Ultrarunning
The distance runner from Maharashtra lists out a step-by-step guide on how you can improve your performances when competing in ultra running events.
Until seven years ago, Dev Chaudhari had never considered distance running.
His only exposure to any form of physical activity was during the odd games of kabaddi and kho-kho with his friends back home in Pusad, Maharashtra.
Running as a leisure activity was a complete unknown, let alone the thought of competing as a semi-professional athlete someday.
However, on his first run in 2017, Dev kept pace effortlessly, matching a few senior runners stride for stride, yet oblivious of this natural ability that he was blessed with. A few weeks later, he ran his first 5km race where he took seventh position. More importantly, there were no signs of fatigue at the finish.
With increasing distances, Dev discovered the solitude of running, while testing the limits of his body. He enjoyed the suffering and the long hours spent on the course. Over time, he worked on fine-tuning his raw abilities and he soon started finishing on the podium of testing trail runs such as the Great Mawla Ghaati Ultra and the SRT Ultra.
It set him up for his first international race, the prestigious Comrades Marathon in South Africa in June 2024. And Dev certainly didn’t disappoint, making the finish in 7 hours 4 minutes – the fastest time registered by an Indian at the world’s oldest ultra marathon.
It earned him a silver medal (given to all male finishers who clock between 6 hours and 7 hours 30 min), but what was more commendable was the staggering 22-minute margin by which he reset the Indian best in the event.
“The record was always on my mind since I had trained well. Almost 75% of my routine was around running, while the rest was dedicated to other drills such as core and strength training, and cross-training workouts,” Dev says.
Building on the mileage
Dev’s first ultra marathon was as recently as 2021. But by the time he lined up at the start of that 65km race, he had the experience of running multiple half and full marathons, where he had focussed on improving his pace with every run.
For a beginner to the world of ultra running, Dev suggests keeping an eye on the clock rather than mileage. The idea is to build the mindset and the confidence of running for a certain duration, before working on speed.
“Say you start off by running 30 minutes, and you do it at a comfortable pace for three-six weeks. Then push it to an hour, then two hours and keep building on the duration. The entire point is to be on your feet for a certain amount of time without bothering about the distance covered. This will give you the psychological edge, once you realise that you can last for all those hours,” Dev says.
In the months leading to Comrades 2024, Dev’s daily workouts were between 25-30km, besides a longer run on the weekend. For a race like the Comrades, Dev suggests logging at least one long effort of around 60km as part of the training routine.
Working on speed
With ability to run a long duration in place, the next step is to focus on pace through speed workouts. Dev integrated interval training as part of his daily mileage, often pushing it to two sessions each week when he felt his body had recovered well. He varied the distance and pace of the runs to build on speed and endurance.
He started out with 15-18 repetitions over 1km at a pace of 3.30-3.50 minutes per kilometre. The distance was gradually pushed to 2km, 3km and 4km, culminating in four-five repetitions of 5km at a pace between 3.45-3.55 minutes per kilometre.
“Consistency is key, so you must ensure that the first repetition is at the same pace as the last. Even during interval training, I would look to log my daily mileage of 20-25km and in case I fell short, I would finish the remaining distance with an easy run in the evening,” he says.
Pacing was a critical aspect of Dev’s Comrades run, where he started out a lot slower over the first 6km, before picking up speed over the rest of the course.
Keeping pace
Dev believes strength training and core workouts are crucial to maintain pace during the race. Besides the usual weighted workouts at the gym, with an added focus on the lower body, Dev would also take on planks (straight arm, side, and reverse), crunches, the bird-dog drill, half and full lunges, and body holds to strengthen the core.
“A lot of runners start strong and push well, but as the race progresses, the cadence and the stride length starts dropping. All of this can be improved through strength workouts,” he says.
As part of his cross training, one session each week would be dedicated to swimming or occasionally a 25km bicycle ride to break the monotony of the workouts.
Fuelling the runs
During his training sessions, Dev would prefer sipping on electrolytes every 5-7km. On race day, he consumed gels or electrolytes every 3-4km over the first 60km and then every couple of kilometres over the remaining distance. It kept cramping at bay and ensured that he maintained his race pace.
However, in the run-up to the race, Dev took on three extended efforts of endurance where he didn’t focus much on nutrition or hydration. In the scorching summer of Yavatmal, he finished three runs of 40km, 50km and 60km.
“These runs were hard on the body, and I had to really persevere with the effort. But I finished them in good time, so I was confident of going for the record,” he says.
A vegetarian by choice, Dev stuck to basic home-cooked food for nutrition, ensuring he had green veggies, dal and rice with every meal. Other daily essentials included gram, dry fruits, coconut water, and juices. He would also tuck into smoothies where he added sattu to fulfil his protein needs.
“I wasn’t sure if I would get vegetarian food in South Africa, so I carried masala oats and dals with me. Before the race, I loaded on carbohydrates through pizzas and pastas, and added calories through sweets,” he says.
Acclimatisation runs
A lot of runners tend to taper in the weeks leading up to a race, but Dev simply dropped his daily mileage to around 18-20km before the race. In fact, even on the day he flew out to South Africa, he did a morning run of 20km at a relatively quick pace, clocking 1 hour 20 minutes on the effort.
In South Africa too, Dev put in short runs of 6-9km at a pace of 4.30 minutes per kilometre. Only a day before the race, he rested his body and focussed on hydration.
“It’s not what all runners do, but I’ve realised that it works for me. It keeps my body active and helps maintain form leading up to a race,” he says.
Runners’ mentality
Even with everything in place, Dev believes that any preparation is incomplete without having the right mentality going into a race. For instance, on the Up Run (from Durban to Pietermaritzburg) during his Comrades debut, a lot of fellow runners warned him about the steep inclines that he would encounter toward the end of the race. He set it all aside, knowing that his preparations were in place and simply looked forward to running a good race.
“The race will throw a lot of things at you, some of which is beyond your control. But my mind was set on putting in the best effort that I could. And that’s how it should be for any runner,” he says.
In the near future, Dev wants to run prestigious races such as the Badwater 135, the Spartathlon, and the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, and wants to set new course records during his attempts. His search for dedicated sponsors is an ongoing process, as is the training to get better each day.
“Indian runners have everything that’s needed to compete against the best in the world. If we set our minds to it, anything is possible,” he says.
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