Chalukya - 1200 (The Herculean 1200)

As I sit down to pen my memories of the Chalukya 1200 almost two weeks later, my memories are still as fresh as the day I returned back.

Background

The 1200K LRM event has been on my wish list for atleast the last 10 years, and I am glad that I finally made it to the finish line. Thanks to the extra hours because of the pandemic, I had been able to ratchet up 2-hour bike rides during the fall of 2020, and could maintain my cycling. My flexibility and running had taken a back seat as I was developing Achilles pain for very short runs. 

I enrolled yoga classes in March 2020, only to be interrupted by the second wave of the pandemic. I was maintaining reasonable fitness when the randonneuring season kick started in April. Flexibility had improved, thanks to being a regular at yoga. Biking took a back seat and was limited to weekend rides. I managed to put in 3-hour rides and atleast a century every month.

I signed up for the 300K (CR Patna) and 400K (Hiriyur) rides with the base training I had. Both of them were highway routes and were fairly easy. While I had decent finish times, I was still struggling to finish strong. Having already completed Avalabetta200K earlier in the year, it boiled down to the Ranebennur 600K. This again being a highway route, and the challenge was to survive 40 hours.

Preparation

With this goal, I enrolled at a nearby gym, with the goal to improve cadence, and pedal at ease with high cadence. Time, always being a priority, I would finish my yoga session by 7 am, and hop in to the gym for a quick spin session of 30 mins. With a week of cadence training, I was getting comfortable at a cadence of 80-85.

I had a few goof ups in the early stage of the 600K BRM. Lost an hour and a half because of missed directions. This would cost me dearly with the first night's sleep break curtailed to 40 minutes (from a planned two hours). Kms 300-400 were a bit of struggle as expected. Riding around mid-day was still a struggle. Once the 400km point at Chitradurga was reached, tail winds carried me all the way to Bangalore. It was a very enjoyable ride to the end-CP, and the finish was quite strong. 

1200K was a totally different ball-game. While 600K had one mid-day, we had to ride during the day for all 4 days in 1200. Thanks to the organizers, there were a good amount of zoom calls to apprise us of the chalenges for the mega ride. Both my yoga sessions and spinning sessions continued, and I was getting comfortable with high Cadence. I also managed to pull in four or five strength training sessions target core and lower body. 

Plan

Me and my supposed to be riding companion, Manas (Sahu) made detailed plans as to what needs to be done. With my focus partially on work, not a lot stuck to my head. I remembered very few things about the route: just the drop bag points and few important turns. As the event neared, I was getting the feeling that I shouldn't push hard during the initial phase, and ride at my own pace, to ensure that I last the distance.

My overall plan was to minimize the stops. I packed some food for the first day, with the sole purpose of saving time. Have a buffer of 5-6 hours before heading into the CPx drop-bag location at Gokak. With the weather looking good, I borrowed a few essentials from Rajaneesh (PBP finisher) and got set, with the bike.

As they say, man proposes, and God disposes. As I woke up on the Day 0, I heard thunders. Repacking and packaging what was already packed meant that I spent nearly 30 minutes juggling around. I headed to the start point (Kanteerava stadium), riding with nearly 8kg on my shoulders, heavier drop bag on the back, and cycling shoes with food on the front. Riding in the rain with both the bags was a fine balance. 

Day 0 - Warming up

Rain played spoilsport at the start. With most riders arriving within the final hour, organizers managed it quite well with only a ten-minute delay in the flag-off. Dropbags were tagged and collected. Brevet cards were deferred to the next control point. As for me, I switched over to aqua shoes, with the cycling shoes in the backpack. I didn't want to get my cycling shoes wet and ride in soggy socks for four days. 
Note: The aqua shoes (from Decathlon: https://www.decathlon.in/p/8330684/sports-shoes/adult-aquashoes100-dark-grey?id=8330684&type=p) came in quite handy on the wet day. I ride in these on wet days, and when it is not comfortable to ride with cycling shoes.

