I am certainly not a person made for triathlons; I am a normal weekend wanderer, trekking in random hills, rubbing against boulders and bushes. I find it difficult to bargain with water; I hate sitting on that tiny saddle undergoing awfulness  I hate the pain in my knees when I run long distances. Extensive trekking over these two years introduced the real outdoors to me. But today, I stand delighted after successfully finishing the toughest triathlon I have ever done – 2 kms of swimming, 100 kms of MTB cycling and 21 kms of running.

Ironman Style Triathlon:

Organized by CTC, this triathlon was way ahead of other commercial triathlon’s in terms of difficulty, location and friendly behavior: the very fact that one needs to swim in the open waters of Nagalapuram Dam, pedal along Palem forest Ghat roads, run in the Nagala Eucalyptus forest trail, excited me. I was quite certain that this was going to test participants on their mental and physical endurance. The toughest part was that every event had a cut-off time and two guys were in-fact pulled out from the race just 4 kms away from the finishing line for not keeping up their time.

The previous day heavy rainfall filled the scenic Nagala Dam and the Mountains around it invited the swimmers to dive inside to swim with the fishes and shuttle it thrice.

Swimming – the First Hurdle:

The most difficult part for me was the open-water swimming. I was very paranoid as to what I would do if I happen to lose my breath in the middle of the Dam. I trained myself for several days and during the weekends I went for long distance swimming at various swimming pools in the city: but the fear of swimming in open waters was something I could not overcome even after several days of training. With that fear I dived inside the Dam to cover 2 kms.

 After crossing 50 mts, I developed a cramp in the calf muscle of my left leg and my right thigh. I was perplexed as to what to do: I slowly swam towards the shore, reached the shore, decided to stick to the shore and swim slowly without risking much.

Even after an hour’s time, I had completed only 3 laps out of 6 laps; almost all the participants left the Dam and started pedaling. After 30 minutes of swimming, I realized that there were two guys still floating in the waters: one being I and the other being Varun. After all the huff and puff, I took 1 hour 55 minutes (as against my normal 1 hour timing in swimming pools), which was just 5 minutes before the closing time.

Pedaling – the Second Hurdle:

The Sun was up and ready to torch us alive when I sat on my saddle. I started pedaling enjoying the scenic views of the adjoining Palem forests; the green paddy fields; gushing fresh water streams; beautiful gardens – absolutely lost in its serenity!

Like other participants did, I also had to pedal 40 odd kms to cover one loop – the roads were pretty good except for a few craters here and there and having buffaloes run into my cycle.

After crossing the 50 km mark, I started sensing the pricking pain in my buttocks and my thighs weighed like huge pieces of rocks. Although, my mind was cursing me for taking up this challenge, I started enjoying the pain in every fibre of my body. Often I ran out of water and I had to refill my bottles with the water in the streams. After feeling little dizzy, I realized that I had not had my breakfast yet and it was time to have lunch. All that I had to survive on was water and bananas that Simon had given me.

 After 90 kms, pedaling every single km became very painful with the scorching sun: all that I was longing for was shelter, rest and food. I knew, standing in the middle of nowhere, I was not entitled to any of them. Therefore, I pedaled on my MTB with the only hope to reach the destination. BANG I reached the refreshment point: this time also it was just a few minutes before the closing time. I refreshed myself with bananas, glucose and water.

 

Crossing the second biggest hurdle with my thighs as heavy as rocks, I could not digest the fact that I had to run 21 kms more to complete the event. With pain hitting every nerve of mine, I kept telling myself that I shall complete this Triathlon, ‘come what may’!

Running – the Final Hurdle:

The shady Eucalyptus forest trail was waiting to test my final endurance: I told myself that if I can carry my body for the final 21 kms, I will achieve my target; keeping in mind the target and paucity of time, I started running inside the forest to live my dream.

I was able to run for the first 2 kms after which I felt absolutely drained. I then adopted the walk-run-walk strategy. After completing 12 odd kms it started pouring cats and dogs. What amazed me was the climate – I went through myriad weather conditions. The trail got completely wet: every step consumed more energy. With the pain I was carrying along with me, I was in thorough ecstasy, enjoying the rain drenched forest and its healing eucalyptus aroma. After the grueling 9 plus hours of continuous physical exertion, I finally finished the triathlon, with just a few minutes left.

