Sandakphu 112k race

'I just wanted all of us to live together and you keep flitting away!', she cried, 2 infants in her hand. The very thought of going off for 5 days was hard to bear. Everything at work also suddenly seemed so dependent. I'd trained climbing the rocky 800 feet tall hillock housing a local deity 'Chendraaya Perumal Temple' in Salem in hot weathers that averaged 38-40 C, rocks burning, heat waves blowing. Compared to this, Himalayan cold weather was going to be a stark contrast. I was fearfully tempted to go for this expedition that I had committed to.

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This is a review I wrote for The Windchasers, which is the organization that put together the 70 mile race I ran in April. Find your limit, then pretend it's not there :)

"I could write about how the Windchasers small, but well organized group made everything outside the race simple. I could also write about how all I had to worry was about myself and the run, because everything else was taken care of. More important to me though, is what happened after the finish line."

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'This is one of the best races I have ever done. Going back to the mountains doing a race has always been a dream for me. Thanks to Windchasers team for making it come true. Very well managed race and can be compared to any other well known races in the world. I am sure that in the near future this will be one of the most popular races in the running calendar. Thank you Windchasers.'

- Subhodh Chettri, Melbourne, Australia.

My friend, Matt, introduced me to the WindChasers Sandakphu 70 Mile Himalayan Race while we were catching up over cocktails and tapas. I was impressed, but not surprised, that he had just registered despite having started running only about a year before the race.

I have to admit that I was initially apprehensive about joining myself. Though I'd enjoyed running distance for several years, I had never run an ultra marathon, stage race, or adventure race, nor had I ever been to Asia/India before.

A few days later, I found myself on the phone with the race director, Priya, for over an hour. She answered my questions and talked about the event and its surreal combination of extreme physical exertion, environmental conditions, and natural beauty. In the end, though, it was knowing that I would meet more incredible people like Matt and Priya through the race that compelled me to sign up.

Running 70 miles in any circumstances will test the resolve of even the strongest willed and the race was easily one of the most mentally and physically demanding experiences I have ever had. The memories I'll keep forever, though, are not just of challenging terrain and elevation changes. Nor will they only be of the days we enjoyed temps in the upper 20ºs-lower 30ºs. . .which dramatically plummeted to near 0º. . .yielding hailstorms. . .twice.

Instead, I'll always remember seeing the sun rise and clouds roll out over at Kanchenjunga, Mount Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. I'll never forget the sherpas waiting along the course with water, snacks, and encouragement- after having awakened hours earlier to ensure the route was clearly marked, then enduring the same conditions as we were, without the warming benefit of running. And I will always cherish the feeling of huddling around pots of hot tea with some of the most inspiring people I've ever met under the pristine mountain stars as the lightning from the days hailstorm ignited the sky in the distance.

Essential details of  70 mile Sandakhpu himalayan race !!!1 directly from the horses mouth :) 
( FAQS) 

How to get to the race … 

We are from chennai … so from chennai to kolkatta (flight/train)
                                              Kolkatta to Bagdogara (flight/train)
                                              Bagdodara to Miri ( by bus- organised by the Windchasers) 

What is the cost of the race ? 

Payment to Windchasers : Rs 50,000 ( Included the boarding , lodging, the transport from bagadodara to bagadodara for 4 days , the aid stations , the Wind chasers crew who are very very helpful and super caring , a 24 hour paramedical angel at 12000 feet with all his gear and most of all the experience of the himalayas and believe me , that is priceless ……. 

Overall if you ask me , VALUE FOR MONEY : Totally … in fact I think it is very reasonable and the spectacular views and the Adeline rush are just pure bliss , incomparable to any amount of money you give … 

I would say it is my good karma to be called to such a beautiful race and be  taken care off by lovely people …. 

The TERRAIN …..

Whatever I say cannot prepare you for this one !!! 
Cobblestones , steep uphills ( 65 to 70 degrees climb) specially on the first 2 days of the stage race …. its killer !!!!