We quickly pedaled off to Nelamangala Highway in the rain. I was carrying a moderately heavy backpack, with the cleats poking on my back. As we neared Tumkur, sky was getting cleared and I could see the roads getting dry. I quickly stopped and changed over to cycling shoes, and got a quick bite of the PBJ sandwich. As I would get on my bike, I had the feeling. "Oh, here I am on my Ferrari". The fit and comfort were very different from that with the sandals. I reached the control point 1 (CP2 - 87km: VRL Refreshments) in no time. 

While this wasn't in my original plan, I stopped here in anticipation of the brevet card. Having stopped, tried to get a quick breakfast. The quick stop became a longish stop. I asked Manas to not wait for me. When I started from here, the plan was to stop for a late lunch. 

With pleasant weather and easy terrain, I managed to cover good distance in the next few hours. Lunch@Greenland Hotel, Hiriyur (161km) was the next stop. Had good sumptuous lunch here. The bananas I had packed for the road were completely mashed up. It was nice of Raghu to share the bananas and not waste them. 

While starting, I forgot my set of cables. Thankfully to the hotel attender, I got this back immediately. I would have been a nightmare to continue without phone and Garmin. I had a small freakish accident while starting from here. Slipped down on steps with road shoes. 

The pains went away as I started riding. The next 40kms was going be tough: upward gradient, head winds and mid-day sun. With the temperature soaring, I took a small break for a cool drink and to polish off the rest of the first PBJ sandwich. I didn't feel much of the terrain until the Chitradurga climb. The last 2km climb was really tough, and there wasn't any respite for another km after the climb. I wanted to do this climb, though we had a go-ahead to use the bypass route, having missed this in the 600. 

After the Hospet turn, stopped for a quick orange juice break at a road-side cart. It came straight from the heavens for those of us toiling under the sun. Expectedly, the talk of the town was heat at that time. Some of the riders opted to stop a the dhaba a km ahead. I exhorted myself to push ahead, finishing rest of the first PBJ I had. As it was getting hard to digest, I gave away the second to a villager who was herding sheep. He happily accepted it and I hope he relished it. Moderate rolling terrain here was challenging because of the sun. 

CP3 was at 255km, and I was hoping to collect the brevet cards. As it was very tiring, I decided to stop at a road-side stall. With hunger kicking my stomach, I had some biscuits and Jeera Fizz, and top-off with a chocolate. As I would finish, I got sight of the bunch of yelakki bananas. Quickly packed four bananas for the road and moved ahead. We were greeted by Mohan and the other BR volunteers (Kalpesh and Suresh). It was a big relief to get our brevet cards. We were doing very good on time with a buffer of nearly 3.5 hours.

On arrival, we were served wood apple juice. I was vying for buttermilk at this time, which wasn't readily available. I took my time to settle in, and when I started having veg pulao, there was a strange feeling in my stomach. Before I knew it, I threw up whatever I had in the last hour, including the chocolate. Manas has issues with cramping at Chitradurga and was slowed down. He soon arrived, along with Binoy. I took sometime to rest, and had a couple of glasses of buttermilk before I started. 

As I wasn't feeling very strong, I decided to hang on with the next outgoing group. This was a fairly large group with Tasneem, Nakul, Dhananjaya, Nitin and Srinivas. I started feeling better as we started riding, and we could step up a steady pace under the cool night sky. As we rode, Night sky was looking gorgeous with the hills at a distance. We wanted to keep the group together.

Attending to the puncture before the tunnel

Srinivas in the tunnel

The next stop was a toll-booth with the odometer reading at 300km. We reached here at 11pm. With some of the riders feeling drowsy, the short break extended to a longer one. As for my stomach, I was surviving on one banana after the other at a rate of 25km per banana. I managed to grab a couple at the toll-booth. The next planned stop was at 350km at Athithi Sarkar Dhaba.

