Mumbai To Surat

 

My run from Mumbai to Surat was really a very humbling experience for me.

 

After running for 11 years, and after finishing 6 Comrades and many other Ultra marathons, including my recent runs from Mumbai to Shirdi, runs to Lonavla and Pune which I ran with few friends, I wanted to run for a cause, I wanted to run to motivate other runners. When Lalit bhai invited me to run the Surat half marathon and I came to know through him that Hi – Tech Surat city half marathon which was an event for runners, by runners and to promote the cause of running so I decided to run  Mumbai to Surat , so he  advised me to speak to Pranav bhai who is a good friend of mine too .  So I spoke to Pranav Desai (who is also one of the organizers of the race) and told him that I was happy to show my support for their endeavour by running from Mumbai to Surat. Surti runners sponsored my entire run and have been a wonderful support to me my entire endurance journey.

 

I have been doing multiple runs for several months to get an experience of how my body reacts to the multi day events and what are the challenges I face during such runs. In fact there is nothing like – “you know everything”, I believe that every day you learn new things, life is a learning process and you get to learn many things from everyone even from amateur runners too.

 

Since I had already run the Mumbai to Shirdi 247 kms run I thought a flat terrain like Mumbai to Surat can be covered in two and half days maximum.  The Mumbai - Shirdi terrain included  many ups and downs and hills along with major Ghats like Kasara and Sinnar ( Khopdi ), I covered this in 3 and a half days with a slow runner and with many stopovers in between, but I never knew the surprise which was in store for me in my Mumbai - Surat run.

 

 I decided to start my run on Thursday, 10^th September at 4.30 am from Johnson and Johnson Mulund west, Mumbai. It was such a great pleasure to have elite runners as my crew members, one of them was Dr. Nehal Patel who participated in many marathons and Ultra marathons in India and also the 100 Miler Berlin Ultra in August 2015, along with him was Mr.Sandeep Patel who has also run many marathons and Ultra marathons in India. They arrived from Surat with the support car and support materials. Runners from Mumbai, Inderpal Khalsa and Kieren Dsouza who have both run many marathons and Ultra marathon in India joined me too. Kieren D’Souza recently ran the 100 k Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc which was held in France in August 2015, The run was flagged off by the star runners of Club Marathon Bijay , Babu, Murali, Bobby, Nilesh, Ramesh Nair, Reji, Latha Natrajan, Pratibha & Suresh Wankhade, Manoj Nanda, Paras Dhami, Atul Dalal, Shilpa and they were  joined by Yogesh Yadav and Anwar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The route to Surat started from Johnson & Johnson, Mulund continued on the Thane - Godbunder road to NH8, Vasai, Virar, Manor, Charoti, Bhilad, Vapi, Valsad, Navsari and then Surat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we were crossing Thane, we were joined by Hari Nair , Vishwas Shah, Dinesh Laungani , Sunil Shirke and Sameer Ghasias .  After approximately 10 kms , Club marathon runners wished me and turned back, Hari , Vishwas and Dinesh ran along with me for 21kms till the end of Godbunder road and the start of NH8 from where I took a right and my journey to Surat continued.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I continued with Nehal Patel, Inderpal and Kieren running along with me on this endurance run. Sandeep Patel cycled alongside us and supported us with water etc, as he himself was an Ultra marathoner, he understood exactly what we were going through and was very supportive all along.

We were running on the highway in scorching heat with temperatures crossing 36 degrees, there was no shade whatsoever and the only breeze we got was when the trucks zoomed by us. It was a straight NH8 highway with undulating terrain, it was not at all a flat terrain as I had imagined.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While we were running I suddenly noticed a car which had been following us for a while, I was surprised to see Hari Nair in the car. It was around 2pm and time for lunch so Hari advised us to stop for lunch at a hotel he knew well. Hari knows the Mumbai – Surat road like the back of his hand.  He ran with me for another 6 kms or so before we stopped for lunch which was around 71kms. Hari brought energy drinks and a few dozen bananas, etc but our car was already packed with all kinds of energy drinks and the Unived RRUNN Hydration & Endurance Pre & Post drink. He got along with him some special massage oil and also gave me a good massage with it. It was so refreshing and my muscles were soothed and I was feeling better. I really salute his passion for running and it’s very rare to find such an amazing human being.

 

 

 

 

 

 After lunch we walked for a little distance and then started our run again.  By 7.30 or so we decided to call it a day covering a distance of 101 kms.

 

 

The arrangement made by Surti runners throughout my run was awesome. The hotel was booked for our night stay, we had dinner and went off to sleep. Since my whole body was tired, I could not get sleep for a long while and when my alarm suddenly rang I realised that I was fast asleep for almost 6 hours or so. It was 4 am, and as I had kept all my running things besides me before going to bed as a practice, it didn’t take me much time to get ready.  I was on my feet quickly and eager to start my second day. 

