Monday, May 15, 2023

What is Kalimpong - A very late post


 

 What is Kalimpong ?

I never heard name Kalimpong in my life. Few months back Coach Satish Gujaran sir posted in our group that he is planning a comrades training run there. He did recce   there and posted pics of hilly roads. Later Roshni Rai a veteran comrades runner and founder of Run with Roshni foundation declared an Ultra marathon there.

Then I checked where exactly this place is. Challenge was reaching there so I didn't think much about it. I am not doing comrades this year there so I didn't need any training run. Summer was already in so marathon season was already over.

Since last one year running was important part of my life.  Some event was always round the corner . I realised that  there was nothing to do as Berlin marathon was 6 months away   My next race is on  6 months away . The vacuum started troubling me .  So Kalimpong ultra kept tempting . Moreover my Guru Satish Gujaran and dear friend Becky pde were brand ambassadors. I asked few of my buddies . Some   were preparing for comrades here and for others Kalimpong was  too far almost on other side of the country . Going there was involved lot of time . I registered but still was not yet ready to go .Few weeks before  Satish sir asked me how much you are doing at Pedong ?

I guessed he is talking about Kalimpong. He gave me training plan for two weeks.  Now I must do it . I booked tickets. Spoken with home stay owner and did the booking. I joined WhatsApp group made by  organiser Roshni Rai . It was most buzzing group  till event date. Runners from all over India. All great achievers. Everyone was excited about hills of  Kalimpong valley in  lower  Himalayan ranges . I was curious about elevation challenge. Since this was first edition no data was available.  With whatever data I could collect, i made an rough  elevation map in my mind . Then feed it in Excel  as a habit . The broader plan broken into 6  parts . Incline of 5 km.  Flat ( it was not flat  actually  but steep Rolling )of 15 km . Decline of 12.5 km  and  back . Then the plan further broken into every kilometres.

All set now .

So waiting for day of departure

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