As we were heading into Hospet, we got a quick glance of the Tungabhadra Dam. This was a magnificent sight under the star-lit sky. We were about to enter the brightly-lit tunnel and I sensed a puncture on my rear wheel. This was attended to double quick time, with Nakul and Srinivas helping me. It took us a while to find the source, but we finally found the small pin. As we were attending to the puncture, others in the group caught up, and we asked them to move ahead in the interest of time.

We crossed Hospet, hoping to catch up with the rest of the folks. They had stopped at the next toll booth. We also did for a refreshing tea (and a banana for me). As we exited the toll both, there was a deviation for Hunagund. I quickly signalled to the Nakul and Srinivas who were following at that time. Armed with directions from the toll booth, Operation Search Athithi Sarkar Dhaba began. As we were riding on a divided highway, turning back is quite dangerous, and we didnt want to miss it. Finally, we managed to locate the place.

I was starving to death by this time. We quickly settled in and ordered some food. I didnt want risk and settled for curd rice. Soon, Tasneem and Dhananjaya arrived. I took my time to settle in before the food arrived. As I started eating the curd rice, that strange feeling started in my stomach again, and I threw up for a second time. 

There were lot of theories. I was completely thrown aback, first, by sleep deprivation, and then by lack of food. I hung around for sometime not knowing what to do. Other fellow riders started to take a nap one by one. Luckily by time, I had put my lights and Garmin to charge. After sometime, I decided to go to sleep. It was quite chilly, and I was lucky to get hold of a blanket half an hour later. 

Dont know how much longer, I got some good sleep. When I woke up, there were only three of us, Pavan, Chandra and myself. All the others had left, probably hours earlier. I alerted Pavan and Chandra waking them up. Time was 4:30, which meant that I got three hours of sleep. The dhaba had run out of curd, and had some rice. I couldn't imagine to palate anything else. I tested the waters with with some plain rice mixed with pickle and it didn't cause any trouble. Slowly got ready and finished ablutions. Having a clear stomach is a great blessing to start the day with. 

Day 1: A Fresh Start

I took my time to get ready and thanked the dhaba attender. It was 5:20 when I started from here. Most of the four hour buffer that I had coming had evaporated. There were two clear instructions from Manas before I went to sleep. CP4 at 386km to be met  by 7:45am, and CP5 at 524 to be met by 4:55pm. Luckily, all my possesions were in tact. Garmin and lights were fully charged, and so was I.

36km to CP4, and two and half-hours to cover the same. Legs were fresh and the morning chill was good. As I warmed up, found a good spinning rhythm. Enjoyed the beautiful sunshine as it rose across the crimson sky to my right. 36kms went by real quick in an hour-and-a-half, and I had caught up to Manju Warrier, by this time. Mohan greeted with yogurt and some refreshments. I was unwilling to touch anything by this time. Hotel Nanda Gokula wasn't open yet. Good for me, as I pushed off after a quick chat with Mohan. 

As there was some road construction, we had to get down into the town at the next intersection. To my luck, there was a small breakfast joint serving fresh khara bath. It passed my stomach test. Two khara baths and a kesari bath later, decided to keep it safe. Packed one kesari bath for the road and started. Manju would pass me this time, and all my efforts to alert her about the breakfast werent helpful. I caught up with her later only to realize that she was surviving only on fluids. A quick call to Manas indicated that they were about three hours ahead.

Knowing that I might be the last among the group, kept up a constant pace without wasting any time. I passed by Ilkal and resisted any urge to stop. There was some confusion with the directions as we passed by Hunagund. There was a deviation towards Amingad and Aihole from here. Rajiv Bhide caught up here confirming the directions. In the ensuing confusion, I missed stopping for a tummy-fill. 

