24hr stadium run - Bengaluru Aug 2021

`In the AlphaGo vs. Human documentary, after the 4th game, a reporter asks Lee Sedol about the God's play - a move #78 that changed the course of the game and got him to beat Google's AI, AlphaGo. He replied "At that point, that was the only move that I could see", although there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance that a human would have played this.

My wife asks me, "why run the 24 hour, why not 'just' run a 12 hour run, instead?", the answer probably has to be in the releam of Lee Sedol's answer - I can only see the 24hr category. Ever heard of a quarerly sales target being lower than the last quarter? Now you know what I am talking about.

It begs the question - is there any merit in trying and failing? Let's all pick a easier target, shall we? Who needs a boss who is constantly pushing you to get to that stretch target - those 100+ Indian athletes who came home without a medal from Tokyo?

I got to the start line of the 24hr stadium run, for the 7th time, in good shape and spirits. My target was set at a 200km+ run, I was focussed.

The plan was to stay on a steady pace for the first 12hours, cover over 110kms and then keep it steady for the next 12. The run was at the DYES stadium, Vidyanagar, a now familiar location. I got there in time, the usual photo op, etc. The race started on time.

I hadn't planned for a support crew for the first 12hrs, my dad was to crew (crew = crazy runner, endless wait) from 6am to noon or so and Shreya was to take over from him till the finish. Mom and kids were planning to come towards the last 1hr or so.

To my good fortune, my nephew Rishabh (all of 18 yrs) decided to drop by at 7pm and stayed of till morning, offering much needed support.

Within the first few laps, a bunch of us formed a nice paleton including Velu, Geeno. We were at 5:30 pace - the group dynamics of pacing really helped in the first few hours.

With great support from Rishabh, I was able to keep steady pace, around 11kmph for the first 4hours. I was alternating between Gels, Huel, peanut butter & date syrup for the calories.

Although I had taken a day (an evening actually) off from work on Friday, the lack of sleep in the weeks building up to the event took it toll. Despite multiple coffee shots, I was supremely drowsy by midnight. I took a 10min power nap and get back on track.

By I was not 'on-track' pace wise. If you have seen this TED talk on 'Why stories that you tell yourself matter" by Lori Gottlieb (link here), you know the importance of the stories you tell yourself.

By now my mind was conjuring up a story - "I am sleepy, I am slacking on pace, I don't have a chance at my target of 200k". That story kept repeating itself, like the endless loops that came and went. By 3AM (9hours and 80km done), I went for my second power nap of 10mins.

After a bit, for no apparent reason, I was walking on the track with no "will" to run. I put in about 15 - 16 laps per hour, while that make-believe story was now fulfilling its prophecy. "I was sleepy, I was slacking, I didn't have a chance at 200k".

I got to a 101km in 12hours.

If there was another story that was playing a 99k in the next 12 hrs was possibly doable. But my original story now had a sequel - I would save my wife and kids the trouble of coming all the way to support me, save my legs, leave after completing the mandatory 120kms.

My ever-so-supporting dad towed the line. I called my wife, while she was a tad disappointed she was ok with the idea.

I ran-walked another 19kms in the next 2.5hours and called it off.

The final mileage: 120km (300 laps) in 14:47 hours

It still begs the question: Is there any merit in trying and failing

The Bengaluru 24hr stadium Run 2021 - The prep

Since the last one in Feb this year, which I called 24h of happiness (report here), it has been another balancing act of new job pressures, mileage, long runs, family, strength training and Covid of course.

Chennai Runs

Between quarter closes and late Friday night meetings, I did manage a few notably training runs.

Series of 50km runs in Chennai, waking up at 3am and charting a route, dodging the cops, looking for water in petrol pumps and shirtless and dripping bucket loads of sweat.

Nandi Hills and back

Then, I took another shot at a Nandi hills and back run. I was doing so well when I reached the foot of the hills, but was turned around since "I was doing this alone" and there are "Cheetah's in the forest" and the forest guards turned me back. I made it a 80km run with over 400m of elevation climb in the end.

Lord of the Ring Road

This one was special too - was on my mind for a while. Got the courage to try this. With Jay and Vignesh, started from near Hebbal at 7PM in a heavy drizzle, managed to keep the crazy rain run go on till we got rid of the night traffic till about 10PM. Were welcomed by great weather and broad 6 lane white topped roads till silk board by midnight. I dropped my companions here and pressed on for rest of the IT corridor, running in the now empty dedicated bus lanes reaching Hebbal at 3AM. What a run that was!

UAS 100

Most recently, I also ran a 100 laps around a local UAS ground to get used to the monotonous. The weather in Bangalore has been fantastic and it played out during all my training runs this year.

Spartan Sessions

Strength training sessions, an hour+ thrice a week, were all trying to reach and train all those muscles and muscle groups to come together in a crescendo for the party that is a 24hr run. Coach Umashankar and Devi Prashanth Shetty were really making it count.

I am in great spirits (less than 6hours for the race to start), just need the legs to take me the distance. Wish me luck!

24hours of happiness

Bengaluru Stadium Run 2021 

“So, What is a business, is it a collection of numbers or sales reports??? As you know David and Jan, it is much more” – Michael Scott in The Office, Ep 16, Valentine’s Day.

And in the same breath, what is running? Is it a collection on personal bests (PBs), medals, distances & pace? I have come to realize during this very challenging Covid year, it is much more.

