Mind over matter

With the Manali - Leh cycling trip done, fitness level was at an all-time high. In fact, during Dussera - 2013, I broke the 30- minute barrier to betta (what a lovely feeling that was!). This, in the evening, when traffic was dense. I constructed illusions of hilltop finishes in le Tour, and the crowds going berzerk. A few weeks later, I managed to do this in 28 minutes and ten seconds, getting even better. News about a 'brevet' began doing the rounds. This was to be Mysore's first. Having no idea what that meant, I spoke to a few friends to understand. So basically it was an endurance event (not a race). Complete the given distance in stipulated time, do what you want in between. So I decided to train and do this.

Ride training
       I somehow managed to convince Arun to train together :) Which meant the customary betta rides would be replaced by rides on the Hunsur road, which would be the actual route for the brevet. The aim was to do three rides. One 100 Km, one 150 Km and the last one, 200 Km. The aim was also to scout the route for pit stops, pinpoint places for food/ drink, and to study the elevation.

Beyond Hunsur - Practice ride 1

Due to various reasons, we ended up doing two practice rides, one 100 Km and another one, around 130 Km. For the practice rides, we stuck to timings, and maintaining average speeds, to simulate the brevet as much as possible. It was great to gulp many tender coconuts on the pit stops. And it is always great to speak to folks who ride by you and ask you questions :) As always, there would be full support from the kids, as cycling is very much a part of kids lives. And that is what connects us with childhood :)

I had picked up a pair of Geax Street runners specifically for the event. Bharath told me that they flew like hot cake, with many participants buying them in pairs, for the brevet. But we practiced with the MTB tyres, as they would offer more resistance, and the actual event would be slightly better with the Geax(1.25"). Because of the lesser width, I could not use my tyre liners here. All prayers were on not getting a flat!

Pre-ride preparations and training.
   The big day was close, and we had a list of things to take along, for nutrition. We decided to take chapati's, peanut butter, cheese, boiled eggs, boiled potatoes, tang packets, electrol, dry fruits, chikki, small chocolates. These items were based on the diet and experiences from previous long rides, largely attributed to Mr Pandey's excellent diet designed for the Manali - Leh ride.

Apart from these, there were spare tubes, tools, puncture kits, reflective vests. I did a dry round around home, loaded as I would ride in the brevet.

Mys 038! Dreamcatcher looks so different in the Geax's!

Brevet day
       Come Brevet day, I reached Cyclopedia, where there was a buzz for registrations, brevet card stamping, cycle check, handing over of chocolates and a sandwich. There was a good mix of young blood and experience in the group. The organisers provided sandwiches and some good chocolates to the contestants.

Come 06:00 Hrs, we flagged off from Cyclopedia and headed towards Hunsur road. The weather was amazing for cycling! Although we knew that the sun could get merciless towards noon. Most of the participants had formed groups, which is a good idea, as doing an event like this alone would be harrowing. The hybrid tyres were great, and we rolled along effortlessly on the beautiful Hunsur road, speaking to fellow cyclists on the way. There was no real need to watch the average, as we reached Hunsur at 08:15 Hrs. A few kilometres past Hunsur, we stopped for break 1, where I had the sandwich provided, a banana, and a few sips of water. Met Bharath here, who was doing this on his fixie. An unimaginable feat, for a novice like me! "Eat before you are hungry, drink before you are thirsty" was Bharath's advice, and we stuck to that.

We went on, and this is when the groups split up into sub-groups. Arun had gone ahead, and I tried to cycle keeping someone as reference. It is extremely difficult to not do this. Having someone in sight gives you a frame of reference and the much-needed motivation to go on. The terrain is pretty much rolling till we reach Bylakuppe. Just before Bylakuppe we stopped for tender coconuts and I had a few chikkis as well. At around the 80 Km mark, we are almost at the halfway point. This was new territory as we had not reached till here on our practice rides. You go on, mentally picturing the halfway mark.

