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Atacama Crossing Blogs 2011
11
PostsAtacama Crossing (2011) blog posts from Sumanth Cidambi
11 March 2011 06:28 am (GMT+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
It is now 10AM. I got in here at 3.15AM, completed the stage in a little over 19 hours, including 2.5 hours of R&R. My body has no feeling below the hip and I am limping back to normal. My lips look like the salt flats I just crossed, torn and dry!
The stage started with 15km of extremely difficult salt flats (to CP1) followed by another 10 odd km of hard and crusty sand (to CP2). I did decent time here and also managed to reach CP3 by 1PM, given the cut off was 7PM. CP3-CP5 was brutal. Desert heat and no shade anywhere. I was hobbling for the most part, given my bad legs from yesterday and at on point almost felt like giving up. Oh, well. It is also funny, how at times you pass people, people pass you or you are moving on alone for miles and miles, just you and your thoughts. The key was to just keep sucking up all the good thoughts and wishes and channeling them inward, to move on.
Nutrition wise, the day did not go well. I could not eat any solid food for the last two days and had to force some soup in at the end of Stage 4. To ensure no nausea or giddiness, I kept nibbling on a few sugar bars during the day, washed down with loads of water and antacids at each CP. Consulted the doctors monitoring us and I was assured no cause for concern.
At CP5, took a break for 2 hours. Had a large cup of miso soup and took a short nap. At this point, I had company - Len (my tentmate) and Gary and Brad (both of whom I met a day ahead of the race). We set off from CP5 around 10PM. CP5-CP6 took us almost on the border of Argentina-Chile and we were told that because of border issues between the countries, we were passing through a landmine field for 6km. Oh, fuck!! Well, onward and upwards. Gary, who worked in Tanks in the Canadian Forces took lead and we followed. We kept to the path, following the glowsticks and not straying too far from the designated path till we reached CP6.
Post CP6, we walked on through a difficult creek/river canyon. We stopped many times to look at the night sky -Beautiful to see the entire milky way, a sight you will never see in a city, thanks to light pollution. We identified the southern star, orion, the two bears. I mean, against the backdrop of the black sky, the glowing stars were so refreshing to see.
The road into camp reminded me of "on a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair" minus the warm smell of colitas wink wink.
With all this little soirees to keep our enthusiasm going, we finally made it to camp at a little after 3 this morning. The four of us crossed the line together - great camaraderie.
I am more refreshed now, will be eating some soup and food soon. Tomorrow is a 16km into San Pedro where pizza (lots of it) and beer (more than lots of it, I trust) await us. Thank you all for your kind wishes. There are many who have written in, who I do not know personally. Thank you as well. These are what have helped me complete six days in the desert.
See you all soon.
Best
S
The stage started with 15km of extremely difficult salt flats (to CP1) followed by another 10 odd km of hard and crusty sand (to CP2). I did decent time here and also managed to reach CP3 by 1PM, given the cut off was 7PM. CP3-CP5 was brutal. Desert heat and no shade anywhere. I was hobbling for the most part, given my bad legs from yesterday and at on point almost felt like giving up. Oh, well. It is also funny, how at times you pass people, people pass you or you are moving on alone for miles and miles, just you and your thoughts. The key was to just keep sucking up all the good thoughts and wishes and channeling them inward, to move on.
Nutrition wise, the day did not go well. I could not eat any solid food for the last two days and had to force some soup in at the end of Stage 4. To ensure no nausea or giddiness, I kept nibbling on a few sugar bars during the day, washed down with loads of water and antacids at each CP. Consulted the doctors monitoring us and I was assured no cause for concern.
At CP5, took a break for 2 hours. Had a large cup of miso soup and took a short nap. At this point, I had company - Len (my tentmate) and Gary and Brad (both of whom I met a day ahead of the race). We set off from CP5 around 10PM. CP5-CP6 took us almost on the border of Argentina-Chile and we were told that because of border issues between the countries, we were passing through a landmine field for 6km. Oh, fuck!! Well, onward and upwards. Gary, who worked in Tanks in the Canadian Forces took lead and we followed. We kept to the path, following the glowsticks and not straying too far from the designated path till we reached CP6.
Post CP6, we walked on through a difficult creek/river canyon. We stopped many times to look at the night sky -Beautiful to see the entire milky way, a sight you will never see in a city, thanks to light pollution. We identified the southern star, orion, the two bears. I mean, against the backdrop of the black sky, the glowing stars were so refreshing to see.
The road into camp reminded me of "on a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair" minus the warm smell of colitas wink wink.
With all this little soirees to keep our enthusiasm going, we finally made it to camp at a little after 3 this morning. The four of us crossed the line together - great camaraderie.
