Sumit Patil is one of the very few inspiring people we personally know. With tea we sat over for a long conversation about cycling with Sumit as he decided to pour is heart out about the word of Ultra Cycling.
Cycling – the passion we share. Now that you know a lot about Sumit Patil and he is the third Indian to qualify for RAAM. If not then please read our my previous article. You’ll surely get inspired.
We penned down a few questions for him which we thought a cyclist would like to know.
How often do you train?
I train every day two to two and half hours covering 60 to 80 km maintaining a comfortable average which happens over time. In the city and on weekends I do a long ride of around 150km.
What motivates you to go that extra mile?
It’s always been my over smartness that has pushed me. He tells me until you don’t attempt and fail anything is impossible.The smiles on the faces of my crew, I somehow could read it that they weren’t happy and that’s what pushed me forward. He just couldn’t let them down and that the ride wouldn’t kill him. People waiting in Mumbai for his happy news.This was the second time he attempted and he had to complete it without a jolt.
How did you prepare yourself?
Honestly, this time, I didn’t train myself hard enough for the qualifiers. There were a lot of things happening in different planes of life which affected my training. I was lucky enough that I trained hard for the desert 500 because of which doing a 300km is what I’m pretty used too.
How are you planning to train for RAAM?
Decisions have already been made.I am shifting to Pune this June and will be staying there alone with lesser distraction. Riding 6 hours daily covering 150 km every day and around 1000 km in a week, whereas in Mumbai just to be out of the city one needs to ride 40 km, while in June it’s just 5 km. Pune offers a 360-degree spectrum which has several elevated routes.
How do you manage to stay focused?
He says he’s lucky that training has helped him do 200 and three hundred even if you wake him up in the middle of the night he can still be able to do it.
But there is a point when the body crosses the limits and the mind has to come in. Introspection has always been an issue. He tells me he didn’t deserve it because he didn’t train hard enough. Doing any event one needs to respect it. You need to divert your mind focus. You need to give it something to play with. Think of something that fools your mind just like a politician makes promises.
He tries banking on intense emotions, but without training its impossible. He also says that the negative thoughts to be suppressed as soon as it clicks. Music like Mohit Chauhan and euphoria have been bliss.
Did you face any challenges? If yes, then what were they and how did you conquer them?
Firstly, I was never used to a crew car hovering over me. I like riding with freedom. After a certain point, I knew there was a car following me and the noise of the vehicle kept rolling at the back of my head. Big Distraction. At a certain point, I felt like putting my bike in the car and head home. Especially in the initial stages of Karateka climb, which has 36 sharp hairpin bends. I was in a very bad state. Without my crew, it would never be possible. And there was always pressure of performing as it was the second time.
If someone else wants to do it what advice would you give?
You need to dream about it and have the desire to do it than comes the training. Heart rate monitoring would be the best. According to Sumit Patil, a good plan, and a crew which knows you in and out would do the remaining. Not to forget to eat really well and get enough rest. As a rule, he eats before he is hungry and drinks before he is thirsty.
“Every situation has an option but it’s you who decides to do or die”- Sumit Patil
Courtesy :
- Sumit Patil
- Hitisha Mehta
- Rowain Adrian Pereira
