THE ROUTE TAKES OVER.....
To be Honest, When I crossed the Half Line @ Drummond the first thing I did was clenched my fists and said to myself that “ OK Buddy…thehalf and the difficult part of the Race is over…. You are doing very well and more importantly on both your feet without any Cramps, Injuries, niggles, pains or whatsoever…. So Lets NAIL THIS and GO FOR THE BRONZE!!! “
Well when I saw the timings on my Watch as 5.18 hours, I really thought that it was possible as post 44km, quite a lot of distance is either downward Or Flats except the might Polly Shorts; so why not go for Bronze.
Thinking this,i stopped for a while to stretch myself and I told to myself to run YET ANOTHER FULL MARATHON and started moving Forward under the assumption that the 2nd half is going to be as smooth or a little difficult than the 1st HALF…..
And the 2nd Half starts with the MIGHTY INCHANGAAAA…yes, the name itself scares you as its quite a steep slope to climb and after all the speed you gather to reach the half way from BOTHA’s you are just being pulled down to plain walking and this slope reminds you that fact that there is still a LOT OF WORK TO DO….
The thing INCHANGA does to you is it DRAINS YOU OUT… you have to walk so much because of the steepness of the climb that you loose inclination of running whatsoever.
I was walking with good speed along with my WHATSAPP Strategy of updating back home and that is when I realised that my Guruji alongwith Sandesh are about 15 minutes behind. This took me by surprise. I had this kind of feeling in the Mumbai Marathon when I was told that I am first and Dilip Patil is behind me. In Mumbai Marathon he eventually caught me up and overtook me at 33km but here at 45km I was still ahead. I said to myself something was wrong. Firstly I decided that I should wait; then I thought lets keep moving forward as I was sure he and sandesh will slowly catch me up. Thinking this I reached the Top of Inchanga and was met by the students of ENTHEMBI School. This kids are in need of so many things in life but as soon as I met them, I always felt I was getting something from them. They make you realise that you should be happy with whatever life gives you and in a way they charge you up with the remainder of the race.
Once this passes, you have a little downslope followed by Harrison flats and the Catoridge to Camperdown section which is totally a Flat Section with a Few rolling hills that can be managed.
I got back to my downslope and caught up the speed that I was missing. The Rhythm coming back and In between I was doing the occasional stretching as and when required along with the Ice water treatment on my Quads and Calves from time to time.
At this time it was getting very Windy and I thought this wind is maybe because I am going downslope and thought that the 2nd HALF Of the race is not that bad. However, I did not realise that how my first half of the Comrades Film which was like a Yash Chopra Romantic movie immediately changed to a Ram Gopal Verma type of a Horror movie??
As soon as the Slope got over, I realise that this wind was not because of Running it was Natural Strong, Gutsy wind coming right onto your Face. It was so strong that At times had to remove My cap fearing it will Fly away….. at some open places where there was enough Soil and Sand, one could feel a Sandstorm like situation with all Sand blowing over the Face.
At one stage my throat became totally parched and so dry that I had no saliva left even to spit….I could feel that I am getting De-hydrated and the Water Station just went behind….I immediately stopped walking and Stretched with my head hanging down. It was giving some relief to my body and my mind as well. As soon as I got up, I saw a guy running with 2 water pouches and I had no option but to ask 1 pouch from him.
Keeping the COMRADE SPIRIT alive he gave it to me without thinking twice and I cannot thank of enough to be very frank.
From that moment I realised that I somehow have to get the Bottle or a pouch of water always handy with me otherwise I am surely going to get De-hydrated.
At this moment I realised 1 thing that at no moment in COMRADES can you think that you are going to finish it easily or as scheduled or planned strategy.…Infact I remembered what Bruce Hargreaves the Australian Ambassador told us in the BUS…that in the 2nd HALFespecially at 55 – 60km range depending on 1’s training that ROUTE TAKES OVER THE MIND….
However Strong a person maybe, each experience at the Comrades is a different one.
GIVING UP BRONZE!!!!
Remembering this I started running again and battling the Strong winds somehow reached the Camperdown Cut Off well before the Cut- off. I guess I was atleat 45 – 50 minutes before the scheduled Cut off. For reaching This Cut-off I adopted a simple strategy here to tackle the Wind and the Tiredness part yet again remembering Bruce Hargreaves’ strategy. He told us in during the Route Tour that if we are tired then just look at the Lane in the Middle. The dividing White Lines in the middle of the Road is what has to be looked at and continue to RUN. I did just the same. I ran for 3 white Lines and Walk 2 White lines. RUN 3, walk 2. At times when I was getting my rhythm back I ran 10 white and walk 4; Ran 12 White and Walked 5. This way I could cover a lot of distance and stick to the Mantra of KEEP MOVING FORWARD….”Thanks You BRUCE!!”