I am more refreshed now, will be eating some soup and food soon. Tomorrow is a 16km into San Pedro where pizza (lots of it) and beer (more than lots of it, I trust) await us. Thank you all for your kind wishes. There are many who have written in, who I do not know personally. Thank you as well. These are what have helped me complete six days in the desert.
See you all soon.
Best
S
09 March 2011 07:05 am (GMT+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
Completed Stage 4, The Salt Flats. Am screwed physically, legs hurting badly. Going to rest and recoup ahead of tomorrow's long march - 73km in total.
Will update once I complete that. Keep your wishes coming, they sustain me throughout.
Best
S
Will update once I complete that. Keep your wishes coming, they sustain me throughout.
Best
S
Comments: Total (35) comments
Posted On: 12 Mar 2011 05:53 am
hey Atacama Man !
What a beautiful write up of stage 5.
Speechless for the moment. Just happy, relieved, proud, excited,stupefied!
In the confines of my home, am gonna do the victory dance tonight! :D
my brother joins in to congratulate you and admire your will !
Posted On: 11 Mar 2011 06:54 pm
Dear Sumanth, Best wishes! Indeed your effort and endurance is incredible and inspiring. Keep going.
Posted On: 11 Mar 2011 05:13 pm
Truly Inspiring Sir. By this time tomorrow you will have made us all proud. Bravo!! More importantly your wife will be in peace. Keep the flag flapping.
Posted On: 11 Mar 2011 01:54 pm
Dear Sumanth
what an inspiring person and race....
one step in front of another..... keep the faith
Love and prayers!!
all the iyers
Posted On: 11 Mar 2011 01:48 pm
Stage 6 of 16 kms will be over in the next 24 hrs but I think all of us must stand up and sing our National Anthem for Sumanth:
Jana gana mana adhinaayaka, jaya he
Bharata bhaagya vidhata
Punjaba Sindhu Gujarata Maratha
Dravida Utkala Banga
Vindhya Himachala Yamuna Ganga
Uchchhala jaladhi taranga
Tava shubha naame jaage
Tava shubha aashisha maage
Gaahe tava jaya gaatha
Jana gana mangala-daayaka jaya he
bhaarata bhaagya vidhata
Jaya he! Jaya he! Jaya he!
Jaya, jaya, jaya, jaya He!
Posted On: 11 Mar 2011 11:14 am
Wow! Superb!
Let the celebrations begin!
God Blesssssssss!
Sumanth, the aches and pains must be sweet now, na? Wish the whole lot of friends cheering and praying for you cud be at the finishing line, welcoming you! We are,buddy..we are all there,virtually and in spirit!
Hero!!!
Yipppee, Nandu, you proud wifey!
Posted On: 11 Mar 2011 09:28 am
Just in. Sumanth has completed Stage 5.
Posted On: 11 Mar 2011 06:53 am
sumanth!!!!
You wont believe the joy and excitement am feeling as you
marching closer to the finishing line.
Wow! This is truly phenomenal! You
are breaking into new frontiers.
God Bless! God Speed !
:) :) :)
Warm wishes go to Michelle too!
You both are doing India proud!
Posted On: 11 Mar 2011 12:03 am
Wish you all the best Sumath. We are rooting for you. You are truly an inspiration. I am sure you will complete this race with flying colors.
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 10:22 pm
You're doing GREAT Sumanth!! Just one more day to pull through and it's all a sweet downhill after that.
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 10:00 pm
Keep going Sumanth, here is sending you good wishes for tomorrow.
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 06:58 pm
You are true inspiration to all the Indians out there Sumanth. Sending you all my wishes and Best of Luck. You already a hero for all of us.
Siri
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 06:32 pm
You will be very tired by the time you complete stage 5 but hearing a few words from you relaxes us here and everyone heaves a sigh of relief. A short post from you saying that you have "Completed Stage 5 successfully" will be like a manna from heaven. Its all gonna be over soon. Keep the faith. History is being made. Cheers!
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 06:07 pm
Hang in there Sumanth... We are all super proud of you and know that you can do it :).... Hugs and best wishes
Mudichuttu vandappuram, we go go to karaikudi and have ur vazhapoo vadai ;)
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 04:33 pm
Hey Sumanth, through Nandita on FB we are getting constant updates which is great to hear. We are all rooting for you, we know you can do it. Spoke to Danny on Tuesday and he sends his regards also. Rest well, enjoy and keep safe. We are all thinking of you and wishing you a great experience of a lifetime... Fiona x
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 03:14 pm
you are almost done. hang on. so proud of your achievement. but most of all, take care of yourself.
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 11:25 am
Dear Sumanth,
Some wise man once said that the greatest journeys are the ones that bring you back home.
