130   |  S p o r t S I l l u S t r at e D |  DECEMBER 2013

extra masala

hey raamRace Across America, that’s ultra cyclist Karthik Padmanabhan’s holy grail. During a workout on the Ooty hills, he gives SI India a lowdown on how he’s getting ready for the 3,000-mile monsterB y l e s l i e x av i e r

Photographs by s u b h a n k a r d e y

health

reaChInG OuT Sardar has brought a different personality to the Indian hockey dressing room with a

more European focus on fitness, strategy and gameplay, while staying true to his roots.

monday blues! “What’s that?” asks Karthik Pad-manabhan. The 26-year-old retail entrepreneur wakes up raring to go—on his “leisurely” 150-ki-lometre ride. What began as a hobby three years ago (and to keep his weight in check) has turned into an obsession as he realised his potential for

endurance riding.Padmanabhan’s Monday morning ‘blues killer’ ride takes anywhere

between five to seven hours. “The pace is deliberately kept sedate, but I still try to average around 28 to 30 kilometres per hour. The heart rate is always in the green; I ensure I don’t push myself too much,” he says.

The Chennai cyclist has been creating a stir in the increasingly expanding ultra cycling community in India. This year, Padma-nabhan became the fifth Indian to qualify for the Race Across America (RAAM), after finishing the Deccan Cliffhanger, one of the qualifying races for the mother of all ultra cycling events, within the stipulated cutoff.

The Cliffhanger, held on Feb. 22–23, was a 643-km (400 mile) race from Pune to Goa. The men have to finish it within 32 hours, while women and age-group (above 50 years) cyclists have to cross the finish line within 34 hours to qualify for RAAM. Padmanabhan finished this year’s Cliffhanger in 30 hours, 16, minutes and 3 sec-

APRIL 2014  |  S p o r t S I l l u S t r at e D |  000

sTayInG FIT The 26-year-old Padmanabhan took

part in the Deccan Cliffhanger, a 643-km race, in February where he emerged

victorious in the men’s category.

Follow @poetbelly

000   |  S p o r t S I l l u S t r at e D |  APRIL 2014

extra masala

“new world” will throw at him, and so is busy getting his mind and body prepared. “I want to complete the race and not just give up halfway,” he says.

t he Cliffhanger—which takes riders from Pune up through the Sahya-dri ranges to Mahabaleshwar and

through Satara, Kolhapur, Belgaum and Dharwad to the finish in Panjim—is a learn-ing experience and a big test no doubt, but it cannot be compared to the RAAM, says Padmanabhan. “Any fit cyclist can compete and qualify for RAAM in events such as the Cliffhanger… 641 kilometres in that

sense is nothing. The RAAM requires you to complete around 4,800 kilometres and you ride for 10 to 12 days, fighting fatigue and sleep deprivation. It requires ultra fitness and I know I am not ready yet.”

There were 10 riders in Cliffhanger’s solo category, but Padmanabhan’s time was not the fastest—that honour went to Great Brit-ain’s Susanah Pillinger who finished the race in a little over 26 hours and is racing in this year’s RAAM. Judging by her form, Pillinger looks set to finish RAAM too.

Padmanabhan knows he’s fit, but he is not exactly up there for the big one. “The race to be fit enough for RAAM is on, besides gain-

APRIL 2014  |  S p o r t S I l l u S t r at e D |  000

onds to claim victory in the men’s segment.Ultra or endurance cycling is a sport that

is fast becoming popular for it provides the competitors not only a chance to test their limits, but, as Padmanabhan says, redis-cover themselves. Cyclists, be it participants of the RAAM—a 3,000 mile race that takes the riders from the east to the west coast of America—or other similar events, use their effort to raise awareness or funds for a par-ticular cause; from environment and cancer to child abuse. And it is not just about being physically fit to pedal through the most part of 12 days (RAAM cutoff time), there is also the mental game that riders have to win—with hallucinations and near-black-out experiences due to sleep deprivation and exhaustion common even among the most experienced of riders, including mul-tiple champions.

RAAM, which began in 1982 as the Great American Bike Race sanctioned by the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association, has claimed its share of fatalities down the years. Pad-manabhan, or the four other Indians who qualified for RAAM before him, including Samim Rizvi of Bengaluru, who became the first from the country and third from Asia to make it to the starting line in 2010, know what they are up against. It is a seri-ous business and faliure not just bruises

your ego. The cyclist could end up with real physical and psychological scars and may even pay the ultimate price.

