I am from a small town in Dehradun currently residing in Bengaluru. Since my childhood, I was good at sport but quite an average student when it came to academics. At that point, I never really imagined that sports would not just remain as my passion but also become my profession.
 

Recently I've Rekindled My Passion For Cycling as I've Started Short Rides up to 25-30Kms

I am working with Decathlon since Nov 2015. I am quite passionate about football and also play for the corporate team. Recently I've rekindled my passion for cycling as I've started short rides up to 25-30kms. On Oct 2018, I rode to the top of Nandi Hill on a Hybrid Bike. I covered a distance of 72km. That's when I decided that I will try to consistently practice the sport at least once a week if not regularly.
 

One Day, My Manager Told Me About a Bike Event on Bengaluru, BMR (200km Brevet)

The challenge was to complete it in 13hrs, 30 mins. Both my manager and I registered for it and in no time, it was event day. The ride from our home to the event location itself was 28kms. It started at 6am sharp. The riders started pedaling with a big hooting. I also started pedaling with great excitement. The first 25kms was covered very fast because we were on the city roads and still high on energy. On approaching the countryside, our difficulties started to begin and increase with every pedal.

After Covering 80Kms, We Stopped For Breakfast, Filled Our Bottles With Cold Water

The next 100kms were very difficult with lots of ups and downs. To cover the uphill distance, it was necessary to gain momentum which is not easy because you have to sit in a certain posture so that the bike becomes aerodynamic and you're able to gain momentum. during this stretch, my back and thighs got stiff and were not ready to support me anymore. A lot of encouragement and push from my manager helped me pass through that time. We stopped at multiple places to fill our bottles, stretch our legs, click pictures of our ride and checkpoints we covered.
 

Covering More Than Half of The Distance, I Got So Tired That a Thought Continuously Came to My Mind, "Why Did I Ever Opt For This Ride, When Was I Going to Finish?"

I even wanted to leave the event then and there but then what kept me going was that I have come a long way and there's no way I can give up now. Somehow I managed to continue and finished 150kms.

In the last 25kms, I got a pain in my left knee which felt like someone was pinching me with a needle and the intensity of the pain kept increasing with more and more pedaling. I stopped at multiple places, I had to take the time out for my knees and stretch a bit too. It had become dark and I switched on the front and back light for better visibility on the road. I was left with only a few kms and I gave my manager a high five who accompanied me throughout the ride (200kms). He was a real motivator for me on that day. On reaching the finish point, we got our checkpoint recorded time, drank 2 glasses of watermelon juice which felt like it was straight from heaven. I completed the ride in 13hrs which was within the deadline. I congratulated the other riders who had finished and headed back home.
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This Was An Extraordinary Experience For Me...

This was an extraordinary experience for me because this 200km BMR required extra courage and extra will power to start on the starting line and finish the ride without giving up. I will participate in such kind of events in the future too.

I Pranav Rana and this was my story of “New to the Game”. 
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