I loved the cramps on my calf muscles when I was swimming in the Dam; I cherished the pain when I was sitting on the saddle and riding on the Ghat roads; I enjoyed running with that hurting knee on that forest trail.

Indubitably, I am not a Kenyan Runner to finish a marathon in 2 hours, I am not a New Zealand rugby player to bull doze the opponent forward, I am not a Brazilian footballer to kick that magic goal, I am not an African-American basketball player to shoot the best baskets nor am I an Australian swimmer to dominate the swimming arena – I am just a normal nomad relishing the amusement outdoors and different aspects of open-air activities coming my way. The feeling of completing this triathlon cannot be expressed in words and is a feeling of ‘living my dream’. It is really the ‘come what may’ attitude that helped me accomplish my dream – I secretly thank my stars for this indomitable spirit in me which keeps me ticking!

 

Happy Outdooring,

 

Durai Murugan

 The idea of running 10 kms for 10 consecutive days charmed me. Being an avid outdoor enthusiast and now a running enthusiast too, I wanted to put up my fists and determine my endurance. What triggered my quest for this run was the success-story updates from the runners of the Chennai Runners group. A victim of inquisitiveness as I am, I wanted to explore how my body and mind would sync to execute this run. The joy in running had pushed my energy levels high and it is needless to say that the running fever did not spare me. After completing few half marathons, I was all set for this challenge.

My ten days’ running series lasted between 22.10.2012 to 31.10.2012 and in these ten days, I had quite interesting encounters, the most interesting one being the 10^th day, a ‘Life Time Experience’ with the ‘Nilam’ cyclone around. I will let it unfold towards the end.

Initial Two Days – Testing Time:

I did not announce my first run to anyone since I wanted to know for myself, if I can run consecutively 10 kms for two days. My testing ground was the inner beach road stretch from Thiruvanmiyur to Pallavakkam. It was a breezy and comfortable run along the sea.

On the second day, I chose to run from Light House to High Court and get back to the Light house again. After finishing my office work, I started my run from Lighthouse and ran on the inner road of the marina beach, towards my target, the High Court. At a time when my colleagues from the bar were calling it a day, I pushed myself towards the herculean task in front of me. At the end of the race, my legs pained a little; but the stretches and relaxing exercises I learnt when I was playing volley ball helped me to quickly recover from it.

After completion of my two days run, I decided to tell the world through facebook about how I felt after my every day run. I was keeping them posted every day. I need to confess, that every ‘like’ there and every appreciating word there made me push myself better every day.

Third to Sixth Day – Realising my potential:

Now that I had realised that my legs could carry me 10 + kms comfortably, it became a regular thing for me to enjoy my runs from 7.30 to 9.00 p.m at Marina. The pleasant sea breeze, thundering sound of the waves, pounding heart, paining knees and aching muscles – I loved them the most!

The most interesting part of my day during these ten days was ‘Running’. I used to wait for dusk to start running. I liked the feeling of being drenched in my sweat after my run and I started reliving my school days when I used to be very active in sports.

Seventh Day – A Triathlonic Finish:

I had enrolled myself for CTC’s Olympic triathlon event that includes 1.5 kms swimming, 45 kms cycling and 10 kms running. I was targeting a safe and injury- free completion to celebrate my 7^th ten Kms mark.

I comfortably swam 1.5 kms at Velachery swimming complex; tiredness took over me when I started pedalling. The heavy head winds of ECR did not allow me to pedal fast and at times I had the feeling of pedalling almost at the same place without moving further because of the powerful winds.

After reaching the Buckingham canal trail, I started running at a slower pace paying more attention to the birds flying across and enjoyed running along the scenic canal. Completing this Olympic triathlon gave me the confidence to push my limits when I was drained and exhausted.

Eighth and Ninth Day Runs strengthened my Will Power:

I carried the pain of the triathlon finish throughout my body; but that did not stop me from my eighth and ninth days of running. I just flew away from work to Light House and completed the 7^th day of my run with loads of sweat, pain and fatigue. The silver lining I had was the sound sleep after every day’s run.

