Anchetty 200 - The one with Nutrition Disaster
7th June 2014 - 2152m elevation gain - 14 hrs 25 min
It was not very long since I had come across the term 'Brevet' that I learned about the Anchetty 200 being one of the toughest brevets. I gathered information online from Google and offline from Alan. Everything about the route fascinated me. Since Alan knew where I stand as a rider and since I was really impressed with his estimation and analytic skills which involved detailed observation of micro and macro factors, I looked up to him for assurance and I got a green signal. Completely driven by curiosity and excitement, I registered for my first brevet. My only concern was that I was very sure I'd get lost considering my direction/navigation skills, though the cue sheet was clear enough.
Anxiety kept me awake the night before the ride and I woke up earlier than required, ate 4 boiled egg whites, double checked on my bike, lights and reflective jacket. I was walking on my toes to make sure I didn't wake my mom. My dad is an early morning person. When I say early, he wakes up at 3 am and goes for a walk from 3 45 - 4 45 am. By the time I locked the house and started, he was at the doorstep. I told him that I'm going on a ride with a lot of people. I slipped out and met Alan who accompanied me till the start point. Everyone seemed to know him at the start point. He introduced me to a few riders and I was happy to see some of the riders whom I had met during the ride to Janapada Loka. I was quite surprised to see no other female rider. We started the ride at 6 am sharp. I was extremely cautious while we passed DG Petrol bunk as I did not want to be noticed by parents or neighbours. Once we entered Kanakpura road, I was at peace about it.
At the first control point I saw Simon and George. Simon asked me if I had company to ride and on hearing my response, he insisted that I tagged along with him and George. I was more than happy, at least now there were chances I wouldn't miss the route.He also suggested that I joined them for breakfast but I skipped as I wasn't hungry.I had heard that this route had a lot of climbs.Climbs, I love. I somehow missed reading about the steep,scary descents. Descents, I fear! I would always lag behind during descents.This was the most serene route that I biked. Since most of my previous rides were on highways, this route gave a new dimension to cycling. Green hearts exploring the green routes in the greenest way possible.
Once we entered Denkanikottai, I went ahead by a few kilometers and a kind man called out and stopped me and offered some fresh juicy tomatoes. He did not charge for it. Best things in the world are still free, so was his concern, generosity and humanity. The last thing I had eaten was some chikki smeared with salt, given by a fellow rider, Carl. The tomato break gave a lot of energy and I continued to climb. There came another man on a motorbike, who enquired about the ride and suggested that I don't ride alone in that route and that he would help me to reach the city on his motorbike. He was weird, I could clearly sense that he was drunk. I told him that I'm not alone and that there are some 30 riders ahead of me and about 20 of them behind. Only after that did he mind his business. I was confused whether I should wait for another rider or if I should continue. During my tomato break, Kristen, a fellow rider, had informed me that Simon had had a flat. I thought I'll ride ahead and try to catch up with him, but in vain. A few kilometers away from the city and hunger had set in. I stopped at a shop for water refill and ate 3 Dark Fantasy chocofills cookies.I saw Simon and George pass by and quickly gobbled up the cookies to make sure I don't lose them.
It was about 160 km and I was drained. I realised that I had made a nutrition blunder of not eating. Finishing the ride was my only option. No quitting scenes. George took off once we reached Hosur road and Simon literally dragged me till the end control. I had received a call of terror( from home) at 8 pm. It gave me some energy to ride till the end control. We reached the end control 55 min late, at 8 25 pm. Then stupidity and worry took over my senses and I took a rickshaw to reach home, which was about 7 km from the end control. I planned my story meanwhile and somehow escaped through the questions, my eyes gave away that I was tired but I somehow managed the situation. I ate like a pig, laughed at the fact that I took an auto to go 7 km after riding 200 km. I didn't want to ride the next day but Alan insisted that I do a short recovery ride, which I did. This brevet was an eye opener to improving my fitness and my approach towards nutrition. Performance aside, the experience, the breathtaking route, the kaleidoscope of butterflies, the ride companions was totally worth it.