Keep going, home is not far away
LK
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 11:18 am
Fantastic Sumanth! Very warm wishes! Thinking of you and praying too! You are living your dream...enjoy!
You are going to look back at this with so much pride and gratitude!
The energies are refilling and re-fuelling your legs and back...
Aall izz well!
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 11:12 am
Sumanth.. every day nandita writes something about u ... i go upto my husband and say dekhoooo what sumanth is doing...
Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain. ~Author Unknown
hugs....
p.s before you deleted that sweet message on fb i read it .. :) thanks for the sweet message...
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 09:09 am
Great going till now. Just don't let that fire in you burn out. Keep the faith and you will soon be acheiving this big milestone in your life.
Good luck, prayers and lots of cheers be with you.
Swetha
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 06:52 am
All the best, Sumanth! Keep going!
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 06:37 am
You have completed 4 marathons! Congrats! Of course, everything is gonna hurt and pain but remember that now there is only one day left. You finish Stage 5 and you will complete the race. The battle is now entirely a mental one. You will do it. Your speed is back up to 4.87 kmph in Stage 4. Pace yourself well for the 73 kms Stage 5. Easy does it. God Bless!
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 06:34 am
Good luck ..Keep it going ...
:D :) :) :) :) :)
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 06:24 am
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GETS GOING.
This is what separates you from the rest of the crowd,you are a champion,keep going strong.Obviously you are saving the best for last.
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 05:29 am
May the force be with you Sumanth . Do it man . You are already a hero mate . Do it !!! We are all with you here . God luck and godspeed.
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 05:27 am
Rest well and be refreshed sumanth..good luck, strength and cheer coming your way
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 05:03 am
Hi Sumanth,
Have been following your experiences pre and during Atacama Crossing through your dear wife Nandita .
All the very best and great going! Cheers!
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 04:53 am
Hang in there Sumanth... We are all sure you can do it :)... We are proud that we to know you...
Hugs and best wishes buddy
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 04:42 am
This is awesome! Wishing you the very best!
Cheers,
Nehul
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 04:03 am
Hang in there Sumanth! You're doing what we all dream of doing but don't really even try.
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 03:53 am
Hi Sumanth, you are doing a great run there. keep going and keep blogging.
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 03:49 am
You're a trooper S. Keep going one stride at a time, one day at a time! You're the inspiration!!
Vijay
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 03:47 am
Good luck! Truly inspring!
Kalakkunga Saar!
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 03:42 am
been following your updates via your wife.
keep going and be strong! We are cheering for you, yay!
*waves*
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 03:38 am
Didn't hear about you from any of their updates - now this is just the sort of message that is going to make me so sad!
Hope you feel better soon!
08 March 2011 07:28 am (GMT+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
Huzzah!!
The day started at 8am. Course detail was 40km in total. The first leg to CP1 was brutal for almost 5km. It was crusty and hard salt that could cut ankles if we were not careful. I managed to run to CP1 in about 1.45hrs and after a brif stop started onwards to CP2. Cutoff for reaching CP2 was 2pm and I made it around 11.10am. The trail was relatively difficult, we were moving through waist high grass, as well as dried grass. Very deceptive terrain and a bit difficult.
After refuelling at CP2, I started onwards to CP3 and this was where a bit of hell began. While the first part was OK, the second half (almost 5km) was a rolling sand dune, simply brutal terrain. I managed to reach CP3 at 1.15pm, 10km in about 2 hrs or so. Rested at CP3 for 15-20 minutes and then I set out for CP4 (Camp for night as well). The distance between CP3 and CP4 was roughly 11.5km.
To call the terrain enroute to CP4 murderous is an understatement. The first half was very sharp rocky surface (the kind that could cut your shoes (if you were lucky) or seriously slice your leg). I lost time here since I was exhausted (temperature must have been about 40C and dry heat). I just kept drinking water like it was going out of style. The second leg (roughly 4km odd) comprised steep sand dunes (45-60degree incline) that we had to climb and descend. Luckily for me, I had a buddy who came out of no where - Scott (check him at www.ikeeprunning.com). He stayed with me through the last 4 km, through and through and helped me reach Camp.
I came in 60 today, about 8 places up from yesterday. What really worked was just going from CP to CP and not thinking about the finish line.
Afterthought - for those of you who saw The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - now I know what Tuco went through, when Blondie left him in the middle of the desert about a 100 miles from the nearest town, and that was without water, methinks. Phew!!
Tomorrow, we tackle the infamous Salt Flats - 42 km on crusty, dry, hard salt.
Keep the good thoughts and wishes coming. I am grateful for your support and will see you all very soon.
