The Ignited Heart - Part 6 - Journey of the 200s

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.

The Ignited Heart - Part 5 - Nyctophilia

Where your focus goes, your energy flows. My mind started playing smart as the door opened and I channelized all my energy, excitement and sense towards some other topic which I had identified was of a higher priority to my mother. So the immediate reaction phase was handled. Now comes the explanation phase which I started voluntarily to avoid being questioned. Spontaneous story telling is something that comes to me naturally and I keep this skill alive by practising it with my friends for fun. So I went on a ride in the morning, caught up with a set of friends for lunch, met another set of friends in the evening after which I went to airport along with another friend to drop her sister and her kid. I was the only one available to accompany my friend till airport and back and that's the reason for me being late. Those were the days when I owned no cycling jerseys or padded pants or reflective jackets so I was safe from the other questions which could have been shot at me. Since I was wearing the reflective jacket that Dr.Sanders had given me, I covered up by telling that a traffic police who noticed I was riding without lights was concerned enough to give it to me. Now comes the nodding phase where I nod my head in agreement to everything that is being told to me about me being a girl, not following the rules of getting home before dark, airport road is unsafe, Bangalore is unsafe, not spending weekends at home, blah blah and its done. I ate my dinner as fast as I could to avoid giving details on the day's events and rushed to bed.

As I lay on my bed, staring at the trees and sky from my window, I went through the day all over again. It was one of those days I'd never forget. Too may first experiences and indeed I had discovered a new part of me, the one that doesn't get tired easily. Finally I had the time and space to celebrate the day. 

A thought lingered in my mind and it bothered me a lot. I knew for fact that I would be exploring beyond 275 km, but how could I do it with the fear of riding in the dark with vehicles speeding by my side. Of course I would buy lights, but there was some fear factor that I had associated with riding at night because of my first experience which was not so pleasant and obviously not a strong base thought for me to build on.

During Coorg Escapade 2014, a hill trail run of 10 km with 300m of elevation gain over 5km, I was running(jogging/walking) up towards the 5km u-turn point and a guy sped past me from the opposite direction yelling that he had seen me with Alan and cheering me to climb faster. Later I learned that this guy had cycled from Bangalore to Coorg , run the hill trail of 10 km and cycled back to Bangalore. Thanks to Facebook, I connected with him once I was back to Bangalore. Arthur and I became good friends. I had then expressed my interest in getting over the fear of riding at night and it was then a night ride plan to Madikeri was born with a group of 5 riders including me. Arthur lent me a MacRider . We were all set to start from Bangalore on a Saturday night. However, there was a turn of events when 2 of the riders dropped out and the plan was cancelled. To best utilize my weekend and daylight, I did a 80 km ride in the morning and meanwhile, the night ride plan to Mysore was on. I made the necessary arrangements at home and was out by 7 pm. I bought rear lights and did a quick air check. Arthur, Daniel and I met at the decided start point at 8 30 pm. I had met Daniel during one of the Cycle Day events. We put on our reflective jackets and I was given strict instructions to stay with the pack and ride in the middle till dawn. We were riding in a single line, Arthur in the lead ,Daniel behind and I was riding in-between. It felt like I was  a princess with two strong body guards. Indeed they were strong, physically and mentally, to have taken up the responsibility of ensuring my safety, creating an opportunity for me to experience a night ride. I am extremely grateful to them for putting up with me. We reached McDonalds on Mysore road by 11 30 pm.

I waited for quite sometime, but neither did the speeding vehicles fear nor did the fear of night showed up. May be they lost me. Good for me, I was thoroughly enjoying the ride. There was light drizzle for quite some distance. Infact the ride turned out to be peaceful and interesting. Not for a second did any fear creep in. It was then I realized, I have Nyctophilia!

Daniel was too sleepy and he decided to take a nap at Righto, Mandya, while Arthur and I continued our ride. We were on constant conversation on so many subjects that sleep was off our mind. I had spent the previous night without sleep since I was out on a drive with some of my friends. The ride excitement had taken over sleep and we reached Mysore by 3 am. Columbia Asia hospital is where we freshened up and refilled our water bottles. I was keen on making it a 300km ride so we decided to go further towards Madikeri. As we entered Mysore and reached Ilwala, it was like I was given a sudden and instant sleep dosage. I told Arthur that I was too sleepy to ride and he immediately found a bus stop where I could take a power nap. Once awake, I did not want to continue as I was too sleepy and we took a U-turn and started riding towards Mysore Suburb bus station where we would be meeting Daniel. This was the first time I slept on the saddle. Arthur tried to make conversation so that I stayed awake. We reached Suburb at approx 5 15 am. Daniel was hit by the rains on his ride from Mandya to Mysore and he wanted to take a bus back to Bangalore. Arthur somehow talked Daniel into riding back and motivated Daniel to choose bike over bus. We had coffee at the bus station and it was approx 5 57 am when we started our ride towards Bangalore.