Saalumarada 200 - The one with the black out
27th Sept 2014 - 1573m elevation gain - 11 hrs 05 min
This ride was just a few days before the epic Bliss in the Hills. Arthur and I decided to ride together. We started on time and maintained a decent pace, crossed the first control point and stopped for a banana break at 80 km. It was a beautiful stretch once we got off the highway after the first control. We gained good pace since the elevation was not very significant. By the time we hit Tumkur control I had run out of water and was very thirsty. At 137 km, it looked like we would finish it in about 10 hrs time. We looked around for a hotel but nothing was interesting me so we stopped at a juice center for water refill. What happened next was totally unexpected and shocked me. I took some time to recover from the shock.
We ordered chikoo juice and it was very relishing. I ordered another chikoo juice and drank it bottoms up. I could feel something move up my body and by the time I completed the sentence, "I think I am going to blac....", I blacked out. According to Arthur I was out for 5 seconds and he had a tough time trying to make sure I don't fall.When I gained back my conscious, the shopkeeper looked startled, Arthur had freaked out but managed to hide the expression and me, I woke up as if none of this ever happened. When people would faint during assemblies and NCC parades, I always wondered how it felt . Now I knew. This was the first time ever that such a thing happened to me.
Arthur was all strict post the incident. He made me drink so much of enerzal, something that I hate. Every 20 min he made sure I drank it. I just kept wondering about the cause of this black out. I blame the bottoms up of COLD chikoo juice and Arthur calls it a Vasovagal response. We met two other fellow riders who had plans of stopping at Kamat for food. We decided to join them. I was feeling very uncomfortable to eat, still shocked at the turn of events. I ordered for curd rice, asked the waitress to give me some extra pomegranate which would catalyse my intake. We rode strong after fueling and finished the ride in 11 hrs 05 min. I reached home before dark and I entered home without any cover up story.
Kottai 200 - The one with a mighty fall
25th Oct 2014 - 1944m elevtion gain - 11 hrs 55 min
This ride was scheduled on 1st Nov 2014. This was clashing with the Javadhu hill trail ultra run and I didn't want to miss any of the routes by Bangalore Brevets this season. So I decided to ride solo on 25th Oct. I had a lot to explore about myself with this ride. I was curious to know if I can follow the cue sheet all by myself and not get lost. I started from home at 5 10 am and reached the start point at 5 37 am. I stopped for breakfast at Saravana Bhavan at 8 40 am. I did bot like the idly sambar, however, I ate it. I had carried lots of raisins with me. I mixed a few with the idly sambar, I have absolutely no idea how that helped. I was happy about the fact that they had very clean rest rooms. I started from Saravana Bhavan at 9 10 am, took the right towards Rayakottai. I was forced to stop and seize the moment at the sight of Krishnagiri lake. I was extra cautious about the directions and extra excited about the optional hill climb.
The ride was getting more peaceful with distance. Finally I spotted the hill. I was wondering how could one possibly climb this until I noticed a green bar from the bottom to top of the hill. I wasn't sure if it was the same as mentioned in the cue sheet, however, I was eager to climb it. I locked my cycle at the base, picked up my water bottle and started the climb on foot. If not for that green support bar, it would have been extremely challenging to climb. The almost 360 degree view from the top was spectacular. The silence was too loud. I decided to spend some time at the top, clicked a few pictures, noticed that my phone was running low on battery so plugged the power bank to the phone, wrapped it well in the ziplock, put t in my jersey pocket and started climbing down. It was too steep, one wrong step and you slide down to the base if not for that support bar. I took that wrong step, had a royal fall on my back. Thanks to that support bar without which I would have severely hurt myself. There was not a single soul around and rarely any vehicles plying. I got back up on my feet and continued with extra care this time. My heart rate was normal once I reached my bike. I started riding and once I hit the city at around 2 30 pm, I thought I would inform my friends that I'm safe.