Halfway mark
       Past Bylakuppe, we pass through Kushalnagar town which is quite bustling. After this it is a run to Suntikoppa, with some steep gradient. The weather changed dramatically past Kushalnagar, it became very cool and slightly overcast. Good conditions as it was almost noon. I executed a few manoeuvres of unwrapping chocolates and conquering the slopes, while managing not to tumble down. The slopes were pretty ok to do, after being accustomed to the betta rides frequently

Incoming :)

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Checkpoint
Just past Suntikoppa town was a petrol bunk which was the halfway point and I met Arun, who had reached, rested and was on his way back. I asked him to stop somewhere down the line, so we could team up as planned.

Arun reaches the checkpoint!

 I reached the checkpoint at 11:45 and gorged on the boiled potato and some juice. The organisers signed our brevet cards. And I could not escape them clicking these pics of mine :P (smeared in sunscreen)

The Paparazzi got this :P

After the checkpoint, I headed back and encountered Arun lounging near a fruit stall. We ate up some awesome oranges and continued. Going down the slope was fun! The real challenge began when the flats arrived. It was now around 1:00, and the sun was out in full glory. The temperature increased as we went on. Bylakuppe was challenge point one, when we stopped for a round of tender coconuts, and doubts start creeping into your mind :)

Mind Games
Bylakuppe to Periyapatna was the beginning of the mind game. All through this stretch in my mind ran formulae for average speed, distance covered, time remaining (and how many vada sambars we would gobble upon completion) This was the tricky part, and the sun was blazing! The average over the past hour or so had dropped dramatically.

At Periyapatna, we randomly chose a spot on the road and sat, on the bushes and all. The passer by's would have had a tough time deciphering cyclists just sitting there. Around 65 Km remained, and we were too tired to even eat. I shoved half a boiled egg down my throat and gulped that down with some juice. Arun had half a boiled potato.We set out. Encouraging each other, we acknowledged that it would be insane to try this alone. Somewhere beyond this point I lost Arun again :)

With the sun dipping from its peak, I made my way to my pit stop in Hunsur, gulped down an orange juice and left the hotel in record time in its history, I think :) It was now close to 4:00 P.M and it was now a pure mind game. With every truck that passed by, the urge to stop the madness and haul yourself and your cycle on it (flashbacks) increased :) But I drove this thought away from my mind and promised myself that I would complete this, no matter what. I imagined telling people that I had let them(and myself) down and that visual propelled me greatly!!

Discovery
I discovered some new muscles that day I guess, as all of them ached wonderfully! The brevet is played in your mind. Beyond one point, it does not matter how strong you are, physically. It's all in your mind, as in many things in life, I guess. The quest forever should be to discover this and surpass yourself. It is always You Vs Yourself. True story.

Past this tipping point (and profound discovery :P), I saw Arun in some bus stop :P some stupid motorist cut him off abruptly and his front wheel was slightly bent. But both he and the cycle were safe, so that was a good thing. We gulped whatever juice was left and launched the last leg of the raid.

I was approaching 10 hours of saddle time. Then there was another discovery - how much ever your butt hurts, keep cycling. If you stand up to get a breather, it will hurt more :) With this wisdom I just kept going.

Somewhere close to Ilvala, a sadist trucker decided to push me off the road for no reason at all. Fumed, I sprinted for a couple of kilometres so I would get him and deliver an earful, but the bugger got away. For what pleasure people do such things is beyond my imagination. I caught up with Arun and got into a bakery in Ilvala for a break. The body was not accepting solid food so I downed a bottle of Minute maid :)

Destination
With this we rolled the home run, back to familiar sights, sounds and smells. The outline of betta in the  long rays of evening calmed the frayed minds. We ganged up with a couple of riders from out of town, and rolled together into the heart of the royal city, into the most royal of Palaces, which was the finish point.

The joy on reaching was immeasurable and immaculate. The sense of accomplishment was supreme. And yes, the pain was so much that I could not help but roll a couple of times in the ground :)

So the takeaways are, go with a bunch. Enjoy the ride. And just keep going :)

Mission Possible

Trip Stats: 
Saddle time:  10 Hrs 15 Minutes
Total time   :   11 Hrs 50 Minutes
Fuel           :   Sandwich, bananas, chocolates, chikki, boiled potato, boiled egg, tender coconut, minute maid, water, electrol.

Loki, Arun and Me

Thanks a ton to Arun for putting up with me in all this !! You are a true sport, bro!