Enduro3 2008: Another Siver

So, Enduro3 2008 brought me a second position, the second time in the OPEN MIX category. Mission Accomplished of 80kms Cycling + 90kms Trekking in 28 Hours...

I was undoubtedly with the National Defence Academy, which needs no introduction. The cadets are finest and the bravest young men. My Team Mates were ACA Yogesh Hirekar and CDT. Shravan Kumar.

We all reached the 'Go' around 7h. We came to know that the go is at 10h15. We decided not to spend our energy waiting for 3 hours, we decided to sleep/rest in our buses/stallions. Stallions are the huge army green color trucks we see transporting army personnel and their kids to schools. Around 9h45 we started getting our bikes ready.

The 'go' for the 40+ men was the first, followed by amateur teams last was the professional category. This was one of the worst decision taken and a big blow to professional category, as we were going to cover the longest distance. This made our wait at every TC and PC longer. (TC: Time Control and PC is Passage Control. TC gives us the time we entered and PC ensures partcipants do not take any short cuts) We entered NDA and at the 1st hill, there was a very long queue. We had to get ahead as we needed to cover longer distance, so we asked all the teams to let us ahead and all of them co-operated, understanding that we have to cover a longer distance. What the organisers failed to understand, our competitors understood, Thank you All.

Now was our race was without food/water and we raced many kilometers. 'Every second counts,' was our mood. And there one could see, cadets pulling me, carrying my bag etc. Hirekar and Shravan continued to encourage me.

We reached TC's and PC's we overtook many Non-Open category teams. Though they were not our competitors overtaking them gave us a boost in our confidence. We reached Tekpole. The route from Bhalawadi to Tekpole was tough, and my frustration for the route had just begun.This road was taken under development and was dug. It was dusty and we could hardly see 100 mts ahead of us. And to top it as it was mostly upslopes. Finally we reached Tekpole and, our hike from Tekpole started. We were just crossing the meandering river. It wasn't pleasant, we could see the lights of the PC, but it took us 2 hours to get there, it was insane. The meandering banks of the backwater dint seem to end, finally when they ended, and We reached the PC at 21h, I screamt and howled at the organisor the minute I saw him. I belived that this was the most 'inhumane' route'. I believed that I had the right to say this as this was my 3rd enduro in the Proffesional Category and I knew the past routes. I was almost in tears with Shravan and Hirekar consoling me.

From 21h-2h30 was one of the best sleep I have had in the past 2 years. Hirekar and Shravan volunteered to do the River Crossing. So now we had to start at 2.45 in the morning. All the NDA teams went to gether, and we covered up most of our distance. Hirekar and Shravan continued to encourage me!!!

We reached the Panshet water sports center at 6.30, and then continued trekking till 16h till Tekople,where we left our bikes the previous day. From 6h30 to 16 hours, we covverred the dreadful climb to Koshimghar. At the 11h-2pm trek sucked all our energy. I was dead tired at the end of the trekking route, had cramps from my knees to my foot, I could barely even pick up my foot. in This stage my partners carried me on their shoulders and walked a distance of 5 kms. Now our bags were with with one cadet and i was on the shoulders of another one. They walked faster after carrying me on their shoulders. Hats off to them, may the strength and the courage last for ever. Then we took our bikes and whizzed past from Tekpole to Panshet because what was upslope for us now was all downslope. Now my feet had become numb to the pain and cycling is always my strong point, I could cover up all the time I lost in trekking.

There were many criticisms on me personally. Eg. I dint have to carry my bag, when I was tired, We did not carry our sleeping bags with us after the night and were helped by the boys in OPen all men Category by giving us food and water.

What I believe that this is one of the benefits of going out with NDA, we are an institution, wherever we go, we are together in competiting against the world. We are the responsibility of NDA even when we are in the race and not of NEF. The organisors get forms signed from us that THEY ARE NOT responsible for any any kind of injury, death or mishap, under any circumstances. NDA gets no formed signed from anyone, they believe we are their responsibility. For this they have a officer waiting at Panshet water sports center, who if required will manage any medical treatement for us. The bonding between NDA'ites is of course more than a team from software companies, they have the same values and same thinkings. I belive that this is team work and not 'Help' as put against us. Teams who have members giving up after sometime come together and form teams and complete the race. 2 teams, may be not be in the same category but are doing the race together, would that mean help/team work. The cadets are strong and help physically as well whats wrong in that. We carry all the compulsory material as written in the rule book, and we do follow the rules, what wrong did my team do, I believe nothing.

I like to than thank my mother and brother for letting me live a non-restricted life, Lt. Cdr. Sridhar Tata, Sqn. Ldr. Vivek Singh, Lt. Venkat, Lt. Ashwani Trichal and Lt. Kapil M Sati for giving me an opportunity to participate with NDA.

Hope to see you again!

Mansi

PS: This is my personal blog, and hence the comments stated above are my personal comments, The NDA, the officers of NDA, NEF, Marshals, Organisors have no say in my blog.