It was really refreshing to get-off the highway onto country roads. It was picturesque early in the morning with fields as far as we can see. The next 15 kms to Amingad was going tough as the tummy tank started complaining. I caught up to a policeman on bike and quickly got directions to a local restaurant in Amingad. Didn't waste any time here, adding four idlis and coffee to the starving tank. The hotel owners were very glad to host us and was making special Mandakki. In the interest of time, I moved along. There was another quick stop for a fresh lime soda at a road-side stall, before the trek to Aihole. 

The road to Aihole was done partially, and was already designed bad roads in the introductory sessions by BR. As I reached Aihole, I saw the complete group of Nakul, Dhananjaya, Nitin, Tasneem and Srinivas. They had taken a break at an hotel enroute to take bath and refresh themselves. The three-hour sleep was good enough for me. Aihole was the first of the mandatory landmark CPs designated by the organizers, and a selfie-shot here was mandatory. I took time to relish the surroundings, took some photographs and also hydrated with lemon soda. This provided much needed salts that were losing in the heat.

The next stop was Pattadakkal. There was a lady serving buttermilk in water bottles. Buttermilk serves as a good refresher, providing hydration, protein and also salts. It also balances any acidity build up in the stomach. Filled myself up with buttermilk to the brim and continued. In my interest to take pictures, I got dropped from the group. 

The third mandatory heritage CP was Badami. It was bit tricky to go through a steep incline of cobblestone pathways with people all around. Took the time to walk up under the noon-sky and diligently completed the selfie-shot. It must have taken a good half-hour walking in and walking out. 

Hunger pangs were kicking up. 

By this time, there was a big mess in my top-tube bag. There was a big competition between the hydration salts and hand sanitizer on who would dominate the proceedings. Sighted an expensive Hotel Clarke, and decided to stop here. As it was early for the lunch buffet, it was quite empty. Placed an order for curd rice, and by the time it arrived, refreshed myself and cleaned out and washed my top-tube bag. 

As I settled down to have the curd rice, that same feeling started in my stomach again. Quickly brought it and control and apologized to the hotel manager for wasting food. Left him a good tip and started along. While I was in a good position to reach CP5, heat and a hungry stomach stood in the way. I was still in the tail pack, but a few riders behind always gives good confidence.

The journey to CP5 continued on buttermilk. Along this way, I caught up to Faraz and Siddarth, and was jokingly telling them all my miseries with food. Luckily, Faraz had a pill to suppress nausea. My feeling was that nothing could do downhill from here and I readily took it. I decided to play it safe for the next couple of hours, sticking only to buttermilk. The road condition before Bagalkote slowly deteriorated, and much attention was needed on the road to carefully negotiate the potholes.  

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The last km to Bagalkote was never ending, and I reached CP 5 with 45 mins to spare. With CP6 (620km; Target 23:47 Day1) still eons away, I managed to get a good meal. I decided to play safe with Dal khichdi and lime soda, not knowing if the nausea pill had worked. Caught up with quite a few riders here. Many people had decided on quitting. Tried to plead with Shyam and Bharat who had decided to quit, but to no avail. I moved from here as time was running out. 

As I was exiting Bagalkote, I rode too close to a lady walking on the road which resulted in a small mishap. I stopped to apologize and they took it in a good stride. I felt that courtesy was required so that they will appreciate other cyclist. I stopped at two places, once for a small group of kids, and next to quickly gobble up on some  chickoo (sapodilla). Next major point was Lokapur that was 28kms away. I stopped here at the designated hotel to have a quick snack. Relished a butter dosa, lime juice and an ice cream, and walked out in 13 minutes. I realized the power of solo randonneuring with the ultra-short break.

Two kms later, we would enter what can be described in a very mild tone as hell. To start with, there was a head of rubble to block the road. Our maps directed us the correct way, and the road was filling with tennis ball sized gravel. There was a two-feet patch of paved road on the far right that could be used when there is no oncoming traffic. As we entered this road  by dusk, most of this patch needs to be covered under the dark. 