Riding at that time of the day when the light just sets in and the dawn breaks is one of the most beautiful moments. The transition period of just those few seconds speaks volumes in relation to life. The calmness, the new energy, the light , the aura, is pure bliss. And above all, it is an awakening, spiritually and at that moment literally I woke up from my sleepy state. Now I was allowed to ride ahead or lay back. The awakening came with some tremendous force that I was riding at a decent pace and the light drizzle from Mysore to Sriranapattna added to the fun. Now that tremendous force was controlled to a great extent by a piece of glass which pierced through my rear tyre and there it was, my first flat. I was on a hybrid, Arthur was on BSA Mach and Daniel on an MTB. I had not carried an extra tube, however all of us had patches. The light drizzle had turned into not so heavy rain. Daniel fixed the puncture and Arthur supported. We spent almost 45 minutes fixing it. Our next stop was at Mandya when Daniel caught the aroma of fresh jaggery. We walked in to the place and they generously gave us one big cube of the fresh jaggery! That's the best jaggery I have ever tasted and it sure did fuel us up. Our next stop was at Maddur CCD where we freshened up. Arthur was forced to drop the ride after a few miles since he was facing some mech issues with his bike. Daniel and I continued the ride and as we neared Bangalore, the rain gods welcomed us. The scene where the motored vehicles were parked by the road due to heavy rain , while Daniel and I ruled the streets, thoroughly enjoying the ride, rain and the stares of "How could they? Crazy people!" from the public gave us immense joy. We parted towards our respective humble abode at 2 30 pm. Arthur too managed to reach home by then.

By the end of the ride, we had achieved what we had set out for. I was over my false fear of riding at night , I had enjoyed the experience of it. The three of us had a lovely time riding together. A weekend well spent and I had biked 380 km that weekend. 

The Ignited Heart - Part 4 - Just 40 kilometres away

A century ride to Janapadaloka and back was my next long ride. It was the first time I'd seen so many cycling enthusiasts and I was filled with admiration for each one of them! It was only later that I realized I was admiring myself too. I made a lot of new friends during the ride. What caught my attention was the variety of perspectives in that crowd. There was everything, many of the gears I was seeing them for the first time. It all seemed so cool. The coolest thing was when I saw simplicity in motion. A person riding 100km on a ladybird. A thought crossed my mind, "It's the engine that matters most, and you are the engine of your bike. Ride on". 

The questions "What next? When ? Where to ?" were haunting my mind and they cannot be left unanswered, not for long. May 10th, 2014, these questions would find an answer. I expressed my interest to Alan about going further than a 100 and a plan was made for a ride to the sugar city and back. That very night was fullmoon and if I recall rightly, there was a 200km brevet along the same route. Alan and I started the ride at exactly 5:15am, we planned to return by evening so that I wouldn't have to be interrogated by my folks at home.It would seem like any other weekend where I'd leave home in the morning and reach only by late evening. My mom says I was born with wheels beneath my legs. I must have a packed weekend. She expects me to rest on weekends. My definition of rest is when I'm occupied and active, doing what I enjoy.

I had forgotten to carry a water bottle. That called for our first stop at Bidadi, opposite to the Hanumantha temple is a stretch of shops where we bought water. I had had 4 eggs(only white) before starting from home and wasn't hungry yet. As we crossed Janapadaloka, I was excited about the fact that this was the farthest I had ever been away from home on a cycle. It gave me chills for a moment. We stopped for fuel, just to avoid using up the reserve, at Kadambam, Channapatna. I was not aware of the fact that it was famous for the puliyogere that they served and ended up ordering a dosa. Our next stop was a forceful one. A huge loaded truck had gotten off road and it wouldn't start. I still can't get myself to believe that the truck driver stopped us and requested us to a give it a push! Oh, it wasn't even a decent that the truck would move.We tried any-ways, all in vain. I had just created a funny cartoon version of the situation in my mind. It is hard to figure out what was on the truck driver's mind when he stopped us and what was on our mind when we were trying to push the truck. May be its hope. I love hope.