Best
S
The day started at 8am. Course detail was 40km in total. The first leg to CP1 was brutal for almost 5km. It was crusty and hard salt that could cut ankles if we were not careful. I managed to run to CP1 in about 1.45hrs and after a brif stop started onwards to CP2. Cutoff for reaching CP2 was 2pm and I made it around 11.10am. The trail was relatively difficult, we were moving through waist high grass, as well as dried grass. Very deceptive terrain and a bit difficult.
After refuelling at CP2, I started onwards to CP3 and this was where a bit of hell began. While the first part was OK, the second half (almost 5km) was a rolling sand dune, simply brutal terrain. I managed to reach CP3 at 1.15pm, 10km in about 2 hrs or so. Rested at CP3 for 15-20 minutes and then I set out for CP4 (Camp for night as well). The distance between CP3 and CP4 was roughly 11.5km.
To call the terrain enroute to CP4 murderous is an understatement. The first half was very sharp rocky surface (the kind that could cut your shoes (if you were lucky) or seriously slice your leg). I lost time here since I was exhausted (temperature must have been about 40C and dry heat). I just kept drinking water like it was going out of style. The second leg (roughly 4km odd) comprised steep sand dunes (45-60degree incline) that we had to climb and descend. Luckily for me, I had a buddy who came out of no where - Scott (check him at www.ikeeprunning.com). He stayed with me through the last 4 km, through and through and helped me reach Camp.
I came in 60 today, about 8 places up from yesterday. What really worked was just going from CP to CP and not thinking about the finish line.
Afterthought - for those of you who saw The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - now I know what Tuco went through, when Blondie left him in the middle of the desert about a 100 miles from the nearest town, and that was without water, methinks. Phew!!
Tomorrow, we tackle the infamous Salt Flats - 42 km on crusty, dry, hard salt.
Keep the good thoughts and wishes coming. I am grateful for your support and will see you all very soon.
Best
S
Comments: Total (2) comments
Posted On: 11 Mar 2011 03:40 pm
Hello Darling!
For some reason this blog update got visible only late this evening IST (11 march) - glad to hear a detailed report from you.
We came to know that you have done the long march successfully - very proud of your ranking too.
The last bit remaining, enjoy the run and the scenery - following every bit of your journey on the written updates, photos and videos.
Lots of love
XOXO
Me
Posted On: 11 Mar 2011 02:00 pm
Remember WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH THE TOUGH GET GOING, just chant it and keep going.
Well done mate, so very proud of you.
07 March 2011 06:27 am (GMT+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
After a good night's sleep, I woke up very refreshed and mentally ready to tackle Stage 2, "The Slot Canyons".
The first 20.8km were sheer hell - 3km by road - 8km in a river canyon where I got soaking wet upto my knees and at times, thighs - one km on a 4x4 track (and this was just upto checkpoint 1). The next 9.6 km saw us climb up and up and up. Great scenery but I wasn't in a frame of mind to appreciate. The incline was really steep, at times almost 45-60 degrees. The route to CP2 ended with a tumble down through an endless sand dune, which sloped at an incline of 60-70 degrees (almost vertical, if you ask me). As a reward, I received my first blister of the race, which was quickly treated at CP2 and after a brief rest, I set out for CP3.
The route to CP3 was an off road track and I was walking this at an easy pace of 4-5km per hour. The terrain was just loose sand, packed at some points, rocky in the other. What hit most of us was that the sun was right out there and blazing away. I must have consumed about 2.5 litres of water just to keep from dehydrating. And I promise you, CP3 was a sight for sore eyes. I filled up and headed out to CP4 (also camp for tonight).
The route to CP4 was just crusty and sandy terrain. Lots of scrub/bushes which made one look out carefully for the route markers. I can only say this - there was one single tree about 4km from CP4. And this was the only tree for the last 26km or so. When you see this, you only feel grateful to Mother Nature. I rushed as quickly as I could manage and took a 5 minute stop and refreshed myself with water and salt tablets.
Reached CP4 at 5PM, a total of 9 hours in the desert. I can only sum up my feelings at this time - gratitude and a renewed respect of the sun.
I am off to dinner now and then a night's rest, getting ready for tomorrow's stage 3 - The Atacamenos Trail.
More tomorrow. Keep the good wishes coming in.
Cheers
S
The first 20.8km were sheer hell - 3km by road - 8km in a river canyon where I got soaking wet upto my knees and at times, thighs - one km on a 4x4 track (and this was just upto checkpoint 1). The next 9.6 km saw us climb up and up and up. Great scenery but I wasn't in a frame of mind to appreciate. The incline was really steep, at times almost 45-60 degrees. The route to CP2 ended with a tumble down through an endless sand dune, which sloped at an incline of 60-70 degrees (almost vertical, if you ask me). As a reward, I received my first blister of the race, which was quickly treated at CP2 and after a brief rest, I set out for CP3.
