Lounge
How Tenzin Dolma of Manali aced the Silk Route Ultra in Ladakh
Summary
A dhaba owner in Manali, Tenzin Dolma talks about balancing her work and training and how she won the women's category of the Silk Route Ultra marathon
High up in the village of Kothi near Manali, Tenzin Dolma’s day revolves around running her wayside dhaba that caters to the many tourists visiting the Rohtang La and those travelling onward towards Leh. During her time off from work, she transforms into a determined runner, and a talented athlete at that.
Earlier this month, she lined up at the start line of her longest race yet—the 122km distance of the Silk Route Ultra, which is a part of the Ladakh Marathon—and put in a stellar performance. She finished first among the women and fourth overall, smashing the course record by 2 hours 23 minutes. Her target was 18 hours; she finished in 17 hours 3 minutes.
“The longest I had run before this was 100km, so I wanted to see how my body performs beyond that distance. Then again, this race is very different since it’s at altitude, so one has to be prepared," Dolma, 37, says.
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The race started in Kyagar Village in the Nubra Valley, passing over the Khardung La (5,370m)—the highest point of the route—finishing in Leh. It featured a total elevation gain of 3,737m and a cutoff time of 22 hours. Last year, Dolma had participated in the Khardung La Challenge (72km) and had finished third. That experience served her well on the latest run.
“I got so many things wrong (then). After arriving in Leh, I struggled with acclimatisation and my diet, and got really sick. Then, I suffered during the race because I got the layering all wrong. So I knew I had to be better prepared for the conditions this time around," she says.
June is high tourism season in Manali and an important time for Dolma as she caters to the tourists who throng her eatery. This year was busier than usual. She had to somehow find the time, despite her routine, to train. She feels it was inadequate for the kind of races that she would like to run. Besides the Silk Route Ultra, the other important race was the 100km Bengaluru Stadium Run in July, where she finished 15th overall in a time of 11 hours 4 minutes.
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“Though the distance was about the same, the two races are entirely different. The idea was to make the cut for the World Championships, so I had to do the Bengaluru run. Once I got back home, things got really hectic and I could only put in 10 solid days of work," she says.
As part of her training for the two races, Dolma logged a weekly mileage of 80-90km that featured one long run between 35-42km. She would integrate tempo runs as part of the shorter distances of 10-15km, much of it on the slopes near her home, besides regular core and strength workouts.
“The training schedule was erratic due to work. I would run in the morning or evening, and on a few occasions, finish my workout by nighttime and get ready for an early start the next morning. It wasn’t the ideal preparation, but I also need to earn a living so that I can pursue running," Dolma says.
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She arrived in Leh about eight days before the race and prepared by running about 50km around town. The idea was to also put in a few runs at altitude, but she couldn’t afford a trip to any of the higher locations. She banked on her familiarity with the section beyond Khardung village, from the race last year.
“Since it’s a long race, the idea was to be aware of where I could conserve energy and where I could push to make time. And be mindful while running in the dark and finish in good shape," she says.
In fading light, Dolma made the most of the flat section right after the start. As she started climbing towards North Pullu, the loneliness of her effort sank in when she saw no headlamps around her. She put in a steady effort on the steep inclines as she approached Khardung village.
“There’s a lot of construction work that happens on these roads around the pass. It leaves a lot of stones and pebbles that are hard to spot in the dark, so you really have to keep watch. And when there’s no one around, you gradually come to realise how vulnerable you are in this terrain. I had all the other runners in mind and hoped everyone finished safely," she says.
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She ignored the growing pain at the bottom of her right foot by focussing on the descent from the pass. But she was aware that the hardest section was still to come.
“Last year, I found it really difficult to push as I got closer to the finish. So I asked my friend, Namgyal Lamo, a local runner, if she could help me find a pacer. Her cousin joined me on the last stretch and her encouragement made all the difference towards the end," Dolma says.
It was an emotional moment at the finish when she realised she was a little over an hour off the men’s second runners-up time. Though satisfied with her effort, she knew she had a lot more to offer.
“It was really satisfying to realise that I had finished ahead of the girls who were doing the Khardung La Challenge. I want to return with better training under me next year and work on reducing the gap between my time and that of the men," she says.
Shail Desai is a Mumbai-based freelance writer.