Running my self-contained loop over thousands of times this year gave me the confidence to bounce back from a nadir in my career last year. It gave me the shoulder to cry to brace the worst news I received in my life – to stay positive amidst all the madness that was thrown at us this year.

Training:

The stadium run had been on my mind. But the event itself was pushed out at least 3 times. I wasn’t training specifically, but did some good running leading up to the event. A 50k almost every weekend, including one on a 30hr fast at Chennai, a quarantine 100k, a fast 66k at the AFI Solidarity run and to top it all – a run to Nandi and back!

Although, I had done almost no speed work or long tempo runs.

Goal setting:

I wanted to erase the memory of my last 24hr run and finish this one strong. And for something that has stayed with me unconditionally, how could I give back nothing but happiness. I had to get off the ‘high pedestal’ of being an Indian team member, of having done 200+ kms in 24hrs, of the baggage of numbers and expectations.

The week leading up to the race day was all about staying positive and relaxed. I had shifted jobs recently, a job at which I want to do well, and didn’t want to take my eyes off the ball. Late nights extended right till the Friday.

Bangalore goes through 3 seasons in a single day – super cold and foggy mornings, to dry and very hot mid-day and pleasant evenings. It was the dry heat that I was dreading. I had resigned to not carrying any targets or expectations, but just to stay on course. I didn’t feel the need for a support crew (last time, I had set up a shift roster for my crew).

The moment of the race happened even before it started – my wife said she would be there for the entire 24h for support. My parents offered to take care of the kids for the night. My dad even made plans to get to the stadium for the last couple of hours. I was a winner even before I got to the start line.

The Jinx:

A day before the race, a routine bike parking exercise, my ankle touches the silencer for a microsecond, peeling off the skin. Exposed wound, prayer and some regret were added to my modest race day kit.

The race day:

The race was not in the familiar Kanteerava stadium, but at DYES ground at Vidyanagar, off airport road. It was an open track unlike the colosseum feel of Kanteerava (which also traps the heat). I was assigned the track #1 meant for “elites”. There were a lot of familiar faces at the starting line, the mood was buoyant. Given the COVID situation, the bib collection, pre-race photoshoot was toned down. I found a quiet corner in one of the tents for a few mins of meditation reflecting on and thanking the Lord for the opportunity to be at the start line.

I had a somewhat sedate start, easily 2 – 3 laps less per hour than my usual. Binay was racing on, Velu was close, Pranaya was clipping, even the girls were running strong. I was keeping steady – 10 in 1, 20 in 2, 30 in 3, 39 in 4, 48 in 5 hours. I stopped for a longish 10min break and power nap at 5AM – 11hours and 90km on the clock. Lack of sleep in the last few weeks, a crazy work schedule, no more 10pm shutdowns – may have had the cumulative effect.

I also had to stop at the aid station a few times to rebandage my burn bruise.

I must have had a gazillion loo stops by this time to the port-a-loo and a horrible sight of a “very popular” ultra runner also peeing at the door of the port-a-loo! I know of some competitive greats who mess-up en route to world records, our man quit and this was super-gross. Don’t worry, yours truly did the right thing – poured some water on that mess.

Ps: there are some memories to forget. I brought up the peeing incident to submit to the ultra runners – we have a responsibility to be role models and have a larger community that looks up to what we do. We owe it to them to behave in a civilized manner. As the sport grows beyond to international venues, let us cultivate these at home, so it becomes a habit.

“Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory” – Albert Schweitzer

But because I was stopping to smell the roses, I had a great time catching up with folks, the ones on my track and those on the other races as well – Aparna, Appu, Shibani, Praveen, Naresh, Jay, Atif and many others. I was able to smile more with all who came out to support – Ashwini’s gang, NEB family, Anand and many others. Thanks!

It was a frying pan when the sun came up. My worst fears came true. I covered a paltry 26kms between 8AM to 3PM, who “runs” at 3.5km an hour. Probably for the first time, I was scared of the heat. At 1:30 or so when I stopped at the lunch tent, my mind refused to go back to track. I told Shreya, who was faithfully by my side, through all of this, that I wanted to nap for a bit. I pretended to sleep for about 10 mins, then got back on track.

By 3PM, I had covered 135kms (contrast that with 186 I had done in the 2019 edition -> link here) and was considering running again (or not). Shreya urged me to try to some running. “Hmm, I thought. Why wait till the last 2 hours, if you can run a bit in the last 3 and spread it out a bit.” And I started to get into a run-walk pattern – run the straights and walk the bends. I did this for an hour of so. My parents and kids came in by about 4:30PM and went straight to the sand pit. I was surprisingly able to keep good rhythm. The joy of being on my feet getting into the last hour was a great high. I started to run more and walk less with each lap. My son (all of 5 years) started pacing me from the inside of the track during the bends. I was able to keep good form too.

The strong finish:

The last hour is the best time in the 24hour – not because of what’s left, but because of how strong you still feel. (alas, I had to miss this last time). I put in a total of 18kms in the last 3 hours, finishing the last lap in a sprint at sub 4min/km (15kmph) pace. I picked up pace in the last lap and was joined mid way by Velu (who ran a monstrous 222km) and we sprinted with joy in those last few strides!

Care about the final mileage, anyone? Maybe one day, happiness will also come with a good quality mileage, who knows, maybe not. But till then, let's enjoy the journey!