I was very scared to let go of the handle bar and reach out to my bottle to drink water. I had to stop by the side to take a sip. Now I've learned to drink water while on the move and feel very proud about it. What's the hurry anyway. Alan was sharing his ride experiences and it was very fascinating and inspiring to listen to them all. The word Mysore came up during the conversation. That was the trigger. I spent my engineering days in Mysore and two of my dearest friends stay there. Alan gave a wonderful idea "Why not surprise them? Mysore is just 40km away from Mandya. Considering our average pace, we'd need an extra 4 hours". Wow! I would be more than happy to meet them and surprise, rather shock them. The excitement was on a whole new level after this plan.

The best thing about riding to Mandya is the sugar cane juice. Yes, that was our next stop where we downed 4 glasses of the fresh sugar cane juice and started towards Mysore. The excitement was doubling up as I saw the reading on the milestones by the road side reduce by every kilometer. The distance to Ooty was also etched on every milestone. For some reason the crazy me kept reading it aloud. While I was lost in this excitement, we were again force stopped, but this time it was a person whose vehicle was in perfect condition. I do not recall his name, he is someone who walked from Mandya to Manthralaya, Tirupathi and many more distant places on his list. He was delighted to know that we were riding from Bangalore towards Mysore and this generous man bought us tender coconut water to drink. Again, it was his simplicity that interested me as he spoke about the way they'd just walk miles without carrying much, calling the road their home, sleep by the road side, reach their destination. He wished us a happy and safe journey and we continued to ride towards Mysore. That tender cocnut water that we drank had magic in it. The magic of love and appreciation, compassion and humanity. It reflected in the pace with which we rode the last few miles to Mysore. 

There's this huge water tank that can be spotted when you are about to reach Mysore. I call it "The Great Wall of Mysore". Every Monday morninng during my engineering days, as I traveled back to Mysore, I would give a call to my roommates at hostel alarming them of my arrival at the great wall and they would be awake and ready to welcome me because I had the yummiest food with me. Dad-made food. He would wake up at 2:30am almost every Monday morning to cook and parcel food for 9 people. His food is quite famous amongst my hostel friends. It brought him inexpressible joy when I'd call him from hostel and all my friends would cheer in the background thanking him for the amazing monday morning feast. I am blessed with the best dad.

We passed the great wall of Mysore and reached Columbia Asia at 12 in the noon. Phew! 6hrs 45min of journey on saddle and pedals and we were in the heritage city! Time to fuel up,we had a heavy meal at Siddhartha Hotel from where I called up my friends to check if they were home. One of them was at work, which disappointed me a little. But I was too happy to hold on to that. While we were riding towards my friend's place, we bumped into one of the cyclists in Mysore, who recognised Alan, though they'd never met offline earlier. He shared that he was setting out to Goa on his bike the next day. Wow! Someday, I will too. He had a wonderful handlebar bag on his bike. 

I called out my friend's name as we stood at her house gate. Oh yes, she was totally shocked. It took a while for her to believe that I was there for real. She invited us inside and enquired about the journey and called us crazy numerous times. It was mango season and she offerred us some super sweet mangoes. We had a small seize-the-moment session, she gave us two bars of snickers and we started our return ride at 2pm. 

What gave me the confidence that I could ride back was the company that I had. Alan is one hell of a rider, more so, he is an inspiring one. His love for fitness is very contagious, I must say. The constant appreciation from him about my stamina throughout the ride so far, made me feel stronger and kept me going, also, it made me feel very special and good about myself. This feel good factor is a miraculous thing. It creates a positive aura around you and takes you to a new level of positivity where the impossible doesn't exist. 

Sugar-cane calling, our next stop was Mandya, where we relished the natural energy drink and the melted snickers bar under the hot sun. That reminds me , it was a sunny day but we hardly realized that. Neither of us complained about the sun. We were thoroughly enjoying the ride. It was about 6:30pm when were reached Chanpatna. Alan wanted to stop by and meet one of his friends, Dr. Sanders. His house was en route. Dr. Sanders was very welcoming, he offered coffee and food. It was getting dark and we had about 70km to ride. No front lights or reflective jackets, we had not prepared for a ride in the dark. Dr. Sanders strictly told me that he'd put my bike and me in a bus if I didn't wear a reflective jacket. Now where will I get it from! He was generous enough to lend me an extra reflective jacket that he had and we set out on our saddles towards home.

