Signed up for a 90km category but grew wiser to switch to 60km category owing to a recovery in progress and offcourse not to put LAULTRA 111kms event at risk that was scheduled in the same month.
Bangalore having very minimal or close to none elevation routes, I had to cash in upon some elevation practice runs and Ooty Ultra did fit the bill. The 90km category demanded for a finish under 12hours which I felt very challenging and hence a humble 60km with 10hour cutoff was on my mind.
Post Brute 60kms and a reasonable recovery, I did a couple of long weekend runs and did the usual back and core strength workouts. This is must for me and by now, I may have understood that if I do not happen to have certain mileage under my belt, It wouldn’t be a worry provided I put equal amount of effort in strengthening my back and core as my lifelong injury demands for it.
A seven hour drive from Bangalore got us to conoor at a birdhouse stay. A looksie at the weather conditions and a short run had to be done to understand how cold or hot it could get during the run.
In Pic :- Kireet Pant
The climate in Conoor, Ooty was pretty cold during the mornings and pleasant during the nights. Day times were hot and you are bound to find a shade to cool off if you are moving around for some site seeing.
A day closer to the event, moved our base to Ooty to collect the running BIBs and unite with fellow runners from Run Machines Of Sutra. This was a first on ground event for them and were heaps excited to burn some rubber.
In Pic – Babu, Nithin, Rajesh
And meeting known faces and new runner connects is yet another exciting thing you tend to do at such events
In Pic – Tuheen, Rohit
In Pic – Couple runners -;Shyamala and Mohan
In Pic – Anju from flashbulbz
And how can you forget to capture a glimpse with the man behind all the jazz, Coach Kay , In Pic below.
The organizing team was doing what they do best in terms of bib collection and goodie distribution. This happened a day before at 3pm followed by a briefing at 4:30pm and folk dance presentation by the true Malaivasi.
It was time to head back home and gear up for the next morning. The start time of the race for 90kms was 6am whereas the rest of the categories had to start at 6:30am.
A compression tight, a warmer, running tank tee had to be considered due to the cold weather. The drop bag location was strategically placed at 15 kms. This again being the finish point for 30kms category and first intermediate checkpoint of 30kms for 60km runners and the finish too.
A quick huddle with the hydration bag, electrolytes, energy drinks, gels, small bites of chocolate and a handful of sugar candies followed by a comfort dinner comprising of Dal Khichdi lead us to the night waiting for yet another day of Ultra Running event.
A nice chitty chatty with fellow run machines got us all geared up and wanting to hit the start line with a big smile on the face.
The start point was at YMCA Anandgiri Resort. If you plan to park at this venue, it’s advised to get their early else parking could be a worry. The support from the local police was immense when it came to traffic control. The 90km category started off at 6am, while the rest of the categories dashed by 6:30am.
The initial 4kms gave us a good warm up while mind you, the finger tips were indeed freezing in the cold. The need of having a pair of warm glove handy does strike your mind but nevertheless you can keep rubbing your palms often to save you from the shivers.
The climb began as we headed out of the city and towards the highest know peak in Ooty – The Dodabetta Peak at 2,637 metres. The peak that gives you a 270 degree view of the Nilgiri Hill and you don’t want to miss this site when you are up there.
Reaching this peak will not be easy, though your legs are fresh but you will tend to burn out quite a bit on the climb and the sun is already overlooking you. Your respite is only the feeling of heading back down this descent and will help you with the much needed recovery. The next 10kms can be a breeze as the descent continues till 20kms. You are bound to be careful on your knees that keep knocking as you are thumping down the route. Your strength and conditioning will matter a lot here that will help you take all the toll on the descent.
A quick read of the elevation map is definitely going to boost all your plans on the race day. Frequent hydration and consumption of electrolytes is must to keep all the cramps at bay. This is a ritual you follow no matter what. Be it a short run or a long run, keep your fluids in check.
Comes the 20km checkpoint and I just could not wait anymore to shed the extra clothing off me. It was getting hotter and hotter with every km. The climb towards 30km was a switch between walk and run. Brisks walks. Again the thought of not burning out entirely since this would just complete the first half of the journey and I still had another half i.e 30kms to go. I began pouring water on self at every checkpoint.
Potato and orange with salt was chewed at regular intervals. The hunger pranks were playing their part and amount of carbs burnt had to compensated without fail.
Towards the peak nearing 30kms, the much needed shade under the trees were a true blessing and helped you cool down a bit and away from direct sunlight.
The 30kms checkpoint acted as a drop point and I took the opportunity to undo the warmer and monkey cap. I picked a few energy drinks, hydrated again and headed back to the descent. This helped in further recovery. The rolling hills till the 50th km were grusome as we were directly exposed to the harsh run post 12pm and absolutely no shade for rescue. Crossing by the 90km runners was a immense feed of motivation one can expect during your own struggle on the route.
The ups and downs were not so fruitful due to immense dehydration and suns heat but guess what, we were just reaching to yet another downhill to make it to the 50km checkpoint. The last 10kms had to be a nightmare and was indeed. It was the last climb of the run and had to be walked through. A run here and there were leading to cramps in the right calf and the decision to hydrate more with electrolytes was a no brainer.
I continued with the energy gels too. A different way to intake these gels really helped in avoiding the pukey sensation that generally hit you post over consuming these sachets. Just gulo it down the throat without having to lick it with your tounge does the magic. Taddaaa!!
A little rest at the 50km mark and some more water and electrolyte is all it took to start the journey towards the end. A end that demanded an elevation challenge that you owe to the mountains of the Nilgiris and I was all game for it. One kilometre at a time, one kilometre at a time was the success mantra. Ultra running is all about setting shorter goals. The frequency of happy moments need to be cherished while you are miling down the route and nothing better can work in this process, else just thinking of the mammoth goal may play games with your mind. The battle is obvious and the will power is all you have at your disposal. Your body needs to be looked after too by avoiding any drastic or untested trainings. Get wiser and use all your experience from past runs to put at work and get out with head held high.
When you start nearing the goal, you can choose to think of the celebrations post run, this helps you take off the stress off your back. Some good food and a good shower and sleep is all I had in my thoughts and yes, i was enjoying it to the core.
Towards the end, the trees round the corner greeted with much needed respite from heat. But guess what, all the pouring of water made me shiver under the trees. This route was headed towards Dodabetta junction and a left from there was a gradual descent towards the finish line.
The last 100 metres is a climb in Tea park but you want to give it all since it’s the last few metres and you are done with the mayhem. I could finish the 60kms in 7hours 39mins and was glad with the results and with no injuries.
Run Statistics:-
Strava time shows 7:29. It eliminates the stoppage time.
At the finish line:-
In Pic :- Deepu Nair
