Ladakh Marathon 2018 – Race Report by Rajeev Jorapur

by Rajeev Jorapur

 

The Trigger

The idea to run the Leh Marathon first came after TMM2018, which was our (my running buddy Shivkumar and myself) first full marathon. I had been to Leh/Ladakh twice before – in 1987 on my first-ever high-altitude trek (15,000 ft), and in 2014 – my first motorcycle ride (Jammu-Srinagar-Kargil-Leh-Nubra-Pangong-Leh). No stranger to high-altitude, running there was nevertheless a different ball-game, and we were excited to challenge ourselves under those conditions. Both of us opted for the full, and our better halves decided to go in for the 7 km distance.

 

 

Challenges

We perceived three challenges – route, weather and altitude.

The route was 6 km downhill, then, 30 km rolling up-and-down, and last 6 km uphill. Elevation difference was about 1200 ft over 6 km.

Weather in the mountains is highly unpredictable with high variation in temperatures – around 6-8 C in the early morning, and about 25 C as the day progresses with clear skies. The sun is bright and very piercing, and there can be quite significant and sudden changes in the temperature with clouds / clear skies. In 2014, I had experienced heavy rain, when temperatures plummeted to 4-5 C, and with the windy conditions there, it felt much much colder.

Altitude is, of course, a dimension that affects people in many different ways. I was fortunate to have relatively some experience of high altitude. However, for Shivkumar, this would be his first exposure to high altitude.

 

Preparation

We started our training in May 2018, drawing up our schedule based on the TMM preparations and listening to experiences from those who had participated there earlier. While Shivkumar felt confident in drafting his schedule himself, I decided to take help. Vikrant Mokashi, who was training with Coach Atul Godbole of Motiv8 Coaching, recommended Atul to me, and I became part of the Team Motiv8 family.

We got the following suggestions:

Route: Some suggested frequently running up Sinhagad to tackle the route.

Weather: There were suggestions to wear layered clothing, and to peel off the layers as the body gets warmer. Also, full sleeves were recommended to counter the piercing sun.

Altitude: Almost everyone we talked to recommended a stay of at least 10 days at that altitude. Also, to simulate the low-oxygen environment, some advised running with H1N1 masks.

After taking all these inputs, I decided to stick to Atul’s advice and strictly follow his schedule – hill repeats, strength training, and long runs. His advice was to strictly adhere to the plan and prepare well under our conditions (not wear masks and run). When the fundamentals are strong, the body will adapt to external conditions.

I am also a regular practitioner of yoga, and my yoga teacher guided me on the correct breathing techniques to improve lung capacity, the ability of the body to absorb oxygen and completely exhale carbon dioxide and to counter cramps/pain in any part of the body. She taught me to relax the muscles while running, thereby allowing them to work efficiently and pain-free.

She also advised me on the right asanas to strengthen the relevant body parts for long-distance running. Most importantly, she taught me  how to still the mind when it becomes agitated, a crucial skill to have towards the later part of the run when the mind needs to be strong, relaxed and focused.

For proper nutrition, I was dependent on my wife Veena. Being a vegetarian has its challenges, especially since most of the published literature/practicing nutritionists advocate non-veg protein sources. However, she not only manages to get sufficient proteins through her preparations but also makes them very delicious.

Planning

Acclimatization to the high altitude is best achieved when we gradually go to higher altitudes. Therefore, we decided to drive from Srinagar (5500 ft) to Kargill (8500 ft) and then to Leh (11000 ft), giving our body enough time to get accustomed to higher altitudes. We planned to be in Leh on 3rd and 4th Sept. On 5th, we would be in the Nubra valley (10000 ft), and 6th in Pangong (14500 ft) and return to Leh on 7th. The idea was that if we got accustomed to 14000 ft, we would feel “normal” at 11000 ft in Leh.

 

Execution

As planned, we drove into Leh on 3-Sept. Our rooms were on the second floor, and the first test came when we climbed the two floors, though we did feel out of breath. Next day, we attempted our first jog. We did about 4 km slowly (run/walk) on a flat terrain, and that itself was difficult. Only at this moment did we realize the enormity of the challenge we had taken on ourselves.

We decided then, not to tax our bodies anymore before the run, and not do any more practice runs. We decided to allow our body to get used to the altitude, and get in as much oxygen in our blood as we could (saturate the body with oxygen) through appropriate breathing practices. We followed this strategy and did not attempt any more practice runs.

There were Shivanand Yoga sessions in the hotel we were staying, and we requested him to take running-specific sessions for us. He took us through deep breathing techniques, relaxation and restoration asanas on 8th Sept, the day before the race. For the first time, I felt confident about finishing the race comfortably within the cutoff time of 6:30.

