Ooty Ultra 60k - Dreading 90k category was put on hold for a good reason.

Reasons known to us, courtesy Coach Kay doing his best in terms of analysing my well being when wanting achieve milestones that need attention to detail and a little intricate plan of execution rather than waiting for the hell to break loose.

And just like it sounds enough time was dedicated by Coach at the Padukone Sports academy to review my weakness and strength knowing the passion I wish to carry in future or like he always said the longevity aspect needs to be looked into for fruitful results. And hence the decision to run the 60km ultra instead of 90km was taken as the target for the first half of year is UTMB 100km.

Here's a glimpse of how meticulous the report was to summarise a part of his findings

I always wondered that my limitations were know to me considering the L5 disc bulge I carry and frequent concerns from my dear ones would also make me alert of how much is too much. All it took was a whip and it now has me dig more in to the thoughtfulness of what best could be done considering my fitness levels, age and goals. This has well laid out the path to victory that I always wish to cherish and by victory I mean self awareness, self analysis, self motivation, self goals and how the surrounding factors need to governed to do the right things known for a positive outcome. The setbacks are often a part of the journey too and learnings from it makes a way better comeback.

So looking forward to yet another mileage and elevation profile run and Ooty Ultra was a no brainer and had to be attended to keep with the training plan that not just demanded mileage, but elevation and some weight loss too :). So here's what I bound to gain from the run

Read more at

https://ootyultra.kfita.in/ootyultra-60k/

An unexpected start of the year at Vagamon Ultra followed by a weaker gut lead to a dratic drop in weight by 2kgs. Call it a boon in disguise and ever since then I have managed to maneuver around 59-60kgs. The increase in mileage and pace is equally responsible for some outcomes and would like to keep it that way.

The drive from Bangalore to Ooty is definitely fancy but if the event happens to coincide with a long weekend, it is bound to ruin some happiness with some snail traffic in Bandipur. The reason being the formality to purchase the entry ticket, random car checks for plastic and liquor and the time also being close to elections, cash scrutiny is also a thing. Hence be prepared to extend the journey time by atleast 60-80 mins.

But with some good company to share banter or two, you tend to pass through the wait times with some ease.

Reza in his 30km debut, Sangho the forever star and TimTim being the tiggress as always.

Most of the tourist attractions needing entry tickets close down by 5pm. So if you are planning to give these a visit, it's advised to start early from Bangalore and have a go to the boat house or dodabetta sunset point or tea park and enjoy your cup of tea in the soothing blend of warmth and cold during the peak day time.

A day away for the bib collection, a short recce could prove beneficial to test the running conditions during the early hours or a little later to gauge the heat of the day. The 5-6km will surely will not hurt knowing the endurance you have already developed.

A good 7km incline and decline helped us understand what is expected on the d day. The event day always mattered even if you are well versed with the route and elevation profile. Your utmost importance will be keeping well as much as you can in terms of rest, sleep and nutrition. Socializing does take a back seat for me at time on the day prior to the run and all I do see myself visualising the short goals that I edure to achieve.

Studying the gpx file downloaded from Ooty Ultra website is one thing that you can do to preview the route mileage, aid stations and elevation, you pacing strategy. Knowing the aid station distance and knowing how much more to climb does help you in keeping a tap on the time and pace you would want to retain during the runs.

https://ootyultra.kfita.in/routenelevation/

The bib collection as usual happens a day before the race followed by race briefing. The goodies are topped up by the associate sponsor can help you stock your kitchen essentials for sure 😄. With the number of participants increasing every year, it was wise enough to collect the bib as early as possible to avoid the queue later during the day. This also gives the runners reaching Ooty on the day of bib collection some relief considering the already stationed runners have collected the bib in advance.

A good meal post the bib collection and some rest for sure is recommended. Not to forget to pack your hydration pack if need be else you could choose to rely on the aid stations well equipped with your needs. However, I often choose to be self dependent as it helps me train for longer runs and international events that lay aid stations 10kms apart and is quite a strategy you have to develop to survive in such events irrespective of the ultra run category.

The run was scheduled to begin at 6am on Sunday and this flagged off the 90km and 60km category and I must say, knowing there are runners who are taking on the 90km ordeal, 60km felt quite doable with lesser stress levels. The pain points of the run were already know to me since I have had the experience of past two runs here. I had visualzed the terrain and it's inclination that had to be handled in a way along with nutrition to help me moving. Be it the brisk walks or the run down the hill or surviving the pricking heat, all could not be misjudged anymore. I was ready to bell the cat and feeling quite confident with the level of energy left after every mile I covered.

