Ladakh Marathon - The Race Day !!

• After the cautious rest the previous day, all were set to meet in our hotel lobby at 4 AM.
• We had a bus plying from the adjacent hotel to the start line at 4:30 AM, all of us walked to board the bus, while we had a brief stop to have some banana and tea
• Soon our buses departed at around 4:45 AM, our "First Marathoners" personal SAG by Mr /Mrs Sridhar, also started along with the buses to the start line. Appreciate the brave souls who woke up and set right on duty only to do a SAG.
• As we were heading towards the start line, runners in the bus were discussing on who will come last and literally trying to compete to the last position :)
• While I was still contemplating as to what time that I could target for the race, I was asked by shiv about my target time, was expressing my contentedness even if it is 4:30, although my secret target was still 3:45.
• In another 25 minutes, we reached the start line the Druk's school which is the school where the 3 Idiots film was shot.
• We could see many runners stretching and jogging around, many enthusiastic school children were all raving enough to run, it was moderately cold and windy which made us feel it even more.
• Totally there were 90 participants of which there were only 9 full brave marathoners who dared to challenge themselves against the altitude and that includes two ambitious women attempting their first ever full marathon.
• All 9 of us were from Hyderabad runners group. After few snaps were dressed appropriately to get warmed up.

START LINE

• In spite of the conditions, I stayed with my plan of running with my singlet with my arm warmers on, just when I transitioned to my running attire, there were enough questions about feeling cold or so, including the students of the school staring at me :)
• Went out for a quick 1k jog stepping out of the school, came back, did 6 to 8 fast strides in the school ground, feeling the warmth, I was all set for a solid start for the race.
• Wishing everybody good luck and emphasizing to finish strong to our debutantes Madhu and kiranmai, I was all set.
• Ashish, the race director calls in the head Lama of leg and director of the school to speak a few words and start the race. The head lama wished everyone god luck and thanked for giving the kids of the school an opportunity to run. Followed it with brief talk with the lama, while he was enquiring about our whereabouts and few snaps, we were ready to the race to start.

 

• There we go, at around 5:45 the race was on, I started strong, not trying to shy away from any pace less than 8:20/Mile, there were quite a few 10k runners, many from the local army battalions, few school students and honeymoon couple, racing there :)
• There was this one 10k guy who was driving me crazy with his pace, until I realized that he was just doing a 10k and felt better about myself :). I was feeling great, the mood lightened up when there were these school students interacting and still asking about if I don’t feel cold or so :)
• There were around 5 students running along with me at my pace and felt great to have some company, that too those rosy cheeked cute school kids around you, I was cruising along, only to realize that I did run my first mile @ 7:33 per mile, which is too fast from my target pace 8:15.
• I consciously slowed down, cheering those school kids to keep up the pace and continue on, soon I reach the first water stop, only to see that it was a beeline for water, people all around the table, there was no chance to grab the glass of water and run, I had to literally stop, grab a cup, and then began to run

3Mile/5K Mark

• Dropped my pace to close to 8:25, where I thought that I can stay for longer than my planned 8:15/mile pace, kept going strong, easing through some miles, passing through the water stations, felt great and kept my pace around 8:25/Mile
• Soon I saw a bunch of runners against me going super strong, led by the foreign national who was running crazy, realized at the end of the race, that he completed his 10k in 36 minutes !!
•  To my surprise, I was ahead of all 21k runners and obviously all the 42k runners, just confirming the same, I was all alone after the 5k mark, was progressing well.

6 Mile/10k Mark

• It was all merry until I reached the 10k mark, where I was helped with some enerzal for the first time, I missed the enerzal at the 5k mark, just because the water station was all surrounded by runners and did want to waste time there
• Soon I take a right turn only enough to see that there was a lead vehicle, basically an ambulance from Jammu and Kashmir Police, which was standing there and I also see the start of the so called rolling hills.
• With at most confidence and thinking about my 6 week double hill workout days that I had in training, I kept going strong, the very sense being treated special, lead with a lead vehicle, made me feel great
• Even 2 kms, the police vehicle would stop, once I reach the vehicle, they again start, and it kept going all along till turn around point at 21.5k

11miles/17k mark

• At around 17k mark is where I remember seeing the start of dry area with zero vegetation, start of hair pin bend kind of turn, and I see the police ambulance standing on top of the hill, realizing that I will have to start pushing, mentally prepared myself to face any hill, slowly started to climb them

 

• Post climb, it was an awesome view all along, I get my first gel, waiting to hit the next water station to get some water, the first time I felt the exhaustion a bit, literally started to stop at the water stations from there on, had water and enerzal and started to hit back at my speed going downhill.

