Sometimes people take challenges that feel simple on the outside. But when you enter the space, you start seeing so many hidden layers and the task becomes more complex as you navigate them.
Such was the case, when I stood at the starting line of the Vedanta 10k run. In simple words, you are expected to run 10 kilometres without collapsing.
Of course, it makes sense to note that Vedanta is a company that has heaped several atrocities on tribal communities and indulged in several acts of covert corruption. There’s no humane way of extracting minerals from earth. Be that as it may, this run was about accomplishing a 10k record in a formal run.
October 20, 2023
The previous night was a long one. I returned home around 12 am. I had just been schooled about the ‘bro code’. And finally someone had spoken vocally about how men’s feelings and experiences often don’t get a compassionate ear.
This took me back to the same date a year ago when I had taken someone I loved to a concert and the cocktail bar Sidecar. The love in my heart is still alive, burning as vigorously as it used to. But the only change is that I know that she doesn’t deserve it.
These thoughts made me stay up till 1 am when I finally realised I needed to sleep, wake up at 5.30 am and reach the starting point by 6.30 am. But as I slept I realised how long the last 365 days had been. It almost felt like a decade.
Excitement Trumps Sleep
Four hours is a short time. The running guide shared by the 10k organisers asked people to eat well and sleep well before the run. I had eaten well at Al-Bek in New Friends Colony with my friends. They thought I could finish the run even I slept late.
But I had my own doubts. I felt that they didn’t take this run as seriously as I did (of course they had not signed up for it). At some point even I felt I was just winging it because I had not practiced or worked out for the past 15-20 days.
However, I was excited about the prospect of completing this challenge in a formal setting. I had run 10ks on my own eight times before this. I had failed to run it in a single stretch only once. On that day, I ran two 5ks with a 30 minute break.
I didn’t know if I could do it with 4kg gain, bare minimum sleep, lack of practice and emotional baggage associated with this date.
186 BPM
Though we measure time with a watch, heartbeats are the only real measure of how much time we have on this planet. If I live upto the age of 75 years, my heart is going beat 2.76 billion times according an approximate calculation by ChatGPT. This is a calculation assuming heartbeat rate of 70 beats per minute (BPM).
But when you’re running at the rate of 10-12 km/hr, the heart beats in the range of 170-195 BPM. This can vary based on your body weight and your overall health. In my experience, I tire out faster if I my heart rate is above 186 BPM. So, the trick is to modulate the running speed to ensure I don’t tire out.
Time takes as another dimension when you are closely watching your heartbeat rate.
History
I had not studied the route map beforehand. After covering 3km, we were headed towards the India Gate.
The first three kilometres are often easy. A fit person usually takes six minutes to cover each kilometre. I reached India Gate after 3.5 km.
This took me back in time when I had gone for a walk near India Gate with her around midnight. She was quite excited to drive my brand new car in Delhi. I handed over the steering to her for the entire night. We drove till India Gate and walked together on the same road I was running on.
Before I could get lost in memories, I brought myself back to the moment.
There was some distraction in my head. I tired a bit at this point and grabbed a bottle of water that was offered by volunteers. I walked for 30 seconds before picking up the speed again. I had to keep a close watch on the heart rate and slow down whenever I crossed 186 BPM.
Pain
It was not easy after 6 kilometres. I had no time based target. I just wanted to make the distance. So I took eight minutes each to cover the 6th and 7th kilometre.
But thoughts in my head were changing. October 20th was still associated with something precious I had lost.
I covered the next two kilometres in seven minutes each. Given my weight and lack of sleep this was unnatural. Only later did I realise that it was not strength or fitness that helped me cover 8th and 9th kilometres at a faster pace. The heartbeat rate reached 195 BPM and I didn’t relent.
I think I wanted to feel a different kind of pain. What drove me during this stretch was pure pain. By the time I crossed the 9 kilometre mark, I was sure I was going to finish the run.
At this point, I didn’t want to get injured. This stretch near JLN stadium had a weird stony road (I didn’t get a better term to describe it). Even driving is uncomfortable in this stretch. So, I walked for a minute or so and finally reached the destination. The last kilometre took nine minutes because of this.
It felt like a sort of redemption and a journey in time. I felt a strange kind of release. October 20 need not be about the concert or the drink at Sidecar. It is now going to be about this amazing feeling after finishing my first formal 10k run.