Once we passed the Chanpatna traffic, worry started creeping up. I have never ridden on a highway in the dark before, and hence panic was setting in.Usually I enjoy darkness, but the speeding vehicles on my right started freaking me out. I went off road once and that scared Alan too! Somehow he instilled confidence in me and we were riding at a good pace. I was riding just about half feet behind Alan. What bothered me more was the explanation I had to give at home! My phone's battery was dying. A few miles before Bidadi, we took a quick water break. There was still loads of energy left, but it was infected with panic and worry. I knew I would never be riding at night again. There was one moment where the trees grew thicker, no speeding vehicles, absolute silence, the moon was shining big and bright, there were no street lights but there was enough moon light. This was the moment when I lost myself to the nature and zoom goes a vehicle on my right bringing me back to reality.

As we were nearing Bangalore, we saw many brevet riders, there was more light, no speeding vehicles due to traffic and I was calm. We had been riding for about 17 hours, 275km on the saddle. There was a sense of accomplishment but I was too worried to celebrate. It was exactly 10:05pm when I knocked on the door, holding my cycle close to me for moral support. 

The Ignited Heart - Part 3

The door opened. I held my bike close to me as if it were my moral support. As I lifted it and walked in, noticed the puzzled look on my mother's face. My heart was pounding, like I were to give a performance now. It seemed as if I were in some animated world. My mom's face resembled a dancing question mark. I couldn't hold it any longer. My face was beaming with joy and it was impossible to hide, especially from my mother. I managed to tell her that Alan's friend was going onsite for 6 months and has given the bike to me until he returned. She said the bike looked brand new. For a second I forgot that I had removed the plastic covering and spontaneously I replied that it is well maintained and just out from service. Phew! I couldn't make eye contact throughout the conversation. I was looking at my bike while we spoke.Now it was time to repeat the scene before dad. I had given a decent performance. Practice sure does make you perfect!

Alan had planned a ride to Mysore the next day with a few of his friends. He invited me to join them for a few miles. I was heading to Mandalpatti, a serene hill located about 25-30km from Madikeri town, with my friends the same day. However, we'd planned to start by noon so I decided to join Alan and his friends for the ride.

I could hardly sleep that night. I woke up many times to ensure that I was not late and that I reach the start point on time. About 7 of them had turned up at 5:30 am. This was my first ride on a highway. Alan was constantly guiding me on how to ride safe on a highway. Keep left, if someone's honking restlessly from behind, don't panic instead give way, let them pass and you continue your ride.

The best part about mornings is those few mesmerizing moments when the dawn just breaks and it feels like you are riding into the light . I was thoroughly enjoying the ride. We stopped at Bidadi for coffee and a picture. One of the riders decided to take a u-turn. Alan suggested that I joined that guy, so that I would have company on my return ride but I still had time and I wanted to ride more. About a few kilometres before Ramanagara, it was high time I made that u-turn. It was a tough one, that u-turn.

The return ride would be my first solo and I constantly kept in mind what Alan had taught me earlier that morning. I stopped a few times to hydrate. Oh yes, I was too scared to drink while in the move. So every time I wanted to drink(water), I would stop. Exhaustion was just setting in and I got a call from my friend. Once the call ended, I remembered that I had been tracking my ride and checked the distance. I was quite surprised to see 84 km! I was sure that something was wrong with my tracker but I was wrong. It was 87km when I had reached home. I left a message to Alan that I had reached safe. I was jumping with joy when I verified that my tracker was right and I was not that far from a century. 

At the end of my first ride I'd realised my strength, willingness and curiosity to go further and that there's an endless road to rediscover.

The Ignited Heart - Part 2

As a believer of the secret, I was certain that the 'Someday' that I had been looking forward to was not far away. I could see two doors in front of me. On one of them, was written "Certainty and security- two strong aspects of the 6 basic human needs", which meant I had to save money, and then buy my dream bike. The second door spoke simplicity with depth "Its now or never". Of course I chose the later. The inner voice in me kept whispering "Ask and ye shalt receive".I decided to approach a very good friend of mine, who used to stay in my locality, Samuel. It had been about a year that Samuel had moved to UAE. At once he agreed to lend me the entire amount. I was filled with gratitude at his generosity and trust in me. I promised to return the loan in 7 months time.

On 14th March 2014, I collected the money from the foreign exchange agency and my next stop was Chris's bike store. I called my friend Suzane to accompany me. Both of us were equally excited. Just that there was an element of shock and confusion in her excitement. Once I explained my plan, she seemed normal. En route, I also called Alan and requested him to join me at the bike store. He was more than happy to be there.