On the Ninth day of my run, it started pouring cats and dogs. Hence, I decided to stay indoors and run at Talwalkars, Anna Nagar where I had been training for a while. I tread milled for 15 kms: but I really missed the scenic beach and its soothing breeze.

Tenth and Final Day – My Answer to the ‘Nilam’ Cyclone:

The talk of the day amongst chennaites was the cyclone which was christened as ‘Nilam’: it was forecasted that the winds could be as fast as 80 + kms and it was advised to stay indoors. The adrenaline rush in me instigated to hit the roads ‘come what may’.

I ventured out and realised that Nilam had brought in very swift winds I had never witnessed till then; that it had started attacking Chennai and that it had successfully uprooted few trees and lampposts. Brushing aside the powerful winds, I decided to run from Light House to High Court.

I had initially planned to make my tenth and final day’s run memorable by running in a ‘long’ way. The surprise nature conspired to give me was all the more adventurous than I expected it to be. I started running at around 7 p.m when ‘Nilam’ was supposed to hit the coast, between Chennai and Mahapalipuram. The inner beach road at Marina was cordoned off by cops; no one was permitted to step inside: I therefore chose to run on the pavements adjoining the road. Trotting amidst drizzly winds made my day!

I halted in front of Chennai Port and refreshed myself with water; I ran towards High Court with perseverance and completed my tenth day. The sense of satisfaction in completing the run was fantabulous and I thoroughly enjoyed being pulled by the winds. Now I had to return to Light House facing the heavy winds. The very feeling of running amidst such a climate in Chennai by itself was energising and electrifying, needless to say it sent bubbling waves inside me.

With all my determination, I started my run against the winds and I should confess that this was the best run I had ever run so far. The drizzles, forceful winds, dancing trees, dark clouds –the way every bit of it came together made my run the best ever!

I thoroughly enjoyed being disciplined during these 10 days: going early to bed; waking up early; being conscious about the food I had and doing proper warm ups, warm downs and stretches. I completely lived a runner’s life for 10 days and I wish this fun and this life continues!

Happy Running,

Durai Murugan

Chennai trekkers known for organising trekking expeditions in and around south India entered the foray of organising their maiden Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10 k, 5 k and kids run to ‘celebrate running’ as an organised sport and to provide a platform for running and ‘aspiring running’ communities to unleash their hidden potentials. With non-element of profit involved in this running festival, the cost of registration for the event was Rs. 100 might be the lowest registration fee in recent times I have come across for a running event.

 Members of Chennai Runners the largest and most active running group in Tamil Nadu dominated all the major events. The full marathoners lined up at Tidel as early as 4.30 a.m flew away like bullets from the gun at 5.00 a.m with drizzles drenching them, strong were their legs they ran 2 kms extra and covered 44 kms to get their well deserved medals. Legendary Runners like Bosco, Ram, Ramani, Bala, Neville, Athma and few others were real inspiration to observe, they left an indelible mark in our minds.

The Race Day

The event witnessed 509 runners participating in various categories with 130 running 5 kms, 132 running 10 kms, 170 running half marathons, 24 running full marathons and 53 kids running their respective events.

The race started with the blessings of nature god in the form of gentle drizzles encouraging the runners. The climate was extraordinarily brilliant for Chennai’s weather conditions, a cool and cloudy day allowing most of the runners to run without exhausting too much from the typical Chennai’s tropical climate.

Scores and scores of runners and their family members assembled at the Buckingham canal to test their running potentials and others to cheer the runners. Running along the mud trail must have been a break for runners who are used to roads. However, the locals starred at the runners like spotting a ‘collared Pratincole’ a very rare visitor to the Shollinganallur wetlands.

Pulling the strings from Behind:

We had small teams formed for refreshments, medical (first-aid), time keeping, photography, BIB distribution, registration, U-turn check, Transportation, Kids run support, crowd management, vehicle management and baggage handling headed by our senior organisers. Out of their personal and professional commitment the team lead by the organisers worked day and night to make this event happen.