Rizvi’s first attempt lasted just three days, thanks to an under-prepared and unprofes-sional support crew. The following year he completed it, but was classified as “did not finish” as he crossed the line 40 minutes above the 12-day deadline. In 2012, Rizvi had to pull out just 24 hours into the race after tearing his calf muscle.

Padmanabhan has probably learnt some lessons from Rizvi’s experiences and plans not to compete in this year’s RAAM. He knows he is not ready yet for the test the

reverse Crunches A variant of the traditional core strength workout, this helps with strengthening the lower back muscles as well, which is important for cyclists. With your body flat on the mat, raise your torso and legs, till they are almost parallel to the floor. Go easy if you’re a beginner as there is a chance of injuring your back.

alligator Crawls Quite possibly the best full body exercise you can do without any weights. It works the arms,shoulders, thighs and glutes. Get your body into a push-up position, then press down halfway while extending one leg to crawl ahead. Don’t use your knees to land and instead try to reach out and get your toes down first.

squats It is a well known fact that cyclists have strong thighs, often bulging to huge proportions. Prop a bar on your shoulders and go down slowly, bending your knees, but not your back. Bad form while doing squats—something you might not be able to notice—can be disastrous for your back. So get a partner to do it with.

the Plank A great way to strengthen your core, it is a tried and tested training exercise used by military units across the world. Balanced on your elbows, lift your body parallel to the ground. Breathe evenly, even if it is in short gasps. While in the position, contract and try to tighten your midriff area for best effect.

Crunches A standard exercise to build core and abdominal strength. Lie down on a mat with your knees bent. With your hands in the air, lift the top of your body up. Crunches should be done in sets of three and if you see that you’re losing form, take a break. Beginners can get a partner to hold on to your knees to maintain form during the exercise.

Pedal Power and how Besides strong legs, CyCling requires a strong Core and

uPPer Body musCles that helP in maintaining aero Positions

1 diet While fitness enthusiasts opt for low carb diets, cyclists, espe-cially during long rides, need en-ergy to keep going and a constant protein and nutrient supply to protect the muscles. So their diet plan should include quick-release energy bars and food, a hydration plan, and, not to mention, the tra-ditional pasta. While on training, calorie intake should be monitored to manage bodyweight as every kilogram counts on a ride.

2 rest It is an equally important part of training. So no late night parties. Proper sleep before a long ride or workout will prevent injuries too, just like stretching and mas-sages before and after rides.

3 alcoholic drinks Even though it is tempting to have that mug of beer after a long hard day on the saddle, electrolytes work better in quenching thirst than lager.

tiP toP it’s not just aBout the Bike for CyClists

mo

de

l an

d lo

ca

tio

n c

ou

rt

es

y o

f cr

un

ch

gy

m, n

ew

de

lhi

sInGle and lOvInG IT Endurance cycling is a lonely

sport and Padmanabhan has a simple trick to tackle it: Remind

yourself to just enjoy the ride .

mInd ITthe ultra battle within the cyclist

k arthik Padmanabhan idolises Slovenian Jure Robič who has won the RAAM a record five times

(2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010) and is arguably the greatest ultra cyclist. The former army man, who died in a training crash up in the Alps in 2010, was not very quick on the cycle when compared to his rivals. But he made up for it with his almost inhuman ability to keep going, ignoring pain.

But even Robič, with his physical and mental prowess, was not immune to the strain on the mind associated with ultra cycling. He was known for his temper tantrums, he used to sob and cry while riding, especially during the latter stages of the RAAM, and was also known to suffer from hallucinations. But the Slovene used the hallucina-tions—mostly of aliens, ghosts and animals chasing him on the road—to his advantage. He simply used to ride faster to outrun his tormentors.

Padmanabhan, during the course of the Cliffhanger and other ultra rides, has experienced his fair share of internal fights. While taking a break for a power nap late into the night at this year’s Cliff-hanger, he dreamt that he was “sleeping over a coffin and someone was trying to wake him up”. “I woke up with a start and got scared and started pedaling again,” added Padmanabhan. “After that, till the end of the race, I was hallucinating, seeing images on the road, but I just kept going. Soon after the race, though happy at winning, I was still feeling scared and I called my dad to tell him that I was going to die. He just told me to sleep and it was due to sleep deprivation. I recovered after a good night’s sleep.”

