Running under the moon in the Sahyadri’s

 

“Small and consistent steps taken regularly over time lead to big gains. You spend a minute on top of the mountain but hundreds of hours on its sides.” Brad Stulberg

Everyone has their Everest. Something that, relative to their capabilities, requires them to push their boundaries, both physically and mentally, to the max. Something they are not sure if they can achieve.

I signed up for “my Everest” 4 months ago – to run 50 kms in the Sahyadri’s. Any task that seems daunting initially is something that excites me. I enjoy the process because the process or the journey is what makes you stronger both physically and mentally. If there is no challenge, there is no fun.

I traveled to Lonavala for the Tata Ultra Marathon late Feb 2024. By this time, I had downgraded my distance to 35 kms because of a lot of other factors (which were non run related). I was unhappy yet relieved at the same time.

This race that is so well organized in terms of just about everything. The new elements added were an early morning start (3:00 am), running in darkness for majority of the race with headlamps and under the moon which was stunning.

What made it even more special was this race was run for a purpose. I was fundraising for a friend’s daughter who has an extremely rare condition called AHC (Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood). Running for a purpose serves as a win-win situation and is so meaningful. Fundraising is hard and takes up a lot of energy but that’s what keeps you going too.

The route was dark but I could feel the beauty around and the weather was great (which is a very important factor in races)

My alarm went off at 12:00 midnight and I was out of the hotel at 1:30am for a 2:00 am reporting and a 3:00 am start. The feelings were a mix of being anxious and excited. The ground was buzzing at that time and that’s the beauty of these races. We draw energy from the crowd.

All the effort put over the last few months was going to be put to test. I kept putting one foot in front of the other and enjoying the ambience, support and encouraging and getting encouraged by other runners around.  I was inspired to see many runners who were above 65 participating and running very strong.

This race has a lot of steep inclines which made the race fun and challenging. The practice for the steep inclines living in flat Gurgaon called for multiple hill repeats and hill runs with whatever course available.

Overall, I had a fantastic experience. All the days of “showing up” proved to show results. Also, my mind was set on 50 kms and my practice was for 50 so that made 35 not a large number in my head.  

I finished strong all thanks to the support system - family, friends and coach. It’s always a joint effort.  This holds true for everything that you do. There’s just so much we learn from running or any endurance sports.

Grateful that I could travel and participate and be able to share my experience. This might encourage some of you to get outside and get moving, one step at a time.

In short, here’s what I learnt:

- Have purpose.

- Sign up for something that is hard today but give yourself time to achieve it. Nothing is impossible.

- Enjoy the process as much as you can because that’s what makes it enjoyable (refer to the quote at the start of the blog)

- Showing up is key. Every workout or everyday doesn’t have to be the best. If you show up, half the work gets done.

- Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.

- It’s always teamwork.

- Sometimes its ok to readjust your goals.

- Gratitude for every small thing that goes right in a day.

Here’s to many more such experiences...

*If you wish to see some of my adventures, visit the following:

MindfulRunning Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@mindfulrunning1710/shorts

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SaumyaMindfulRunning/

Instagram - @mindfulrunning1710