Have you met Arya Randonur?

Madras Randoneurs urged its members to keep a special ride free on September 11. It will celebrate the first Brevet des Randonneurs Mondiaux (BRM) organized 100 years before that day by the Audax Club Parisien on a 200-km loop route on French soil.

Two hundred and eighty members of the Madras Randoneurs set the date free and took a 200-km memorial ride down Chennai’s East Coast Road. Actor Arya was one of them. As a Super Randonneur – a remarkable feat in itself – Arya has made it to the prestigious 1200-km Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) ride. Talk to him about randonuring and his words will reveal his immense commitment to the sport of endurance cycling. The star-actor explains why he does randonuring and what randonneuring has done for him.

How does one prepare to become a Randonoor?

Randonouring is quite different from general fitness cycling, calling for a different mindset altogether. You certainly need a lot of training for randonuring, but not any special training. More than training it is the mind that gets you to the last line. Basically, it’s about pushing your limits and time management. Each Brevet – 200 km, 300 km, 400 km, 600 km, 1000 km – is timed, requiring you to complete a specific target in a specific amount of time while following the route. Let’s say you ride 400km, you’ll have to bike for at least 22 to 24 hours, so there’s no sleep, no reserved pitstops or stop times, and no telling when and where you have Will be running into problems with a flat tire or bike or where you get your food from. Basically, you get on the bike and prepare for the worst. When you do 600 kms, it is like a two day ride and you rest whenever you get time and wherever you get some shade. Sometimes you sleep under a tree; Sometimes at the bus stand. Sometimes, you’ll have a flat tire somewhere in the middle. So, it’s like a mind game and pushing your human limits. When I did 1200 PBP, I was riding for three to four days with a maximum of five hours of sleep. On the third or fourth day, you will basically be hallucinating.

When the going gets tough, do you wish you were anywhere but on the road?

If you ask the question: Why should I do this? Then again, there is no answer to this. As you get on the bike, there are questions you ask yourself. No one is forcing you to do this, and then why are you doing it? Let’s stop it now, go back home and go to sleep. You break your mind every time until you reach the finish line. The joy you get when you cross the finish line is indescribable. The start line is new every time. You must have done 1000 kms earlier, and the next ride, you do 300 and you will get some level of difficulty. Each BRM is an experience in itself. It will have its own challenges.

When did this all start?

Started in 2017. The first ride was 300 km at Vatternrunden in Sweden, an annual event that is over 100 years old. The ride is organized around a lake. That’s how I got into it – in Chennai, I started doing BRM. Initially skeptical about the arrangements, I was impressed by the experience. The weather conditions are challenging. And Parth and the team of Madras Randonneurs arrange the route and everything well. The rides are well supported at all the control points with safety priority. Now endurance cycling has become an addiction.

Has being a star ever helped you when you’re stuck due to a problem along the way?

When you are recognized, it becomes a problem because you waste a lot of time talking to them, trying to take pictures and you will not be able to relax; Nor will you be able to save some time. I just pray that I don’t get identified, but I don’t stop myself from going to tea shops for a cup of tea or coffee. You won’t find all the big restaurants along the way when you’re driving 600km through the villages. In fact, we eat exclusively in very small joints so that food can be served much faster and we can be back on the road quickly. We choose smaller restaurants that are not crowded.

Any big rides on the cards?

We look forward to the 1500km ride in the United Kingdom which is taking place in August next year. We are actually training for it right now and hopefully by next August we are ready to face it.

Looking at your example, have any of your friends in the film industry resorted to randomizing?

They all come along for the normal ride. Randonouring is madness, not fitness. It’s like pushing human boundaries, like extreme sports. However, when you go to Paris-Brest-Paris and other events abroad, you realize that you are the youngest. There are participants who are 75 and 80 years old. So, it’s not age. We have randonurs here in Chennai which are over seventy. It’s like an addictive madness that enters you.

How has randonneuring enriched your life?

It has really helped my career and life in many ways. Life is about facing and overcoming challenges. I would say you should do BRM, as it will give you enough confidence to face challenges off track. It trains you to work hard, set your goals – BRM motivates you. Not just the BRM, the half-marathon or full marathon can also do this for you. After 20 kms, it is not your feet, but your brain that drives you to the finish line. It’s like meditation – after a while, it’s just your mind.

In Chennai, where do you train?

I live in Anna Nagar – either I do Tambaram Bypass or Outer Ring Road. Or, ECR. If I’m taking a short ride, the marina is Loop Road. It has all kinds of wind directions. We do all kinds of loops in there. It is great for training, fast training. we leave at 4.30 or 5