't want to visit a bike fit shop or may not have much patience to experiment. Use your own discretion to use my formula.</div>
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Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-18282451793444290532014-10-14T00:31:00.001-07:002015-08-31T04:00:07.304-07:00Bliss in the Hills - Presumably India's tougest endurance event so far<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Event : <a href="http://www.bangalorebrevets.in/2014/07/bliss-in-the-hills/">http://www.bangalorebrevets.in/2014/07/bliss-in-the-hills/</a><br />
Route map : <a href="http://bit.ly/1rDFipz">http://bit.ly/1rDFipz</a><br />
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I just finished a 1240 km brevet last year July (Bangalore to Kolhapur and back : <a href="http://www.opendro.com/2013/07/no-hype-bangalore-kolhapur-bangalore.html">no-hype-bangalore-kolhapur-bangalore</a>). I struggled to finish the ride due to some unforeseen incidences such as unsuitable preparation for the incessant rain and left knee problem that cropped up on the very first day itself. But I knew that it was a distance I could do comfortably any given day.</div>
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Hence, my hunger for a tougher route grew higher. Coincidentally, Chidu had dropped the Kolhapur route from 2014 calendar and submitted another 1200K for Ooty. Being his team-mate (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cleatedwarriors">Cleated Warriors</a>), it was not difficult for me to approach him and influence him on the route as well. He wanted a challenging route for himself as Bangalore has already produced many 1000K finishers so far. Fair enough. After long reconnaissances by different interested parties and organizers, the route finally settled down to <b>Bangalore - Hassan - Belur - Balupet - Madikeri - Virajpet - Iritty - Periya - Kalpeta - Meppadi - Gudalur - Ooty - Kotagiri - Metupalayam - Annur - Avinashi - Salem - Yercaud - Kuppanur - Harur - Uttangarai - Tirupattur - Jolarpet - Ponneri - Yelagiri - Tirupattur - Bargur - Krishnagiri - Hosur - Attibele - Bangalore.</b></div>
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Registrations were open as the route was being shaped progressively. It saw an unprecedented number of <a href="https://brevetmgr.appspot.com/brevet/oct2014-ooty/registrations/">registrations</a>, highest<b> </b>for a route longer than 200K (in my memory). This was partly due to the scenic mountains the route offered, the challenges which were too tempting for any respectable endurance cyclist and also partly due to the publicity (through word of mouth in online forums) this route got. It was not surprising then that the registrations came from various cities from Ahmedabad to Cochin, Goa to Pondichery.</div>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Wanted to make this a team ride</h4>
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My team (CW) was slowly fading away from the racing scene (specially BBCh) and I was planning to reduce my cycling gradually. This ride was a big ticket one for me and I wanted to do with my entire team. So, a lot of my team-mates registered - Ganapathy, Deepak, Krishnan, Anantha, Putta Narasimhaiah, Chidambaran, Venkatachalam, Kiran Kumar (Tusker) and myself. When the days became closer, Kiran and Krishnan were ill prepared. Venkatachalam ruled himself out due to uncertain travel plan.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Preparation and training</h4>
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Anantha and Chidu were probably the best prepared guys with a lot rides, including full night rides. Gana did his bit too. I didn't care how we were going to train. All I cared was some milestones : 15 km run in first weekend of September, 25 km run in second weekend, 35 km run on third weekend and 50 km run on forth weekend.</div>
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For those whose knees were sensitive to running, I suggested that each 7 km of run could be replaced by a Nandi climb. So, the target of the training was to do 7 Nandi repeats without any sign of crackling the knees or cramps in the muscles.</div>
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My office work usually goes very easy on me. But some urgency came up during the second, third and forth weeks of September. That meant absolutely no training as I was struggling to get sufficient time to sleep. But I trained for my first <a href="http://bengalurumarathon.in/">marathon</a> for 10 days between August and September. And my sub 3 hour marathon was hanging in doubt. Anyway, I called up the entire team for the 7 repeats of Nandi on 28th September (only Ganapathy, Anantha and myself managed 5 repeats though we pushed hard enough to ride from home and return home). Another repeat attempt on 4th September. Chidu did repeats of only the curve 29 through 40, while I repeated 5 full climbs. This was a wisest and most useful training I had done for the Bliss in the Hills.</div>
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It can be mentioned again that my legs work slightly differently from others. In any long distance cycling, first 200 km is intrinsically a training ride for me, after which the quads become a bit tighter and stronger. Since the bigger climbs were pushed to day 2 and day 3, I wasn't really worried about this ride. However, I intended to ride along with everyone in the team and wanted to finish together. So, I had to stick to a plan that should work for all. Plan was for me, Deepak and Anantha to pull till Iritty before Chidu, Putta and Gana can take further however they wanted.</div>
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We had a decently conservative list of items. We shared some of the less likely to be used or reusable items, such as multi tool, pump, chain link, brake pad, puncture patches, etc. We were more worried about batteries for light as it goes through all kinds of roads. We were all prepared though. I also insisted on a minimum 2 liter water for a night ride. I carried a 900 ml bottle plus a 700 ml bottle. Best part of being in India is that we can get water anywhere at free of cost. Even in a completely isolated village like Periya, in the middle of the night, one house owner was happy to fill our bottles from his house.</div>
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Unfortunately, Gana pulled out of the ride in the last minute due to personal/family circumstances. </div>
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Day 1 - Bangalore to Hassan / Belur</h4>
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I called Anantha and Deepak for a sumptuous lunch. My standard lunch before any endurance event - loads of rice with chicken soup (boil chicken, green chillies, ginger, onions, salt in plain water).</div>
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Chidu couldn't have proper lunch as he was an organizer running around. We all gathered at the start point where a huge number of riders, volunteer supporters and families of riders gathered. Chidu briefed on the safety part of the route and ride was flagged off 7 minutes late and were were told that we could add 7 minutes to our control points in cue sheet.</div>
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As usual, getting of out Bangalore was the most painful task - dust, smokes, slush, mud, crazy traffic. We kept pushing into the gaps until we hit Yashwantpur after which we were into a nice tempo.</div>
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Putta was well ahead. Deepak, Anantha, Chidu and I wanted to paceline. But Chidu was too bored of the exercise and was mostly on his own. I was wise enough to sit on someone's wheel (Anantha or Chidu or Deepak) if they are not going to sit on mine. This didn't work for long as rain came early and it was splashing all over the face of the rider behind. So, we rode without pace line.</div>
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At about 95 km mark, which was hardly 7 pm, Chidu was feeling hungry as he hadn't had proper lunch. We obliged to stop in a dhaba at 7:15 pm and had good dinner and long break. We continued at 8:10 pm or so. Putta was patiently waiting for us at somewhere around 105 km mark. I felt sorry for wasting his time which he could have used for some good sleep later in the night.</div>
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It started pouring even heavier as we continued, but it was not heavy enough to slow us down. I had seen worse in my previous 1200K. At around 11:30 PM, my usual sleep time caught up and I was drowsy. Rain had stopped and moon was in its full glory. We were never in a group. For a good distance, Putta and I were far ahead of the group. We stopped for omelet in between while others caught up. As we packed ponchos and rain coats, Anantha and I were left behind and I told the guys that we would catch up. As I was feeling low and drowsy, I asked Anantha to pull for a while. I just sat on his wheels and we caught up with the rest of the guys sooner. We two had to stop again as soon as we were behind them. They didn't see us and thus they too stopped waiting for us thinking that we were left too far behind. That slowed down the overall group pace.</div>
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At about 12:30, I was doing good and we were mostly riding together with separation here and there. After a while Chidu was finding it difficult to overcome the sleepiness while Putta was also feeling low. I tried to crack some jokes which I'm horrible at. It didn't work. While we waited for Chidu, we asked Putta to go ahead steadily. Later, Putta disappeared completely ahead of us. I asked Anantha and Deepak to proceed while I rode with Chidu. In such a beautiful weather and rolling terrain, we were too slow. We managed to reach Belur control at 3:30 AM or so. We all took some nap before continuing. Road from Belur to Mangalore highway was very average one and we had tough time braking and maneuvering around potholes. Deepak and I were pretty fast in this section. The rest of the guys behind later told us that Putta got a flat. We stopped for a tea and bread buns. It was dawn by then. We proceeded towards Balupet which was just 5 km to have breakfast. I ate four tatte idli.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 2 - Balupet - Madikeri - Virajpet - Iritty - Periya - Kalpeta</h4>
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We decided that slower riders should continue riding steadily while stronger riders would stop to help anyone who has got a flat or feeling low on energy. At this point of time, we realize that Chidu cannot survive with his brake pads which were completely worn out in the rear. Later, I noticed that KHS which he bought recently has the cheapest brake pads. We had spare brake pads of good quality from btwin, but Chidu's pads were not of the kind that can replace only the rubber pad. We carried only the rubber pad. Deepak carried an extra set of pads with the casing, but without the screws. Chidu's screws didn't fit into the casings that Deepak had. We went about hunting for brake pad. Meanwhile, Anantha had stopped to help the guys from Ahmedabad to fix a puncture. They were struggling to fit in the tire and they needed Anantha's pump as they didn't have a good one. I let Deepak and Anantha proceed while I would help. After struggling for a couple of minutes, I noticed that the problem was due to a bent bead on the tire, which was popping out before we inflated. I removed tube, un-bent the bead, pushed that portion further away from the valve place and placed the tube and inflated for them. I took the pump and chased the group. But Anantha and Deepak were waiting for me after some distance. From then on, we were starting to gradually climb every now and then while we were still hunting for a cycle shop. It was too early for shops to open. Putta and Chidu kept ahead of us while rest of us chased. At Somwarpet, we caught up with Putta. Chidu called a few minutes later that he was fixing his pads in a shop and he would catch us up in Virajpet or subsequent controls.</div>
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Anantha had a gear ratio whose 1x1 was similar to my 1x3. Since he was a heavier rider, it made thing even worse for him. Madikeri does not have steep climbs and thus we should ideally ride at good average speed. It also has a typical go up a slope and ride down half of the slope. This should ideally make the climb easier as we are getting some momentum before every up slope. But, if we are too slow, we are going to make double the effort going up and down again.</div>
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A few km before Madikeri, Deepak and I left Anantha behind and found a hotel for lunch. We called Anantha for lunch. Putta and Sandeep too joined on the same table. I literally had a bath in the toilet. Had every lunch. Refilled water and proceeded to Virajpet.</div>
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We made to Virajpet comfortably though Anantha struggled for sometime after lunch. Putta decided to quit at Virajpet as he experienced some pain in the eyes. Anantha bought sandals, took Putta's platform pedals and sent his stinking cleat shoes (wrapped in plastic though) to Putta.</div>
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Anantha really enjoyed the downhill from Virajpet till Iritty while I waited for Deepak as he was way too slow for a downhill. We had tea at the base before continuing. We refilled water in Iritty and packed some egg puffs. Ride from Iritty till Periya was a nice one until we start climbing some steep section. We were running short of time and I pressurized Anantha to push to the last drop of energy he had. Surprisingly, Anantha had the most amount of water while Deepak and I were running out. We somehow finished the climbs before descending to the Periya control. What could have been an easy downhill was filled with pebbles, potholes and thick fog. So, we couldn't make use the downhill though we were saving the energy by then.</div>
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After Periya control, Anantha saw the climb again and he wanted to quit. We had to agree to him as he seemed to be totally beyond his limits. Deepak and I continued. Later at a checkpost, Anantha called me saying that he was riding and covered a good distance in the downhill. So, we waited for about five minutes before he caught us up - he didn't have a place to stay back. Moreover, the desire to finish the ride took over him. He still had tough time covering the distance in a very rolling terrain. So, Deepak and I left him behind as we were running out of time again. Soon, Deepak and I reached the Kalpeta control about 20 minute before closing while Anantha was in the nick of time.</div>