000   |  S p o r t S I l l u S t r at e D |  APRIL 2014

ing experience by competing in endurance events such as the Cliffhanger and brevets and events organised by groups such as the Madras Ranndonneurs and the Tamil Nadu Cycling Club. Every kilometre makes you learn something about your body and your limits as well as the nutritional requirements during the ride which can make or break your race. Besides, I need to figure out a profes-sional support crew with whom I need to build rapport and trust. Out on the road, when you are fatigued, the crew takes calls on your be-half, when to rest, push, the food you eat. They become your brain. There have been instances in previous RAAM races when tempers have flared and team members ditched the rider halfway. I wouldn’t want that.”

that efficiency and trust was lacking when Rizvi attempted his maiden RAAM and he paid the price. But form-

ing a team, though important, is secondary if you have not prepared your body and mind for the race. That is Padmanabhan’s priority and he has been quite successfully juggling a full-time job with a mission that requires full-time commitment. His week begins with the 150-kilometre endurance ride, followed by training rides and fitness routines through the week with his five teammates from the Chennai-based cycling group, Team Mon-grels, coached by Gratian Mathew Govias, a former national rower.

“That (the 150 km ride) is to keep ensuring that the body is used to that form of riding, which requires you to be in a steady rhythm, maintaining a pace which is not too fast, but not too slow either,” explains Padmanabhan. “That starts my training week. I don’t just concentrate on endurance races. I take part in shorter road races, time trials and criterium races too. So for the best part of the week, I work on sprint and high-pace riding with my teammates. I am the weakest sprinter in

my team, my strength being endurance. So Tuesdays I go out with the team for a sprint workout, which could be a ride between 50–80 ki-lometres, and I draft behind the faster sprinters and take turns working up the pace. It has helped me improve my sprinting capabilities and it also reflects on my average pace during the ultra rides.”

Padmanabhan prefers to rest on Wednesdays, but that doesn’t mean no work-out. “Rest and recovery are very important. My workouts are spaced in such a manner that I get adequate rest in between. Sleep is important too and I have, rather hap-pily, given up on late-night outings or par-ties with friends or family. I have reserved Wednesdays for spinning (high cadence pedaling workout), but I don’t do it on sta-tionary bikes like other cyclists. I prefer to be out on the road. So I pedal on a lower gear ratio for about two hours.”

Spinning is a tried and tested workout routine for all pro cyclists, who use it to build muscle memory for high cadence riding. Padmanabhan’s cadence for ultra rides is around 70–80 revs per minute, while during spinning he hits the 120–130 mark.

The rest of the days he does sprint work-outs with the team, followed by a longer, me-dium speed ride on Saturday. Padmanabhan rides early in the morning, starting usually at 4 a.m. That helps him recover by evening for his planned workouts in the gym (see box) to help strengthen the muscle groups required for pedaling and holding aero posi-tion (lower back, shoulders and arms) for long durations on the saddle. He also re-

mo

de

l an

d lo

ca

tio

n c

ou

rt

es

y o

f cr

un

ch

gy

m, n

ew

de

lhi

serves a day, usually Sunday, for running on loose sand on the beach. “It helps with leg muscles,” he says. “While cy-cling and strength training for the legs, like squats, we work on the major muscles (quadriceps, hamstring and the calf muscles). But there are other minor muscles in the legs that complement the major muscles. Strengthen-ing them will make pedal-ing more efficient and help me stay away from injuries. Beach running is ideal to strengthen those smaller group of muscles.”

W hen SI IndI a caught up with Padmanabhan, the rider was on the Ooty hills

(Western Ghats) for a five day high-altitude workout preparing for a criterium race in Coimbatore. The shorter, hour-long race at the Kari Motor Speedway is not quite his priority when it comes to preparing for the RAAM but it will help his pedaling tech-nique as short races and time trials require refined technique or you stand the risk of losing valuable seconds with each pedal stroke. Besides technique, endurance and pace, Padmanabhan’s biggest battle will be the one inside his head (see box: Mind It). One can’t possibly train ones mind to remain calm and coherent while pedaling through 12 days. Padmanabhan believes the key is to tell himself that he is out there to enjoy the ride and nothing else.

That brings us to his training philosophy: workouts for Padmanabhan is essentially a means to get himself ready to enjoy cycling whenever and wherever—be it with the pain of being two days on the saddle, or with the numbness of being at it for 12 days. ±

extra masala health

THE myTH

If you’rE noT workIng up a

swEaT, you’rE noT workIng

ouT Hard EnougH

according to experts, sweating is not

necessarily an indicator of exertion. it is the

body’s way of cooling itself. so, it is possible to burn a significant number of calories

even without breaking a sweat.

The deCCan wInnersThe Cliffhanger overall title was

won by British rider Pillinger, who beat Padmanabhan (left) by

nearly four hours.