The route to CP3 was an off road track and I was walking this at an easy pace of 4-5km per hour. The terrain was just loose sand, packed at some points, rocky in the other. What hit most of us was that the sun was right out there and blazing away. I must have consumed about 2.5 litres of water just to keep from dehydrating. And I promise you, CP3 was a sight for sore eyes. I filled up and headed out to CP4 (also camp for tonight).
The route to CP4 was just crusty and sandy terrain. Lots of scrub/bushes which made one look out carefully for the route markers. I can only say this - there was one single tree about 4km from CP4. And this was the only tree for the last 26km or so. When you see this, you only feel grateful to Mother Nature. I rushed as quickly as I could manage and took a 5 minute stop and refreshed myself with water and salt tablets.
Reached CP4 at 5PM, a total of 9 hours in the desert. I can only sum up my feelings at this time - gratitude and a renewed respect of the sun.
I am off to dinner now and then a night's rest, getting ready for tomorrow's stage 3 - The Atacamenos Trail.
More tomorrow. Keep the good wishes coming in.
Cheers
S
Comments: Total (11) comments
Posted On: 10 Mar 2011 04:08 am
You are truly an inspiration. All the best & lots of good luck.
Posted On: 09 Mar 2011 04:11 am
Keep going strong Sumanth! You seem to be having a blast.
Posted On: 08 Mar 2011 11:46 am
good to hear you are holding out well.
all the best. cheers.
Posted On: 08 Mar 2011 07:49 am
Way to go machan,you will get better and better as the days go by, keep going strong, following the race totally.
Posted On: 08 Mar 2011 07:33 am
Sumanth,
Congrats. Great going. Keep it up.
Following you. Thanks to Nandita for the link.
Rajesh.
Posted On: 08 Mar 2011 07:31 am
Watching the race closely. Keep us informed as you are the only real source of information. Keep the faith.
Cheers!
Posted On: 08 Mar 2011 04:34 am
Sumanth , wonderful to read this blog and great to know that you are enjoying every bit of the race . Way to go man. Good luck for the next stages as well . Keep the posts coming ....god bless.
Posted On: 08 Mar 2011 04:09 am
Great going, Keep it up.
Posted On: 08 Mar 2011 04:08 am
Good Luck Sumanth..
Posted On: 08 Mar 2011 03:08 am
You are an inspiration, Sumanth. Good luck on the rest of the run.
Posted On: 08 Mar 2011 03:05 am
So glad to finally hear from you darling! I was worried why you had not even updated day one.
Following every little news from the website!
Hope the foot is feeling okay now.
Hugs
We are all cheering and praying for you!
06 March 2011 07:03 am (GMT+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
Well, we arrived at base camp last night after a one and a half hour drive into the desert. Base camp was at Rio Grande.Managed to sleep well and woke up well. Apart from Michelle the other Indian competitor, we have among others, Jagjit and Tan from Malaysia, Len and Stan from Canada, Pam from the US and Richard from HK. Great people, I have made several new friends today.
Stage 1 was navigation through rock. A total of little over 35km with three cheeck points. Starting altitude was a little over 3,250m and we come down to 2600m at the end of the stage. got through CP1 and 2 in 4 hours. Terrain can best be described as a roller coasteer of loose gravel and very soft ground, followed by a walk through a winding canyon that was once actually a river bed/basin at some point in time. Most important lesson learnt was that distance can be deceptive, followed by the importance of water conservation.
The run/walk from CP2 to CP3 was what beat the mickey out of me. We ran through a undulating course that just keot going up and down and up and down and up again forever. It was at a slightly higher altitude and given that we were coming down, I did not expect an uphill climb again. Further, the route was absolutely still, no air passage at all and at times, I got a bit breathless so had to force myself to stop. I had a great companion for CP2 and 3, Gavin from the UK. Thanks mate. He was who got me through CP3 and onward to Camp 2.
Covered the entire distance in 7hr15min, including R&R of 45 minutes. I stopped several times enroute to CP3 and then to Camp2. Took a short nap before I wrote this up. Now it dinner time and then bed in a short while. Back hurts like hell after lugging my backpack, so will probably stretch a bit.
Tomorrow, we tackle the slot canyons. 41.8km through difficult terrain. So will write, once I complete the stage.
Thank you all for your kind wishes. Nandita, Atri - love you very much. Your pictures are what kept me going and provide inspiration. See you all in a week, successfully.
Best
S
Stage 1 was navigation through rock. A total of little over 35km with three cheeck points. Starting altitude was a little over 3,250m and we come down to 2600m at the end of the stage. got through CP1 and 2 in 4 hours. Terrain can best be described as a roller coasteer of loose gravel and very soft ground, followed by a walk through a winding canyon that was once actually a river bed/basin at some point in time. Most important lesson learnt was that distance can be deceptive, followed by the importance of water conservation.