Treacherous would be an understatement to the describe the terrain we encountered for the next twenty-five kilometers, and we didn't have the luxury to ride slow. With all the focus that I could put on the roads, I negotiated the roads, one pothole by one. I was only hoping that the tires and tubes would hold good and would not result in a puncture. A couple of hours later, barely making time for the distance covered, I stopped at a sweet shop. Filled my water bottles and relished myself with Dharwad Peda and Gulab Jamun. I was hoping that this would be good before I get to CP6. 

Reaching CP6 meant two things: a bed to crash on and rest for a couple of hours, and second, with 600kms completed, the mandatory hourly speed requirement will drop down to 12kmph. When the bad roads ended, there was something else waiting for us. A long time of tractors stuffed with sugarcane occupying the roads. I didn't mind the loud music from the tractors. However, riding on one side of the road with oncoming traffic was a big challenge. Curses were flying around for the inventor of high-beam lights. All this, courtesy to a sugar factory. When all this was done, the road was much quieter. So quite that I was finding it lonely. There were a few others who were coming along. Dayalan, Karthik and Rajiv Bhide.

After a lonely couple of hours, we rode into Gokak. The sight of flashing lights from the riders ahead showing the way. I managed to reach the control with an hour to spare. After parking the bike safely, carefully relished the buffet spread. Didn't want to encounter nausea anymore. The instructions were very clear. Collected the drop bags, put lights, watch to charge, took a shower, dressed up and packed up for the next day, and crashed into bed. 

Dhananjaya sir was sleeping as I entered the room. For me, this was a replay from the Brief History of Time. He would leave by the time I wake up. We were both in diferent time zones, so to speak. It gave me some comfort that I am only an hour or two behind. As I crashed into bed, set it exactly to wake me up two hours later, at 2:20am. 

There is never a dearth of good sleep sleep after a hard day of riding. You doze off as soon as you crash. As the alarm rang, I snoozed it once just as normal. When it rang again at 2:25, I knew there wasn't any time to waste. Luckily for me, bowel movements happened as I woke up. Its a bliss for me. Exited the room at 2:45 and went downstairs. I had to come back to the room because of some confusion regarding room keys. 

Day 2 was about to start. I was ready, refreshed and replenished by supplies from the drop bag. I also got a change over of shorts and jersey. As I picked up my bike from the parking, I realized that there was a puncture. I was quite relieved that this happened at the control, and not in the middle of the road elsewhere. Quickly changed the tubes, and also got to pump up the tire with the floor pump. Energy conserved for the ride ahead. Once again, last rider to leave the control. 

As I started riding, I observed some rider have stopped for tea, and along the way, some others were resting trying to catch up on sleep. Thanks to the flashing tail lights, it is easy to recognize the riders. Knowing that I am not the last rider, gives me a little boost. 

The road climbed steadily. Lights were strong enough to guide us through the pitch dark. Road conditions still remained worse. We were riding along some remote villages. Pity that we couldn't enjoy the surroundings. The next twentyfive kilometres were through some remote villages with no food options. A quick call to Manas: He was an hour and a half ahead, and informed that there is a mandatory selfie point when we join the Pune Highway.

I was eagerly looking for riders along the route, and crossed one bunch. Someone gave a shout, and I slowed down. It was Chandra, telugu lecturer from Chittur. He is a strong rider slowed down by lack of good lights and wanted to join along. We rode together for the next 25 kms, and at one point, I asked him to go ahead, not wanting to push myself.

Day 2 - Back on the Highway

The day broke and we were treated to misty air rising from the Hidkal reservoir. With birds chiping around, dawn was mesmerizing. Hunger pangs started as the ride was nearing three hours. Soon, I reached the highway. The mandatory selfie at the junction was completed in double quick time. Stopped at the next toll booth for some tea. Enquired about directions for the next breakfast stop, and moved along. 