I wish someone had captured the look on my face when I saw my phone. The screen was broken. The cracks on the screen were bad and the touch sensor was gone.I knew only my parents contact numbers by heart. I thought I'd borrow someone's phone and inform my dad that I'd reach by 6 pm, but then he would realise that it was Tamil Nadu number so I dropped that option and decided to ride as fast as I could reach home. I popped in some raisins as there was no time for lunch and started riding. It started with light drizzle and then the rain gods went crazy! I kept up my pace and by the time I reached electronic city, I was literally searching for land amidst the water pool. Apparently, the road conditions due to heavy rains was all over the news, only giving my parents a platform to worry more. I managed to reach the end control at 5 25 pm and my next stop was the phone service center. Rain was putting up a tough fight. The first thing as soon as I reached the service center, I called my dad and informed him that I'm safe. I told him about the phone and he insisted I came home immediately. I was all set to get screwed at home, but to my surprise, my parents were not concerned on how I spent the past 12 hrs, they were simply relieved that I was bot out in the crazy rain. They were very sensitive about how miserable I was with the disabled phone, A screen replacement was necessary and I got it fixed in the next two days.
When I shared the experience of this solo ride with my friends, the first response is that it isn't a safe thing and the first question most of them asked was if I carried any safety weapon. My answer might not sound very practical to most people, however I chose to believe what makes me feel strong and self-dependent. Whenever I start a ride, I start with a thought that I will have a safe ride, I visualise my safe return.Carrying a safety weapon in particular is an action which would contradict my thoughts. I would be sending contradicting signals to the universe. So, I never carry a safety weapon as such. Moreover, another thought that gives me confidence is these words by a strong man- Anything can be used as a weapon need be. I strongly feel it is necessary to carry happy thoughts and thoughts that emit positivity (all the time if possible), especially when you are out on a long ride.
Basvanbetta 200 - The smoothest brevet no hazels
29th Nov 2014 - 2200m elevation gain - 12 hrs 12 min
Alan had mentioned Basvanbetta multiple times and this was a long awaited route to ride. Jigni too was a new route to me and I was high on the climb excitement. When I noticed that the elevation profile graph that was shared was symmetric about the betta top, I was worried about the descents this route had. I was extremely happy about the fact that the ride start time was 5 am, which means I can be back home before my mom returned from work. Since most times I ended up eating just one meal during the 200s, this time I decided to pack some home made food. I carried 6 chapati rolls with me. This time to avoid half tension, I told dad that I was going to Basvanbetta and I assured him that I'd be back before mom returned home. He was the one who made the chapati rolls for me. I had 2 of them at the start point.
I was riding with a group of riders, many whom I was meeting for the first time. Always happy to make new friends. Jigni downhills gave me chills. The group stopped at Sathnur for breakfast.We fuelled up well before the climb. It was truly a breathtaking one. All I could hear was my heart beat and my heavy breathing. The weather was in our favour but not during the betta climb. As the climb got tougher, so tough that I gave pauses after each pedal for a few meters. I was sure of one thing - My legs stay on the pedals till I reach the top. Michael rode past me twice and then I also saw two other riders coming down, giving room for some energy exchange as they passed by. The sight of the white house was refreshing. The best part and the treat of the climb was the hand pump behind the white house.The water was cool enough to cool me down. Richard reached after a few minutes. After a quick refreshment we started the downhill. I was ready to brake as hard as required and need be, I thought I'd walk down the steeper sections, however, I managed to stay on the saddle.
I took a lunch break after the 150 km control point. Richard had also stopped for lunch. We rode together for quite some distance sharing experiences. Richard took off after a while. After reaching the next control, I lost my way a couple of times, especially the last 15 km. I was worried if I could reach home by 5 30 pm. It was 5 18 pm when I reached the end control. I scooted off homewards soon as I reached and got home by 5 45 pm, no troubles. That was the time I realised that this had been the smoothest 200 so far. I was happy that I finished strong, considering my finish 6 months back, there was noticeable improvement. Recovery was fast and I had a good trail run the next day.