 

To recollect few energetic moments, Jayabalan a chartered accountant by profession tirelessly visited the office of Commissioner of Police, Egmore and successfully convinced the police officials and obtained permission to conduct this event amidst his personal and professional commitments. Nandan had to take off from his office to arrange for first-aid kits and I could see the happiness in his face when he ran alongside the kids. Most of the volunteers did not sleep Saturday night and worked throughout the night to make this event happen. Each and every volunteer who were the backbone for this event exhibited selfless volunteering spirit. In simple words if not for their time and effort this running festival would not have happened.

 A picture speaks louder than words:

I was planning to complete back-to-back Half marathons and things were looking strong I completed Chitoor trail marathon and was returning to Chennai on 6.10.2012 on the hope that out of the huge pool of talented CTC photographers there would be few people who will ‘bail me out’ and help me achieve this feat. But unfortunately myself and Rajini after several mails and posts found it difficult to rope in photographers; simply, everyone had their own excuses. Forgoing my dream I started my hunt for photographers.

The first hope came in when OMI said “AM IN” on Friday night a small ray of light came in, whether this would be sufficient to capture the emotions of 100’s of runners I was perplexed. I buzzed Nivya on Saturday evening she said ‘Count me In’, although she had muscle cramps.

Now I was little happy that from 2 photographers we have grown into four but still, could we do justice to the event kept bugging me and my hunt for photographers continued. I posted event invites in various FB photography groups the moderators swiftly removed my post. It was then Britto Thomas updated his mobile number to Rajini’s update on CTC FB group I called him immediately he said Dude don’t worry I will be at Tidel at 4.30 a.m. I felt happy that we have one more ‘PAIR OF EYES’ to capture the event.

BANG the magic moment came I received a call from our Gowri Shankar of Makka Studios that he has a very important deliverable at office and if he his able to deliver before 2 a.m he will be there at Tidel 4.30 a.m a true “CTC Spirit”. Gowri came with a camera worth Rs. 1.8 lakhs and without him you and me would not have seen the early morning moments of Full marathon.

Our main photographers did a great job in covering the event. Am proud to have worked with a team like this and happy that the running and non-running community will get a better feel of what CTC BCM 2012 through our “Third Eye”. Picture speaks louder than words and yes we did it.

Magnificent Buckingham Canal – Needs a facelift:

The incredible Buckingham Canal running across the entire length of Chennai city is yet another classic example of how we treat our natural resource. If restored and maintained well this could be a training ground for off-road cyclists, trail runners, walkers, bird watchers and photographers.

Polluted by mankind now the Canal stands as a witness of how man can pollute natural resource in the form of human waste, dumping yards by local vendors of ECR and OMR, burning ground of collected garbage, may be this run indirectly highlighted the ‘ever deteriorating condition of this natural treasure’. The message that there exist a remarkable running, cycling trail around Chennai has reached masses, will this be restored is a sincere hope of the outdoor community.

On the whole, I see the extra-ordinary volunteering spirit exhibited by Chennai Trekkers as a gift to the ‘running community’ from the trekking community.

Happy Volunteering,

Durai Murugan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long distance running has been a dream and something that I really admire. It remained an unconquerable feat until I ‘pulled up my socks’ and set out to realise my dream of completing my first half marathon at Hyderabad. Not much of practise went into it. Juggling with job and jogging, I had hardly a few days left to hit the treadmill. I was eyeing to complete my first run within 3 hours time, if at all I was destined to complete it.

The Race Day:

With dark clouds engulfing the skies of Hyderabad and with the extra glow the rain had brought in, the city was ready to witness around 3,500 runners realise their dreams on its laps. Though most of the runners were geared up to beat their personal best, for amateurs like me it was completion that was paramount. Personally, this was going to be my first long distance run and I had a sleepless night because of my excitement.

As far as possible, I decided to stick to my friend Sudharshan, a bare-foot runner, for whom it was a second half marathon. I was not sure if I could keep up the pace though, since he was aiming for his personal best sub 2.30 hours. Sudharshan gave me many suggestions on how to complete the run successfully. Two things that appealed me were, one “run for the next water point” and two “the run and walk technique”.

The Initial 5 Kilometres:

I was overwhelmed to watch the heterogeneous crowd from various parts of the country and from different parts of the world. For the first 200 mts, it felt like entering a suburban train at Mumbai, with absolutely no control over my body’s movements, making it very difficult for me to figure out where my friend was.

