I am an Army brat. Now that can mean different things to different people but to me, it only means one thing, ‘the fearless Army life’. My father was a coach of Athletics, at Southern Command and he would often take me along for the training sessions of the Jawans. I was doing soldier-level training right from the start of my teens. This was the foundation for my endurance-based sports fascination.
I’d sprint with the Jawans, run miles in the scorching heat, and practice Javelin throws with the best people. By the time I was in my 12th standard, I qualified for the Junior Nationals Level Javelin competition and won a silver (2006). This made me wonder if I can do more.
Finding My Calling
After the event, I finished school and went on to study for my bachelor’s. And didn’t really do much until 2015. In early 2015, I moved to Pune and bought myself a road bike, and riding it extensively. I continued running short distances, I had always enjoyed Sprint running and didn’t like long-distance running much. I did continue running though. Life took over and I was pretty inactive in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
I kept riding on and off but nothing that can be called training. In 2018, I moved to Hyderabad and that’s when I started researching the Ironman event. It fascinated me and I was totally drawn to it. Though I knew that both swimming and running are not my thing. but I was confident about my bike skills. The triathlon needed more than just biking, and I knew it pretty early on.
I decided that I needed to set a target to start my training to achieve it. It was like setting a goal and then practising to achieve it. I hired a coach who taught swimming to the kids in my apartment during summer vacation and learned basic skills. By then I knew, swimming is not as easy as I’d thought. But I kept practising. By late 2019 I had decided to practice for Ironman Hamburg 2020. I was cycling on my own, running alone, and swimming in my apartment pool morning, day, and night.
Expect the Unexpected
I realized I was making significant improvement and exactly then Covid hit the world. All my training and practice just stopped. Covid was hard for all of us, particularly for me cos all the progress I’d made was being stripped away slowly and slowly. As covid norms were relaxed in 2022, one day while I was travelling, my coach asked me to register for Ironman Goa. I was driving. I stopped my car in the middle of the highway and registered for it, without second guessing and without any practice/preparation.
I resumed my training in May 2022 and was doing pretty well until it was time to go on a month-long motorbike ride to Leh-Laddakh. It was pre-planned with a dear friend so I had to go. I returned in August and then dedicated all my time to the training. Running was my weak point, so I ended up straining myself and injured my feet I was asked to bed rest for 2 months. I couldn’t run until the end of September.
The IRONMAN is crowned
As the day of the event came closer, I found myself worried that it was getting real. I dedicated myself to rigorous training which made me very disciplined. I was never a good runner and staying away from the tracks for 2 months didn’t help. Determined to make it work, I changed my shoes and started running again with Runway. The consistent run sessions helped me greatly! I met Sanjib Paul in the group when I was seriously worried about swimming. Sanjib had completed Ironman Goa and was preparing for Ironman Australia.
I started swimming and riding with him and that was a game-changer for me. I also started working on my endurance and it improved significantly with the long run sessions with Runway! With the little training, I managed to do in 2 months, I landed in Goa 10 days before the event with fear of the sea still in me. On a fateful morning, I met Ajit, the father of Triathlon in India.
He invited me for an ocean swim & I gladly joined him & Tony & Rahul, conquering my sea phobia. I finished the race with a respectable timing of 6Hrs 48Mins. My journey is a classic example of slow and steady wins in the race. Even though I was inconsistent due to several factors, my consistent efforts gave me a strong foundation. Running with Runway and riding and swimming with Sanjib made the practice pleasurable.