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We decided to sleep for 3 to 4 hours before we could even think of climbing the Gudalur to Ooty section. So, we took hot water and sampoo bath, changed to fresh clothes and had good sleep for 3 hours. We lost sometime after waking up... I got some nice lubes from Somas and tuned my derailleurs. We had bread baji and a lot of tea as we missed dinner the previous night.</div>
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Day 3 - Climb to Ooty and to Avinashi control</h4>
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As we continued from Kalpeta, the cue sheet directed us to take left on the bypass whereas the destination Meppadi was in a straight road. We took the left anyway and we ended up in one of the previous junction. I clearly remembered from the maps that this was wrong. I called Chidu, who failed to pick up the phone. We asked people for Gudalur and continued towards Sultan Bathery. About 6.5 km further, Chidu called me and clarified the route. We rode back to the bypass (another 6.5 km to make it a 13 km loss in a mix of climbs) and continued towards Meppadi which had all broken roads for 7 km. After that, it was main road and in good condition. Deepak and I rode very strong, averaging 24 kmph for half the distance till Gudalur. We were at the bypass at 7:50 AM and we were in Gudalur at 11:15 AM with one breakfast and refill break in between. We ate well in Gudalur (parathas and omelets) and packed some parcels too as we would not be breaking in between till next time control in Avinashi.</div>
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As the climbs became steeper, Deepak was not doing great, but going at good enough pace of about 11 kmph average. 18 km of incessant climbs in incessant rain/flood with broken roads. Finally we saw some downhills and from there on, it was rolling with ups and downs. We changed his rear brake pads in Ooty while we used that time to order some baji and tea. I didn't anticipate the climb till Dodabeta and thus we were short of some 20 minutes from the target. My target was to go through the entire downhill in day light. We had daylight only till Kotagiri. Deepak lost nearly 20 minutes there just trying to get the ATM slip (standing in line and then trying to get slip by cancelling the transaction - some ATMs won't give slip for cancelling transaction. Hence I always check balance). We descended from then on, which looked like eternity. Fortunately, there was absolutely no traffic on this road which was otherwise known for heavy traffic. Road was spotless, smooth and rain had stopped and roads were dry. Deepak was still too slow and we adjusted his brake in between to increase his confidence. I updated on the time every now and then as I kept the backlight on my cyclocomp on all the time. Finally, we reached the plain section where I updated Deepak that we had to cover 64 km in 2 hours. He as positive that he would be able to ride fast as the downhill was over. I also assured him that the road would be smooth, rolling though it was single lane. To my surprise, Deepak was feeling low and unable to push hard. He was feeling so low that he was unable to hang on to my wheels even at my 80% effort. The average required pace inched further up. Finally, it was at near 35 kmph required with 45 km (in 1h20m) to go. I agreed that we would continue together missing the next control if he promised to continue in spite of missing the control. He too agreed. But in the next moment, he didn't feel right and he asked me to go ahead and wait in the control instead of missing the control myself. He would still ride with me after that. I was in a split. I as under some untold pressure to finish within cut off time as I was one of the riders who insisted on a tough route. It was like, if it ever happened that nobody could finish, I should finish so as to prove that the route was indeed doable within the given time. So, I zoomed past Deepak immediately. I was imagining some chaos in Avinashi town. So, I pushed at speeds of about 35 to 38 with backlight on all the time. I felt irresponsible at times as it was too risky to keep the head down and pedal so hard in the dark. But I knew the road at least - it was more or less a safe road. There were moments of guilt as I got dragged by heavy trucks longer than I would prefer. It was a single lane and I was riding at 35 plus speed. So, obviously they would overtake me and come to the left lane and be there a while before I could actually allow the gap. But I couldn't help. Whether they are there or not, I cannot slow down below 35. But I cannot deny that the traffic helped me at least by a couple of minutes to the finish. As I escaped the Avinashi town without losing a minute - fortunately. I zoomed further. As I joined the highway, it was rolling even better, but too many ups and downs for my liking. I used up the 7 minutes buffer (given due to the late flag off) and I was there right at penultimate time of the control point. First thing I shouted to the volunteers was the timing I stopped so that I could take time to remove my card and so on.</div>
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I was fully drenched with sweat in this chase. I removed shirts, bib shorts - I had a running underwear all the time inside my padded shorts. I cooled down myself. I was not in a position to enter the Cafe Coffee Day. So, volunteers helped me with drinks and food. They also purchased my sandwich using my cash. Meanwhile, I got to know that Deepak took a wrong turn and was towards Coimbatore. He was not going to continue. So, I requested Yuvaraj to wait for me and be my companion. He agreed. I gulped down two sandwiches as fast as I could, volunteers refilled my bottles. I got electral from Yuvaraj as I ran out of enerzal. I packed the third sandwich and we started off.</div>
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We were riding together though the distance was a constant 250 m or so. After an while, I requested for a power nap. We stopped in a bus waiting shed and had a nap of about 15 mins. We continued riding though I was still drowsy. I didn't dare to ask for another stop as I already stopped him twice. Finally, he himself asked for a stop and I obliged happily. We slept for a couple of hours before I instinctively woke up at the crunch time. I woke him up twice, thrice as he was in deep sleep. I wanted to re-assess the required pace and thus I asked him at what speed he could climb Nandi if he had to at that moment. He said - about 10 kmph. I left a buffer of 2:10 for the Yercaud climb plus to the ATM at his pace and calculated the required pace till Salem. I insisted him to be close to my wheels to which he obliged till we entered Salem. We sustained a very good average. We saw three other guys and one guy was fixing a flat. We didn't have time to help him. We stopped in front of a shop which was just about to open and requested for water. The boy at the shop filled the bottles and I had my sandwich. I wanted to share with Yuva, but he was a vegetarian.</div>
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Day 4 - Climb to Yercaud and to finish</h4>
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We continued riding at brisk pace till Yercaud base. We also managed to save another extra 10 minutes or so. So, we had nearly 2h20 till the ATM excluding the 7 minutes buffer time. We climbed at about 9.5 to 10.5 kmph speed for most and at some stretches, it dropped to 8 kmph. Whenever it happened to be below 8.5 kmph, I would sound a warning and we would push a bit harder. Finally, the climb got over in exactly two hours and we had 20 minutes to the ATM.</div>
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We took a long break (about 90 minutes), with heavy breakfast. We were all set to descend. The descend was so steep that we applied too much brakes in spite of having no traffic at all. We stopped a couple of times to cool down the rim. In between, we had to climb some gradients which could be about 15% or so. It was so steep that it wouldn't move with full body weight on the pedal. We had to push down the pedal while hands pulling on the handle bar so as to give more downward thrust. This went on for about two or three km I guess. Overall, fast descend.</div>
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We hit the Uttangarai highway soon. We stopped for another nap of 45 minutes on a road side rock. Then we continued. We had butter milk on the way. Then later we had lunch at 11:30 AM again. We continued from there catching up with Sathish and co, who were coming from ring road. From there on, we four were mostly in visible range till Yelagiri, which was a non-event ride. We reached Yelagiri control about 80 minutes before the close. We had dinner and returned. Yuva and I took two power naps - one at Tirupattur and another before Bargur. We never felt that the sleep was sufficient, but we didn't have a choice but to continue riding. Required average was about 15 kmph with those climbs before Hosur. So, we pushed harder whenever we could. Our target was to average 18 kmph from Krishnagiri till Hosur to have some buffer for any mechanical failures. We averaged 22.4 kmph instead. Wow! In between, I sat behind his wheels too and I felt much at ease. In some of those small ghat climbs, I wanted to test my limit and I was able to climb at 20+ overtaking all the trucks on the leftmost lane and at times even those at the second lane. Finally, we had another tea break before Hosur - about 50 km before end point. All four of us (who were later going to be the official finishers), joined there. Yuva and I pushed off at faster pace. We rode with fun and enthusiasm with the end in sight. At about 18 km to go, I stopped looking back for Yuva as I knew we would be home safely. Finally I reached the end point where there was a sea of supporters, when I was a filthy garbage - funniest time to be greeted by a huge crowd. But the crowd was not going to listen to my pleading not to come close to me. So, I mingled and celebrated. I still don't know who were all responsible for the elaborate arrangement there - food, garlands, tender coconut, yoga mat (Anil), chocolates, and gathering itself. I will eventually find out and give due credit. At this moment, I'm too elated :-)</div>
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Though I was a slightly stronger rider than Yuva in the stretch that we shared, I didn't have a choice except being close to him or ride ahead of him. This was because I depended on his pump if I were to get a flat. I didn't carry a pump and was supposed to ride with Deepak all throughout before he lost his way and quit.</div>
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Congratulations to the other finishers : Yuvaraj, Sathish and Karthick. There are other three finishers who missed the time controls in between - Kavirashu, Mehul and Sundaram. Other riders who dared to start and fought till their limits - all the best next time. I'm sure you will be stronger next time.</div>
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Two ladies who started need a special mention. Both Anjali and Archana covered almost till the half. This route was not really suitable for ladies from safety point of view and is extra tough as well. But you did really well. It is unfortunate that you had to quit. Wish you success for future attempts.<br />
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How did I fare?</h4>
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Honestly, my bigger goal for the year is the Bengaluru Marathon, which will be my first official marathon and is on 19th Octber - just 7 days after this brevet. I like to run fast and short (less than 10 km) or slow and long distance (more than 100 km). I hate to run anywhere in between, which is about 35 to 75 km. So, I want to do well in this marathon and hang my shoes. With this goal in mind, I never exerted myself. As I finished, I had legs which can sit up and down perfectly comfortably. I had bums which were perfectly comfortable sitting on saddle. But a lot of sleep to catch up. So, I slept whole of Sunday after noon and night and a bit of Monday afternoon too. I ran 10 km today (Tuesday morning - 47 hours after I finished) in 44:30. So, I seem to be doing good for my marathon. Fingers crossed till Sunday :-) [Edit: 04-Mar-2015] I did run the Bengaluru Marathon and fell far short of my target. I clocked 3:32 which is hardly an average of 12 kmph. I will run the next Bengaluru Marathon 2015. I registered for the mid-night 2014, but couldn't run as it was family vacation time. [/Edit]</div>
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What next?</h4>
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I think, my brevet rides are over with this ride. I might do a faster brevet ride, like Sree's <a href="http://www.bangalorebrevets.in/awards/r80r70r60-honours/">R60</a>. I usually don't repeat a brevet distance or running distance unless it is a competitive event with some chance of myself winning. Having said that, I will dedicate my time in volunteering and supporting the biking community which has given me so much of joy and defining moments in life.</div>
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I will do the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1094002007407514/">K2K race</a> (Kanyakumari to Khardungla) in 2016 if the event does happen. I might skip the Great Coast race in 2015. [Edit: 04-Mar-2015] I decided not to race the K2K as a mark of support to my close cycling friends who got the drubbing from AIR leadership. [/Edit]</div>
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Many many thanks to the volunteers, specially Suman, Ravindra, Sohan and Parag. Thanks to organizers - Chidu, Sandeep and Arvind.</div>
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Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-63348743228757003282014-09-10T07:31:00.002-07:002014-09-10T07:33:48.254-07:00Why I'm scared of marathon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Excuses excuses... </h4>
I have been avoiding running a marathon on the excuse that Bangalore never had one and I don't travel distances to run unless I have a chance to win elsewhere too.<br />
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Come 2014, Namma Bengaluru has got a marathon of its own...</h4>
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Bangalore has got its own <a href="http://bengalurumarathon.in/">marathon</a> now. With excitement, I registered early enough to win early bird personalized free tee shirt with my name printed on it. Race is however scheduled for 19th October.</div>
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What is the problem now?</h4>