Talking of heat, the perfect solution was to make a lemonade at every station and have a cup or a two to balance your salt levels. Fruits like orange and watermelon with salt too does wonder just incase you are hungry. Boiled potatoes are another go to food you can choose to have and will be a big respite in terms of carb refills and not having to chew a lot to fill your tummy. Bread or boiled eggs on the other side is often consumed provided I am too hungry and there is a lot to cover or knowing the run is going to last over 8-9 hours. Some solid food in such scenarios is recommended to ensure you do not starve and run on fumes as this could lead to a black out. Hence taking care of your nutritional demands needs to be prioritise and can be planned during your training runs.

So first up, the big fat glasses that covered half my face was a borrow from TimTim since I forgot to carry mine. These are the Pit Viper shades that worked well for dust and wind but were less resistant to direct sunrays. Overall was of great help from the bright sun on the route and felt light on the face.

The major change was to quit carrying the walking poles that have been used in early days for elevation runs due to the prevailing condition of the L5 disc bulge. The strength workouts over the years has definitely helped and have been choosing short runs to test the lower back stability. The 36km elevation run at Sikkim was one such run used as a training pad to test and also debued with waist pack for hydration. The waist pack didn't hold good and felt heavy on the lower back and therefore stuck to my usual hydration backpack. This was must as I had to continue running with these knowing the international formats of trail runs mandates the use of hydration packs with some mandatory gear to carry with it. A light windproof jacket to keep away from morning cold in Ooty but no buffs or monkey cap this time. Also lightened the weight of nutritional bars and instead chose to rely on gels and we'll equipped aid stations on the route. To quickly summarize I ended up consuming 2-3 liters of fluid that comprised of water, electrolytes, lemonade, coca cola and some oranges and watermelon to go with it.

Coach Kay has briefed it well in the website on what to expect during the initial stages of the run

https://ootyultra.kfita.in/ootyultra-60k/

The first 4kms give you the warm up that your legs need before you start the climb towards the second highest peak in South India - The Dodabetta peak. The run up the elevation was doable with the trained legs. The elevation could get a bit difficult as you reach the peak and felt quite steep at the 8km. This is when you really want to hit the top at once and return on the downward hill journey till the 22nd kilometre.

The elevation seems irratic when compared to the disclosures in the Ooty Ultra website

The 30km mark ends the 30km category runs. The 60km category runners take the same road down till the 36-37th km mark and then continue with the rolling journey and elevation gains till the 47th km post which the steep uphill commences to mark the end of the journey. The last leg definitely ain't easy for those fatigue legs. You are entirely exposed to the bright sun and hydration becomes an utmost factor to keep your muscles from cramping due to the loss of salt, sugar and water. With luch time approaching, some solid food down the belly had to be consumed in controlled manner. Frequent bites here and there kept myself from starvation.

The last elevation takes you back to the starting point of Dodabetta and you turn left to end it at the Tea park again. So the 30km category runners hit the tea park once, the 60km runner do it twice while the 90km mammoth run graces it thrice to glory.

The muscles weren't acting out yet and guess the only single problem I faced so far in the run was a dog menace near a household and the sweet little girl helped me keep them on leash while the climbed the way up. Small advice to all who may have come across such instances, all you could do is to slow down and cause no threat to the dog. Try to stay calm and keep moving slow but don't forget to keep an indirect eye on their movements. They often bark in defence but the ones that don't bark could turn out to be notorious, so watch your step as you pretend not being scared to death 😁.

The road to the finish is yet another mild roll up and down till you hit the entry of the tea park which has an elevated 100-150 meters tar to cover with whatever steam you are left with and can go all in since it makes the end of your journey.

The finish had to be special with flashbulbz in frame that make every run count and give us some beautiful memories that are cherished for lifetime.

Tech stats of the run hosted at

https://strava.app.link/YTBu0urjBIb

Was I happy with the performance? Yes pretty much knowing the past accomplishments and debacle owing to body fatigue in the 90km attempt, here's a quick insight to yet another injury free finish but a burn out for sure by the end of the race.

And as always, meeting peeps at events is the best thing that happens when you share your knowledge of upcoming events and how they plan to perform their best.