Now remained only around 27-28 kms with crossing of UMLAAS ROAD (the Highest Point) and then have to negotiate with the POLLY SHORTS. Till this very moment I was still thinking of a Bronze in my Mind. But the De-hydration due to the Wind was catching up. I could sense something wrong in my Right Calf as well as Left Quadriceps. Felt a little Niggle at both places and that is when I took another break to Stretch.
I had somehow decided that I do not want to Limp when I finish and that is why it is better to avoid any cramps now then crawl later.
I could have Crawled the finish line If the situation demanded so; luckily it did not happen so do not want to talk about it at all.
While approaching Umlaas Road I saw the Sub 11 hour bus overtaking me. That is when I realised that now a sub 11 looks difficult as the Bus has already overtook me. I however though of running with the bus and seeing how good it goes. I managed to stay with the bus for 3 -4 kms and during that time I realised that the BUS was indeed Running Late. The Driver was rushing the Bus and making us run even on the UPSLOPES and most of the people in the BUS were literally struggling to manage that speed including me.
I left the BUS as I knew if I kept on going this way, I surely would not last the last 18km or so and decided to take it a little easy and also accepted the fact that a BRONZE this year is NOT POSSIBLE.
THE CLIMAX!!!!!
After walking a few more kms, I realised that I had 90 minutes left and around 15km to go. When I did this calculation, the target seemed achievable in normal tired conditions even after running 73km. However kindly remember that Little Polly as well as POLLY SHORTS were still Yet to Come and that is where this 15km – 90 minutes equation was not fitting at all.
Little Polly arrives and I immediately inform my friends and Family that BRONZE is not possible and I know at that point of time where are my other TG Members. I was still hoping that Patil Saab would catch up with me but then I thought that maybe something went wrong with him as well which I got to know only when we got back to our room that he was cramping from half way itself. I ideally would have loved to had the Tri-colour in my hand and on other side Patilsaab and Sandesh and we 3 crossing the Finish line together.. But waiting was too risky as then the motivation to RUN Again completely goes which was far too risky.
So I move ahead climbing the dreaded Little Polly and proceeded to the Downslope catching up speed and approaching the Dreaded POLLY SHORTTS. By NO Means this is EASY. This is the Last of the NAMED HILLS and Mentally the TOUGHEST To Conquer for the simple reason that somewhere deep down in your mind you know that once you cross POLLY you have the medal more or less in your BAG.
But to climb Polly is not a good sight. Infact it is scary. The reason being during the UP SLOPE you see so many runners GIVE UP. Yes I mean it..They simply GIVE UP or they have pushed so hard till here; that their BODY Refuses to Go any further.
My legs also were in the similar condition. They started indicating to me that they were giving up. They were Paining, Cramping and making all sorts of Noises. And that’s when I Told them to simple “SHUT THE F$#K UP AS YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO KEEP WALKING TILL WE CROSS THE FINISH LINE.”
My Body was totally out but that is when I told my myself that “ I HAVE WORKED SO BLOODY HARD TO REACH TILL POLLY AND SUCCESSFULLY CROSS THE FINAL CUT- OFF. LETS PUSH A LITTLE MORE UPTO 8 KM AND REWARD MYSELF WITH A MEDAL WHY TAKE FAILURE WHEN I DO NOT WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS .”
At the Top of Polly, I had 7kms to go and around 21 minutes for a SUB 11 Finish. I was not an Ethiopian or a South African, Kenyan, etc by any standards to achieve this feat so I decided to Enjoy this remainder of the race interact with people and run with a smiling face greeting everybody on the way. It was too good to do that as I saw sooo many fellow Indians standing side by cheering me as soon as they saw the INDIA FLAG on my T-shirt. Some of them also made me stop for a photograph and I readily agreed for the same.
The last 2 kms ends in the Stadium and this 2km never seem to End. All the spectators keep on telling you that “YOU ARE ALMOST THERE” “YOU ARE LOOKING GOOD, JUST A LITTLE MORE” etc etc ; but trust me this 2 km seems like a Half Marathon.