The run/walk from CP2 to CP3 was what beat the mickey out of me. We ran through a undulating course that just keot going up and down and up and down and up again forever. It was at a slightly higher altitude and given that we were coming down, I did not expect an uphill climb again. Further, the route was absolutely still, no air passage at all and at times, I got a bit breathless so had to force myself to stop. I had a great companion for CP2 and 3, Gavin from the UK. Thanks mate. He was who got me through CP3 and onward to Camp 2.
Covered the entire distance in 7hr15min, including R&R of 45 minutes. I stopped several times enroute to CP3 and then to Camp2. Took a short nap before I wrote this up. Now it dinner time and then bed in a short while. Back hurts like hell after lugging my backpack, so will probably stretch a bit.
Tomorrow, we tackle the slot canyons. 41.8km through difficult terrain. So will write, once I complete the stage.
Thank you all for your kind wishes. Nandita, Atri - love you very much. Your pictures are what kept me going and provide inspiration. See you all in a week, successfully.
Best
S
Comments: Total (2) comments
Posted On: 13 Mar 2011 05:48 am
GOD is with you and with all our blessings you will complete the marathon succesfully. You have made all of us proud.Best wishes.
Posted On: 09 Mar 2011 04:01 am
Your day one blog post is getting updated today, one day 4- I was so sad not to have heard from your blog until your Stage 2 post. Was wondering why!
Looks like there's some bug that prevented updation.
Anyway, I am so happy to this, even if it is late. Waiting for 16th :) Prayers all along.
May you have enough and more strength to reach the finishing point in best spirits.
HUGS from atri and me :)
28 February 2011 07:08 am (GMT+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
So I am currently experiencing a plethora of emotions - anticipation, excitement, nervousness, apprehension, enthusiasm, happiness and many more. With just 24 hours before I board the flight to Santiago, the first emotion that overwhelms me is just RELIEF.
Mid last week, I had a bit of a shocker - the Brazilian embassy in India rejected my transit visa application (stating that I possibly did not have adequate funds to pay for an overnight transit stay in Brazil) and asked me to reapply. This would have taken an extra 7-10 days and there would have been no way I could have arrived on time!!
I swung into action immediately and explored other possibilities. The best one that arose was to fly through Paris, France - so I contacted the French embassy to apply for a Schengen visa.
Well, between getting my passport back from the Brazilian embassy, re-routing my ticketing (I was to fly through Dubai-Sao Paulo earlier) via Paris and going this morning to the French embassy to submit my visa application, I have had a few more hairs turn grey.
Anyways, all's well that ends well. The French consulate were very helpful and processed my request in 6 hours. I have a valid Schengen visa and all set to board the flight to Santiago.
On the training side, last week saw me run a total of 70 km, including two half marathon distances with the back pack. I am quite happy with the effort I have put in and I am now looking forward to the main run itself.
See you all soon in the desert.
Best
S
Mid last week, I had a bit of a shocker - the Brazilian embassy in India rejected my transit visa application (stating that I possibly did not have adequate funds to pay for an overnight transit stay in Brazil) and asked me to reapply. This would have taken an extra 7-10 days and there would have been no way I could have arrived on time!!
I swung into action immediately and explored other possibilities. The best one that arose was to fly through Paris, France - so I contacted the French embassy to apply for a Schengen visa.
Well, between getting my passport back from the Brazilian embassy, re-routing my ticketing (I was to fly through Dubai-Sao Paulo earlier) via Paris and going this morning to the French embassy to submit my visa application, I have had a few more hairs turn grey.
Anyways, all's well that ends well. The French consulate were very helpful and processed my request in 6 hours. I have a valid Schengen visa and all set to board the flight to Santiago.
On the training side, last week saw me run a total of 70 km, including two half marathon distances with the back pack. I am quite happy with the effort I have put in and I am now looking forward to the main run itself.
See you all soon in the desert.
Best
S
Comments: Total (7) comments
Posted On: 07 Mar 2011 02:49 pm
Good Luck Sumanth! Following your race and all the pictures too. Keep going strong and catch you back in Hyderabad. Truly inspiring, buddy!
Take care.
Murali
Posted On: 07 Mar 2011 04:05 am
Read about your day one in the general updates from racingtheplanet. Was hoping you'd update your blog too - waiting to hear from you on this space.
Love
Posted On: 06 Mar 2011 05:46 pm
Nothing will hold you back, keep on going
Posted On: 06 Mar 2011 11:37 am
Way to go Sumanth .... all the best brother.
