42 and running strong

HYDERABAD: Anyone can run — when long-distance runner Sunita T says this as a matter-of-fact, one can’t help but recollect memories of taking part in the 100m race at school. She puts a hold to that thought though, clarifying “I meant even marathons.”If it sounds like a mockery of your athletic abilities, worry not. She’s not pulling your leg. Sunita and her long time trekking and running partner, Anuradha Raju, the two Hyderabad runners, have between them completed more than half-a-dozen marathons and numerous half marathons, not to forget multiple arduous trekking expeditions. “We run and trek not to win, but for the challenge and thrill of adventure,” they say. Considering that the duo are mothers of three and two children respectively, this passion stems from the experience of having been there and done what seems to most people, close to impossible. Be it a 100-km run through the high altitude slopes in the north of Darjeeling, or the 1900 m upward trek at Kilimanjaro, they have been smitten by what members of their tribe call the runner’s high - a highly addictive emotional feeling among long distance runners.The two recently made it to the Sandakphu peak, running 70 km on a tough Himalayan terrain. And now this addiction is taking them to Mt Everest as they aim to complete what is arguably the toughest marathon terrain- a 21-day trip that includes a 14-day trek climbing up a height of 14000 feet, before running 42 km down those very steep slopes. “We are confident we can complete it. Moreover, we are buoyed by the fact that we are among the four runners from India for this event (the remaining two are also from Andhra Pradesh), out of a total of 70 participants worldwide.”Sunita, co-founder of Helio Gym in the city, talks of how the pair, shifted from trekking to running. “During a trekking expedition in the Himalayas around three years back, we saw a group of runners breezing past us. That made an instant impact in our minds and the minute we returned to Hyderabad, we hit the roads. Hyderabad is such a perfect training spot. There are hills, straight roads, elevated roads and the place is less humid, making it ideal to gain maximum fitness and build up stamina before hitting the real terrain,” says Sunita, for whom maintaining fitness was not a problem due to her prior gym experience. But for Anu, it was a new beginning, coming as she does from an IT background. “Initially, my family thought I was overdoing things and stretching myself for nothing. But now seeing me race, they are confident I can do anything in life,” she explains.And with time, the duo soon discovered a need to follow a different fitness pattern than the one adopted for trekking. “Trekking is slow and done at one’s pace. But running means constant motion and the ability to maintain long period of stamina. So we worked on building stamina. The fact that women have naturally more endurance than men helped our cause. After all, for marathons its stamina and not speed that’s required”, replyd Sunita and Anu in unison. And so, Whisper Valley in the city became their happy hunting ground, where the duo ran up and down the steep slopes, preparing themselves for future exploits.So does the duo ever fear death while undertaking such risky adventures? “Yes, at times. Like once while doing the trek in Kilimanjaro, I thought of my six-year-old daughter back home, and wondered whether the risk I was taking was worth it. But the moment I completed the trek, I couldn’t wait to try out riskier circuits”, Sunita says.