7th June 2014 - 2152m elevation gain - 14 hrs 25 min
It was not very long since I had come across the term 'Brevet' that I learned about the Anchetty 200 being one of the toughest brevets. I gathered information online from Google and offline from Alan. Everything about the route fascinated me. Since Alan knew where I stand as a rider and since I was really impressed with his estimation and analytic skills which involved detailed observation of micro and macro factors, I looked up to him for assurance and I got a green signal. Completely driven by curiosity and excitement, I registered for my first brevet. My only concern was that I was very sure I'd get lost considering my direction/navigation skills, though the cue sheet was clear enough.
Anxiety kept me awake the night before the ride and I woke up earlier than required, ate 4 boiled egg whites, double checked on my bike, lights and reflective jacket. I was walking on my toes to make sure I didn't wake my mom. My dad is an early morning person. When I say early, he wakes up at 3 am and goes for a walk from 3 45 - 4 45 am. By the time I locked the house and started, he was at the doorstep. I told him that I'm going on a ride with a lot of people. I slipped out and met Alan who accompanied me till the start point. Everyone seemed to know him at the start point. He introduced me to a few riders and I was happy to see some of the riders whom I had met during the ride to Janapada Loka. I was quite surprised to see no other female rider. We started the ride at 6 am sharp. I was extremely cautious while we passed DG Petrol bunk as I did not want to be noticed by parents or neighbours. Once we entered Kanakpura road, I was at peace about it.
At the first control point I saw Simon and George. Simon asked me if I had company to ride and on hearing my response, he insisted that I tagged along with him and George. I was more than happy, at least now there were chances I wouldn't miss the route.He also suggested that I joined them for breakfast but I skipped as I wasn't hungry.I had heard that this route had a lot of climbs.Climbs, I love. I somehow missed reading about the steep,scary descents. Descents, I fear! I would always lag behind during descents.This was the most serene route that I biked. Since most of my previous rides were on highways, this route gave a new dimension to cycling. Green hearts exploring the green routes in the greenest way possible.
Once we entered Denkanikottai, I went ahead by a few kilometers and a kind man called out and stopped me and offered some fresh juicy tomatoes. He did not charge for it. Best things in the world are still free, so was his concern, generosity and humanity. The last thing I had eaten was some chikki smeared with salt, given by a fellow rider, Carl. The tomato break gave a lot of energy and I continued to climb. There came another man on a motorbike, who enquired about the ride and suggested that I don't ride alone in that route and that he would help me to reach the city on his motorbike. He was weird, I could clearly sense that he was drunk. I told him that I'm not alone and that there are some 30 riders ahead of me and about 20 of them behind. Only after that did he mind his business. I was confused whether I should wait for another rider or if I should continue. During my tomato break, Kristen, a fellow rider, had informed me that Simon had had a flat. I thought I'll ride ahead and try to catch up with him, but in vain. A few kilometers away from the city and hunger had set in. I stopped at a shop for water refill and ate 3 Dark Fantasy chocofills cookies.I saw Simon and George pass by and quickly gobbled up the cookies to make sure I don't lose them.
It was about 160 km and I was drained. I realised that I had made a nutrition blunder of not eating. Finishing the ride was my only option. No quitting scenes. George took off once we reached Hosur road and Simon literally dragged me till the end control. I had received a call of terror( from home) at 8 pm. It gave me some energy to ride till the end control. We reached the end control 55 min late, at 8 25 pm. Then stupidity and worry took over my senses and I took a rickshaw to reach home, which was about 7 km from the end control. I planned my story meanwhile and somehow escaped through the questions, my eyes gave away that I was tired but I somehow managed the situation. I ate like a pig, laughed at the fact that I took an auto to go 7 km after riding 200 km. I didn't want to ride the next day but Alan insisted that I do a short recovery ride, which I did. This brevet was an eye opener to improving my fitness and my approach towards nutrition. Performance aside, the experience, the breathtaking route, the kaleidoscope of butterflies, the ride companions was totally worth it.