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I'm a guy who wakes up one day and run. I rarely participate in events and I rarely practice. But when I do run, I always run hard. This has its own limitation though. I can run at best a 10 km. I had so far run two half marathons too, best being 1:32. I can also run long distances provided the pace is not aggressive. So, I have done a <a href="http://www.opendro.com/2012/11/my-tryst-with-100-km-trail-running.html">100 km</a> run / walk / limp :)</div>
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But a marathon is a distance, not long enough to brag about but not short enough to push hard. It is neither short enough to even try out one day during practice or to repeat such events to get a personal record. This is a distance which I just want to do once and say "I have done it". But just a "I have done it" is not going to satisfy me as the distance is something anyone can do easily. That is the root of the problem - I don't want to do this distance once only and want to clock a time that will not tempt me to attempt again. So, I have figured that 3 hours is the time I would be really satisfied to hang the boot! Why this figure? There are some people I really look upto in running. Their timings are around that time. In the back of my mind is the desire to belong to where some of these role models are.</div>
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How are you planning to do it?</h4>
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Plan is simple. Train the whole of September. Rest the whole of October except an easy 1200 km brevet ride to Ooty on 8th October aptly named as <a href="http://chiddu2k.wordpress.com/2014/07/29/bliss-in-the-hills-details/">bliss in the hills</a>. Plan is to run everyday or at least 5 days a week, each day at least an hour. 10 days have passed so far with hardly 5 days or run. Blame it on hectic schedules at home. The only time I get to run is mostly on office gym in the evenings.</div>
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My aim is to run at a pace of 14 kmph and increase the duration gradually. On days when I want to run long, I run at 12.5 kmph - say for two hours. My third week of September, I want to be able to run for 2 hours at 14 kmph. By the end of September, I target to do run 35 km in 2:30. That should give me enough confidence that I can run the sub 3 hour marathon pace.</div>
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Fingers crossed. Hope the health cooperates. I'm also hoping that the 1200 km brevet in hills will also add a few strong muscles that will probably stay till the following weekend for the marathon. Perfect plan :-D</div>
Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-63768807142488265322013-07-16T07:14:00.005-07:002015-03-09T03:43:34.219-07:00No Hype Bangalore - Kolhapur - Bangalore 1241 km<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What an excitement waiting for the 11th July morning! What a fantastic pace for the first day! Heaven leaked non stop on second day. Followed by a boring 3rd day and painful first half of 4th day and exhilarating pace in the second half of the 4th and last day! There ends the most painful brevet so far.<br />
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How I decided to ride this one</h4>
2011 was my brevet year. 2012 was my BBCh year. However, because of a mechanical failure in 1000K in 2011, I chose to ride the 1000K in 2012. That time, I told my wife and close friends that it would be the last brevet for me. I had been hard on my wife by leaving two kids while she manage her full time job as well. But when Ganapathy had to quit the 1000K in 2012, I decided and assured him that I would accompany him either a 1000K or 1200K whichever he would decide to ride though I preferred 1200K. So, this was conveyed to wife way back last year itself.<br />
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2013 - I had the urge to ride brevets many times. At times, I even registered and paid and couldn't go due to some or other reasons. But I was hell determined that I shouldn't have any excuse for the 1200K. I informed my team-mates (Cleated Warrior) that we should all ride and make this brevet the best executed and a memorable one. Ganapathy, Venkatachalam, Kiran Kumar, Vinay Raj, Deepak had tentatively agreed to ride this one, but none has confirmed. If there is one thing I hate most about sports - changing schedules. So, this half-confirmed and half-unconfirmed was kind of testing my nerves at times.<br />
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Meanwhile, a 400 km to Yelagiri climb came up just 4 days before the 1200K. I couldn't resist it as I had never been to Yelagiri, thanks to Venkatachalam for letting me know this one as I would have missed otherwise. We did the 400K together and he successfully fought off an ITBS and finished, but that put a big question mark on his 1200K. In fact, we all decided that we wouldn't ride it. It was Venkatachalam, who re-kindled the 1200K again. And with over-excitement, I said, I was in if he was in. Meanwhile, Deepak also agreed to register and convince the home and work. Ganapathy was completely ruled out with some training schedule. So, Deepak, Venkat and I had paid the fees and fingers crossed. Venkat had to additionally ensure that his ITB was good to go. At the last moment, Venkat was ready to go, but his daughter had a minor accident in school and had to call off this ride. Deepak didn't get green signal from his home front. So, I was prepared to go all alone, despite wife asking me why I would have to ride if no body else is riding. I didn't answer that question, rather I retorted back "no more brevets after this one - neither short nor long". She was still grumpy - "you said the same last year too".<br />
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Preparation for the big day</h4>
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Since family was not happy with my ride, I didn't dare to ask for any help - neither in getting stuffs nor in getting the needed extra sleep. I had been deprived of sleep because of the 400K and duathlon (by life is calling where I came 6th) three days ago. And I continued to be deprived. All I focused for that three days was to get the required items one by one: a pair of extra batteries, electrals, multitool, frozen readymade parathas. Ganapathy promised that he would hand over the batteries and multitool on my way to the start point. I bought 10 sachets of electrals the day before. All set to go. Ah, I had to install a new cyclo computer as my old one was resetting in certain wire positions.</div>
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Day 1</h4>
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I had kept extra rice the night before so that I could eat them before starting. I struggled to stuff them through mouth as I was not hungry and stomach was full as I had late dinner the previous night. Yeah, I was running around to buy paani poori, capsicum masala, french fries, etc. for wife and kids - yes, it was wife's birthday and we do some basic things at least for the kids. So, I got my own dinner late. No problem. I managed to eat as full as I could. I started and picked the batteries and tool from Ganapathy. Sreeju just caught me up at Gana's gate. We reached the start point 5 minutes ago.</div>
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I told all my close friends and team-mates that I was going to make use of this lonely ride to test my best pace. I targeted my own R60, i.e. finish in 54 hours (60% of 90 hours). Though I didn't disclose this to anyone, I always kept this in mind - till day 2 evening.</div>
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As we were flagged off with well wishers from Anil and Parag, I reset my computer. I didn't look back who was coming behind, I just chose to pick a good pace. Somaskanda joined me right from the beginning. I was happy to ride with him as I had ridden with him in my earlier 400K Chitradurga ride this year. He is strong and energetic. We rode at an average pace of 30 kmph. I told him that I had heavy breakfast and thus I intended to skip the breakfast. So, I offered him the parathas if he should decide to stay with me. I promised him a paratha for every couple of hours and regular water refills. He was okay with that. He got a flat at Tumkur - it seemed like he hit a stone. I helped him change the tube and fill up the air. Vishal caught us up just as we were ready to go. I earlier thought that Vishal might ride with Sohan as he did last year. But he seemed to have decided to go on his own pace like he did in 2011. Vishal stopped for breakfast in Tumkur itself (about 80 km) while Somas and I continued. Somas was struggling a bit in the climbs as we mashed 30 kmph average (excluding the puncture stop). So, we agreed to go easy on slopes. We refilled water and a few biscuits in Sira toll booth. We continued again at about 28 plus pace. By this time, Somas was really struggling. Vishal suggested that his heavy bag which he was carrying behind his saddle (must be at least 5 kg) and his back pack were slowing him down. So, we looked for a place to dump them so that we could pick them up on the return. Just when we found a place to dump at 150 km mark, he got another flat. We helped him change the tube and inflate again while we agreed that he should wait for next rider with whom he would be more relaxed. I suggested that Sreeju should be a good bet if he wants to continue fast. But I strongly suggested that he shouldn't quit and shouldn't be slowed down by anybody unduly till 400K Hubli station, because there is no point in slowing down for someone who is going to quit anyway (that was from my last year experience).</div>
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As Vishal and I approached the Chitradurga control, we climbed the slopes against the headwinds. Soon, I was losing steam and I realized that the two parathas I had was not sufficient and I sorely missed the breakfast which I skipped. Vishal slowed down and kept looking behind to make sure that I was still visible. Thanks Vishal. We reached the control about 2:40 PM (if I recollect) correctly. I didn't want to leave Chitradurga without a good lunch. We stopped pretty long as the hotel took sweet time to serve us food. Each one of us had two chicken biriyani plus one fish fry. I was feeling nice and full. We left Chitradurga at about 3:45 PM. We started slowly till our stomach settled down. Vishal was doing the pulls as I just stayed behind his wheels. Soon, he got a flat (his second one; he got his first one when he came out of his house). He didn't have any more spare. So, I lent one of mine. Both of us sounded pretty confident that we wouldn't get any more flats! We started riding again and just then Sreeju caught us up. So, three of us rode at a very good pace with Vishal leading the line. Vishal pulled for exactly 20 km when I hinted that I was feeling good and I could share the pull again. Just when I started pulling, about 3 km, Vishal got another flat. Meanwhile, we seemed to have dropped Sreeju who had already burnt too much while catching us up. We fixed the puncture as I didn't want to use up the next tube. While fixing one of his tube, the other one lost the valve! So, Vishal was without a spare as I took back the punctured tube from him. Sreeju caught us up and let him continue so that Vishal and I could go faster to catch him. When we continued, we saw Sreeju also fixing a flat. We three continued together from thereon. Vishal and I agreed to share the pull 10km alternate. Vishal pulled longer at times when he felt good. We were really munching miles with hardly any headwind and amazing weather condition. By 8PM we covered 304 km and Sreeju got another flat. We became lazier by this time and were in no hurry to fix up quickly. We decided that we would stop for dinner at Kamat which was just around there. We took a longish break to order meals, biriyani, paneer fried rice, banana milk shake, etc. We started off after a lazy dinner and soon, all three of us felt drowsy. None of us seemed to have slept well the previous night. We decided to find a place to sleep. We saw a petrol pump at 317 km mark. Two boys were running towards us gleefully with the usual enthusiasm we see in villages. But we were not to get a place to lie down in the petrol pump. But the two boys told us that we could come to the dhaba (Ghar Dhaba) attached next to the petrol pump. We were given wooden bench (as wide as cot - about 3 feet wide) - three of them for three of us. We woke up at about 11:45 PM and had coffee. The Dhaba didn't accept money - neither for the hospitality nor for the coffee. We thanked them a lot and said that we would stop for food on the return.</div>
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As we continued, to my surprise, Vishal was feeling down and lethargic. He was unable to climb at the rate Sreeju and I were going. We stopped every now and then to make sure that he was around. Sreeju didn't have a jacket and he rode all through night drenched. It was pouring like hell and shivering cold. Finally we reach the toll gate which was 52 km before Hubli. We stopped there for a while. We got tea offered by the toll plaza guys. We chatted and then continued in the rain again. I kept wondering how Sreeju was managing without a jacket. We continued again and Vishal wasn't still getting recharged. Sometime around 3AM we decided to have some food. We stopped in another dhaba where we had omelets, biriyani and tea. We again spent quite a lot of time there. I shared my electral with Vishal while Sreeju lent some more of Electrovion with me. We left the dhaba. I don't remember the time. But we managed to reach the Hubli control at day break - Sreeju and I reached first and Vishal came in about 5 or 10 mins later. Since both Vishal and I had done this route earlier, finding the ATM was really easy. During this night ride, I felt slight sense of my left knee joint crackling (sign of the old injury I had in my 100 km ultra marathon in Nov 2012) and also slight ITB strain on the right knee. I took it easy though I mentioned to Sreeju that they might have to leave me behind in case I couldn't match their pace.</div>
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Day 2</h4>
