On 18 April 2026, I became an ultra-trail runner after completing a 50+ km section along the section of the Kathmandu Valley Rim. It took me 15 hours to scale the distance that has almost 4700 meters of elevation gain. The route was 'interesting'. The race began at Godawari. Before the start, I saw many familiar faces and got introduced to some unfamiliar faces. We cracked jokes about running. Some 60+ years old uncle was running with us with full enthusiasm. Someone said, "The pain of running this trail is less than staying home with your wife." We all knew that the road ahead was going to be tough. The race began, the first leg was to go to Phulchoki, the highest hill surrounding the Kathmandu Valley, standing at an altitude of 2,762 meters. The starting run (walk) was breathtaking, breathtaking in a literal sense. Very quickly, I realised that this day would be long. It took 2 hours, and the distance covered was only 8 kms. There were 46 kms left. Then came innum...
Monologue .......