My second day started from a place called Charoti. Since Nehal and Sandeep had gone back to Surat the previous night, they were replaced by Dr. Ashish Kapadia, Apurva Gandhi and Nish Desai who joined us for Day 2.

 

 

 

Dr. Nehal is such a down to earth, cool and a very straight forward person. I liked his as well as Sandeep’s nature, just the positivity one needs at a time like this. Sandeep would go out of the way to get us lassi & constantly cycled up and down, getting us chilled water amongst other things during the entire day of our run.

 Dr. Ashish Kapadia is a well-known Physio, who has also run many marathons and he is also a very good ultra marathoner and has inspired many runners in Surat like Dr. Nehal Patel.  I was surprised to know that Dr.Ashish never charges a fee for runners and cyclists in his clinic.

The second day was much hotter than the first day, it was also very humid. Our support team received a message that the Runners from Atul Industries, Valsad wanted to join us. Due to this weather our run had become slow, I had to stop at almost every km and apply Ice and pour cold water on my body. In the meanwhile Apurva and Nish also joined us in our run and managed to finish their longest run ever. Around midday the heat increased so much that it was unbearable to run and our pace also reduced drastically. As we reached Vapi we received a message from the Valsad Runners and Cyclists group that they had booked a room for us at Vapi. Instead of killing ourselves in the hot weather we decided to rest for some time till the sun was less hotter and extend our run till late night to cover lost time. After lunch and resting for some time, we again started our journey towards Surat. It was very difficult mentally and physically to start the run again after enjoying the comforts of the air-conditioned hotel accommodation.

 

We went back on the highway, the sun had still not set, the weather was hot but a little better than the midday heat. As we proceeded someone on a bike started talking to Ashish and later came back and handed over some cold drinks to him. Ashish informed me that the person on the bike saw us running in the heat from the other side of the road, took a U turn and spoke to Ashish to understand what was going on, on knowing about our run he asked if there was something he could do, be of some service and support in his own little way. I was amazed by his gesture, sometimes support reaches you in mysterious ways. As we moved further, we were joined by Mr. Jayesh Parekh who had booked our hotel room in the afternoon at Vapi . he chatted with us while we were running.  During the course of the run our support team got another message that there was going to be a press conference at Pardi and the local Corporator was coming to meet us. As we were approaching Pardi we saw cars and bikes with many photographers clicking us and recording the run. I later got to know that they were from the media. As we reached Pardi, there were a few people gathered who then interviewed us. During the photo session, we were offered the local delicacies, tea and coffee. We have to spend almost 2 hours on this break, we then continued our run towards Valsad.

 

 

 

We reached Valsad at almost 11pm and decided to call it a day.  It was now time for me to say good bye to Ashish, Nish and Apurva . I really had a nice run with Ashish, he not only ran the whole 90kms with me , but  almost every few kms he took me through some awesome stretching, I also learned many things from him regarding diet, stretching etc. He is very knowledgeable and such a wonderful human being.  Jayesh Parekh had organised very good accommodation for us at Valsad. As usual I kept all my running things ready before I went off to sleep. By the time we finished dinner and went to sleep it was around 12 pm and in another 4 hours’ time we had to get ready for our third and last day of our run. When I looked back at my journey of the last two days run and just one more day left to go, it made me happy about my achievement, with this happy note I went off to sleep content. 

 

 

 

 

 

Next thing I heard the hotel phone ringing, I heard a very familiar voice saying Good Morning sir. It was our Lalit Bhai who is the first runner from Surat to finish Comrades this year. He was accompanied by another outstanding runner Snehal Patel. It was already 3.45 am or so, Lalit bhai said he never got sleep in the night thinking of the run.  Since it was the last day of our run, with a very happy heart I got ready in a flash and went down to the lobby and we hit the road immediately without wasting any time. The best time to cover the maximum distance is before the sun comes out.

 

 

 

I along with Inder , Kieren, Lalit bhai and Snehal started our run.  The weather was very pleasant, the sky looked so beautiful and the light created wonderful landscapes of light magically in the sky just before sunrise, I loved the view. We had covered a large distance before we stopped for breakfast. I had lovely hot Idli’s and Lalit bhai managed few bottles of cold flavoured Amul milk for us. After this delicious breakfast we started our run again.