As we crossed the Hidkal reservoir (that I wouldn't know at the time of riding), sun came up beautifully.

I kept looking for a breakfast stop, and couldn't find any open shops. There was one open on the opposite side of the road, but didn't want to waste time. Searching for restaurants, I caught up with Anand from Chennai, who was riding a fat bike. Truly hats off for this guy. 

Reaching the highway was a big morale booster, and more importantly, we were counting down kilometers instead of up. And when I saw this mile post, I felt. "Oh yes, I am going home".

With pleasant weather, I was maintaining a good speed, despite being on empty stomach. 600-720km was expected to the toughest segment in the overall ride. There was steady climbing all the way to Belgaum. On the way, I spotted a group of riders below the highway, most likely from Belgaum on a group ride. I gave a shout, and they recognized that I was part of the 1200. These riders gave good company on the rolling terrain, and I was happy to cover ground quickly.  

With lack of breakfast options, it was pushed till Belgaum, and finally, we stopped at a local breakfast restaurant. Some of the other riders were also having breakfast and some used the opportunity to catch a quick nap. Chandra also joined for breakfast, who was riding with Vipin at this time. 

Santosh was struggling here with knee pain, and was thinking of quitting. I asked him to get to Belgaum and decide. Exiting Belgaum, there wasn't any chance one would. There was rolling terrain with long down slopes.

Talking about targets, CP7 was Sugar and Spice, Hubli @797kms with a cut-off of 3:15. All around Belgaum was rolling terrain and full of climbs.With the initial part of the day in pitch dark, ride average was just normal, and I just sufficient time to reach the next CP. I was getting as temperature soared. I was looking for a good place to rest. With the highway looking like a desert, there wasnt any around. After some time, I found a small tree and a grassy path on the edge of the highway. Though the slope was upwards of 45 degrees, a ten-minute nap much needed respite from the seat. Quickly back on the saddle, a km ahead, I found a small restaurant and noticed another rider had stopped. 

As it was nearing lunch time, and the CP still three hours away, decided to make a brief stop. I stuck to Dal Khichadi, the safe option, preceded by lime soda, and followed by an ice cream. Chandra joined along for lunch here. With the tummy fully loaded, we started for the next CP, and had a slim buffer. Immediately I noticed a puncture. With not much time around, quickly flipped the bike, and swapped the tube for the last spare I had. When we tried to inflate the tire, the nozzle wasn't coming out. I realized that this was an older tube with a short nozzle. I quickly patched the first tube, and put it back. As we were inflating the nozzle broke. With time running out (we barely had 2:45 to cover 48kms under the hot sun with heavy rolling terrain), I asked Chandra to move ahead. He went ahead very reluctantly. He had a spare tube, but needed for his emergency.

Here came along Sakthi from Chennai. From m earlier conversation with Chandra, I knew Sakthi had fixed Chandra's pedal the previous day. The conversation went:

"What, bro"?

"Puncture, and out of tubes. Do you have 700x25". He quickly checked, and said mine is 28.

"Ok, that'll do. Let's patch it"

He thought there may be an issue with pump, and used his pump to inflate. Wary of more air, I limited the pressure to 60psi.
Fifteen more minutes went in the melee.

48kms, and two-and-a-half hour to go. The upward and downward slopes were shining brightly under the hot sun. What followed was nearly superhuman. Seven of us: four riders from Chennai, Dayalan and Karthik from Hosur, and me in the very back pedaled furiously taking one hill after another. We came across some fruit shops near Hubli. Exhausted by the sun, I tried to negotiate with a fruit vendor for some apples. She was reluctant. Karthik passed on one orange that had. This tasted heaven, with all the dehydration and exhaustion. A few more kms later, we arrived at CP7 with 15 mins to spare. I havent rode this hard since the Hogenakkal-400 finish two years ago. 

Forty-eight kilometers were covered in two and a quarter hours. A big kudos to someone who set the pace at the top of the line. 

