Day 4 - OBTRUSTIVE OFF-ROAD

We were all used to the new routine, half-awake from 3:30-4AM onwards, call it anxiety or SV’s snores (for me at least) plus finishing our morning ablutions. Jabeen was little better but not yet fully recovered. I don’t think I could have managed all the way Jabeen was pushing herself. She was still strong mentally, amazing.

Today was an 80 kms stretch and we were all set, we didn’t wait for flag off (me in my new BETTA), left a few min earlier. There was a 5km Malnad flat after which it was a racing section of 7kms, 450mts ascend. Nishaw had joined the support crew helping in racing sections and motivating us.

In the racing section, steep ascend, we followed our motto (pedaling or rolling keep moving) just somehow kept moving. Even when I saw all three had stopped at one junction, I kept on moving. During ascends I follow the pedal counting that Santosh taught me during Nandi ascend, it helps a lot. The trick is to not look ahead of the steep road, just look down not more than 10m and set targets like 50 pedals/75 pedals, take a pause and continue. As it was an ascend AP (Amanushya piravi SV) went ahead of us. Many times I used my self check questions "Is my lungs ok? Are my legs ok?" followed by self assurance "Just 20 pedals and lungs will feel better and another 10 for legs to relax." 

Some section was so steep that at one point I gave up even rolling (cycle is heavy), I couldn’t push further needed a break, I left my cycle down and called my husband need some moral boosting/vent out, thankfully had signal. It seems my daughter had missed the school bus today too. Jabeen reminded me to move on and made sure that I didn’t sit for more than 5 mins. We met Ram too enroute & was glad when we saw the last 1 KM marking to finish point (race finish). But that 1 KM never seemed to end, in fact Ram too commented it must be 1.5 KM. SV finished the race first, followed by Tabu & then me & Jabeen. The beauty of the route plan was after every tough ascend of the day we were rewarded with a scenic view, totally worth the pain.

Now the favorite sweet descend awaits us, hey here we go, a flying downhill ride amidst trees, nature, awed faces, sharp curves, streams that cheers you up. This is my ride, my fly and my high! 

We did cross some shorter off-road sections little bit tricky ones, I lost my balance twice while slowing down in the stone filled roads, but only the bike fell down, I managed to stand up. In no time we were at our next break station.

While we were re-fueling ourselves, we saw Padhu in the sweep vehicle. He had a bad fall with his cycle up and he fell backwards in the off-road section. Santosh informed us that 15 KMs has been made optional & so riders can choose either 80km or 65km.  Now me being me, somewhere in the corner with the lingering catch-up(Day2) thought wanted to take a calculated risk. So, I enquired him how much ascend is there in this optional 15KM? Santosh smiled at me & answered “Let me answer you this way, out of 30 riders only two riders (Kishore and Yuvaraj) have chosen the optional stretch.” I didn’t expect this, I was always under the impression that only we were struggling.  Santosh added, “Janaki it is tough for everyone, others are also struggling. It is just that your struggle is bit more than them”. Jabeen remarked "I knew that you are still planning to attempt Jana." Ok, decision made, I put aside my lingering wish & proceeded towards 60K route.  We were insisting that SV should complete the optional 15KM stretch too, our way of revenge 😊/reward for the AP. She was just smiling at us without any objection or acceptance. We three restarted leaving SV who was busy munching her cucumbers. In few meters she caught us up as it was an ascend and I regretted for not sending her in the optional route.

We reached the lunch point at 1:30 PM and for the first time met other riders too, we managed to catch up with them 😊.

Post lunch I was conscious of our pace and checked the remaining distance, it was 30KM more. Roughly if we see as 8KM per hour (Malnad flats) then it will easily take 4 more hours that is easily 6PM. This helped to keep moving, post lunch there was a 5km ascend.

I was riding behind the three ladies, but enjoyed the ascend completely in “My pace, my ride, my Joy” mode. Post there was a long descend (approximately 300M) and during this descend even I was little careful, now descends were also not all that easy. You have to be alert and my palms were strained a bit.

During the next snacks break station we saw fellow cyclist Hitender had his ankle sprained & couldn’t ride further. It was 3:45PM and another 14 more KMs to go, might take another 2 hours and so I was in hurry to continue. Santosh remarked, “Among four of you itself Jana comes and asks how much more ascend and in no time SV comes and asks how much more descend is. In either case one is going to be unhappy”. Sunil was teasing me for hurrying up, never mind I didn’t want to be swept. 

In some streams I spent short time wadding and even though I was not very happy about it I kept on moving. The last 14km was pure Malnad flat, ups & downs. I was ahead for quite some time after which SV & Tabu joined. 

Finally, Tabu reached hotel followed by me at 5.15 PM then SV. Jabeen too came in 10 mins, so we managed to complete the ride for the day. Goal of no chit-chats and less photo breaks helped us to complete today.

Until now Jabeen didn’t take any specific pain killer, she managed with the B-complex tablets. Many times, during the trail she was drained but not the one to give up.  SV mentioned “For me this GMC is only to be with you gals, I don’t have any goal/target to complete etc.,” for which Jabeen replied “But SV you are hardly with us, in ascend you are always ahead whereas in descend you are always behind“😊.

SV realized that Tabu was slowed because she wanted to wait for Jabeen. So, she suggested the next day that Tabu & me should leave first while Jabeen and SV will come together. It was a routine that we checked the next day’s route, its difficulty level, ascends etc. & discuss. The next day (Day 5) was a day of long drive to Gudikere (Agumbe), 103 kms no steep ascends, complete Malnad flat – SV said we should not wait for anybody just keep moving. From her previous GMC experience, she remembers this day was a long stretch under sun wherein they were running out of water etc., Tomorrow especially there was 48km racing section, a stretch which is drive through reserved areas, with checkposts. Every vehicle had to cross 48km in 1.5hrs with no stopping in between. This implies no breakpoint in between, no refueling option. So, we decided to carry a small backpack with some bread, snacks but stuck to one water bottle. Santosh told that water refilling can be done. They had planned the to take turns in support vehicles and they will be around the stretch.