 

Race Day

Luckily, there were no rains. The sky was a bit cloudy, and temperatures were around 8-10 C in the morning. I had decided to brave the cold and not wear any additional clothes. We warmed ourselves up, and the energy and enthusiasm of fellow-runners helped us not to feel the cold at all.

I was carrying 2 bananas, dates and salt with me, assuming water would be available. However, there was no water kept at the starting point. This was a bit of a shocker for me since I am used to carrying and sipping water throughout the run. There was a military ambulance at the start, and they gave me a bottle of water to carry. Lucky for me.

I started very slowly, following Atul’s advice to start conservatively. By 3 km, I was practically one of the last runners. The landscape was lovely, and I enjoyed breathing the clean and cold air. The ITBP camp had many people rooting and cheering us. At 6 km mark, we crossed the Indus river, where I stopped and took my first photograph. Since I was one of the last runners, there was no other sound except for the flowing river. I felt very serene and at peace with myself, and stood there silently for some time to savor the silence.

The route now was wavy, and the landscape simply breath-taking. The majestic Stok mountains to the right, the river to the left, and the tree-lined road going through small villages. The local people, small kids, the army – everyone with a smile on their face, clapping and cheering us, offering us water, food, and most important of all, welcoming me like friends meeting after a long time. It was heart-warming, and an experience I will cherish forever.

By the half-way mark, 2:50 hours had passed by without me even being aware of how the time went. For the first time, I felt a bit out of breath and stopped after having crossed the Thicksey Monastery for some bananas. A gentleman offered me some local sweet full of dry fruits and jaggery, and I really enjoyed eating it. He also ran with me for a kilometer, just for fun.

I met many interesting runners along the way. There was this gentleman I crossed at 25 km mark who intended to walk the entire 42 km, and the speed he was “walking” was amazing. I caught up with a bunch of school-going girls who were merrily running the race as if it was their backyard – just having fun, they said. An Australian woman, running/walking steadily at 30 km mark, this was the first time she had crossed 3000 ft altitude. I saw 2-3 runners forced to give up due to medical reasons. I tried to encourage them to continue but was cautioned by the medical staff not to do so without realizing the implications. Sometimes, good intentions can lead to actions that are actually harmful!

I also experienced the sudden cooling down of the body whenever I felt a bit tired and started to walk. Within no time, I used to start feeling cold, and this would prompt me to resume running. Very strange and I think very effective as well! I also discovered the immense effectiveness of the breathing techniques that my yoga teachers had taught me. Filling my lungs and upper body through deep breathing made me feel so energetic and alive! Complete exhalation while running is not easy to accomplish, but whenever I was able to do that, I used to find reserves of energy that were not evident before. My body would also feel very light and “bubbly”. The little pains and niggles were very effectively managed through the relaxation techniques, and I felt myself running quite effortlessly.

By the 32 km mark, I was very comfortable and for the first time, actually started thinking of the finish. In some way, some part of me did not want the run to be over, while some other part was feeling relieved that it would soon end. I had not experienced this feeling before and was quite unsettled.

I got caught up in the scenery around me, and without realizing it, had completed 36 km in 4:55 hours, and we were sure of finishing within the cutoff time of 6:30. The steep climb now started, and we met many finishers with their hard-won medals proudly worn on their chests. It was a pleasure to see so many young school-going girls who had participated in large numbers. Many locals also asked us where we had come from, and they could not understand why somebody would come all the way from Pune just to run! I also met a couple of “Road-Romeos” who were playing football with a plastic water bottle on the road, and perhaps trying to get the attention of the pretty girls! I do not think they succeeded, though. The last 6.2 km took us 1:10, but our minds were not on the clock at all. We were just content to participate, to savor the atmosphere, and to enjoy talking with the people.

Shivkumar and I crossed the line together to be met by our better halves at the finish. They also had run 7 km in one hour and were very satisfied with themselves. Their broad smiles and warm hugs washed off all the tiredness from our bodies and made us look out for the next adventure.

 

Acknowledgments

  • Atul Godbole, my coach who drafted my schedule and kept me on track to achieve my goals
  • Ms. Rajasree Tupe, Hitesh and Mr. Amit Pawar (my yoga teachers)
  • Shivkumar Birajdar – my mentor and the person who introduced me to the joys of running
  • Vikrant Mokashi, Amol Tope, Sandeep Kale, Vinay Dhande – my running buddies on the Tekdi, who make sure we train regularly and enjoy it
  • Veena Jorapur, my better half, who makes sure I get the right food and the atmosphere at home to pursue my goals.

 

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