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We left Hubli immediately. Soon we were on the highway again. All three of us were riding really well. For a hefty size like Sreeju, I was amazed at his climbing capability. Vishal and I would just about leave him behind in the up and he would leave us behind again in the down... this cycle went on for quite a distance. We were going really good in the incessant rain. After sometime, Sreeju and I went a little more ahead of Vishal. That was when I got a flat. My first flat. I had an handkerchief (white one) and used it to wipe the muck around the tire before opening the tube. Vishal arrived and we changed the tube. I told Vishal that we should share the phone numbers and he should keep one of my tubes with him - the punctured one so that he could use it after repairing. He said that he would patch it after rain stops. So, I thought all the while that he kept my tube. Another half an hour, Sreeju was left behind as I led a furious pace in every uphill. Another half an hour, I left behind Vishal too as I started hammering both uphill and downhill. Later, I realized that Vishal had kept the punctured tube in my handle bar bag. So, he was without any spare! I knew he was going to be in trouble if he would get a flat though he could repair and proceed.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I reached Belgaum at 10 AM. I desperately searched for a place for breakfast. Restaurants on the outskirts of Belgaum on highway told me that they were yet to prepare any food. I begged them that I was very hungry. They showed me a small road which would lead to an inner town and small eat out inside - about a km. I went inside and had 6 puris, a big bread bun, two dahi wada. I refilled both the bottles - one with electral and another just plain water. Each bottle is 700 ml. I actuall left 2 pooris on the plate as it was maida with full of soda and I was unable to gulp down.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I left at around 11:30 AM from there and continued. Rain continued. I struggled as my bike didn't roll on many of those cemented road stretches specially the ones with rough cross lines. At times, I would stop and look behind to assure myself that I was not climbing up - it was that bad... just not rolling. I was much better in tarmac climbs. Anyhow, I was not willing to push hard either as I wanted to baby my knees. I neither sipped water nor ate anything... just continued in the rain. I had to stop for nature call. I tried one of those bus waiting shed on the highway which had toilets. It was not in usable condition. So, I continued further and decided to use nature. It was tough sitting down with injured knees squatting and it was also messy with mud all around the legs, pants and behind the jacket. I always wear cotton under wear inside my lycra. This hadn't gone well with wet rain. Another reason was that with plastic poncho, I used to keep my pants dry in rain. My plastic poncho were all gone bad and with the rain jacket, pants were not only wet, but with fine mud slush inside. I really took time to accomplish this nature's task! I threw away the cotton underwear and continued. When it was about 70 km to Kolhapur, I got a call from Vishal and he was just 35 km more to Kolhapur. I told him that he should continue as I wouldn't push any harder. He said that he would wait for me in Kolhapur. I slowly inched towards Kolhapur... about 32 more km to go, there was this massive roll down... I was scared of the thought of climbing on the return. It was that long down slope. Entering Kolhapur was like entering Belgaum - welcomed by various climbs. My rear derailleur was not shifting due to muck. For every downshift, I ended forcing by clicking three times just to downshift once. I was worried that I was going to break the cable or the shifter. I reached the time control at around 4:15 PM. As I removed the gloves, shoes and socks, my palm and feet were in awful condition - it was soggy, nearly slimy and fully numb. I decided to ride without gloves. I washed my feet in the rain and put back the socks. I saw that the fevibond was squeezed out by the toolkit in the bumpy rides and I would need to buy one in Kolhapur. Just then, Vishal called me and told me that he got a flat 10 km away from Kolhapur and his tube beyond repair. I told him that I would immediately start and share his glue on the way and I would share my tube. As I proceeded, I didn't find Vishal on road side. Later I would learn from Chidu that Vishal got the flat 10 km before Kolhapur, not 10 km after Kolhapur. So, I would have never met him on the side I was looking for. I called about 10 to 15 times and he didn't pick the phone. Now, I had to buy a glue before dark as I would be riding alone. I entered a small town, somewhere 15 km after Kolhapur. I asked every damn shop - stationary, paint shops, electricals, hardwares, none had a fevibond. They had only feviquick. Finally, I asked a cyclist where I would find a cycle workshop. He showed me a way and I bought a tube of glue. Relieved, I ate 4 bananas and continued for a lone ride. For a change the terrain was rolling crazy or it looked rolling really fast in the dark. I was just 40 km before Belgaum in no time. Around 9 PM I stopped in a dhaba and ate chicken Biriyani again. Just when I started from there, I got another flat. I again used the kerchief to clean the muck and changed the tube and continued. After sometime, I was drowsy and I didn't like the ride alone. I had never ridden a brevet without partner and chatter. This was something I just couldn't do - a chilled night with dark ghosts in vast open fields on both sides of the highway. I stopped in one of those bus waiting shed. But I was drenched enough that I was not getting proper sleep. Yet, I tried and got a little bit of sleep. Every time I woke up, I would see the rain pouring and I would again go back to sleep. Whenever I continued riding, I would get warm and get drowsy again. This was really strange!</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 3 </h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After a few hours of such struggle, I continued riding. I crossed Belgaum around 4 AM or so. I was feeling good. Not hungry, nor thirsty. I still had the water that I filled in Belgaum onward. Soon after the toll plaza, I stopped for tea and biscuits. I just topped up one bottle with water too just in case. I proceeded. It was not raining anymore and highways were a bit dry. I decided to wash my bike and also take a dump. I spent a lot of time washing the water bottle, bike, jacket, socks, shoes, etc. Then I proceeded. Around Dharwad, I decided to stop at Kamat at around 9 AM. I had three plates of idli wada, one kesri bath and one coffee. They took a lot of time as they were busy serving a full load of bus. I was also busy washing my face, hands, etc. Later, I reached Hubli control around 11:30 or so. I again took a wrong turn just a km before the control and I totally lost the direction. I asked for Rani Chennama circle and I was only going round and around the circle with no inkling of which road the ATM would come. I called Chidu and told him that I would just take any ATM slip and ask people of how to get on the Chitradurga highway. I came back and took the slip from another SBI ATM right opposite the police station. I asked one workshop to pour some oil on my chain the cassette. It improved the ride and the grinding reduced. I drank two maza bottled in a bakery and left Hubli.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As I hit the highway, sun came out. I also faced quit a strong cross wind with a bit of head wind feel. Another 10 or 15 km on the highway, I decided to dry my socks and gloves. I stopped in the median. Just when it was about to dry, it rained again. That was the last attempt. I put on the wet socks again and started riding. Meanwhile, I got two more flats and I realized that my vitoria rubino tire on the rear had done more than 10000 km and hardly anything left. It was all chopped everywhere. I swapped with the front hutchinson tires, which were comparatively new and no cut marks till then. At around 7:40 PM I was only 101 km away from Hubli control and I reached the Ghar Dhaba. I told myself: perfect time to get some sleep as late nights are too cold for sleep and also to give some rest to my knees and other parts of the body. I called Chidu to double check the closing time in Chitradurga time control (my cue sheet got washedout). Food was not ready, but they made a paneer biriyani in lesser time so that I could go to sleep. I SMSed Srinivasan informing where I stopped so that we could ride together in the night. Dhaba guys gave me a blanket too and when I woke up, it was already 11:40 PM. I ordered 4 roti and one bhendi fry masala and a coffee. I saw Srini's SMS which he sent at 8:22 PM and he was not going to stop for me as he wanted to go all out till Chitradurga in 6 hours from Hubli. So, I rode alone again in the night. It was rolling nicely and but I was bored to hell. My knees felt significant strain by this time and I chose my strokes only pushing at angles where it does not hurt. I remembered that stretch last year when Chidu struggled to keep himself awake to meet the time control. Near Devangere, picnic goers or trekkers in cars with full blast music flashed lights at me and for a moment I thought: why would Chidu keep a secret control just a few hours to Chitradurga. I stopped and enthusiastic youngsters with alcohol smell in their mouths posed for photo with me and they said that they were going to a trek. I continued and reached Chitradurga in the wee hours again.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Day 4</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I stopped again for tea and biscuit and then proceeded. In one of the narrow bridge, it was glass pieces all over and high speed trucks were roaring from behind. I could avoid running over the glass pieces and I got flat again. I changed the tube, fixed the punctured tubes also as it was not raining. I lowered the saddle about 5 mm down so that my knees would flex lesser. I also reduced my air pressure to reduce shock. It was so low that if I hit a bad pothole, I was sure to get a flat and probably damaged rim. By this time, Srini caught up with me. I thought he would have gone far ahead of me. I told him that I would plan to make at just about closing time and I informed the same to Chidu. I continued riding uncomfortably with so many sore and numb parts - bums, feet, palm and injured knees. Later, I saw Srini again, who had just finished his breakfast and ready to go. I told him that I had so much energy left and food was the last time I needed. My knees didn't allow me to spend my surplus energy. Srini took off in a nice rolling tailwind while I just managed a mere 18 to 20 kmph average in those awesome tailwind. I was only preparing for the climbs towards end point. At around 11:15 AM, without about 135 km to go, I stopped in a field, on a stone slab under a tree. I removed socks, lied down for a while. I walked a bit on pebbles bare feet. I could see red marks and they were not just impressions, but real pinched skin on the swollen feet by those blunt pebbles. My feet were that much soggy and swollen. It was really hurting. I SMSed Venkat and he advised to do what he did... stop and stretch for every 20 mins. I promised I would do the same. He also told me to use knee bands and pain killers. I had never used pain killer sprays and I don't know how it helps... I told him that I would try it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So, about 12 PM noon, I was ready to take 20 mins at a time. Miracle! Miracle! I found a specific riding style which allowed me least flexing of knees and body bobbing sideways for every stroke and at the same time, found a place behind the crotch which was still not hurt. I ducked down on the drop bar, hammered about 13 km in about 20 mins. I took a break. Removed socks, stretched legs, put back the socks and repeat this 20 mins exercise. In about an hour and 15 mins I had cut down my required mileage to just within 100 km. Just before Sira toll gate, I heard a shouting and I glimpsed that it was Srini stopping in a tree shade. I continued without stop, maintaining my 20 mins sprint and breaks. In almost every break, I drank a couple of slice bottles or would eat 4 bananas. I had not taken any salt or electrolyte drink in the past two days as my body was never put to stress. I ripped and ripped keeping a tap on the knees every now and then. I had some 15 jack fruits too. Finally I reached by ripping the Banashankari climbs as well, though in a bit of off road style as I maneuvered on the sides of the heavy traffic. Finally reached the end point at around 5:45 PM. All along from Chitradurga till end, I was wishing for a shower which was not fulfilled. I was filthy, stinking and wounds in my feet, ass, and totally numb fingers and palm - just good enough shifting gears. Surprisingly, the last 135 km sprint hasn't worsened the knee injuries. I was so happy for that. I left after about 40 mins of chatting. I heard Srini struggling to find the outer ring road turn over phone with Chidu. I knew he would be reaching any time after that.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Anil and Parag turned up again to welcome me. Thanks guys. Though quitting is never an option for me in general, it is the image of you guys at finish line or your eager reads in BBC or facebook updates make me keep going stronger. This blog is dedicated for you. I know it is a bit too detailed, but I wanted to write all that I experienced. </div>
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I also dedicate this ride to my team mates (Cleated Warriors) who had been behind most of my biking in Bangalore. If it is befitting enough, I dedicate this specially to the team-mate whom we once fondly called coach, who had to stop biking because of a genetic disease - Sudhir Palliyil. Coach, we shall see you coming back to biking - strong and healthy - sooner than later.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Other thoughts</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On the way towards Chitradurga, I was thinking that people would start quitting early because of the headwind. But riders were stronger and more determined in this ride than any other brevets I had seen. It is really sad to see them quitting at some stage. They really fought hard. It is life. Wish them a stronger finish next time.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I also regret leaving behind Sreeju and Vishal. If I had stuck with them, I would have helped them in mechanical issues and they would have helped me riding through the nights and boring days. Together we would have made much earlier to the finish.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Best to go with slippers for rainy rides. I was penny wise pound foolish by not ditching the shoes on the way to trade for a slipper.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I think I will keep my promise to my wife this time. So, no more brevets for me. I'm not sad because she had been very lenient with me so far and I'm all the more grateful for that.</div>
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<br />
The only brevet I had lost weight. I lost about 3 kgs. My weight stood below 57 kg after shower. I don't know where all my eating went into. [Edit: 09-Mar-2015] Inserting a photo taken by Anil at the end point just to show how much mass I lost:<br />