With the Andhra police team marching along with us echoing the words “ekk tho-ekk tho” several times, I jogged the first flyover along with my friend, slowly and steadily. The initial 5 kilometres was completed comfortably. The longest distance I had run before this Half Marathon was 5 kilometres and I was dubious if I could run almost four times that distance and complete it successfully. 

5 to 15 kilometres – a beautiful run:

After I crossed the 5 kms mark, I realised that I was not as tired as I expected myself to be and that my muscles were not hurting as much as I thought they would. I loved the feeling of being on my toes and every step I ran, every hump of Hyderabad hill I crossed, every flyover I traversed through, my joy multiplied. What added to the beauty of the run were the head winds that blew through my nostrils and encouraged me to run.

When I was somewhere between 5 – 15 kms distance, I had prepared myself mentally that ‘come what may I would finish this half marathon without walking at any point of time’. I was not sure if my body would co-operate to achieve what my mind conceived as a feat.

The last 6 kms – a run to remember:

Veteran runners advised me that the last part of the run would be a test for every beginner and the flyover which was situated at the 17th kilometre, would be the real test for one’s knees and heart. My friend, who was running barefoot, asked me to go ahead with my run and I slowly started increasing my pace and trotted towards the finishing line.

I was very happy because I was able to run without many complaints. Only when I crossed the final flyover, I realised that my thighs and calf muscles started developing little pain. But when I saw hundreds of young and old runners pushing their energy limits, my pain just slipped off my mind.

After entering the synthetic turf inside the stadium, I sprinted to reach the finish line with profound happiness, like an olive riddle turtle reaching out for the sea for first time in its life. Indeed, this run is a delight that I will cherish for my life time. This was my longest and continuous run ever in my life, the joy of completing which is unparalleled and can never be expressed in words.

To be on that dream run, to feel your heart pumping hard, to feel the throb on your throat and all over your body, to realise the pain in your legs, to calm your nerves,  you really have to pick up your shoes, ‘pull up your socks’ and start running, for fitness and to realise yourself !

Happy Running,

Durai Murugan

 

 

 

When I can pedal the world, when I can trot on the streets, when I can wade through seas and rivers, when I can take a brisk walk in the park, when there are myriad ways amongst fitness freaks to keep fit, a very interesting question that struck me two years back, when I chose to step out on my first trek, was “why do ‘I’ trek?”

Two years ago, in October 2010, when I was a novice trekker, I completed the Nagari Combo which had five different stages meant for different levels of trekkers. Although successful completion of the trek gave me the happiness of accomplishing a Herculean feat, I was still not able to answer convincingly my question, “why do ‘I’ trek?”

I then had the good fortune of trekking the unexplored trails in Venkateswara forest, walking along streams in Nagalapuram, and bouldering in Western Ghats, after which I realized, serious trekking was not facile.

The question “why do ‘I’ trek?” kept and still keeps haunting me when I recollect the memories of clinging on to that boulder during the 1st Palani Exploratory trek, of being almost washed away while traversing a ferocious river at Kabinhole forest during ‘monsoon survival mission’, and especially when I am woken up by weird dreams of hanging from cliffs and sleeping amidst vipers.

Gradually, the question “why do ‘I’ trek?” got a little less difficult to answer, when my skin was torn while negotiating with the bushes in the Venkateswara forest, when my heart was thumping and was on the verge of exploding during the marathons, when my knee was weeping in pain during the survival missions, when I was counting wasp bites on my body after exploring Eastern Ghats, when my blood was sucked by leeches in Palani hills, when I had sleepless nights on wet and slippery terrain in the Kabinhole forest, when the venomous vipers were waiting to kiss me, and when the attractive pools were ready to engulf me. My mind was echoing this question throughout – Is trekking really worth all these risks?

Is trekking an obsession? Will “the Encounters” answer this question? I am reminded of what Greg Child, an Australian-born rock climber once said, “Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb.” Keep guessing and hold on till it rolls out!

Happy Trekking,

Durai Murugan

My writing and pictures got published in Times of India on July 15th, 2012

My interview featured on The Hindu Down Town, Jan 14th, 2012.