Saalumarada 200 - The one with the black out
27th Sept 2014 - 1573m elevation gain - 11 hrs 05 min
This ride was just a few days before the epic Bliss in the Hills. Arthur and I decided to ride together. We started on time and maintained a decent pace, crossed the first control point and stopped for a banana break at 80 km. It was a beautiful stretch once we got off the highway after the first control. We gained good pace since the elevation was not very significant. By the time we hit Tumkur control I had run out of water and was very thirsty. At 137 km, it looked like we would finish it in about 10 hrs time. We looked around for a hotel but nothing was interesting me so we stopped at a juice center for water refill. What happened next was totally unexpected and shocked me. I took some time to recover from the shock.
We ordered chikoo juice and it was very relishing. I ordered another chikoo juice and drank it bottoms up. I could feel something move up my body and by the time I completed the sentence, "I think I am going to blac....", I blacked out. According to Arthur I was out for 5 seconds and he had a tough time trying to make sure I don't fall.When I gained back my conscious, the shopkeeper looked startled, Arthur had freaked out but managed to hide the expression and me, I woke up as if none of this ever happened. When people would faint during assemblies and NCC parades, I always wondered how it felt . Now I knew. This was the first time ever that such a thing happened to me.
Arthur was all strict post the incident. He made me drink so much of enerzal, something that I hate. Every 20 min he made sure I drank it. I just kept wondering about the cause of this black out. I blame the bottoms up of COLD chikoo juice and Arthur calls it a Vasovagal response. We met two other fellow riders who had plans of stopping at Kamat for food. We decided to join them. I was feeling very uncomfortable to eat, still shocked at the turn of events. I ordered for curd rice, asked the waitress to give me some extra pomegranate which would catalyse my intake. We rode strong after fueling and finished the ride in 11 hrs 05 min. I reached home before dark and I entered home without any cover up story.
Kottai 200 - The one with a mighty fall
25th Oct 2014 - 1944m elevtion gain - 11 hrs 55 min
This ride was scheduled on 1st Nov 2014. This was clashing with the Javadhu hill trail ultra run and I didn't want to miss any of the routes by Bangalore Brevets this season. So I decided to ride solo on 25th Oct. I had a lot to explore about myself with this ride. I was curious to know if I can follow the cue sheet all by myself and not get lost. I started from home at 5 10 am and reached the start point at 5 37 am. I stopped for breakfast at Saravana Bhavan at 8 40 am. I did bot like the idly sambar, however, I ate it. I had carried lots of raisins with me. I mixed a few with the idly sambar, I have absolutely no idea how that helped. I was happy about the fact that they had very clean rest rooms. I started from Saravana Bhavan at 9 10 am, took the right towards Rayakottai. I was forced to stop and seize the moment at the sight of Krishnagiri lake. I was extra cautious about the directions and extra excited about the optional hill climb.
The ride was getting more peaceful with distance. Finally I spotted the hill. I was wondering how could one possibly climb this until I noticed a green bar from the bottom to top of the hill. I wasn't sure if it was the same as mentioned in the cue sheet, however, I was eager to climb it. I locked my cycle at the base, picked up my water bottle and started the climb on foot. If not for that green support bar, it would have been extremely challenging to climb. The almost 360 degree view from the top was spectacular. The silence was too loud. I decided to spend some time at the top, clicked a few pictures, noticed that my phone was running low on battery so plugged the power bank to the phone, wrapped it well in the ziplock, put t in my jersey pocket and started climbing down. It was too steep, one wrong step and you slide down to the base if not for that support bar. I took that wrong step, had a royal fall on my back. Thanks to that support bar without which I would have severely hurt myself. There was not a single soul around and rarely any vehicles plying. I got back up on my feet and continued with extra care this time. My heart rate was normal once I reached my bike. I started riding and once I hit the city at around 2 30 pm, I thought I would inform my friends that I'm safe.
