Now the last 24 hours were left to complete the destined Race. Although still a hard task ahead to accomplish but I started to see the light on the other end of the tunnel (Phil said it on second day but I took five days for it). As the Sun today again rose with every hope and inspiration to me eroding my languor and lugubrious state of mind. McPhee supplied a baked potato with some yogurt on it and we decided to first take a good massage and then start nonstop for the whole remaining time.
I set my heart upon hitting a target of at least 500 km. 65 km were inevitable to avoid debar from the Race and 77 km were necessary to surmount the Indian National Record for Six Days made by Thirtha Kumar Phani in 1987 and 98 km were required for 500 km (to be first Indian to cover 500 km in six days period). Because of McPhee’s continuous assistance I covered 32 km up to midnight. I was determined to complete the remaining period without any sleep or stoppage but I found that Jevvan has gone away (actually he was also doing a hard job even after his miserable condition, he was in some fever also, and he had to take rest). His leaving proved me very doleful and bitter and I could not move even an inch without continuous hot feeding. I was forced to take some rest and lay down in my tent and slept.
When I awoke it was 4.30 AM , only crucial 8.30 hours left now and 85 laps were must to surpass Indian Record. It was not difficult but not so easy also. I started slowly but surely, 10 laps per hour were necessary. Julie’s crew started serving me with eatables. She was much concerned for me from the starting. Then Mr. Miskin came to me (as ill-luck he had, he could not complete his race due to blistering) and asked what I wanted. I with lump in my throat and tears in my eyes told him that either way, 85 laps are essential to complete and asked for pain killer tablets. He gave me Panadol tablets and after 2-3 laps it worked. Jevvan had also came. I started to walk and talk with Brock Mckinlay (his wife was crewing for him who is also an ultrarunner) and two hours passed easily. His company diverted my mind from my body pain and my speed was accelerated up to 12 laps per hour. At 142 hours (approx.) the Indian Record of 478 km was equalized. Then I went to toilets and started to wear-off one layer of clothes per lap. Jevvan was amazed to see 8 layers. Now I was in shorts and single for the second time in the Race. The sun was above the head and it was a great warm day. I am used to run in hot weather. I accelerated my speed but it was momentary and my left knee ensued persistent intolerable pain, of which I had the premonition. For this time, I was with my Ram Ban (sure shot) which can never fail. I cherished the sweet memories of my loving children Yiannis, Sofia and Zola. I reiterated each alphabet of their names to cover every lap. It could never happen to jump a letter of the word or incomplete the word of my affectionate children. In the very last finishing hour I covered 10 km, which was the best performance of my any single hour in whole six days. Firstly I thought I covered 490 km, but it was 492.1 and I was ranked 15th. It is the new Indian National Record , the first ever Indian to cover 300 miles in six days.
My strength
My greatest strength was my faith that will overcome all physical pains and thwart, mental botheration and fatigue and I would become indefatigable. I was confident of my ability, on the balance and strength of my mind that it would cope with physical and emotional pain. The faith of others instilled in me also ushered a sense of responsibility in me. How could I betray their faith who reposed so much of confidence in me. Once the Great Yiannis Kouros wished me saying “God be with you” and throughout this cumbersome race, I remembered his words and felt the omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence of God.
My weakness
(i) Inexperience: I had no experience of multiday footrace. In each sport a person always gets the lessons first and after making much deliberations and giving vent, a person gets the experience. But in Ultrarunning the scenario is otherwise. Here a person has the experience, the torments, hardships and intricacies, then only he learns a lesson from it. Unfortunately, in India such type of adventure or sporting events are neither held nor supported. Lack of experience tolled upon my performance beyond redemption. In preparation before the race I could only imagine a picture of the race, its probable hardships etc. and up to an extent I succeeded with my tactics. But on the other hand a utopian can only perceive the bottlenecks of paramount importance, but until and unless these are overcome, they come across as a stumbling blocks. No doubt the dreamers of the dream are the real makers of this universe but the dream should be practicable and the right infrastructure and paraphernalia be made available to realize it.
(ii) Weather : I could not withstand the biting chill and the freezing atmosphere. One of the reasons may be that I was losing strength and energy which was not being renewed due to less intake and resulting with low resistance power. The others were running in single pairs whereas I was running in eight layers of clothes and still the shivering was not getting rid of me. Running with eight layers in itself is quite ridiculous and embarrassing. The temperature varied around 30 Centigrade which in Delhi hardly goes during the peak winter.
(iii) No handler: It was the worst and biggest weakness which stood in my way as a hurdle and cliff in my way, I was handicap without handler. It was quite arduous and unwilling to put off the shoes, socks, and to take eatables etc. I could not perform these necessary activities freely but did only when it was extreme, it also impairs the efficacy and strength. I personally felt the presence of a handler is indispensable. I would have definitely come up with better results had there been someone to render me his services in those pigmy affair. The 13th finisher was only 10 km ahead of me. Without handler all the strenuous and odd jobs were to be done by myself which exaggerated my sufferings untold and unlimited or I can say that every little jobs (like lacing the shoes) became a very hard work. Hell with it! Without handler I could consume only one days of my usual diet through out all six days, which had also told upon my health an performance irretrievable.
I have got invaluable experience in this prestigious 6-Day Race. My performance was considered to the mark and marvelous and was commended by the partners. I had the zeal and assurance that, on the basis of this experience, in the same given conditions I would cover 600 + km definitely. And with a full time handler I would try to touch 700 km mark. It is my confidence. By doing Australian Six Day Race, I have taken the divine taste of Ultrarunning and a sense of determination, the sense of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened.
I am indebted to Planning Commission who extended all help, morally, ethically and monetarily to perform this colossal task. Though I would specially name Mr. Rajan Katoch, Jt. Secy. and Mr. G.P. Grover, Dy. Secy. who whole heartedly persistently forwarded my case to make it possible and Mr. K.C. Pant, Dy. Chairman for his kind permission to enable to participate in this esteemed race.
I extended my gratitude to my parents, my loving wife and kids who prompted me to devote my most of the time in preparation.
I am grateful to Mr. Colin John Gowan who has bestowed so much faith and strength during a-week stay with him in Sydney. The departing words of Colin’s wife Penny “Don’t be nervous” are still delighting in my mind and echoing in my heart and, thus, igniting a source of energy. To the previous guiding messages from George Audley, Tom Andrews, Andrew Lovy and Mihaly Molnar during my preparation for this race. To Jennifer Suzzane (crew with Andrew Lovy from USA), Michi (crew with Akihiro from Japan), Tom Andrews (USA). Very much to David Jones (Aus) who always continued to ask me for a smile and laughed every time I smile. I am very thankful to the race commentator Tony Rafferty (a veteran with many ultra marathon world records in his profile) who put strength and imposed responsibility on me by announcing time and again “he is the only Ultrarunner from a country of one billion people”. It aimed me to complete the race besides renewing my energy. My thanks go to my friends who sent me e-mails that were like oasis in the desert of loneliness.
I am proud of my family in which I got the atmosphere and I have become one among the billion. And afterall, I am indeed grateful to all Ultra Marathon Runners because of whom Ultrarunning is.
At the end I want to write down some of my favourite quotes:
1. Enjoy your pain, you’ve earned it. – Anonymous
2. The only way to define your limits is by going beyond them. – Anonymous
3. It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer or deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
– Theodor Roosevelt, Sorbonne, Paris, April 23,1910.
– Arun Kumar Bhardwaj (with many thanks to Ms. Harita Gaur, a student of Bhagini Nivedita College,Delhi for her immense help in preparing this Report)
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