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Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-84836238301376768722012-11-10T21:51:00.003-08:002013-09-24T03:02:43.426-07:00My tryst with 100 km trail running<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2>
100 km Bangalore Ultra 2012</h2>
I personally advocate running as the best fitness exercise, because it involves very less equipments (may be just a comfortable shoe) and benefits are achieved with a very little time spent.<br />
<br />
Last two years, I had been cycling long distances, starting from 100, 200, 300, 400, 600 and 1000 km. To be honest, none of these had been physically challenging except for the deprivation of sleep I had to go through. Of course, none of these were races and that made the task much easier.<br />
<br />
<h4>
My running experience</h4>
I don't run as much as I would want to. I had in the past participated in a half marathon of Kaveri Trail Marathon (organized by Runners For Life) 2011. I clocked 1 hour 40 mins for the distance. I cannot even say that it was my best timing, because it was the only one I had done so far even till date. But I somewhere felt that it was a good timing and I'm proud of it. Then I did Bangalore Ultra 25 km distance (which is not exactly ultra distance) the same year in 2011. I chose 25 km as I was confident of a podium finish in that category. But I missed the podium by about half a minute. That is pretty much all about my running experience. I had done three or four 10K runs.<br />
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<h4>
Practice for my running events</h4>
I practise very less time running for any running event. For a typical half marathon, I would practice some three or four sessions of running, each of which will be an intense 3 to 5 km at the average speed of 15 kmph. So, not much to write about it.<br />
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<h4>
Desire to test ultra distance running</h4>
But, in running, there is a point beyond which you cannot just walk itself. Even at the easiest mode of walk, one has to carry the weight of the body and that is no mean task unless one plans regular breaks. Though it has never happened to me in the distances I had done, I know this in theory at least. But I had done decently tough trekking a few years ago and I knew that I had the capacity to walk longer time. So, in the middle of this year 2012, I just felt the itch to try the 100 km Bangalore ultra in November clear sky.<br />
<br />
From a couple of 20 km to 100 km directly would be a big jump. But I convinced myself that I will not race 100 km, but just aim to finish. I had RFL premium membership till July and I wanted to make use of the discount for premium members and hence I registered right in July.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Preparation for the 100 km run</h4>
People who are well versed in running advised me that I would need to train hard over months before a 100 km run. I kept brushing them off that I would not race, but just jog this distance to finish. So, technically, I had zero training plan. But my preparations for Bangalore Bicycling Championship (BBCh) in every third Sunday of the month kept me sufficiently fit.<br />
<br />
I accidentally did try long distance run twice before the event. In August BBCh Team Time Trial, I got a flat on my front tire and I had to quit as there is no scope for fixing it in time trials. Out of disappointment in not helping the team cause by running a shoddy patched tire in TTT, I wanted to torture myself by running 50 km the next weekend. I went out in Lalbagh and started running in the morning. When everything was going good, I just carried 700 ml of water and plan was to fill from the taps there. To my surprise, the taps were dry and later I found a few running taps with the help of a newly acquainted runner (named Manmohan). By then I had run 30 km plus and I was feeling the effect of dehydration. It was still running at 12 kmph till then. From there on, hunger and thirst caught up and I had to quit at a 42.22 km in 4h09m.<br />
<br />
Another attempt for a long run was when my kids were away with grandparents and wife wanted to try a longish distance cycling. She does not cycle and does not have one. So, we borrowed from a friend, named Rohini (whose husband, Chidambaram, is also a known cyclist in Bangalore). We decided that we would head towards Nandi hills and I would run behind her as much as I can and return from the point she would cross me on her return. But I had to carry water bag. So, I carried a 2L water bag and started jogging uncomfortably. Initial 15km till Hebbal from my home was at an average speed of 11 kmph. My wife kept updating me on where she was and she continued further as she was very comfortable. I had breakfast after 25 km or so and continued jogging. The sun started gleaming and I was running along with the highway traffic in bright sun. Just when I finished 42 km (soon after crossing Devanahalli turn), my wife had caught me on her return. I told her that she could continue riding home while I would walk back to Airport road turn off and catch a bus. So, I walked back another 8 km to complete my 50 km jog/walk.<br />
<br />
Though I was tired and didn't want to continue walking any further on both occasions, my muscles were more or less good, with a bit of pain in the case of 42km Lalbagh running.<br />
<br />
I wanted to do well in the October BBCh Nandi race and I did some rides. I had also planned a half ironman distance by Chennai Trekking Club in Nagalapuram, Andhra Pradhesh just the weekend before my 100 km ultra. I had some bad experience in that half ironman distance. Heat was intense and I mismanaged hydration. I ended up being very thirsty and yet stomach was full of water. As I started walking the last leg of half marathon on the trail, I kept saying to myself that I would be in a position to run after the stomach settled down. It never happened. I ended up walking the whole distance with casual jog now and then. This was a good warning to my ultra run as it showed me how things could go wrong. As I pondered what happened, I'm now believing that it could be the three snickers chocolate bars that I ate during the cycling leg of that event. I told myself to avoid all lactose one day ahead as I'm anyway not used to milk. I also developed some kind of strain in the left ankle or somewhere near ankle along the nerve that connects one of the toes to the ankle. This was there a couple of months ago. It also worried me and I decided to rest it completely 5 days after the half ironman and before the ultra run.<br />
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<h4>
The race day</h4>
One of the best things I like about Bangalore ultra is their spread of food in their aid stations which are about every 2km. They keep orange, roasted peanut, sandwich with jam, biscuits, bananas, table salt, sugar, salted chips, plain water with ice and electral water. Of all these, salted potato chips are my all time favorite. This is the most exciting part of my ultra run. The run was to start at 5am and I decided to reach the place on car with another cycling team mate, Kiran Kumar (Tusker). As I stated going to the path which I mugged up from google map the night before, we thought we were lost as the road was totally mud and cattle path. Yet, we reached without getting lost. I was raring to go. They gave a flash light as the trail would be dark and would be in the forest with a lot of turns. Though I wanted to jog the entire distance, I also wanted to make use of the cool morning. I covered the first U turn point of 12.5 km in an hour and returned to complete on lap of 25 km in about 2h04m. I ensured that I gulped one cup of water in every aid station and grab a handful of chips with one orange. This would continue for the rest of my distance. I reached 37.5km mark in about 3h10m and I felt that I had to slow down a bit to allow my legs to recover. I returned and finished 50 km in about 4h35m. I felt really good. I stopped and changed my socks. Wanted to change the shirt, but avoided. I would have spent about 10 mins which I didn't mind as I was giving my body a bit of rest. I continued for the third lap. I finished the 62.5 km mark in 6h12m. All this while, I was very cautious to take easy on my left ankle. Then, suddenly I felt something not alright on my left knee. I ran the next three km or so, making 65 km in 6h30m. The left knee started hurting. I told myself that my aim was to finish though I was going at a rate that I would end up being 2nd or 3rd finisher. The first guy was ahead of me by at least 5 km. I stopped for a while and walked the entire return to 75 km mark taking nearly 2 hours for the 10 km or so. So, I finished 75 km in 8h15m. I wanted to walk the remaining 25 km at a pace of 6 kmph, which would make my total time as 12 hours. But then, I tried running a bit to see how I felt. To my surprise, I was still able to run and ran the next 6 km in about 35m. But that aggravated the knee. I told myself not to run again. I walked the next 7km comfortably. Finished 88km in about 9h40m (don't remember this one exactly). Then as I continued to walk the last 12 km, it started hurting really bad, so bad that I had to stop and bend my knees and rub them whenever I felt the sudden pain. Every km started taking 11 mins, 12 mins and 13 mins... finally finished the 100 km in 13h13m. Overall body felt good except the knee. Later when I tried to get into the car, I realized that I overused the right leg to walk and my right thigh/hip joint was weakening and unable to lift the leg to climb anything taller than one foot. I already asked Kiran to wait for my finish so that he could drive me back.<br />
<br />
As I'm writing this piece, my body is almost immobilized as the two legs are enable to make much of the movement. I still have not thought of going to the doctor. I will watch over them in the next couple of days. One thing I had never done in my life is to suppress the pain with any kind of reliever. So, I know where it hurts and how much it hurts. I still think that I will recover. I will have to wait and watch.<br />
<br />
Will I run the distance again? No. I ran this to test my running endurance. I think I can run long distances, but anything beyond 100 km, I would need more scientific methods of providing the nutrition during the run.</div>
Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-16385971350963098522012-06-29T05:05:00.001-07:002013-09-24T05:01:07.773-07:001000 km on bicycle - Bangalore - Belgaum - Bangalore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h4>
My earlier attempt</h4>
Last year June 2011, I started out on a 1000 km brevet ride on bicycle. It stated with the first shower of the year. First shower of the year is always nasty as it carries a heap of dirt and debris on the road. I got three flats before I finally got a chain link snap. The link was completely missing.<br />
<h4>
The urge for second attempt</h4>
I had been waiting to do this sooner or later. But I soon realized that I would never do it myself if not for an organized event like brevet.<br />
<br />
Though I wanted to do the 1000 km brevet, it was always hard for me to speak about it to the family as it requires me to be away from home for three days. I have the guilt of having too much fun alone.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, when the brevet 1000 km was ringing close, I started hearing from my team-mates (of Cleated Warriors) that a few others are doing the same. That is it. I almost decided to do the 1000 km almost three weeks ahead of D day. As some house renovation work had taken toll on us at home, I was still keeping reluctant to open my mouth. I finally disclosed that I registered for the 1000 km brevet and a few of my team-mates are joining me. Fortunately, parents of my wife were with her over the weekend too and I felt at peace.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Preparation</h4>
I'm a very unconventional type of athlete. I started running three years ago. My preparation for a 10 km run would be generally as as short as 10 km spread over two or three weeks. Similarly, my preparation for last year KTM 2011 half marathon was also a mere 2 hours of practice spread over two weeks. Each practice session would last some 10 to 20 mins. I still managed to complete my half marathon on the trail in 1 hr 40 mins.<br />
<br />
I had been racing in BBCh (www.bbch.in) and except for the time trial (BBCh #1) and road race (BBCh #3), I had never practiced for any of the race. It is not that I don't want to practice, but it is hard to find time to practice. I wish my home to office commute was longer, but it is hardly 2 km!<br />
<br />
So, what exactly was required for me to do this 1000 km? I did a lot of rest. My left knee got severely bruised in trail race in May. Wrist was injured in the fall. I couldn't cycle or bend my knee fully for four weeks. So, I was forced to rest. I had noticed in the past that I tend to build my leg muscles after some 12 hours of cycling. 1000 km brevet is spread over 75 hours. So, I was not at all worried.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, I had been trying to convince people to come to the 1000K, specially my best riding partner so far, Ganapathy. He wanted, but ruled out. He made a last minute registration. I later came to know that Chidu (Chidambaram) had been preparing for this. So was Vinay, all from my team. Kiran was eager as always. I convinced a relatively new rider, Deepak, that he was more capable than me in endurance and that he shouldn't be worried of the distance. He was easily convinced.<br />
<br />
I had trued my wheels, greased hub bearing balls myself with some cheap SKF grease, adjusted the brakes, etc. I ordered a pair of tubes through another team-mate Deepak. I bought a few packets of mixed dry fruits. I already had 21 sachets of gatorade. I wanted to buy some more as I expected at least 6 per day and another 3 or 4 more in the night. But local store ran out of stock. So, I was content with the 21. I borrowed a pair of batteries from my friend, Rajesh, who also commute to work (21 km one way). He also lent me a goggle with night glasses. I was all set.<br />
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<h4>
Brevet day (22 June 2012)</h4>
I was in office till 2 pm. Home is a close 5 mins ride. I usually have my lunch at 12:30 pm. My wife called me at 1pm and tole me that she made plain boiled chicken soup as she was home that day. I told her that I would have my second lunch at 3pm!! I normally eat full and my "full" is usually "twice full" for others. I eat that much. Filled water, picked all items: refelctive vests, gloves, helmet, rain poncho, dry fruits, gatorade, puncture kit, flash lights, batteries, etc. etc. I also carried pieces of TCS 10K running bib as it would come handy if tire gets cut. I left home by 3:30pm and reached M.G. Road by 3:55pm.<br />