Posted On: 03 Mar 2011 03:08 pm
All the best for a successful run. concentrate on the run. cheers
Posted On: 01 Mar 2011 05:03 am
Phew! Glad to hear the visa's sorted out. Best of luck at your first 4 Deserts race.
Sam H - RacingThePlanet
Posted On: 01 Mar 2011 04:58 am
Best of luck!
31 January 2011 07:08 am (GMT+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
A running group I belong to in Hyderabad, India has members who circulate inspirational quotes on running and fitness. This week, among the many others, was an inspirational, albeit long, quote from George Leigh Mallory. Mallory, in case you wondered who he was, was a part of the first two British expeditions that attempted to scale Mt. Everest. His quote ran thus:
"The first question which you will ask and which I must try to answer is this, 'What is the use of climbing Mount Everest ?' and my answer must at once be, 'It is no use'. There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever. Oh, we may learn a little about the behavior of the human body at high altitudes, and possibly medical men may turn our observation to some account for the purposes of aviation. But otherwise nothing will come of it. We shall not bring back a single bit of gold or silver, not a gem, nor any coal or iron. We shall not find a single foot of earth that can be planted with crops to raise food. It's no use. So, if you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won't see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means and what life is for."
That quote sums up my attitude to the training during this week. I am running the Atacama Desert just for the sheer experience of attempting something I have never done before. This week, I managed close to 90km, including a 20km walk with the now-mandatory backpack, interspersed with some cycling, cross training and meditation.
I hope to keep this pace up in the next 2-3 weeks. See you all soon in the desert.
Best, S
Comments: Total (6) comments
Posted On: 02 Mar 2011 03:02 pm
Hi Sumanth
Just popping in to wish you loads of luck....
really inspired to push myself beyond the normal limit.
Like my mom used to say 'Swami Nalladh Pantum, pa'
Rooting for you!!
Posted On: 28 Feb 2011 03:10 pm
Hi Tom, I almost had a miss. Well, that's a separate post as you will see ;-)
See you soon,.
Nandini, Ramya, Arun, Siri - thank you for your kind wishes
Posted On: 28 Feb 2011 05:37 am
Hi Sumanth,
Just like Nandini (from above comment), I am a follower of Nandu's blog and met her once when I was in Hyd. When I read Nandita's post about this attempt, all I could say was - a big WOW. Wishing you all the very best and may you walk through the other end of Atacama with flying colors.
Siri
Posted On: 28 Feb 2011 05:26 am
Wishing you a great time in Atacama...All the best!
Posted On: 28 Feb 2011 04:17 am
Not sure you know me. But I do follow your wife's blog :) Just wanted to say good luck and at the end of the day, you are a huge inspiration for me.
Hope you achieve everything you dreamt of with this run.
Posted On: 22 Feb 2011 08:24 am
Great quote Sumanth. But I hope we don't end up going missing like Mallory!
See you in Chile!
22 January 2011 06:39 am (GMT+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
Well, the week started off well. I had run the Mumbai marathon Sunday last in a time of 5h20m. The temperature was about 32-33C, so it was good to get warmed up a bit in preparation. A major milestone as well since this was my first 40km plus run in any week of training. Recovered surprisingly well with no major blisters or foot sores.
Spent the week in HK on work and a small vacation. Returned last night to Mumbai. Had to go to the RTP store to kit myself out. It was really a pleasure to meet with Alina and Frances, the two people who've been interacting with me from the start. Thank you very much for the help and advice, ladies! Bought loads of food (Hammer remains my top favourite) and some other supplies not easily available in India. Luckily for me, the Indian customs officials were very nice about it and allowed me to take everything in, no worries.
Now that I am kitted out, looking forward to the last 5 weeks with lots and lots of enthusiasm. Training should peak to a little over 110-120km per week now with bouts of cross training (cycling/ellipticals) and pranayama/yoga. The only thing I am worried about is high altitude training - one thing that I am not going to get at all.
On the lighter side, my "back-pack" training continued in earnest with me carrying my all of 12 kilos, 2-year old son all across our walks in HK over 4-5 days, with an inaugural 6km walk exploring every by-lane in the SoHo district in HK, ha!
Onward and upward.
S
Comments: Total (3) comments
Posted On: 28 Jan 2011 01:43 am
Sumanth. All the best for your race in Chile. I participated last year. I live in Mumbai so if you want any advise etc please feel free to give me a shout. My e-mail is [email protected]
Posted On: 24 Jan 2011 02:50 am
Hi Sumanth, it was so nice to meet you and your family last week. Great to know that you got everything back with you. We look forward to seeing you in Chile. Happy training! Cheers, Frances
Posted On: 23 Jan 2011 11:37 am
Hi Sumanth,
It was our pleasure to meet you in the store last week! It sounds like you enjoyed your trip to Hong Kong and that you got everything sorted - great to hear. Keep up the strong training program, and we will see you in the desert soon!
