I’ve had a rough past couple of nights with jetlag hitting severely. That combined with feeling terribly homesick woke up all the demons and fears in my head. On Saturday, my coach called me at 2 AM and helped me reframe my thoughts. But the demons reared their head again on Sunday with the storms hitting the campsite 1 hard during the night time. That left me with just 30 minutes of sleep through the night and I just tossed and turned the whole night conjuring up all kinds of worst case scenarios (23 miles, 6500 feet, rocky climbs in pouring rain!)

Thankfully the skies cleared up in the morning and we were advised that the race will go on as planned in the original route. We spent saturday evening and night in the lovely fishing town of Kardamyli. At 8 AM today, we took off from the town directly leading up to the climb to the mountain via the narrow streets that reminded me very much of the climb out of Orsieris while running OCC last year. Quaint Greek orthodox churches, sleepy homes on a sunday morning and slightly chilly weather made for a pleasant morning. I took off on the climb feeling quite strong. 

Once we got on the mountain, it was quite rocky. The climbs got slower as we had to navigate rocks and I didn’t want to risk spraining my ankle running over those rocks. I ran every step I could run and hiked the uphills and torturous grades. 

Once we got past the first climb, the terrain was quite runnable, I made good time between CP1 to CP2. After CP2, we descended down to a gorge and the descent to the bottom was quite sketchy. I had to butt slide to ensure I made it through safely. The climb out of the gorge was through a few metal steps and then through a rocky uphill pass for miles together.

I ended up catching up with friends from the past races — Markus Zeigler, Brennan and Stef and a few other runners. 

I maintained a consistent effort making sure I did not over extend myself to save my quads for a long downhill day tomorrow.

Got it done in 7:15. Not a great time, but considering I had an almost 24 lb pack on including water weight, I personally feel that I put on a good effort and I feel good about it.

We are now at a Scout Campsite for tonight and will be sleeping in Scouting huts. A nice throwback to my Boy Scouting days (except I did not have these fancy sleeping bags and mattresses at that time).

No internet or phone connectivity here. So if you would like to contact me, send me a message using the “Send an email to the Competitor” option from the Results page under my name!

Ciao!

Returning to RacingThePlanet: A Journey from Georgia to Greece

Has it really been three years since my first RacingThePlanet event? With just a week to go before I toe the line again, I find myself reflecting on where this journey began, the races that shaped me, the friendships I’ve formed, and the personal growth that’s come from pushing beyond my limits.

Seeds of Inspiration

Back in 2010, my college friend Sumanth Cidambi had started running distances far longer than most people considered normal at the time—17K, 25K, and more. I remember scrolling through his Facebook updates with admiration and just a touch of envy.

Around that same time, I stumbled upon an article about the legendary Four Deserts Race Series. Curious, I shared it with Sumanth, teasing him with the message: “Game for a run?” He didn’t take it as a joke—he took it as a challenge, eventually making it his 40th birthday gift to himself. From there, he went on to complete multiple RacingThePlanet events and proudly earned his place as a 4 Deserts Grand Slam finisher.

My Own Start

While the seed was planted in 2010, my own running journey didn’t truly begin until a decade later. In 2020, as I approached my 50th birthday, Sumanth reminded me that it was “payback” time. He suggested—no, insisted—that I mark the milestone with an RTP race.

At first, I thought he was out of his mind. I had never seriously run long distance. But his persistence worked, and eventually, I signed up for RTP Georgia 2021.

Georgia and Beyond

Unfortunately, Sumanth couldn’t join me in Georgia due to pandemic travel restrictions. I found myself at the starting line alone—but to my surprise, I crossed the finish line as well. That first experience lit a spark.

I discovered the sheer beauty of running solo through trails and mountains. For someone born and raised in Chennai, India—a bustling city of 12 million—I realized that the wilderness spoke to me in a way urban landscapes never could.

From there, I set a personal goal: to explore new distances and new trail systems every season. Over the years, that journey has taken me through a variety of unforgettable races:

• Sky to Summit 50K – Chattahoochee National Forest

• Flying Monkey Marathon – Warner Parks, Nashville (my hometown race)

• Strolling Jim 41.2 miler – the quirky classic by Lazarus Lake of Barkley fame

• Racing the Planet Lapland 2022 - what an unbelievable course!

• Cloudland Canyon 50-Miler – Georgia’s breathtaking state park trails

• Nashville Ultra 50K – where I won the ruck division!

• Canyons Endurance Runs 100K – along the Western States trail in California

• Brazos Bend 100-Miler – Texas

• Myrdalshlaup Mountain Trail run - on the Reynsfjall mountains in the small town of Vik i Myrdal in Southern Iceland!

• Black Hills 50K – in the rugged beauty of South Dakota

• And most proudly, UTMB-OCC 2024 – one of the world’s most iconic mountain races

Of course, the trail hasn’t always been smooth. I recorded DNFs at Speedgoat 50K and Canyons 100M, but those setbacks became lessons. I learned to respect the climbs, adapt to the weather, refine my nutrition, train smarter, add speedwork, and prioritize recovery. Ultra-running, I’ve realized, is equal parts art and science—loving the mountains while methodically peeling back the layers of what it takes to succeed on them.

Looking Ahead

Now, I’m preparing for RacingThePlanet: Greece 2025, and the excitement feels as fresh as my very first race. There’s a child-like joy to it, the kind you feel when blowing soap bubbles or playing with dandelions. That’s what the trails give me.

In my next post, I’ll share more about the friendships and bonds that have grown along this journey. Because beyond the miles, medals, and mountains, it’s the people of this community who make it truly unforgettable.

Article about Sumanth and how he got into RTP!