The plan was never the mileage, instead it was to see how you train your mind to do the same activity over a period of 12 hours and indeed was a learning curve and a eye opener on how you tackle your challenges when having to run a 400 meters loop for the Nth time till the clock stops.
Post multiple ultra runs, the picture was clear that if you have to run for a longer period of times, the runs have to be trained in terms of physical as well as mental well being.
I signed up for 12 hour run and selected the evening slot i.e 6pm to 6am. This was decided from the learnings of fellow runners who had completed the 12 hour streak. I had my bet on the relay runs in those days and never imagined that I would attempt a 12 hour run. So, 6pm to 6am was an obvious choice, as the sun set and does not harm you through out the night, but sleepy heads is another cumbersome tasks that you need to get over since u do not sleep all night long.
The participation kit comprised of T-shirt, bib , some snacks and single volunteer pass who could accompany you at the event. Strict guidelines were laid down looking at the ongoing calamity of covid19. However, i chose to have none to accompany me to avoid any such risks and limited to a self support system.
I drove down to the venue not thinking if I would be able to drive back in the wee hours after the event but this was the last thing on my mind. I complete focus was not keep my body moving through out the night with hitting any injuries and cross the qualifying mark of 72kms that made be eligible for the certificate.
For newbies, the run is conducted in a closed loop of 400 meters in a track and field stadium. You can take breaks as per your will but not to exceed 15 mins. You stick to the lane assigned to you during the run and let the fast runners go past you without having to block their way. The second lane could be used if you happen to slow down or taking a walk to regain your stamina.
I have a habit of not having to change my running attire unless necessary. The rain gods showed mercy that night and I could continue with my business of running. The 6pm start was new and i had done a few runs to check on how it feels to run in the evenings when compared to early mornings. This helped in letting me know the food intake that should be planned during the day and especially at lunch hours. Upon completing over 2 hours, it was dinner time. I chose to eat limited quantity of Rice and Dal and was back on my feet. This time, it was an easy walk considering the food in my tummy, had to be given sometime to digest. I switched to easy run in 10 minutes and continued with the mundane job at hand. Yes, it gets mundane when you know that there is nothing new you would be doing. Hydration and electrolytes were must and had to be scheduled every 3-5 kms to ensure who don’t drain your self. Even if I did not feel thirsty, I made it a point to sip water and electrolytes in tandem to avoid muscle pulls or fatigue.
You derive the much needed motivation from the 24hours runners as it was double the pain and effort. The talks and tips from these runners make you believe that you will sail through 12 hours and achieve the feat. The idea is to cover 1km at a time once you hit your body threshold and all you have is your mind and will power that help you stretch your capabilities to the best.
Few things that i follow in terms of attire is wearing dry fits and underneath goes the compression fits that helps keep muscle pulls at bay. I eat a bowl of dry muesli loaded with dry fruits before the run and never start my runs on empty stomach. Hydrate well not just prior to the day of the run, but habitually drink 2-3 ltrs of water everyday with a simple rule – if you don’t pee water, you are not drinking enough. Apply rash guard at places that are prone to friction, vaseline can do wonders too. Limit your food intake during the runs and eat only when required. Changing into fresh clothes can help you at times if you happen to drench in sweat, it can give you a fresh start and yet another feeling that you may thrive to experience.
As the pressure and pain on your body starts building , you tend to give up many times and in parallel you are also training your mind on how to keep going and attending all body alerts that you may sense to ensuring you don’t fall prey to the excitement and keep a check on how your muscles are behaving and when in need, they deserve the small breaks.
At the event, the loops you cover are displayed and announced , this helps you keep a track of your mileage. I happened to wear my gps watch , but it gave up on the battery power and this was yet another challenge I had to go through as It was the watch that helped me plan my running speed and calculate the distance I could cover to go past the qualification mark and beyond. The watch gave up on me at 65th km mark and while the clock was ticking too, I had to ensure I complete 72 kms and go beyond it. With no watch in hand, I could not manage my pace and had to repeatedly ask the organizers for the loop count and started getting annoying. Looking at the pace I ran earlier, I manipulated my goal to 100kms, but just could not train my legs with the much needed speed and ended up doing 90kms. A watch with a good battery life was already on my mind.
The clock ticked 6am and I was amazed to have run-walk-run-break-run-walk-run like a hamster and completed 12hours and carried a sense of achievement. I concluded with stretches and a good meal at the stadium. I admired the 24 hours runners who continued to run and wished them good byes and Yes, I drove back home in the wee hours without any injuries after a sleepless night.
Question on my mind, Is 24 hour run even a possibility for me? The answer was an obvious NO. SAVE ME THE HORROR!!
“Its not the distance you must conquer in running, its yourself” – Anonymous