I wish someone had captured the look on my face when I saw my phone. The screen was broken. The cracks on the screen were bad and the touch sensor was gone.I knew only my parents contact numbers by heart. I thought I'd borrow someone's phone and inform my dad that I'd reach by 6 pm, but then he would realise that it was Tamil Nadu number so I dropped that option and decided to ride as fast as I could reach home. I popped in some raisins as there was no time for lunch and started riding. It started with light drizzle and then the rain gods went crazy! I kept up my pace and by the time I reached electronic city, I was literally searching for land amidst the water pool. Apparently, the road conditions due to heavy rains was all over the news, only giving my parents a platform to worry more. I managed to reach the end control at 5 25 pm and my next stop was the phone service center. Rain was putting up a tough fight. The first thing as soon as I reached the service center, I called my dad and informed him that I'm safe. I told him about the phone and he insisted I came home immediately. I was all set to get screwed at home, but to my surprise, my parents were not concerned on how I spent the past 12 hrs, they were simply relieved that I was bot out in the crazy rain. They were very sensitive about how miserable I was with the disabled phone, A screen replacement was necessary and I got it fixed in the next two days.
When I shared the experience of this solo ride with my friends, the first response is that it isn't a safe thing and the first question most of them asked was if I carried any safety weapon. My answer might not sound very practical to most people, however I chose to believe what makes me feel strong and self-dependent. Whenever I start a ride, I start with a thought that I will have a safe ride, I visualise my safe return.Carrying a safety weapon in particular is an action which would contradict my thoughts. I would be sending contradicting signals to the universe. So, I never carry a safety weapon as such. Moreover, another thought that gives me confidence is these words by a strong man- Anything can be used as a weapon need be. I strongly feel it is necessary to carry happy thoughts and thoughts that emit positivity (all the time if possible), especially when you are out on a long ride.
Basvanbetta 200 - The smoothest brevet no hazels
29th Nov 2014 - 2200m elevation gain - 12 hrs 12 min
Alan had mentioned Basvanbetta multiple times and this was a long awaited route to ride. Jigni too was a new route to me and I was high on the climb excitement. When I noticed that the elevation profile graph that was shared was symmetric about the betta top, I was worried about the descents this route had. I was extremely happy about the fact that the ride start time was 5 am, which means I can be back home before my mom returned from work. Since most times I ended up eating just one meal during the 200s, this time I decided to pack some home made food. I carried 6 chapati rolls with me. This time to avoid half tension, I told dad that I was going to Basvanbetta and I assured him that I'd be back before mom returned home. He was the one who made the chapati rolls for me. I had 2 of them at the start point.
I was riding with a group of riders, many whom I was meeting for the first time. Always happy to make new friends. Jigni downhills gave me chills. The group stopped at Sathnur for breakfast.We fuelled up well before the climb. It was truly a breathtaking one. All I could hear was my heart beat and my heavy breathing. The weather was in our favour but not during the betta climb. As the climb got tougher, so tough that I gave pauses after each pedal for a few meters. I was sure of one thing - My legs stay on the pedals till I reach the top. Michael rode past me twice and then I also saw two other riders coming down, giving room for some energy exchange as they passed by. The sight of the white house was refreshing. The best part and the treat of the climb was the hand pump behind the white house.The water was cool enough to cool me down. Richard reached after a few minutes. After a quick refreshment we started the downhill. I was ready to brake as hard as required and need be, I thought I'd walk down the steeper sections, however, I managed to stay on the saddle.
I took a lunch break after the 150 km control point. Richard had also stopped for lunch. We rode together for quite some distance sharing experiences. Richard took off after a while. After reaching the next control, I lost my way a couple of times, especially the last 15 km. I was worried if I could reach home by 5 30 pm. It was 5 18 pm when I reached the end control. I scooted off homewards soon as I reached and got home by 5 45 pm, no troubles. That was the time I realised that this had been the smoothest 200 so far. I was happy that I finished strong, considering my finish 6 months back, there was noticeable improvement. Recovery was fast and I had a good trail run the next day.
"According to Arthur I was out for 5 seconds and he had a tough time trying to make sure I don't fall."
ReplyDeleteshe was too heavy for me :P