SRT 2021
Preamble
I recently participated in the non-ultra 25km race as part of SRT (Sinhagad-Rajgad-Torna) ultra marathon. The 25km route starts from Sinhagad base and ends at Rajgad base at Gunjawane village. If you are not from Maharashtra, these historic forts are witnesses to the rise and reign (and later fall of) of the Marathi empire. So one is not only doing a trail race/run, they are also reliving history.
On a more personal front, this is more of a gratitude entry than a race report. Gratitude to have found people who want to support and share these adventures. Gratitude to be alive and to be doing these things where the body and mind need to step up. Or even an attempt to heal.
The running group I have been training with for the past 8+ years has all sorts of runners. They are all accomplished in their own way. So when the chatter around SRT started in the (online) group (KD the low-key influencer FTW!) in early September 2021, I was immediately interested. I was just back from a trek in Kashmir. I had stepped out of Pune after 1.5 years (nursing my own issues) and my body and mind had responded pretty well to the trek. Of course, I had also put in the effort to prepare well for that trek with well-chalked-out nutrition and exercise regime. I was raring to go for the next thing. I registered for the 25km run as part of SRT on instinct. I knew I will be well guided/coached. I just had to put in the effort. The fun part was the separate Signal group that was created to contain SRT chatter to not bore others. Most folks from the running group started registering one by one and the rest, as they say, is, well.. लोग साथ आते गए और कारवाँ बनता गया.
Preparation
From shoes, accessory shopping to doing trail runs together on weekdays, we were pretty much into SRT mode. Guruji had chalked out a moderate 3-month plan for us 25km folks. I knew I would have breaks in training since I had to travel in October and early November to visit family, so I committed to the initial phase with dedication. The training load wasn't a lot so I was also able to continue weekly yoga, ST (strength training), and pilates sessions. The travel did disrupt the continuity but the initial regularity helped to come back on track after the break. Come November, not only had the training load increased, missing any run now was out of the question. More than that getting injured or falling sick. We had one injured member in the 53km family already. So staying injury-free became the top priority.
We were also struck by the unthinkable in October. We lost AK. As shocked and sad everyone was, the shared grief of losing someone also brought us closer. We all process and grieve loss in different ways. Somehow every run post his death became a way of honoring his memory. (AK coached me for a couple of years and brought out the best runner in me).
The training runs were made fun by the company and camaraderie of fellow runners. Guruji would chalk out detailed maps/routes for weekend runs. SG would bring us yummy goodies from her kitchen to gorge on. AT would take us to the unexplored corners of Tekdi that reside right in the middle of the city. We would check on each other. There was a lot of light-hearted banter and leg-pulling. In all my years of running, I did the most amount of group runs as part of SRT prep. That proved to be a lifesaver. The distances or the weekly mileage didn't seem daunting at all. I also got to learn many new things (Rich Roll's podcasts and the legend that Dauwalter is) and got to know others well. We hit the peak mileage 2 weeks before the race. Running on tired legs became second nature. This was a crucial part of training as running an ultra/trail race meant accepting that the body will be tired most of the time.
A small personal hiccup for me was the running shoes. The pair I had ordered got worn out within a few days of use. When I wrote to the manufacturer it was already pretty late for me to order a new pair. I then took the (somewhat) risky decision to run in my Saucony Kinvara 11, i.e. road running shoes. I did get grief about that, and also suffered during the race but more on that later.
A week before the race a few of us along with the generous volunteers RW, SW, and RK did the route recce by car. We figured out the logistics and planning for race day. AT put together an impeccable and simple plan for us. Almost everything was taken care of.
Race day
Race day began at 3 am for me. I had a hearty breakfast of some coffee, bananas, SG's cupcake (pls dont roll your eyes). For some reason, I was really hungry. My race day kit was also well stocked with nutrition - energy bars, salt tabs, almonds, water, and enerzal. Guruji had drilled it in us that running an ultra is all about conserving and replenishing energy. We reached the start point well before the flag-off. At this point, the 53km folks separated from us as their race started 10 mins early. Our race started at sharp 6.10 am. The race this year was crowded so tackling crowds and not losing energy in long waits also became crucial.
The initial part of the race was a gradual uphill followed by the Sinhagad climb. We were well within our target paces and were at the first aid station atop Sinhagad in ~1 hour 15 mins. Till this point, SG, SG2, and I were together. After this SG2 and I got a bit ahead. The tricky Vinzar and Nagphani traverses were awaiting us. We could see ant-like figures atop hills ahead. That gave me a reality check of how much distance was still remaining. To make this suffering a bit sweeter, the sun and weather gods were smiling at us. We were greeted by a gentle breeze on these trails. I should note that I fell down once on this trail but saved my legs and twisted the torso instead. We finally reached the much-awaited and dreaded Vinzar downhill only to be met by a long queue. We had to traverse this steep, tricky downhill holding a rope (I thought of SG who was apprehensive of downhills a lot during this time). And that's where my falls started. I fell down once during this downhill. Then as we reached trickier downhill patches my falling antics continued. The only saving grace was I kept falling on my back and nothing major happened that could hamper my remaining run (oh boy was I in for a shock!). This is where I want to insist on the importance of the right shoes for such terrain.
The falls made me slow down quite a bit, so I told SG2 to move ahead and not wait for me. The original plan was to reach the downhill village within 3 hours but I was a little off-target. So I decided to slow down. When I saw SG2 ahead I caught up with him and told him I was going to run with him. At that point, he told me that I could still aim for respectable timing and pushed me to go faster. And I did run those two km like a crazed person, marking splits that I don't even mark on my road runs. I was feeling pretty good when I reached the next aid station at Vinzar village. Since the station was crowded I picked up a few oranges and started walking. Our crew was waiting for us at the Margasani turn if I needed to refuel more anyway. So I slowed down and trudged on. Again was feeling comfortable so did not really wait at the crew station.
I have to admit here that the next 8-9 km were the toughest I have endured. Gurujis words of how the last 10km in the 25km race test you, started echoing in my mind. The condition of the road didn't help either. My brain was not feeling the fatigue yet. But the body was signaling me to slow down. So I took a walk-run approach. I would walk the climbs, search for shadows and cut the road to run under shadows. Again SG2 caught up and he pushed me to run more and walk less. When the final turn for the finish point came, another runner hollered that there was only less than 2 km to go. That felt like a plate of idli-chutney for my tired mind and body. I pushed and pushed and pushed and reached the 25km endpoint in 4 hours 30 mins. The rest of the RP 25km gang was waiting for me. And also my family.
It felt incredibly good to have participated in and completed this SRT madness. Will I do it again? HELL YES!
<Inserts one of the most profound thoughts I have read in recent times>
Post script
Even though the race was over our crew duties weren't. After some TLC of much-deserved food and rest, we moved on to the last point of the 53km race i.e. Vellhe village. There we awaited our 53km gang and cheered for them as they made an appearance. These legends (in their own right) completed the 53km race on a strong note. It was an honor to be crewing and cheering for them. This entire experience was possible because of our generous volunteers who sacrificed a day out of their schedules and lives to be there for us.