<br />
There were too few people there. Anil met me there. We had always tried several times to meet in Lalbagh runs, but never succeeded. I was very pleased to see him. Ganapathy and Chidu were already there. Deepak and Kiran came in. Vinay was still not in. He came a good half an hour late and still not ready with lights, etc. All of my team except Chidu waited for Vinay and we made a good 40 mins late to start.<br />
<br />
<h4>
The journey starts</h4>
We started out in peak evening traffic stopping in long red signals. I noticed that we had hardly covered 20 km in the first two hours. Yet, I scolded my team mates for coming without the required water bottles. We had to stop in the rain and I bought bottles for every one. From then on, we made several stops and each stop was about 20 mins or more, completely mismanaging the time.<br />
<br />
After some distance, it was a big group. Uday, Sathish, Kiran, Gana, Vinay, Deepak, Sohan and myself. We stopped in a nice place around the 80 km or 100 km mark (not sure if it was after/before toll plaza, but before Siera). From there on, I pushed everyone to speed up the pace. Suddenly, we noticed Gana missing. Kiran, Deepak and I tried ringing him. His phone was switched off. Deepak tried ringing Uday and Sohan. No one was picking it up. A good 25 mins we waited with frustration. Finally when they turned up and gave the reason as flat, I was not willing to accept that as 25 mins for a flat was too much. We decided that we should SMS or keep the phone on whenever one is in trouble and left behind. From there, we continued.<br />
<br />
<h4>
First quitters</h4>
I always see people from my perspective and I always thought that anybody who does some decent cycling should be able to cover a mere 13 kmph average speed even with tons of breaks, tons of climbs and worst of headwinds. But it was not to be. First sign of trouble came with Uday, who was struggling in an otherwise rolling terrain. We were going at such a pace that my wheels were just rolling with hardly any pedalling from my legs. After two or three stops to give him a breather, I explained to him that we were doing just about 16 kmph on the ride and with a few breaks, we would never make it. Deepak was not willing to leave him behind even at that stage. So, Gana and I decided to leave everyone behind so that we could get some sleep in Chitradurga while waiting for others. By this time Vishal, lone finisher of last year 1000K brevet had gone ahead with Sohan. On the way, we crossed Raman from Hyderabad too. I don't remember if he overtook us again or was behind. Ganapathy and I reached about 45 mins before closing of Chitradurgan time control, at around 3:45 am. Vishal and Sohan were already there. Deepak and Vinay joined in. We heard that Kiran and Uday were quitting. Everyone else were there. We slept for about an hour outside the ATM. Some slept in the ATM, which was surprising to me. I would later do a similar thing and put myself into trouble. More of that later.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Group splits further</h4>
We woke up in the wee hours. We were now all of us except Chidu who was ahead and Kiran and Uday who had quit. We continued riding for about 10 km when we saw a dhaba on the left side. We brushed, washed face, attended nature calls, etc. while our order for paratha was being made. We feasted on parathas with some dhal and omelettes. I was quite full and ready for a long ride. By then, we noticed that Sohan was unable to maintain good speed on the slopes. So was Vinay. Satish also seemed to have some trouble in the ankle. After a few trials of pace line, Vishal decided that he would keep going with Sohan with lesser breaks. So, Gana, Deepak, Raman and I were taking turns to pull the paceline while protecting Vinay and Satish. Satish was able to maintain and Vinay was getting dropped every now and then. But with this arrangement of taking turns for each 1 km was making our average speed better. It was a hot day. No rain, except for some hard and brief shower later before Hubli. Later we caught up with Vishal and Sohan too and asked them to join the paceline. We soon realized that it was too big a group with different abilities. So, we started losing time again. We stopped for lunch at Kamat (I think) at 300 km mark. I had meals. Gana had paneer fried rice. I ordered paneer fried rice too. So, double feast for me again. By then we had consumed so much time in the first leg of 100 km from Chitradurga that we were hardly left with 5 and a half hours to cover the next 109 km (till Hubli). It was an uphill task. We decided to hurry up. I yelled at Vinay for always being late to start after every break. We also left Satish, who was not fully ready to start. Raman was drowsy and he was in no mood to resume at that time. Vishal and Sohan had just left. Deepak, Gana and I formed a peloton for Vinay to protect from cross wind. Deepak and I took the front with Vinay just in between our rear wheels. Gana took the left of Vinay from where the cross winds come from. Soon, we caught up with Vishal and Sohan. We tried going together for a while. After a while, I saw Gana being exhausted and unable to keep up. I was heartbroken to see my best riding partner in that condition. From then on, it was only about taking Gana along. I completely left the idea of pulling Vinay and Sohan. Deepak, Gana and I were going well. Whenever we stopped for a few minutes break, Vinay, Vishal and Sohan would catch us up.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Race to Hubli time control</h4>
I told everyone that once it was about 60 km with 3 hours left, we would all go on our own. we did exactly that. I gave some extra gatorade packets to Vinay. Everyone raced hard against the headwind and climbs. At some point it was becoming difficult to ride even at 18kmph. I had almost given up. Deepak convinced me that all remaining roads may not be that tough. Headwinds might be lesser as we inch towards city. That gave me a boost. He stayed with me throughout. We pedalled really hard and I kept updating the time and distance as he didn't have computer. He was right. After a while we were averaging almost 25 kmph, but we had to push to the limits. There is another reason why we pushed extra through the required was 20 kmph from that point. We saw the sign posts reading 8 km extra compared to what my odometer showed. We didn't want to take a chance if the time control was indeed inside Hubli. We were covering really well. I took the right turn towards Hubli a few minutes after 7pm. We thought we would make it easy as headwinds were gone. Nope. It was peak traffic and we would keep asking Rani Chennama circle and zip through the traffic. Finally in the last minute we were frantically looking for the ATM. As we saw the ATM on the other side of the road, we didn't even have time to look for a U turn. So, we lifted up the bike across the tall median fence. I asked Deepak to go first as I was waiting outside taking care of the bike. Then I went immediately behind him.<br />
<br />
I don't ever remember myself riding that hard in my life. It was so hard that I had pain in lungs whenever I did a fast inhale and exhale. <br />
<br />
As we were exulting about making at the right time, we saw Vinay and Gana. Gana had already quit and was working with Raman to take a bus or tempo back to Bangalore. Vinay was still planning to continue.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Another race to Belgaum time control (507 km)</h4>
We again took a longish break, refilling water and drinking a lime juice on the road side. We struggled out of the town in peak traffic. It was so bad that we again took nearly an hour to cover just about 10km. We were chasing the Belgaum time station again. Deepak was still with me. We decided to stick together and ride hard. Vinay wanted us to wait for him, but I had to disappoint him as we could not risk missing the time control. Deepak and I raced every slope up or down for 30 minutes and maintained 2 mins break for every 30 mins ride. We were covering a good distance. Deepak was a bit tired and drowsy. He wanted a coffee break. We saw a dhaba. We asked if they had anything that was immediately available. We had chicken biriyani, one bowl each and coffee. The guys were quick to serve us. We resumed the race again even stronger. About 35 km before Belgaun, we saw Chidu. He was riding quite fast, but not as much in the race mode that Deepak and I were. From that point, Chidu also joined in the race. We were doing an average of 23 to 25 kmph. My watch had a feature to glow at a jersky shake of wrist. I used it to the fullest to time the breaks and we would check the distance covered at every stop. But what we didn't include in the calculation was the last climb before Belgaum. That was a killer. On a normal day, we would have taken that very easy. But after racing for nearly 200 km, it was a killer for me at least. We lost a bit of time there. Now the possibility of missing the Belgaum time control was staring at our face. Soon after the climb, we saw the Belgaum Fort exit. I was about to take that. Chidu told me that it could not be the right one. We opened the cue sheet and checked again. We cautiously moved along further and took another left, which was supposed to be for Belgaum town. We were looking at cue sheet for landmarks. We didn't see petrol pump, we didn't see the ATM. When we saw a few passerby in the middle of the night, we asked for direction. We were not sure, but we moved further straight. Soon, we saw the ATM. We were late by a good 10 mins. We three of us swiped the cards. We were almost about to sleep when Vinay showed up. He was more than half an hour late.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Belgaum police detains us</h4>
We decided to take a nap there outside the ATM. It was too cold outside. After a while all four of us were inside the ATM sleeping. We woke up after about an hour and were about to start again. Right at this time, two jeeps of police turned up and started questioning us. They checked the ATM conditions and some things on the screen, not sure if they can check any log! They asked why we were there, where we were from, names, what we do, etc. They asked for our company badge. None of us had. We showed any other photo id that we had. They took us to street light and asked us to remove helmet so that they could get a clear photo of us in their cell phone camera. They asked us to swipe the cards again to get another slip for them. We had to write our name, address, phone number. Every now and then, they kept saying that we could have gone to bus stand or police station if we wanted nap, not in ATM. All we could answer was "yes sir, sorry sir". This went on too long. All we wanted was to leave immediately as we were again late to the time control.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Race back to Hubli time control (604 km)</h4>
This is going to be the shortest time we had for a 100 km. We had to cover nearly 100 km in less than 4 and a half hour (not sure of the exact time). Soon as we started together (four of us), I was a bit drowsy. This was the only time I ever felt drowsy in the entire ride. We stopped on a roadside tea shop, had tea and a few biscuits. I was fresh instantly. From there on, no tea stop, no water stop, no eating stop. We raced and raced. We entered the Hubli town again. Deepak was again with me. Chidu about a minute behind and Vinay probaly couple or more minutes behind. As we were approaching the designated ATM, we were not very sure of the exact distance to the ATM. We saw another ATM and we used it just within the cut off time. Then we proceeded to the designated ATM. We took a wrong turn and we ended up taking a little longer. We swiped the card again. We were 2 minutes late there. Still we kept the slip in case we are required to show.<br />
<br />
We feasted on idli wada and kesri bath. I had two plates of idli wada and one plate of kesri bath. Just after the breakfast, one named Jaiprakash from GoGreen, Hubli caught us up. We were thinking of taking a nap on the highway road side. But he gave more hope that he should be able to find a hotel room for us to relax. He did that. Many thanks to him. He was such a nice person to talk to as well. We slept for about an hour. Then he saw us off upto the highway.<br />
<br />
<h4>
The joy ride begins</h4>
The last 400 km of ride was really a joy ride for me. A strong tail cross wind and slight down slope made the ride really easy. We had sufficient time and we could gain speed as well. It was not hot. We got showers a couple of times. At some point, Chidu's hubs started singing. We poured in some coconut oil. It worked. Then my front hub started singing really bad. We poured in the coconut oil. It worked for a while. Then it became worse. I rode like that for about 15 km or so until we saw a toll plaza where I removed the cones and filled up lots of grease inside. We again continued. We had skipped the lunch as we had heavy breakfast. Towards evening, we started feeling a bit hungry. I didn't want to skip the dinner as I'm a guy who depends solely on heavy meals for rides. So, we stopped in Kamat. I had meals plus paneer fried rice as I had earlier. We stopped a bit too long there again. We still had sufficient time and tail winds were nice.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Dramatic run to Chitradurga time control (800 km)</h4>
We hardly had 100 km more to cover to reach the 800 km mark and we had about 4 hours after dinner. Easy terrain. It was such a pleasure to ride on that weather. We hardly needed water sips, no sweats. But Chidu started feeling drowsy and hallucinating. He told us that when he gets it, he get it real bad. So, he wanted one of us to be with him all the time. We were going managing well. He kept insisting us to talk something and that is when we had nothing to talk. You cannot talk something without conversation, right? It became more and more difficult for him. After some struggle, he decided that he would just race hard to keep awake. I was right behind him assuring him that I would be there all the time. In fact, I was having so much fun as I had to keep at his pace. It helped him keep awake, but he was a bit tired. In the meantime, Vinay was left a little behind as his light was not suitable for speed. We waited for a while. When he caught us up, he also started racing like a maniac. I was right on his wheel as if I was waiting for this moment of chase again. I don't know how to explain this. My heart was beating as if resting, no sweat, no pain in the legs and yet, I was able to do full throttle in that night. I wish I could be in a BBCh road race at that moment. Just then, Chidu and Deepak called us and asked us to wait as Chidu was not feeling great. He was a bit drowsy and dizzy. They took quite a while to catch us up. Then we forced him to lie down for five or 10 mins. We just had about 10 km more to cover to reach the time control. As we were left with just about half an hour, we decided to ride again. We had a confusion on which right turn to take. With some frantic search and rush, we took the right and zip through Chitradurga to reach the ATM. We again made in the last minute. Chidu wanted to continue riding. I was not ready to continue for two reasons. My batteries were not going to last till morning and I need food if I were to continue in the night. I also wanted everyone to take the required nap. We searched for hotel for an hour, but none available. Finally we got led by one auto rickshaw and we got a safe place. We slept till morning.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Joy ride contiues</h4>