Hubli Randonneurs provided a grand welcome. They took care of our bikes, refilled water in the bottles, and provided much needed nourishment. Severely dehydrated, I must have had 7 or 8 glasses of lemon juice from the organizers. Thanks to the wonderful support here. 

Having already stopped, I decided to have lunch here. Manas and Binoy were winding up their lunch, and mentioned the service is quite slow. Santosh and Arun joined for lunch. A short nap after a plate of Dal Khichadi, we were ready to be on roads. Sun was still shining bright and we could still feel the heat.

CP8 was DVG Socials (933km; tgt: 03:08am Day 4). Having had three punctures, all in my rear tire, I was wary of  any more. Manas lent me a tube. Ahead of us was a long stretch of highway with very limited food options. It was myself, Arun and Santosh now with the Chennai and Hosur riders surfacing occasionally. While we could spin easily, winds and the cemented highway roads made rolling difficult. I was keeping an eye for any easy food options that came along. We were trying to put a paceline. Santhosh who was following me asked if I can hold a steady line. Folowing the paint made me very drowsy. It was just each one of use against the wind. 

The highway was barren, devoid of anything. Even the toll booths were very sparsely populated. Four hours in, I found a small hotel by the highway thanks to directions to local villagers. Reception was awesome, courtesy to some the earlier riders who had passed along. Service was also quick. As one of the Chennai riders passed along, I gave a shout. He wasn't interested in dinner much. Quickly wrapped up my lunch and moved from here. As the next CP also served as the drop-bag point, there wasn't a need to pack any dinner. 

Rajeev Bhide had decided to drop and was passing in a car. He quickly stopped to cheer myself and Arun. Fresh from the puncture, I queried if he was carrying a spare tire. Luckily, he had one and lent me. This must have been the loneliest part of the ride. Battling sleep deprivation and fatigue, I continued. The only respite at the end of the day was a warm and cozy bed. At one point, I decide to take a short nap, and Santosh joined along. The journey continued after a 15-min nap. My immediate goal was Ranebennur junction at 907. Having done the same stretch in the 600K brevet three weeks ago, I knew there would a boost in the morale. 

While the roads were a bit patchy in this stretch, the cool night breeze kept the energies up. Two hours later, as I located DVG socials. As the gate was shut, I was left wondering if this the correct place. Luckily for me, security opened the gates before I turned back. A few riders from Chennai joined along. We were doing comfortable on time, reaching by 12:45am. 

A long walk after parking the bike, I arrived at the hotel lobby where buffet dinner was arranged. Organizers were having a hard time allocating rooms. I was still wary of the food. Suresh, one of the organizers, quickly commented that the stomach troubles are history now. I just signaled with my crossed fingers. To be honest, I was more worried about punctures. The spare tube and tire added a margin of safety. 

The usual routine followed. Shower, dressing up and packing for the next day. It was 1:25 when I hit the bed. Alarm was set for 2 hours at 3:25. I decided to swap only the jersey and retain the shorts, as it was feeling comfortable. 

Promply woke up at the set alarm. Having already learnt from the previous day routine, got the room cleaned and handed over the keys to the volunteers. Mohan was ready to flag me off. It is quite amazing what a bundle of energy he is. "Only 270 km to go. See you at the finish". Those words were quite encourage. Both the terrain and territory was familiar. I was just hoping that there would still be tail winds to drive us home. Arun joined me along. Having reached late, he had a shorter sleep break.

Day 3: Going Home

 We started off at 4:00am. In familiar terrain, I knew of a small family-run hotel at Anagodu. Sakthi joined along the way. I gave him quick tips abou the tail winds and how to make most use of them. 

Fresh legs powered the next forty kms before I stopped for breakfast. 