The uphills are not only killing your muscles and your pace but also your lungs as your walking from  7000 feet to 10,000 feet on day one and 10,000 to 12000 feet on day 2 respectively . 
Day 3 : is relatively better as your on 12,000 feet the terrain is slightly more forgiving but if your used to running on the road like us , then this is still tough , but its beautiful … on all days the view , the flowers , the trees , the crew are delightful … but the terrain … is unforgiving ….. but yes if that wasn't the case then the experience wouldn't have been this memorable. 
Day 4 : Everything is in your favour … Terrain , weather , altitude except your knees , as it is a complete downhill terrain … from 12,000 feet to 7000 feet … !! So you got to be careful of the knees as it does get hammered … 

In my case , my knee gave way on the 36th kilometre on day 3 … had to put an ace strap and continue … so on day 4 , I put my knee brace on and was extremely careful to use both my knees , as the usual tendency is to use only one knee … which we are comfortable with … 

The Weather !!1 
This is extremely unpredictable , sun , rain , mist , cold , windy , they are like 7 shades of the rainbow all in one … or too much of  one shade is the choice of the Lord… you got to have gear for all in your back pack … you got to be ready even for snow… we were lucky this year in 2013 we didn't have the snow , the participants of the last year had snow on day 3 at 12,000 feet and that was the time 4 participants dropped out … 

In our case this year .. 3 days of this staged race was mist , mist , mist and windy …. we were craving for some view on day 4 … and  when has the dearest God not heard us … day 4 was bright sunshine .. and we could see Mount Everest on one side , Kanchenjunga on the other , beds of flowers everywhere on the terrain … its mesmerizing… !! there are waterfalls on the way , bridges its awesome … Everytime I crossed these , I bowed down and was so grateful to the Lord for bringing me this far …. !!! ( Good karma for sure hahaha) 

Gear

You better FEAR , if you are not equipped with the right GEAR!!! 

Shoes : 
Make sure , you wear the RIGHT Shoes , unless you want to go back with a BIG FAT BRUISE !!! 
The right shoes is a very relative thing , but a few tips that worked for us …

I had the PEARL AZUMI - TRAIL RUNNING SHOES - I swear by them for this race , totally they helped with the cobblestones , they were the right cushioning , not too much , that your muscles don;t work and not too little that you feel the stones. 
I had a little pain on day 1 ,  on the ball of my feet ,  the paramedic our angel , put a little padding on both the feet … and it worked like magic …..!!!! 
Another important element are your Laces .. Not too long and should be nice and tight as then the feet don;t move , otherwise the feet move a lot due to the cobblestones and then the BLISTERs Begin … 

My husband PRAHLLADH BULCHANDANI ( 1ON1 Personal Trainer and came 3rd in this Race) 
On day 1 ,  he wore : Innovate - Trail to Road Hybrid Running shoes - These are minimalistic shoes , thus not enough protection from the cobblestones . ( which is 80 % of the trail) . 
Blisters symptoms started on this day but they burst out only on day 2 and 3 for him. 

Day 2 onwards he wore , PEARL AZUMI - ROAD RUNNING shoes , which were much better but again they did get a beating with kind of terrain and by the end of the race the base was quite tattered They were good , but we would recommend the PEARL AZUMI-TRAIL RUNNING SHOES .
The winner of this race : Andrey from  Moscow , wore  SALMON was very happy with them too.

Barefoot Running : 
For those who intend to go BAREFEET or vibrams , Please be ready to comeback with NO FEET !! . This is not the terrain for Barefoot running at all . 
To conclude …. Your shoe should do the TALKING , if you still want to keep WALKING !!!! 

Clothing : 
We took base layers : ( the two most recommended by us are Nike Pro Combat Series and Pearl Azumi Base layer … were awesome) . But carry 4 as it is very tough to repeat , as your dripping in sweat and there is no washing at all. ( As water is tough at these altitudes)

Warm Jacket : for after the run and day 3 i even wore it to the run , I had brooks 
The Wind proof jacket / Rain jacket  I had the SNOWBOARDING rain jacket super light and warm most recommended , and Prahlladh bought one from Decathlon ( bangalore) very good too. 
Thermals : Thermal inner wear for the night was very helpful. Then you don't need too many layers of jackets to sleep.
Buffs : Are very essential . We had different fabrics of buffs , cotton and fleece buffs , so extra cold days was fleece and the warmer days was the cotton buffs . ( the buff helps to cover ears , neck and head very versatile) 
Beanie : Recommended by us as it gets cold at night , the head feels the chill first . I even wore a skull cap on day 3 and day 4 throughout as it really kept my head warm and I didn't feel sick and cold which I did on day 2 . 
Socks : Socks can be your choice but yes carry 8 pairs as you can't wear wet socks . we would recommend not to thick socks as , more thick causes more friction , which in turn means more blisters!!! 
Cap : essential because then the sun shines , it really shines …. your much closer to the sun … thus cap and sunscreen are essential too. 