Cheers,
Alina
05 January 2011 09:04 am (GMT+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
Hello All
Am back again after a three month hiatus here. Interestingly, training has been going well with an average of 80-100km being clocked every week. I also ran a 75 km ultra in November last year which sort of tested how far I could go.
The year started with a 30km run on the 1st and I am now looking forward to the Mumbai marathon on 16 January, post which the intensive training for a month odd will start. Hopefully, I should be all genned and ready by 20 February.
To all the fellow participants in AC 2011 and the RTP team, here's wishing you a very happy new year and all the very best for injury free and enjoyable running through the year.
Best
S
Am back again after a three month hiatus here. Interestingly, training has been going well with an average of 80-100km being clocked every week. I also ran a 75 km ultra in November last year which sort of tested how far I could go.
The year started with a 30km run on the 1st and I am now looking forward to the Mumbai marathon on 16 January, post which the intensive training for a month odd will start. Hopefully, I should be all genned and ready by 20 February.
To all the fellow participants in AC 2011 and the RTP team, here's wishing you a very happy new year and all the very best for injury free and enjoyable running through the year.
Best
S
Comments: Total (1) comments
Posted On: 06 Jan 2011 01:56 am
Hi Sumanth!
Happy New Year to you to from RacingThePlanet. It sounds like you're clocking up some good mileage each week in preparation for Chile. Hope the preps continue smoothly.
Sam H - RacingThePlanet
22 November 2010 07:08 am (GMT+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
September started very well. I wanted to start running/walking with weights as well as delve more extensively into the core area. The schedule for September therefore looks somewhat like this: Monday: Walking/running with 6-8kg weights - easy pace 7-8km/hr - covering a distance between 13-15km (cross country course on the treadmill) Tuesday: Warm up run of 4-5km - strength training - Wind down run, 2km Wednesday: Repeat Monday routine Thursday: Repeat Tuesday routine, warm up variant being cycling for 30 minutes Friday: Easy paced run, covering a 20-25km distance Saturday: Easy paced run. covering a 25-30km distance Sunday: Rest The weekly routine is accompanied by yoga and stretches, primarily for the back as well as exercises for the core, about 15-20 minutes to a session. So against this plan, how did I stack up. I managed to run a little over 85km through the first week, about half of it with a back pack weighing about 7kg. The Friday and Saturday runs also went off nicely as planned, only I was running on a treadmill at a slight incline. The weather has been very inclement in Hyderabad with rainfall in the early morning and I am hoping it gets better this week onwards. The second week was a washout totally as I was vacationing and out the whole week at a family wedding, a full 4-day affair!!! I will restart again today. Nutrition during exercise comprises Hammer's Perpetuem or Sustained Energy as well as Endurolytes and my body is adapting to these quite well. Plus, water intake of about 2-3 litres during the training itself. All told, the first fortnight has been a sort of one step forward and . . . Well, onward and upward. More later. S
Comments: Total (0) comments
31 August 2010 03:42 am (GMT+05:30) Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi
Well, training is now picking up momentum quite rapidly. I recently turned 40 a fortnight ago and just ahead of this had a complete physical performed. The tests turned out fine and the doctors told me I was fit to continue running long courses. That has been a tremendous boost psychologically.
July and August have been particularly good months with me averaging 60-70km a week on my runs, interspersed with strength training at the local gym, more so for the back and shoulders. I am quite happy with the way this has progressed so far.
In September, I plan to run/fast-walk an average of 80km a week, with weights on my back. This is also the month to reengage with yoga for the lower back and spine. I am just chalking out a tentative plan for September that will see me working out five-six days a week intensively. Also, in the past the routine has been pretty dull - just running loops in the park or on the treadmill. This should see a variant soon, sort of spice the run a bit, if you will.
More later.
S
Comments: Total (3) comments
Posted On: 14 Sep 2010 02:17 am
Thanks Sam and Kelly for the encouragement. Looking forward to interacting more in the weeks to come.
Posted On: 01 Sep 2010 10:31 pm
Hi Sumanth
Some great training and good to hear back re your nutrition. Remember we still have around 5-6 months till the race so a gradual increase it your weight/backpack training would be better for your body. This will allow your muscles to adjust to additional pressure and may prevent injury.
Doing great!!
Kelly
Posted On: 31 Aug 2010 10:42 pm
Hi Sumanth, sounds like you've got a good training plan mapped out. Look forward to reading more about it in the weeks to come. Good luck in your preparations.
Sam H - RacingThePlanet
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