It was a feeling like a small kid who knows that the CANDY is kept in front of him on a high table where he cannot reach by himself and he is waiting for him MOM to come from the Kitchen and just hand it over. The Kid keeps on screaming to Mom to come and give the CANDY but Mommy is busy Boiling the kids milk so cannot leave till its done. That Waiting TIME where the KIDS eventually end up in CRYING OUT AS LOUD AS ANY SOLDIERS WAR CRY to get a CANDY and the instant silence the Kiddo goes into as soon as mommy comes and hand over the Candy was exactly MY state in the last 2 km.
In the last 500 metres, we have to turn left and as soon as we do it, we are IN THE STADIUM on the Grass and that is where I saw few people walking, limping to finish. There was a lady who was in centre picked up by 2 Men on their shoulders and they were walking slowly so that the lady could finish and I was lucky that I was smiling at my maximum and Running towards the FINISH in a Very Strong Manner.
I heard a Shout from NEHA, who is COMRADE SWAPNIL SHENDRE’s Wife and I asked her to click my snap. She got so wild on me that I should finish 1st and I told her please click 1st and then I leave…people around were thinking of what a crazy person I am.
Anyways after the snap I Sprinted to the FINISH LINE and on reaching heaved a HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF….i shouted in Dr. Kataria’s trademark Style remembering the MIG GROUND FINISH and started Crying.
I was weeping infact and as soon I walked further I was greeted by an official who hung the MEDAL around my neck and congratulated me.
I was still Shouting, jumping Crying and what not emotions I have I still cannot remember and that is when a journalist interviewed me. He was from the South African Local News paper “THE WITNESS.”
Finishing the interview I met Bhavin and we went to the international Runners’ tent where I met Satish and from that moment on I was Jumping with Joy, Shouting with Excitement Hugging every Comrade finisher with immense Satisfaction and still Crying like a Baby not believing in what I just did.
After a while Patilsaab and Sandesh arrived hand in hand and we 3 formed an huddle of our own and started jumping and shouting again.
Photographs with the INDIAN FLAG took place and the Shouts were still on. I was UNSTOPPABLE with my emotions and anybody could make out that I HAD GONE CRAZY…infact all of us….
After sometime when I sat for a while and finished Calling my Parents, Wife, Dr. Kataria and my Boss I once again screamed out loud and stood up for another Photograph.
After sometime we got to our bus with great difficulty where Ajay P and myself had to walk an additional 2 – 3kms to get our Bags and Bus Pass and finally Reached home.
THE AFTER EFFECTS!
THE JOURNEY THAT STARTED WITH A THOUGHT OF BEING AT THE START LINE FINISHED WITH A STRONG FINISH AND AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER RIDE. INFACT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IT HAS NOT FINISHED, IT HAS JUST MADE ME HUNGRY FOR MORE!!!!!!!
IN THIS TOUR HAD SO MANY SWEET MOMENTS TO SHARE THAT I CANNOT EXPLAIN... IN THE END THE VICTORY ATCOMRADES WAS MADE EVEN SWEETER BY A SURPRISE WELCOME I RECEIVED BY MY FULL FAMILY.
AS EXPECTED MY WIFE, MY PARENTS, MY IN-LAWS AND MY BUDDY(RIVAAN) WAS THERE TO WELCOME ME. WE WERE ALSO WELCOMED BY MY EXTENDED TOPGEAR FAMILY AT THE AIRPORT SHOUTING AT THE TOP OF THE LUNGS JUST LIKE I WAS SHOUTING IN THE INTERNATIONAL RUNNERS TENT AFTER THE FINISH AND THAT WELCOME LITERALLY MADE US FEEL LIKE CELEBRITIES FOR THAT NIGHT AND THAT MOMENT.
THANKS TO EVERY1 WHO WERE CONTINOUSLY TRACKING US FOR 12 LONG HOURS. I STILL REMEMBER THE SLOGAN SAID ON TUESDAY MORNING B4 WE LEFT FOR SOUTH AFRICA “ JAB TAK TUMHAARE PAIR CHALEGE, TAB TAK HAMAARE JAAM CHALEGE.”
I AM SURE THAT WE DIDN’T LET YOU GUYS DOWN AND YOU WERE SHORT OF YOUR BOOZE QUOTA….
I SINCERELY HOPE THAT I CAN GO THERE ONCE AGAIN AND GET THE PENDING BRONZE MEDAL WAITING FOR ME NEXT YEAR.
HOWEVER THIS TIME IF I GO I WILL ENSURE THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO DRINK A LITTLE LESS THEN THIS YEAR ;-)
BEST Regards
Lovely write up Ptatik! I travelled the journey with you. Cheers!
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