There it was, my dream bike, a sexy 24 speed matte black hybrid. I couldn't wait to take off. I went on a short test ride. I learned that the buying ain't over yet, the accessories list seemed endless. I realized that I am going to be on a journey I have never taken before and I am going to figure it out as I go. It is going to be a long journey , I needed to be safe. So the first accessory I picked up was a helmet (a must have). A small photo session to seize the moment after which Suzane and I started homeward.

Home! Shoot me! Regaining my senses, I recalled that I had not taken permission at home. What would I do! They won't understand why I paid nearly 36 grand for a cycle. It takes time, patience and talent to explain passion to my parents. For the time being, it is going to be my friend's friend's bike, who has gone onsite for a few months and has generously given the bike's custody to me. Would they buy it? I had absolutely no idea how I would face my parents. My heart skipped a few beats when I entered home.

The Ignited Heart

Bangalore! My first love. I had returned to my home town after 3 months. The fact that I'd be living in my happening city had filled me with excitement. Three months away from Bangalore was a big deal. Something that helped me discover my passion was born while I was away. Cycle day was the talk of the town.

Very inquisitive about the event,I reached the venue about one and a half hours early.My friends cursed me for having disturbed their weekend morning laziness. Fresh air, enormous energy, friends, runners, cyclists, kids and above all, nature, for me, it was a perfect start for the weekend. As the sun's rays made its way between the trees, the crowd increased and we were first in line for the cycle rentals. Getting back on the saddle and pedalling after quite some time, felt wonderful. For the first time I witnessed such huge gathering of cyclists and an attractive range of bicycles. The ones with extremely thin tyres caught my eyes and I would follow those bikes to get a closer look. However, I didn't dare to ask the owners for a ride. 

The next month there was a change in the venue and it was just 2.5km from my place. So I decide to take my ladybird out after 4 years. Dad and me cleaned it, air check done. I took my 7th standard gift for a test ride and it was perfectly fine. This time the event had much more than cycling. I learned about the Vodafone Cycling marathon and happily registered for the 40km ride. A thought hit my mind. What if I can get one of those super-bikes to ride! A geared one. I started looking around the area for an approachable face and with much less effort I came across one such face. Had spotted this person at the previous cycle day too. He seemed very humble, enthusiastic and approachable. With no hesitation, I asked him if he knew of any bicycle rentals in Bangalore. Looked like I had approached the right man, Alan. A week later I was riding a geared cycle for the very first time in my life. It was a big deal! It was a Merida MTB. The joy that grew on me every time I pushed the pedals was endless. The ride felt so smooth like melting chocolate. Now this was going to be my weekend date. Looked classy, felt smooth, and there was a spark in my heart when i rode it. This probably was the first spark.

The cycling marathon was on Sunday and I had Saturday to explore the city with pedals and saddle. I rode the bike to every place I went, including shopping! Every minute spent with the bike mattered. I rode effortlessly, explored different gears. Alan had given me a complete know-how session before handing over his priced possession. He clearly explained how and when to shift the gears, what gear ratio to maintain, the whole mechanism of gears and most importantly how to lock the bike to a stationery pole/tree with the lock enclosing the two tyres and the frame along with the pole. He had patiently demonstrated to me all these things.Lessons that I can never forget. That weekend I had clocked around 80km. I was impressed with myself.

Time had come to depart with the bike on Monday morning. I felt the spark again. What if I had one such bike with me all the time. Next weekend I again borrowed a bike, this was a different one, single speed MyBike . The handles were customised and very unique. I thoroughly enjoyed riding it, so much that I cycled to a movie theatre too. My friends thought that I've lost my mind. 

Meanwhile Alan had purchased a new bike. By now I had little knowledge about the terminologies used by cyclists. I had stopped referring to road bikes as thin tyre bikes and MTBs as fat tyre bikes. Alan had purchased a hybrid. He asked me if I'd like to take a ride. I started jumping with joy.It was about 9 30 pm. I slyly sneaked out of home. Alan had come with his friend Chris who owned a bike store. 

Matte black finish! I fell for the sight of it. Not more than 500 meters did I ride, I knew which bike I had to buy. After a short loop I enquired with Chris about the cost of the bike. I felt a strong urge to own it. Once I learned the cost, I took a step back and told myself "Relax and take that expression off your face right now!". However, I felt very happy , I was all smiles from ear to ear. There is this part of me that comes alive during such peak experiences of joy and ignites the desire, so strong a desire that, though this part of me is alive for a few seconds, enormous is its impact. I wanted that bike. That spark in my heart was now set on fire. I was clueless about how I would get there, but I just knew that I would. Someday.