 

 

As we moved further the weather became hot and humid again. We were joined by Suresh Dakhara and his friend Sudhir Kheni with an ice box filled with Ice , coke and water amongst other things. He is an enthusiastic runner from Surti runners and has registered for the Comrades Race in 2016. He joined us, while running  we shared our experiences with each other and in between the runs Lalit bhai made me listen to the Hanuman Chalisa  to boost my energy a bit while also cheering me up in between. As it was around 1 pm we stopped for lunch. After lunch we hit the road again, as we were nearing our destination we felt more energetic and our running time increased and walking time decreased.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we entered the outskirts of Surat it rained heavily for more than half an hour, but since it was almost evening, the weather became a little pleasant. By now we have joined by Sharad Gandhi and few more runners.
It was now time to leave the National highway and enter Surat city. As we were nearing we were informed that there were runners waiting for us at the expo so we decided to sit in the car and go towards the expo and finish the remaining 21 kms next day at the race. We had covered a distance of almost 263 kms in 3 days, but my garmin was showing a difference of 13km , I came to know later on that when I started my run in the morning I had selected indoor running mode by mistake. As we were approaching the expo we were stopped near Jayesh Shah & Ronak Shah’s  house and were welcomed with drums rolls and people were dancing to the beats of the music played by the band. They were so happy that we made it all the way from Mumbai to Surat, they were dancing to beats of the dhol and applied tilak on our forehead and congratulated us.

It was pleasure meeting Piyush Bhai , he wanted run his 86th 42km with me because of some miscommunication  I  missed running with him.

 

 

 

 

 

I was overwhelmed by this welcome and thanked them for welcoming us in such a grand way. Nehal Patel then came and took us to the expo. At the expo all the runners were waiting for us outside the gate with welcoming sounds of dhols and the band. Pranav Desai and few other runners carried me to the second floor where the expo was held where there were a few media persons who interviewed us, after which we left for the hotel.

 

The Surti runners booked me at the Taj Gateway, I was really honoured to share my room with one of the greatest ultra-marathoners, you can call him the uncrowned king of distance running, he doesn’t like publicity, people hardly know him. His name is Bhupendrasing Rajput. As I reached the room another legend Bhasker Desai came to see me. It was also such a pleasant surprise for me to also meet Tanvir Kazmi and Rajesh Vetcha.

 

 

 

After a long three days run , it was pure luxury to take a warm shower and have a royal buffet dinner without rushing and thinking that I had to again hit the highway. As I was lying on the bed I started feeling cold and started shivering. Bhupendrasingji gave me a bottle of Electrol, which was handed over to him by Ashish. He kept talking to me while I was drinking the Electrol and ensured he kept me awake till the entire bottle was finished and then later informed Ashish that I was well. Such is the simplicity of that person. After requesting him to wake me at 5am for the Surat Marathon, I hit the bed.  

Next morning I woke up at 5 am got ready and we went to the lobby and met Bhasker and we were off to the start line of the marathon.

 

This is the first time Surti Runners have organised a race. I could see so much of enthusiasm among the runners. The marathon started dot on time, it was a flat terrain. The roads were blocked for traffic till the finish of the race. I could see people from all ages participating in the race. Every 1 km there were water stops which were loaded with water, energy drinks, sponge etc. There were many volunteers at every water stop along with physio’s and doctors as standby and also there were doctors on the bike throughout the route, this was something unique and pleasant to note. After the finish line they had a tent with beds where many physio’s were seen treating and massaging the runners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since there was huge prize money I could see that almost all the elite runners from India had travelled to run this race.

In the open category the runner who came out first crossed the finish line in 1:07:38, in the women’s category at 01:28:11 and in the Veterans Category at 01:26:53.  

Apart from the winners Surti runners gave away mementos to all the outstanding runners.   

In India we do have talented athletes but there is no one to encourage them. All the sponsors are interested only in backing up cricket. If we groom these youngsters and they make a name for themselves, then only will the government and the sponsor’s take notice of them. If more runners are qualified to run the Olympics only then will the nation open their eyes towards running as a sport.   

With their enthusiasm, determination and facilities provided Surti runners proved that this event was for the runners, by the runners and to promote the cause of running. It’s very true that only runners know a runners needs. Kudos to the organisers, keep up the good work guys.   

It was such a great pleasure and awesome experience running this Mumbai – Surat run and I am really grateful to Surti Runners for their hospitality throughout my run. They took care of all my needs and looked after me very well in all aspects. I am also thankful to Dinesh Laungani for helping me to get the Garmin 920XT.  

This run was such a humbling experience for me and I got to learn many things about running multiple days. This will be a stepping stone for such runs I participate in the future. Surprisingly, I never had any cramp during the run nor any stiffness after the run. I used to take Unived RRUNN Hydration & Endurance Pre & Post drink and their salt tablets which really helped me. Thank you Amit Mehta. I am very grateful to each and every runner, without their good wishes and blessings this wouldn’t have been possible. Thank you from the bottom of my heart guys.  

Mumbai to Surat 284 km run was really a good experience . I am looking forward to meeting up with associates who can support me to take my talent to another level and also  I can do many more, such runs in India and overseas to promote their brand along with promote running.  

 

Powered by #Garmin 920 xt