Shout out to my "sponsors":
Event Sponsor: NEB Sports (for almost sponsoring the run).
Travel Sponsor: My brother-in-law (BIL), for lending me his bike.
Accommodation Sponsor: BIL’s father-in-law for the stay at Mandya.
Nutrition Sponsor: BIL’s mother-in-law for the hearty pre-race and post-race meals.
With the sponsors taken care of, let me get down to business.
Given my pace drops after the 30k mark in my last couple of runs, I wanted to put in a few 35k+ runs at race pace to bolster my training. The original plan for Nov 16th was to throw a party for friends. But when the week started with an email from NEB regarding bib collection for the Kaveri Trail Marathon (KTM), the party was postponed, home priorities were juggled, and suddenly I had an opportunity to do my long run at KTM! My last KTM was in 2007 and 2008, I had to rewrite some memories.
The Course KTM is beautiful but brutal. It starts near the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, running along the Kaveri canal all the way to Balamuri Falls in Mysore. It’s a hard trail flanked by paddy and sugarcane fields, but offers almost no shade. Once the sun rises, the heat reflects off the canal water, turning the course into an oven. However, it’s flat—an out-and-back 10.5k loop done twice—so I decided to take my chances with the heat and this race.
In 2007, Madhu Avasarala, the Ultra marathoner had this to say about the wonderful trail.
"On Saturday October 13 2006 I did a 36K run in company of Juggy, Nischal,
and Satsang. The trail head starts just outside the gate of the Rangan
Thittu bird sanctuary which is near the town of Srirangapatna, just before
you hit Mysore on the Mysore Highway travelling from Bangalore.
This is one of the nicest places to run. The trail is hard packed dirt and
one is actually running on the levy of the canal.
The scene is quintessentially Indian, Indian of my childhood days of dreamy
stretches of space filled with river canals, vast stretches of bright green
cultivated fields, oxen resting in the shade of a tree, native village boys
jumping from the bridge into the canal, a lone white egret quietly sailing
into the horizon, vast trees sighing in the breeze with their branches
drooping lazily into the water, sunlit eddies swirling in myriad colors, the
flowing mellifluous waters of the Kaveri canal dreamily humming the 2nd
movement of Beethoven's pastoral symphony, the intense quiet midday heat,
the garrulous buzzing of an annoying insect, sounds of rice fields rusting
as they sway in the breeze...
When at the end of the canal you suddenly come onto the full view of the
Kaveri flowing, it's a marvelous picture. You can hear the river before you
can see it. It is a treat to cross it and dip your hot legs into the
delicious cold stream.
That evening while resting after the arduous run and even into the night I
couldn't get this rythm out of my head. The quiet gentle Kaveri keeps
flowing on... "
The Journey I decided to ride to the race. My Thunderbird has a nagging electrical issue, so I borrowed my BIL's Triumph 400. The posture is less "cruising" and more "aggressive lean-in," but it was a smooth ride. Since the Mysore Expressway is off-limits for two-wheelers, I stuck to service lanes and the old highway, taking a solid two hours to reach the Sugar City, Mandya, to Hotel HP and "the Acharyas".
From there, my mouth went into marathon mode—I was either eating or talking. Coffee and dosas at Hotel HP, followed by dinner at home. I shared my "wisdom" with anyone who would listen, covering everything from Pheidippides to Habuild, and Badri to London.
Race Day Chaos
4:45 AM: Rise and shine. Black coffee and bananas.
5:15 AM: Ride through the misty highway. I overshot Srirangapatana and had to map my way back.
5:55 AM: Reached the parking lot, realized the crowds were huge, and had a 500m jog just to get to the start line. Started hunting for Ath—my designated Bib handler.
6:05 AM: No sign of Ath. Began the "AaaaTttthhhh!" war cries.
6:10 AM: Ath emerged from a port-a-loo, pointing to my bib. Meanwhile, the Full Marathon had already been flagged off!
6:15 AM: Mingled in the HM crowd. A1 and Reeth yelled that the FM had already started!
6:18 AM: Started running while looking for a place to hide my gels. Found a rusty gate and hid them under a dried leaf (strategic supply for Loop 2).
6:27 AM: Pit stop (long one) in the bushes done. 3km in. Now, time for some serious marathon trail running.
The Run The plan was to hold a 5:00/km pace for at least 36km. The start was misty, the trail was hard-packed, and I felt awesome. I took my first gel at 8k and stuck to a 1 salt tab/30 min schedule. By the 10.5k turnaround, I saw Deepak (who I thought was in 2nd), Ath in 3rd, and I figured I was in 5th.
By the end of Loop 1, the sun was coming out and the course was crowded with 5k and 10k runners. I pulled on my cap and goggles, navigating through the crowd with "coming, through" and our local version, "Side please!".
The Crisis I made the U-turn at exactly 1h:45m. Then, disaster struck. As the crowd cleared, I realized I had forgotten the rusty gate and my hidden gels! My salt tab inventory was down to 6. At the 27k aid station, they were out of chikkis but offered me two Energiva gels. It was a godsend.
I hit the 26k mark at 2:11, but by the U-turn, I slowed to a 5:30 pace, hitting 31.5k in 2:41. I was in 4th place, about 2 minutes behind 3rd. If I didn't cramp, I’d secure 1st in my age group. The last 10k became an exercise in conservation. I was now gulping salt tabs every 3km.
The Finish I treated the final stretch like a daily training run—no pressure. Then I saw a runner walking ahead. Imagining he was the 3rd place guy, I upped the ante and passed him at 40k. I crossed the finish line in 3:44.
Rajesh, at the timing tent confirmed it: 4th place overall, 1st in my Age Group.
The finish line was full of love—A1, Ath, Reena, Rinaz, Shilpi, and others. After many mad photos and breakfast at Young Island, I rode back to Mandya for a shower and more food. As I offered my namaskara to the family, I couldn't help but wonder: "With so much love, how can anything—marathon included—not be great?"