 Medical Kit 
We carried ours , but honestly the para-medic service they have is excellent you don't need to carry anything , he is GOD !!! 
He had everything , and more than that he was always there around for the smallest of our ailments . 
On day one they do a physical examination , so if you have any medical issues he is aware in advance

Mathew is star , he has been the para-medic for many ultra  marathons . 
he is super human , he can fix anything and get you to complete this race. Except if you don't want to continue. 
The best part about him , he also didn't load is with pills … . He did give us the ibuprofen when complained of sore muscles or headaches … but again not too many … not required , avoid. 
He was always sweeping the course with ready electrolyte , water and of course his full medical gear. 
On day 1 : he put the padding on my sore … feet 
On day 2 : he gave me pills for headache and slight altitude sickness , it worked like magic 
On day 3 : In the middle of my race , he put an ace strap on my knee as just couldn't walk with those painful knees … 
On day 4 : he stood there at the finish line with blister patches for all of us :) 
He was truly the reason I felt i could push as I know I had someone who will take care of the extremities …
Its like a child can pick and throw anything when his mother  is around , because he knows she will take care of everything . he and the entire wind chasers crew , did take care of us just like that :) 
YOU ARE IN SAFE HANDS !!! FOR SURE !! 


Nutrition 
Food served is purely comfort food. ( Rice , pasta , noodles , sandwich , vegetable , roti , dal )
Breakfast : Eggs , oatmeal , bread , tea 

If I had talk about Sports Nutrition : You will have to take care of your own nutrition bit , as the food gives you those much needed calories . as your burning 2000+ calories every day as per my Polar Heart Rate Monitor . You need to eat to recover . But we missed our fruits , our salads , our protein shakes , our dry fruits etc) 

we would recommend carrying 
Peanut Butter ( 1 bottle) 
Nutella ( 1 bottle)
Dried Fruits  ( Cranberries etc)
Dry fruits ( Figs , cashews , almonds , rasins etc) 
Workout Bars ( at least 10) 
Vitamin C ( chewables) , Vitamin E , Glutamin ( Help in faster recovery)
Whey Protein Powder ( for quick recovery of muscles) 
Instant Oatmeal packs ( as during the day if your hungry its good sugar) ( hot water is easily available)
Electrolyte Tablets for during the run as well post run , through the day to get the salts and minerals lost. 

p.s : In the sahara desert endurance race , to what I am aware off they don't give you food , you got to carry your own food for all the 6 days) Thus the food they give was luxury . The only element was we being trainers ourselves are very finicky about  deep fried food … which was served at all meals … thus we were a little vary of the nutrition element. 

Monitors !!1

A must for this race, if you don't use monitors for regular training , its time you did … 

We carried Garmin 910xt : It was fabulous with reference to pace , time ,map but with the GPS and distance it was close but not 100 % accurate . The crew did mention that it is difficult to get accuracy in the mountains. 
I also wore Polar HEART rate monitor FT7 : For just my heart rate , as I am not too happy with the accuracy of the Garmin heart rate . The heart rate and pace are two important elements you want to monitor , along with the amount of calories your burning . 
Heart rate : Keep you in check as if your above your heart rate zone , your in danger zone , like it happened to me on day 2 , when we moved from 10,000 feet to 12000 feet in 20 kilometres , I was breathless , and my heart rate was at 170 hr+ at just crawling seed , I couldn't push at all . But knowing my heart rate , I kept my pace really slow and they at the last  6 kilometres when I felt acclimitized I picked up pace , keeping my heart rate below 150hr . 

Pace : is to know your speed … 
Distance : though not accurate , helped me to keep to my eating times, though there were aid stations , but I  also carried my own intra workout snacks like figs ( instant energy) ( workout bars and electrolyte in my hydration pack. 
The aid stations have : boiled potatoes , biscuits and bananas . ( Depending on the frame of my mind and want of the body I ate my intra workout snacks) 
It is very essential to eat and drink  during the run , if you want to endure. We have a set calculation of every 4 kms : at least 30 to 40 calories and 100 ml of water.. taught to us by my coach Jeff Galloway :) . It works for me :) 
Lastly the monitors also show you the Calories burnt which helps as you know you need to eat to continue otherwise your car is going to stop without fuel.  ….