13 miles/21 k Mark

• Feeling the thought of nearing the turn about point, was going strong still, being guided by the police folks stationed there, and also strictly following the signs put up by the race organizers, I hit the half way point
• I was verified my name and location to get it knocked off in their list, I confirm my details, hydrated and when I was about to start, something really amused me. I was clocking 1:50 at half way point
• A really concerned police constable from within the ambulance who has been seeing me run all along till there, offers me a chair and kindly with deep concern, asks me to sit and take rest for some time :) never before incident :)
• As I started to explain the concern in resting like that, I was mentally happy starting to run back towards the finish line, with an out and back route, that feels good and I was keeping my pace strong.

 

14 miles/24k

• At around a mile or little over while I am returning, met shiv on the way, he was looking great, wishing him all the very best, I kept going
• Had a relief to see some faces, after being running all along in the deserted valley, soon when I was climbing one of the hard hill few meteres before the upcoming water station, I saw Gupta and Balaji, they both were in a happy mood, going great, happily chatting, wishing them I kept going. Soon to be followed by devayani, exhanging wishes I move on.
• Stopped at the water station, literally stopped for almost few seconds to regain my breath, then hydrated well, by when our official photographer was already snapping multiple snaps, I really wanted to smile, but I was already beaten up by then, I still had another 10 miles to go, and few more hills to tackle
• After that stretch was a nice flat long stretch, where I was offered a banana by the mobile SAG guys, quickly had a half banana, and sipping some water as I ran, kept going.
• Soon I sighted our debutant marathoner, Madhuri, walking at ease, she looked confident, was just checking on her condition, she sounded confident as well, wishing her, I maintained my pace, I was literally starting to slow down, but managed to maintain my pace

16 Miles 25K

• Before I hit the next water station, I see Mr/Mrs Sridhar, with their supplies waiting to help out kiranmai who I soon met downhill, which she was walking up to climb the same, with her encouragement, I kept going on.
• Had a quick does of enerzal and stopped to snap to the official photographer, I again started to maintain my pace.

20 Miles 32k

• I went through all the small rolling hills along the course then, and soon was approaching the more critical 20miler/32k mark where usually runners get to know if they are hitting the wall or not
• I was feeling great with my physical strength, no pain, no cramps, all intact, but my breathing was totally out of sync, out of control

 

• The moment I stopped at the water station, I couldn’t stand, was coughing loud, almost started to get blurred vision.
• Without a second thought, I started again and kept moving along.
• I was mentally preparing myself for the last 6 miles/10k, already started to count every half mile.

23 Miles - 37 k

• Man it was starting to sink in me, yes the very high altitude effect, coughing much more regularly now, the passers by looking at me and few checking on me, as to if I am ok and fine.
• I was now feeling the pressure in my head, the blurred vision effect increasing much more. I know that I was anyways off from my 3:45 time target, which was far from reach, but I at least wanted to make it before 4 hours at least
• Started to to walk for few feet and started to run, the first time ever I had walked on my race day, I had to and forced to do it, otherwise I had no confidence in finishing the race

25 miles - 40k

• As I reached the next water stop, more than me the volunteers were really happy for me, they were wishing my all the very best and even was checking to pull in the ambulance if required.
• I was literally feeling light headed then, I was holding on to the table and that drove the volunteers frenzy, had a two full cup of water and enerzal, I felt much better, assuring them that I will finish strong and no worries of my condition.

The Epic Finish

• After another brief walk I see AK47 walking, he was wishing too, with all their wishes and my so called will power whichever was left over :)  I started to pick the pace, feeling it really heavily around my ribs, still managed to go on
• Soon I see Ashish shah, the race director who was checking back on the route, he assured that it was just few meters away from finish, the moment I saw the main road, my joy knew no bounds really
• I started to sprint now, towards the Druks school entrance, I see a volunteer signing my arrival to the folks at the finish line
• I absolutely with all joy, and satisfaction, sprint across the saga finish line, with many of the hyderabad runners waiting there, not realizing that I was almost finishing where they were posing for the photographs
• Yelling at them, I went through the sides of the finish line and waved my victorious signage to the official photographer, who has been following me for over an hour now, thanks to his close coverage all along

 

• Finally there I am proving the folks who doubted my sub 4 hour ambitious target, wrong finishing in 3:58 minutes, with exactly 4 hours of stoppage time (at water stops, 4 or 5 short walks inclusive)
• I felt accomplished at the finish line, loudly cheered and congratulated by fellow Hyderabad runners. A happy ending to a horrible experience along the course.

 

• Glad that I finish strong, within my target time in great style, I couldn’t have done any better that day, I was pretty satisfied!