The final day morning was such a pleasure to ride. The whole day, well 13 hours, to cover just 200 km in downslope for the first half and slight up on the second half, with no threats of headwind. After having tea, Chidu rode fast ahead of us. Deepak and I wanted to keep the gap closer without dropping Vinay. But Vinay was not able to keep Chidu's pace. He looked tired as he was not pedalling in down slopes. We ate good amount of dry fruits while letting Chidu go on. On the way, we saw one guy, from Mumbai, struggling to fit in his Indian made road bike tire. I wanted to help, but asked Deepak and Vinay to continue. It was not like the imported tires. I had to use the lever to close the tire and yet took almost 5 minutes. I would not take even 20 seconds on a normal tire without lever. I left him to fill the air himself. Then again, I enjoyed riding as fast as I could to catch up with Vinay and Deepak. I caught them soon. Later Deepak and I dropped Vinay too. But we could never catch Chidu. Soon after Siera, we stopped for a road side poori. I had five poories. Then we continued. So far two of us were never looking forward to the finish line as we were enjoying so much. But soon after this break, it became very hot. Clouds were gone and climbs started. It was not more fun. We fought the heat by hydrating ourselves well. Drank as much coconut water we could and poured water on the head. By then, we were just looking forward to the finish. We reached the nice road jn at about 3pm. With some zig zag cut in the service road and deviation and my recollection of the last year finish point, we managed to safely find the Cafe Coffee Day with a big welcome, specially from the Cleated Warrior clan. We wanted that four of us reach at the same time, but we were unable to guess the location of Chidu and Vinay. Just after I took the ATM slip, I got call from Chidu that he got a flat just before the Hasserghatta turn. I told him to wait, but he insisted to keep walking. This made it difficult to sync up at a place. As I went in the service road, I missed him and I went till toll plaza again. I called him again and he told me that he had taken the left turn to Hasserghatta road. I raced at 40+ kmph on the service road as it was empty. One car was peep peep honking behind me. I got annoyed and I just taunted him in the middle with full speed. Just before the turn I hit something like a stone or an uneven piece. I got a flat. I replaced my tube and started back to finish point. Chidu had just arrived then.<br />
<br />
I had ridden a total of 1040 km including from home to M.G. Road. Riding average was showing 22.9 kmph with ride time of about 45 hours. Otherwise, it was 72 hours with breaks.<br />
<br />
It was an overwhelming party for the finishers there, specially with Chidu's kids and the cake cutting. Kiran booked a cab for Chidu and I tagged along as I didn't want to ride in the traffic. Reached home just at 7:30pm or so, took shower. I took out the car with wife and kids lifestyle shop. By this time, I realized that my brain was still in brevet mode and not able to think or do anything else. Even the familiar roads were looking like the highway that we munched on in the last three days. I developed some sore throat making my voice changed. My face got burnt with heat on the last day as I never use cream. Otherwise, I was back to normal with some sleep to make up though.<br />
<br />
Surprisingly, this was the only brevet I hardly gained weight. My weight was just 61 kg only. My usual weight hovers between 59 kg and 61 kg and brevet days usually push me upto 62 kg.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Will we get medal or won't we?</h4>
As we missed the Belgaum time control by 12 mins, we are unsure of the medal. Organizers had asked us for reason for not meeting the time control. The reasons had to be strictly beyond our control as per the rules. This does not include helping others, mechanical failures, getting lost or being mobbed. It could be something like road blockage, held up by police or villagers, etc. There were many instances where we were really bothered by highway travelers, cars and jeeps in the night cutting across us and even halting us. Mobs fiddling with our bikes when we had to stop and not allowing us to refill peacefully, etc. We also lost a lot of time helping each other before others quit before Hubli.<br />
<br />
I know that the rule will not respect most of it. But when I look back at the time I lost on other reasons that are not covered under the rule, I feel it so trifling to have to explain those bits of incidences where we were really hindered unexpectedly. Those hindrances were so small comparatively. Anyways, Deepak and I rode together all throughout and we have given our reasons for the 12 minutes delay in Belgaum. Fingers crossed whether our ride will be homologated or not. I don't really value the medal more than I enjoyed the ride. But I would be extremely happy if Deepak gets the medal. He is new to cycling and he is one hell of a rider. He really deserves the medal. I honestly hope he gets.<br />
<br /></div>
Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com6Bangalore, Karnataka, India12.9715987 77.594562712.724026199999999 77.2787057 13.2191712 77.910419699999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-12153123703151033132011-04-18T09:51:00.000-07:002013-09-24T05:01:26.115-07:00Bangalore Brevets - 600K conquered on pedal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
First of all, a big "thank you" to the Bangalore Brevet team. They have made me <a href="http://www.rusa.org/award_sr.html">super randonneur</a>.<br />
<br />
After finishing the 200 Km in January, 300 Km in February, 400 Km in March on pedal, I was skeptical of the 600 Km in April - partly because of the distance and partly because of the heat that peaks around this time in Tamil Nadu.<br />
<br />
I had not done any special training for all my previous rides. Nevertheless, I had lately kept myself fit in some or other way - be it the small distance of cycling to office everyday or tennis on the weekends whenever possible or running around the lake in Lalbagh botanical garden. I wish I was still going to roller skating classes or the football matches that my office colleagues play every weekend. Or I wish it was the Bangalore Ultra marathon season. Nothing is happening. Only 10 more days to go - countdown to the 15th of April - <a href="http://www.bangalorebrevets.in/TheRoute.htm#H5">Bangalore Brevets 600 Km</a>. I need to work up a bit. My best bet was run - run around the Lalbagh lake. Usually 45 minute of running gives me a lot more satisfaction than a whole day of cycling. I managed to run for three times on alternate days- each time about 7 to 9 Km. I cycle to the tennis court on the other days - 25 Km to and from. I think I'm ready for the 600 Km stint.<br />
<br />
Just a couple of weeks back, Decathlon offered the bTwin Sport 1 road bike for 15K, an irresistible offer. The moment I heard of the offer from <a href="http://groups.google.com/group/bangalore-bikers">BBC</a>, I called decathlon store to check if 54" was in stock. Yes, I rushed just to be there at 8PM and pick the bike for billing. I love tweaking a bit here and there for my comfort and satisfaction. I switched the seat post quick release from my Merida Crossway 10v to the road bike, so that I could adjust the seat height whenever I need to. I hate the tight bearings of the wheel hubs that these imported bikes come with. I remove the wheel, hold ends of the hub in both my hands and rotate the wheel to feel if I feel any grinding. Loosen the cone a bit until I find the wheel rolling smooth, but without a loose play on the bearings.<br />
<br />
I played with the reach distance of the saddle from the handle bar. bTwin sizing is done on the horizontal bar length (or whatever that is called). It perfectly suits me. But I was just not sure which position on the saddle would be most comfortable in a long distance ride. I adjusted the saddle to droop down forward a bit, without too much sliding forward, so that I can sit longer time without getting hurt in the wrong places! After each adjustment, I would ride for a distance to ensure that I was comfortable. Once I got the right incline of the saddle, I focused on the distance of the saddle. Compared to my earlier Trek 4300 or current Merida crossway, bTwin saddle has more room for reach adjustment - at least 6 cm. Once I got it right, the next day, I realized that with shoes, the reach was slightly different as the foot spot on the shoes was slightly different for my comfort, to find the correct angle for my knees with the bums on the most comfortable place on the saddle. I was all set. I fit the cyclo-computer, tail lamps and managed a way to tie the head light with a thread as my order for a handle bar clamp had not arrived.<br />
<br />
All set. I had already made other usual preparations - a spare tube, puncture kit (glue, patches, portable hand pump), electral sachets (oral re-hydration salt).<br />
<br />
Attires - I prefer the cotton full sleeve shirt to protect from sun. I don't use lotion. A hiking goggle to protect from sun as well as dust (not for night though). A cap, which will cover either my face or neck depending on where the sun is. I have the bTwin cycling tights, with Jockey underwear - style 1010 - the best I could manage with the thinnest seam, rock rider globes. I wear regular shoes as my pedal is a regular flat one.<br />
<br />
April 15. Friday morning on M.G. Road, 5:30 am in the morning. We are all ready to go. As I rode along the HAL airport road, inner ring road, Madiwala and soon on the Hosur road, it was bTwin sport 1 bikes all around me. As we crossed Electronic City, soon the group split into various paces. It was one named Harisha with me. We exchanged our views on how we could make the ride comfortable together through the heat and the night hours. In my past rides, I had either chased a faster guy or slowed down with a lesser paced guy. Harisha looked like a perfect companion with seemingly equal pace as mine. We decided to stick together.<br />
<br />
Soon we reached Krishnagiri (95 Km) without much sweat due to nice downhill roll - my top speed 66 Kmph! It was 9 am by then. We decided to skip the breakfast as we were still strong, instead try to reach Mufassa's restaurant (145 Km time station) for the breakfast. Along the way, another guy caught along our pace. Later I came to know that he was none other than a Ganapathy, whom the brevet organizers were skeptical about allowing to ride the 600 Km, because his longest ride till date was 150 Km in 10 hours, that too Bangalore to Mysore which was a down hill. He was looking very tired and I could sense that he had not stocked up well for the long ride. I had sufficient amount of those electrals to spare for him. From then on, he was unstoppable. Harisha was too losing the pace. It looked to me that he was not eating well enough. So, I suggested to him to eat his pack of bread-jam. He was also unstoppable after that. It must have been about 130 Km mark, when this gang of superfast riders of Bangalore bikers - Venky, Saravanan and others were all around a road side tender coconut seller under a tree, with a nice couch and nice water melon. They stopped us and others whoever came later. We spent a lot of time there chatting and kindling. After a very long break there, it was time to move further. For the next 15 to 20 Km till Mufassa's restaurant was a mad rush cruising at speeds of 38 to 40 Kmph. Within no time, we were all there at Mufassa's. Volunteers were greeting us with lights and camera :) Each one of us ordered whatever we liked, got the bill (with time stamps on it). Soon, we were ready to move beyond.<br />
<br />
It is now Harisha, me and Ganapathy.... three of us who have teamed up. Venky and his team overtook us. They were doing the same 35 to 40 Kmph. I was in no mood to kill myself chasing them. Seeing Harisha trying to chase them, I shouted "I'm not going with those guys". Harisha didn't seem to hear it, he went along with those super fast train while I admired his energy. It was Ganapathy and me - cruising at a nice speed of around 30 Kmph. Soon, we saw Harisha waiting for us - he seemed to have lost the pace with the super fast team. After that, Harisha had a series of unfortunate things happening to him - a flat which could not be repaired. Ganapathy lent one of his spare tube. Harisha's knees were hurt (from his recent badminton game, as I was told). He was finding it really difficult to even ride at 25 Kmph. It was pain all along for him - reached Vellore (115 Km mark) before dark. I had my snacks. On the way, one more guy named Shreyas joined along. He was riding very strong, mostly slowing down only to match our speed. Meanwhile, we let Harisha lead the way with his maximum possible speed that his knees could push. As our 302.5 Km mark was approaching, we saw a nice restaurant named Sri Shakti Saravanan. It was already 9:20 pm and we didn't want to miss the dinner as the restaurants would close down soon. We decided to have dinner first. Within minutes, Shreyas slept on the sofa, while we were trying to finish the dinner. I had to wake him up to his disappointment. We got the ATM receipt from the Union Bank a couple of Km down the road. Not finding a proper place to sleep, we started riding back at 11 PM.<br />
<br />