Monitors most recommended at least a basic if not the expensive ones.

A couple of other important things to know
Carry lots and lots of wet wipes as you can only have a bath on Day 4 . They may give you hot water on request but enough only to wet your towel and have a wet towel wipe. 
Carry 4 pairs of everything as repeating your gear is tuff because you sweat a lot. 
Headlamps are a must , you can't do without them . They are expensive but essential. 
Carry a thermos or a insulated bottle as you love hot water throughout the day and hydration after the run is most important for recovery.
Hand sanitizer essential as you don't have water , so this really helps to keep clean at all times. 
Accommodation is basic and believe me , it doesn't matter . There is so much to compensate for that the adeline from the runs keeps you so high , that everything is always goodddd!!
Fatburners : Some people do take fat burners which are stimulants for the run , i would say only if your ok wight he altitude bit , take it , otherwise your asking for trouble , instead of improving your run. 

This is the essentials list … but trust me  , the most important thing is to enjoy every moment of that beautiful dharmic himalayan land , the rest is all secondary …

if there is anything more you need to know about this dream endurance run!!

email us on prahlladh@1on1fitnessholidays.com 

If your signing up for this race and need help with training , we can help you with that too … 

know more about what we do on www.1on1fitnessholidays.com 

To get in touch with the race crew check out 

www.thewindchasers.com

Excited to be alive
Excited to complete the Sandakhpu 70 mile 
Love
Khushi Bhulchandani from Kodaikanal, India.
Julie Goodale from NY, USA.
Shreekanth from Mumbai, India.
www.1on1fitnessholidays.com 

It's been long enough....time to write about my latest race. Big event, big race, big procrastination. I think I've been procrastinating because if I write it, it's over... the planning, the focus, the excitement, the running... nothing but running.

My pre-race preparation was completely blown; I feared I would not be able to roll myself up any hills. A few weeks before my trip to India, I had gotten the flu - almost 2 weeks of no running, barely able to breath walking up a few stairs. The last few days before leaving I was able to run, a little, and slowly. I had hoped that I would be able to run a bit in India before the race; I was traveling in Assam and Meghalaya for a week before the race. I was wrong about that possibility. We were busy traveling; there was no time for running; it was way too hot; and there were wild animals. Plus, I was eating tons of food (everyone seemed very concerned that I get enough to eat), so I felt like I had gained 10 pounds. This was pretty much the complete opposite of how I would normally prepare for a race.

I just had to trust in my fitness and my experience at running long, hard distances.

The last few days before the race I spent in Darjeeling to get used to the altitude. Darjeeling is not that high, only about 6,700 feet, but it still feels high to this sea-level girl. I was out of breath just walking up the stairs at my hotel.

I got up early each morning to run. I would head out amongst the armies of barking dogs chasing the monkeys back up the hill to their temple territory, past the elderly walkers taking in their views of Kanchenjunga, the joggers, the Tai Chi/Yoga/calisthenic practicers, and the young Sherpas from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute running their laps. Darjeeling is a place where people exercise. Darjeeling is a place that is filled with Western tourists. But Darjeeling is not a place where Western tourists run with the locals. I got many very surprised but happy looks as people realized there was a lone white girl sharing their morning views.

Julie's
http://www.fitnessforsurvivors.blogspot.in/2013/06/four-days-in-himalayas.html

I thought I'd revisit my Himalayan race for a minute to introduce you to my fellow runners. Each a wonderful mountain companion, and each has something we can all learn from.

The four-day race quickly became a race between two runners - Andrey and Cowson. (both of them about half my age - not that I feel any need to justify why I'm always at the back of the pack)

~Andrey: from Moscow, living in New York. Weirdly, we discover on the second or third evening that we train at the same gym - he, mostly swimming - and we have a good friend in common. Andrey is strongly, but good-naturedly competitive. As he put it pre-race, "Russians don't really do something just to do it; they do it to do it really well." He was right. He's not really a runner, he's a swimmer, and has never done any long-distance running races. But he's in great shape, has strong abilities, and a strong competitiveness that pushes him through when his body is flagging. That competitive spirit is something I could use a little more of. Andrey won.