Hot steaming idlis at six in the morning was refreshing. Coffee to keep us alert and awake. Arun joined ten minutes later. We both finished breakfast real quick chatting with the hotel owner.  The terrain was familiar. A short climb, and a few kms on the plateau, we reach the toll both. From here, it was rolling down all the way to Chitradurga. This was super easy. The morale kept increasing because of three factors: couting down kilometers, tail winds and familiar terrain.

I decided to take Chitradurga bypass road this time. Upadhya Ruchi, about 15kms past Chitradurga, would serve as ideal snacking point. The ride to here felt like never ending. I was happy to see Mohan and the other volunteers here, though it wasn't a scheduled stop. "Jus another 190 kms. Drive it home. Weather is good, and there are tailwinds". He left within a couple of minutes. 

I went ahead and had a good second breakfast. Kharabath, Kesari, and a couple of choco-bars. As I was winding up, Santosh joined. I couldn't find a reasonable place to rest. Both us used the dining table to rest, and used it for short 15 mins. Back on the road, the next 25kms till Hiriyur went like a breeze, as it was a gentle downslope.

CP9 (Kamat Hotel, 1085km, tgt: 15:25 Day 4) looked very acheivable. Soon, I caught up with Arun, and there was a minor incident on this stretch. A tractor driver was pestering with constant honking. He demanded money for his evening peg. Arun also had the same issue, same driver. As it was getting very hot, we stopped for a quick tender coconut break and continued along. 

As I had some confusion regarding CP9, I went past assuming it to be CCD. When I turned back, I realized how strong the tailwinds were. Service was quite slow in Kamat. After a Dal kichadi and an icecream, we lubed our chains and caught a ten-minute rest. Arun, Santosh and myself started together, after a longish break. We weren't concerned very much about time or buffer now. 115kms to go. 

With tailwinds negating the gradual inclines, we just need to hold ourselves together, to see off the heat. Though this was a familiar stretch, we were doing it for the first time during the day. Temperature cooled as the sun went down, and when I was nearing Tumkur, it started drizzling. I stopped and got into a rain jacket. While starting, I had a fall: a combination of cleating, slope and me applying the front brakes. Nothing serious, but this was enough to set me on a cautious tone.

Traffic picked up, and the ride till Kyathasandra toll, was a misery. Ajja's benne masala dosa was readily available. With three odd hours to the finish, this seemed an ideal place. Ajja was in a good mood and super chatty. Loaded myself on coffee and pocketed a RedBull as an SOS. I wanted to use it only if it was absolutely necessary.

As night fell, riding became tough with break-neck traffic. The couple of times, I stopped, cleating safely and getting back on the road was quite tough, with never-ending parade of cars and trucks. Decided to use the RedBull, just to stay alert. Tailwinds aided the long climbs till Nelamangala. "Almost there" was the feeling a Nelamangala Tol. I didn't even bother to stop and continued along. "Take the bike home...". I was praying that the bike held up without any mechanical issues. 

With the roads getting wider, bike handling was more confident, and I maintained a good pace. With the night still young, decided not to use the flyover. Roads were getting worse as we were nearing Bangalore. I was wary of puddles, or potholes hiding under the puddles. With 1170kms under the belt, I still had energy left in the tank to attack the flyovers. 

Navigation got tougher inside Bangalore, and I constantly kept checking my watch for the turns. As usual, missed both the turns on Sankey Road. With more than an hour for the cut-off, took it with a relaxed mind.  Golf course, Palace Road, Nrupathunga Road, Hudson Circle, and finally Kanteerava Stadium. Reached there by 2300hrs, with an hour to go before cut-off.

There was a good crowd built-up at Konark, and everyone cheered the arrival of one more LRM finisher. As for me, I felt like I could go on for another night. With brevet cards submitted, and clicking the mandatory finish photo, called up home and informed that I had finished. There were several other finishers who were still at Kanteerva. After exchanging lots of congratulatory notes, reality began to sink in. With all the stomach troubles, I was relieved to have finished the mammoth ride.