Trekathon Win

After months of training for the Rugged Sahyadri race in Kolhapur, I had one last week to prepare before the race. So me and Sushil were thinking of doing some light running and tekdi climbs so as to be ready for the race. But then a last minute decision led us to take part in this "Trekathon" (trekking +marathon) race held on 25th August. We did not want to do it at first as it meant blowing off all our steam too soon. So Sushil and me decided to do the amateurs category of the race, which was just 5 km short of the open category. 15 Km in total of which most was rolling terrain!! The race route was all through the nature trails of Hanuman tekdi, vetal tekdi, Pashan tekdi, etc. I had never done these routes. I was a little doubtful because, I wasn't much in touch with my running. Lots of cycling and no running. But Sushil on the other hand has been a runner all his life. Anyways, we think it would be good training for Kolhapur. 

Trekathon Publicity Poster

The race start was from NCL (national chemical labs) Pashan. Reached early as usual and realized that its gonna get delayed as the volunteers themselves hadn't turned up yet. It took them 2 hours to get their act together. Was hungry even before the race started. Met Divya and Prashant (fellow cyclists), who were gonna do the whole 25 km in the open category. Also met Hiren Patel, fellow cyclist who just became the first and only Indian to complete the London-Edinbugh- London, a 1400 km ride, in 100 hours. He was in my category as well. Tough dude that. 

  

(Left to Right) Sushil, me and Hiren Patel

 Just before the start of the race me and Sushil started to warm up. That's when we saw some pros, man they were all scary runners, the army-men with their buzz cuts n muscular legs, the national runners who were mostly countryside folks were typically dark skinned and extremely thin with powerful legs. Most of them were doing the half marathon. The open category guys started first. Then we started at about 9 am ( the scheduled start was 7.30 am). We were supposed to run to the real start point which was about 1 km from the gathering point. We were given a swipe card to present at each control point of which there nine in total.     

The Gathering Point (NCL Amphitheater) 

  

As soon as we started the runners were faced with a climb. Me n Sushil did short work of it. We got about a 30 second lead right there. No idea if we were faster or the other guys were slow but sure as hell all that training was showing its worth. All was well until the first control point. Then things started to go south for us, especially me. I have had this asthma like condition since I was a kid. Not a full blown asthma, it attacks rarely but it hits hard. The last attack I had was about 7-8 years ago in my twelfth. So my bronchi (air vents to lungs) dilate and its difficult to breathe even when I'm at rest. Now Imagine you are running top speed up a steep hill and you were told to breathe only though a straw the size of a needle. Yes its that bad. 

It stuck me right there when I was climbing up. Breathing became heavy and laborious. Sushil turns back to look at me and he's surprised! I am covered in sweat, all red and very very uncomfortable. He's like what the hell happened to me. I mean we had hardly even getting started. I dint tell him anything , just told him that I couldn't breathe properly. I still manage to maintain a steady speed which was getting harder and harder after every step. Two teams overtook us. Hiren's team had the lead now. behind them is some other team. I dont remember much of the race after this. I just know I kept running despite and my lungs screaming out for air. I remember the road being very very uneven, twisted my ankle once, fell into a ditch once, my new shoes were biting into my inner sole. Yes I was in pain. I recall I kept looking back to check if anyone else was gonna overtake us. No one did. We three teams had put up a good a lead. Meanwhile Sushil was doing all the work of getting our control card swiped and stamped. He kept his cool and motivated throughout. Slowly I started to get used to that wheezing, the pain and the lack of oxygen and told Sushil to increase the speed. Soon we overtook the second place team. Hiren's team still remained just out of reach. We kept seeing them around the corners. 

Sushil left me, caught up to them and found out that both of those guys were stuffed as well. He told me to pick up the pace just a little bit, but I could barely maintain the one that we were doing. I just couldn't go any faster. One of the control points was up on a steep hill. I got stuffed there. I mean I was almost crawling, using trees to pull myself up. It was embarrassingly pathetic of me. It was very frustrating because I knew I wasn't tired or anything, it was just the lack of oxygen slowing me down. Cursed a lot. Never had I wished for my inhaler more. Such bad timing. Only because that I did not want to let Sushil down, did I keep going. Every inch of me wanted to give up. 

Then out of nowhere I saw Hiren's back. There was only one control left now. An easy flat plateau to the control , a small climb after that and then a nice downhill to the finish. I was contemplating coming second and how pissed Sushil would be. But try as I might I couldn't go any faster. Still we somehow managed to close down the distance to them. Hiren too was looking in a bad shape. Then we came across a fork in the road. They took right despite left being the correct way. We had come the same route before. So we go the right way and reach the last control before any other team. Sushil had already started celebrating, now we ease up a bit as Hiren's team are nowhere to be seen.        

The rest of the run we keep a steady pace making sure we are not overtaken. Completing the race comfortably in the first position!! Hiren's team arrived 10 minutes later then the rest. Took me about 20 minutes to recover my breathing. Then had a big Rs. 500 worth ka 12 inch subway (extra cheese, extra chicken, extra ham, extra turkey). 

Trekathon Result Sheet

Hardest 15 kms of my life, the climbs made it much more difficult plus the highly uneven trails and the punishing pace we set.