Shreekanth's
http://www.fitnessforsurvivors.blogspot.in/2013/07/be-like-shreekanth.html

I’ve been running since 2007, by force or by will, don’t matter. Although I was forced into the world or running, I got addicted to it as time passed. From just one Half Marathon (HM) a year, I started participating in all major racing events across India. As of now I’ve run in 9 HMs, one 10k run, one 112km Stage Race and am preparing for two upcoming racing events Airtel Hyderabad Marathon due to be held on 26th August 2012 and ADHM scheduled for 30th September 2012.

While preparing for these events I had a fixed routine - get up early in the morning, run on the roads close to my house, go to office, come back in evening, eat and sleep by 930pm. More than the events, I loved, and still do, my practice runs, as it is the time, when I talk to myself. On one fine day, while running I asked whether I could challenge myself in rough terrains? It took me days, a number of meetings with myself and close to one and a half years to find out the answer and I found myself ready to take the challenge in the beginning of 2012. This was the time, when I started looking for 100mile stage races in India. After sending a number of mails to a number of unknown people, I finally got a reply from a company ‘Wind Chasers’, which told me that they were planning to organize a 4-day 70mile stage race in the Himalayas in April-May 2012. I knew where I could find the answer.

Now I had half an answer to the question in front of me, but didn’t have the money to fulfill my dream. This is where all my friends played the role. I requested all my friends to lend me INR 1,000/- to enable me to pay for the registration fee (INR 50,000/-) for the Sandakphu 70mile 4-day stage race. Some of my friends gave me money in person and others deposited their share in my bank account. Now I didn’t have to worry about the registration fee and started to focus on my training programme. Since I was supposed to run 46km on the third day of the stage race, I started following a Full Marathon training plan to prepare for the event.

Finally it was the day when I was supposed to leave for the stage race. I was excited about the race, but I also knew that asthma would give me a tough time on the climbs. There were 17 participants in all and all of us were greeted at the Bagdogra Airport by race organizers. We were taken to Mirik where the race briefing and distribution of chest numbers took place. The next day we all left early for Maneybhanjang, which was the starting point of the 70mile stage race.

After an official meeting with the local officials, the race started with a steep climb and I cursed the time, when I accepted the challenge. However, the amazing view of mountains kept me going and I successfully completed the 23 km-long ‘Stage One’ in 5hrs, 9mins, 25secs. I was satisfied to have made it to the finish line without any injury. I was wet, tired and shivering due to the cold and all I wanted was a hot water bath and some rest. As I was taking rest I was thinking of the next day’s race, which was to be the toughest - from Tumling to Sandakphu (from m to m).

By next morning I was feeling much better and was again ready for the ‘Stage Two’, which was a mixture of flat-uphill-downhill route with the last 3km ‘Torturous’ stretch. Climbs were tough for me, but I covered 21km running/walking/crawling and reached Sandakphu, which is known as ‘The Roof of the World’, in 6hrs, 8mins, 40secs.

‘Stage Three’ was the longest one – 46km – for me, as I’ve never run more than 23km. We started the race from Sandakphu went to Phalut and came back. The route again had a number of ascents and descents with, of course, breathtaking view and pleasant weather. I covered the distance in 8hrs, 55mins, and 44secs. Just few minutes after I crossed the finish line it started snowing, with a number of participants still on their way.

By now everyone knew how bad I was on uphill and how good on downhill and they had no doubts that I would do great on the last day of the stage race, which was a complete downhill one. And by now I’ve also finalized my competitors.

I flew down the slopes and completed the last stage of 22km from Sandakphu (3636m) to Rimbick (2200 m) in 3hrs, 26mins, and 12secs. I finished in the 3rd place – just behind the winners – and was named ‘Downhill Queen’. With a total finishing time of 23hrs, 40mins and 1sec, I took the 6th position in Overall Rankings, 3rd in the ‘Open’ Female Category and 1st in ‘Indian’ Female Category. I was happy and congratulated myself on the successful completion of the challenge.
As a reward, I gifted myself a 4-day and 3-night holiday package in Darjeeling. When I returned to Delhi, it was a different ‘Me’, who is yet to find an answer to whether ‘She’ can run Ultra Marathons? Once again I need some more ‘Morning Meetings’ with myself.

Mili Sharma from New Delhi, India