We were very sleepy. Yet, we, willingly or unwillingly, decided to ride further and find some sleep in Mufassa's which was 160 Km away. As we ride for another half an hour, Shreyas had to stop as he was too sleepy. We are again three of us. It was nice and cool in the night. But Harisha was still fighting at about 23 Kmph with his injured knees. He needed a lot of break - about 5 minutes for every 15 mins ride, which meant a very poor average. Sometimes, we were running short of water and food as shops were mostly closed. By around 3:30 am I was very sleepy too. We were approaching Vellore and I insisted that we should sleep in Vellore town roadside. We set an alarm at 4:30 am. I could hardly sleep with mosquitoes around. The alarm woke us up. I didn't feel that I slept at all. Poor Harisha was feeling guilty of slowing us down, I suppose. He suggested that he keep moving at slower pace as Ganapathy and I took breaks here and there, making sure that we caught up with Harisha evey now and then. Early morning wee hours, Harisha was shouting from behind again to stop. He was coming pushing the bike - flat again in the same manner as before. I suggested him to remove the puncture resistant lining (it sounded stupid on my part though, but I couldn't think of any other solution). I lent my tube, hoping that we would all go smooth from then on. At this point, the unspoken minds among us had agreed that Ganapathy and I would move along to reach our destination. Harisha was still trying to make his best effort. What a determination from Harisha! He had already finished his breakfast in Mufassa's as Ganapathy and I reached there at around 8:40 am. He told us that he would move ahead as he would need to go slower on the uphill. So, he left. Ganapathy and I started cycling again at 9:30 am in the scorching heat of the morning. We stopped at many places for drinks, tender coconuts, palm fruits, etc. We reached Krishnagiri at 12 noon. All these while, my stomach was too full and I was feeling something wrong. We stopped at one stop for nearly 45 mins, where I drank coconut water, water melon, limca line, mirinda drink - all kinds and then took a 10 mins nap in the chair of the shop. We started again at around 1pm. My stomach was still heavy, but feeling much better. Another 23 Km, we were at A2B restaurant. We stopped there for lunch. By this time, we had already done a stretch of deadly climb.<br />
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I had done this stretch earlier in my 400 K ride. I knew the deadly climbs ahead of us. At 2:30 pm in A2B, I updated the facebook that we should be in M.G. Road by 7 pm, though Ganapathy was more willing to change the target to 8 pm. I said, we had 4 and a half hour to cover the 67 Km, which was very much doable. From that point onwards, what a memorable ride it was. We were enjoying sprinting each of the uphill and then stop at the end to catch our breaths. We sprinted so much that we would have reached M.G. Road before 6 pm if not for the traffic after electronic city. Finally we reached M.G. Road at 6:15 pm Saturday, but not before we could enjoy some more over-throttle to catch up with Venky - after all how fast could he go with all the heavy traffic :)<br />
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And guess, who was there to greet us - Harisha!! He made it in spite of the injuries to his knees. A big bravo to him. It was awesome feat Harisha. I would love to ride with you and Ganapathy in future too.<br />
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Not to boast myself, but for a change, I was not feeling any pain in the body. My legs were forgetting that they had pedaled 600 Km. I was able to jump, hop. I was then decided to join the BBCh road race next day. I did go to the <a href="http://www.bangalorebicyclechampionships.com/">BBCh</a> road race, but only to finish among the last :( I exhausted myself to reach the place of the race event, which was on Bellary road, 32 Km from my house. Even otherwise, did I have a chance to win against those professional racers of BBCh? They are too fast for me. But it is always "seriously" fun to ride in such events :)<br />
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I will try to stay away from the 1000 Km ride in June, again in Tamil Nadu. But I never know! Temptation might overpower me.</div>
Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-14612624475925880752011-03-13T22:03:00.000-07:002013-09-24T05:01:41.322-07:00Bangalore - Krishnagiri - Vellore and back - 404 Km on bicycle in 21 hrs 44 mins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Even since I restarted my cycling in 2010, I would have done roughly four rides of 100 Km plus, two 200 Km plus, two 300 Km plus and I just added 400 Km plus to my list. All the rides are within 24 hours. Thanks to BBC (<a href="http://groups.google.co.in/group/Bangalore-bikers">http://groups.google.co.in/group/Bangalore-bikers</a>) which is the only reason why I get such opportunities.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bangalore Brevets</span><br />
I restarted my cycling with my office colleage Chirag in late 2009. I started with a mere office commute and quarterly weekend rides of hardly 50Km. I accidentally bought a Trek 4300 MTB again through Chirag. I had to use the bike now for some serious cycling. BBC gave me the right platform to kickstart that. Though I started my longer distance cycling with BBC, it is the Bangalore Brevets (<a href="http://www.bangalorebrevets.in/TheRoute.htm">http://www.bangalorebrevets.in/TheRoute.htm</a>), which is the real challenging one, because here we are given a fixed time and the clock never stops.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">The 400 Km ride</span><br />
I did my 300 Km plus Brevet ride on Feb 12, 2011. It was time to test 400 for me as the 400K brevet was planned for Mar 12. Route looked attractive except for the scorching heat. Cut short to the actual event. A bunch of about 40+ rides started from M.G. Road, Bangalore at 05.38 am. Ride til Krishnagiri was a joy ride with downhill all the way. Myself being a heavy eater all the time, I stopped for breakfast in Hosur (at 39 Km), ate idli-wada and pongal. After 67 Km, I had to stop at one highway restaurant named A2B. Since my stomach was still full, I just swiped my debit card in an adjacent ATM to get a time stamped bill. Bought a couple of Britania plain cakes and ate my biscuits.<br />
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Passed Krishnagiri. Headed towards Vellore on the Chennai highway. Road was good with hardly any vehicular traffic. But the heat started by then. I got a few riding partners by this time. We kept pedaling till the next time station, which was 139.5 Km mark at Mufassa's Restaurant. We reached there a bit too early and lunch was not ready yet. Four of us wanted to have the chicken biriyani. The owner of the restaurant promised biriyani in 10 mins. So, we ordered. We chatted and waited. We got our biriyani after near 45 mins. By then the restaurant was full of cyclists with shoes and socks strewn all over. If I remember correctly, we left the restaurant at around 1 pm. By this time, headwinds became stronger. I couldn't keep pace with the guys whom I came with. So, I rode solo to reach the 202 Km SBI ATM, which was our 4th time station. Took the ATM slip with the time stamp in it. It must have been around 3:30 pm, I suppose. It was scorching hot. But I wanted to enjoy the tail wind before it turned around. At the ATM, another guy who was also looking for a mate came up to me and we agreed that we would ride together. Later on the way, I came to know that he was a very serious sports guy, who also happened to start the TFN. His name was Rajesh Nair. He was much stronger and faster than my pace, but he was kind enough to slow down for me. We headed back towards Krishnagiri. We reached Muffasa's again at around 7pm, just when it became dark. I was very sleepy as I hardly slept the previous night. I washed my face, ordered two sandwiches and a coffee (as Rajesh suggested). I lied down on a floor and I don't know when I slept. I was woken up by the waiter in the restaurant. Ate them and left the place around 7:50 pm.<br />
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Next time station (T5) was supposed to be 311 Km in an Indian oil pump (gas station). But it came at 307 Km mark. We didn't have anything to eat or drink in this station. So, we left the place after 15 mins break or so. Five people had already taken their time stamps before us. As we left Krishnagiri, heading towards Bangalore, we desperately wanted a cup of coffee to keep ourselves awake. We stopped in a shop and two two cups of coffee each. Meanwhile, Rajesh had a doubt if our next time station is the final destination. I actually thought that there was no more time station. But I remember that there were a total of 7 time stations. We counted and one was missing. Fortunately, we checked and found out that there was one more at 350 Km mark just when we were about 325 Km mark I suppose. The uphills became worse and truck traffic was becoming a pain. But the cool breeze of the night kept us good. We reached the CCD (Cafe Coffee Day), which was at around 346 Km mark in my odo. I decided to eat another bread item. Ordered the chicken burger combo meal at McDonald's. Enjoyed it. Then we left the place at around 12:20 am. We still had another 20 Kms of uphills after that. We were hardly at 17 Kmph pace. But we kept moving. Finally at around 1:30 am, we crossed Hosur. We were sleepy and tired. But we decided to keep moving at slow pace. But Rajesh was sprinting every now and then to keep himself awake and I had to chase all the while. So, we ended up churning more miles. Road was flatter and better, though slight slope. Finally we reached the final destination, i.e. 406 Km mark in my odo at 3:20 am.<br />
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As I didn't want to ride back home alone at that time, I dosed off in CCD again, which was the start/final point. I was woken up by the laughter of the fellow cyclists and volunteers at about 5:50 am. I decided to head for home. Reached home and my daughter was already up. First question she asked me was "papa, are you going to play for a while before you go to sleep?". I obliged as she was not happy for my cycling in the weekend in the first place.<br />
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During this ride, I was almost certain that I wouldn't ride any further brevet as the heat was horrible. Then as I woke up at noon, I was kind of eager to ride the next 600 Km on 15th April. So far till 400 Km, I had not done any training and managed somehow. But I definitely need some practice for the 600 Km. Will update after the next ride.<br />
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Some snaps are <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=https://picasaweb.google.com/gnuyoga/Brevet400K">here</a>.<br />
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Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391473.post-59587776105957216662010-09-08T06:15:00.000-07:002013-09-24T03:00:23.654-07:00Bengaluru - Mysore - Bengaluru on bicycle in a single day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-IvkPpfu1eA/TIhrKqIuzaI/AAAAAAAABFs/Sx6dLgVEpIc/s1600/Image061.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-IvkPpfu1eA/TIhrKqIuzaI/AAAAAAAABFs/Sx6dLgVEpIc/s320/Image061.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514775574568947106" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
It was a team of crazy <a href="http://groups.google.co.in/group/Bangalore-bikers">BBC</a>. I was one of the newest entrant to the group, who started the first ride as a part of the group in the month end of April 2010 to Nandi Hill. I did manage to reach the peak and but failed to reach home by about 10 to 15 Kms and had to catch an auto. Well, I managed it the next time very comfortably, that in spite of pretty bad head wind on return... that was in July end where about 150 people rode to the same destination at the same time.<br />
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Though I had done three century rides by this time, I wanted to try a tripple century in a single day. Since I myself was not sure, I thought I would go to some popular place where return would get other options if I break down on the way.... chose Mysore... pestered big guys in BBC like Yogesh to initiate one for Mysore.<br />
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August 28th was planned. I enrolled for the 300 Km in a single day category as there were various other categories. I had a bus ticket on that night to Coimbatore at 23:00. So, I had to be home by 10pm at the latest. Thankfully other big guys in BBC like Siddu and ShreeHarsha were also planning to do 300 in a single day and they did most of the planning to keep the time.<br />
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I started at 0330 in the morning. Going was easy as it was downslope. I reached Kanakapura in no time, hardly before morning, it must have been about 60 Km... in less than 2 and a half hours. We had breakfast, we were about 7 people in the same place for either coffee or idli. From there, I has behind most other guys. I wanted to go at my own pace (do I have a choice? ;)) It was getting tougher and tougher towards Mysore as the slope increased and a little bit of headwind.<br />
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Managed to reach Mysore palace by around 12:30. Took some snaps. Three of us were there at that time. Four already headed back to Bangalore. Siddu had his rear rim dented and so decided to go back by bus after his Chamundishwari ride. I too decided to head back to Bangalore... alone as the other two guys decided to take Airavat bus. After riding about 15 Km, I thought I should rather take lunch else would miss my lunch. Spent too much time in the hotel for the lunch. Time to do some serious planning to reach home by 22:00 hrs. I also knew that the terrain from Rajarajeshwari Nagar towards Outer Ring road and towards JP Nagar are terrific ups and downs and I would take some energy there. So, I planned in such a way that last 60 Km should have at least 5 hours. To achieve that I had to average above 20Kmph for the first 85 Km. Well, I managed easily as it was good down slopes. Stopped here and there for water, tender coconut and snacks. Before dark, I started seeing all the familiar places like Wonderla, Kamath hotel, etc. I was more charged now seeing the destination coming sooner. But the traffic became messier and messier. Road was muddy and wet. Finally, I hit outer ring road by around 20:00. As I expected, outer ring road literally killed my knees. Stopped for dinner along the outer ring road. I had a lot of oil-fried baji and bonda stuff and a vegetable fried rice. Then headed for home. I reached home a little past 21:30 hours. So, I have done solid 18 hours of riding including breaks. I had problem in my cyclo-computer in Kanakapura and I had to reset everything. But Mysore to Banglore showed 145 (till home near Dairy Circle), in 8:12:00 (stopped the clock during lunch alone) in an average of 18.x Kmph.<br />
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So, I managed to catch my night bus to Coimbatore comfortably and drive back my car from Coimbatore to Bangalore along with family the next day.</div>
Opendrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12211208225496800086noreply@blogger.com0