Get Up & Aim Higher: My Ironman 70.3 Journey

Warning: This is a long read about my first Ironman 70.3 journey. Prepare for an endurance test!

Christmas 2023 brought me an unexpected gift—a catalyst for a new lifestyle. I was struggling with a severe episode of piles and had organized a “Playing Santa” ride to bring joy to underprivileged kids. We gathered donations from the cycling community, bought sports equipment for the kids, and spent Christmas Eve playing and getting to know them. During this event, I reconnected with my friend Deepankar, a practicing naturopath. Deep down, I knew my health needed a fundamental shift in food habits, and meeting Deepankar put me on that path.

Deepankar became a patient mentor, listening carefully and carving out a new dietary path for me. The goal he set for my eating habits seemed almost impossible, but he encouraged me to take small, manageable steps. The first two weeks were rough as my body adjusted, but after a few weeks, I began to see notable improvements in my gut health.

Deepankar emphasized the importance of maintaining my physical activities to prevent muscle loss and suggested I read Finding Ultra by Rich Roll. I connected deeply with the book, and, almost on autopilot, I signed up for the Goa Ironman 70.3 after finishing it.

Learning to Swim

I quickly realized I had no idea what it took to train for swimming. I sought guidance from Coach Ayush Yadav, head coach at Gachibowli Stadium. He encouraged me to swim daily, far exceeding my initial plan of three days a week. As a slow learner, the first day I barely managed 50 meters without a break. But after a month, I found a rhythm, eventually swimming 200 meters nonstop one day and 600 meters the next. I was on cloud nine.

Coach observed the next day that I was stiff on one side, likely from breathing unilaterally, which could lead to future issues. He asked me to practice bilateral breathing, which felt like starting from scratch again. It took me another month to regain my rhythm, after which I was swimming longer distances without stopping.

With my swimming Guru - Coach Ayush Yadav

Open Water Fears

Around August a group of us aspiring triathletes went to a lake for our first open-water experience. Without a toe float or strong treading skills, I relied on a nearby kayak as my backup. About halfway across the lake, I panicked. My friend Rajeev, an experienced swimmer, came to my aid while keeping a safe distance, knowing I might accidentally pull him down in my panic. Thankfully, the kayak reached us, and we made it safely back.

The next week, we returned with a toe float. Harsha swam beside me, building my confidence as I managed 350-400 meters without issue. Although I still hadn’t mastered treading, my fear of water had lessened.

Pre-Race Challenges

Training continued as planned, and by early October, Dr. Vignan’s triathlon camp helped me conquer my fear of the sea. However, the weeks leading up to the triathlon were exhausting and stressful due to a store remodeling project. Despite the fatigue, I pushed through, often reminding myself of my friend Chitti’s favorite saying, “Mard ko dard nahi hota” (Real men don’t feel pain). That was not at all true, but you need hope and some lies in tough times.

A couple of months before the race, a strange pain emerged in my left knee. Dr. Naveen, a skilled physio, diagnosed me with extension lag but reassured me it was fixable with several sessions. Coach Ayush also recommended steam baths and cold plunges. The cold plunges were brutal, leaving me shivering and muttering unkind words at Wim Hof, the “Ice Man.”

Arriving in Goa a week early allowed me time to acclimate. However, just days before the race, my right calf cramped badly during a swim in the sea. The next morning it was hard as a rock. A traditional Ayurveda resort masseur and aggressive rehydration (4L water/electrolytes per day) saved the situation. As I poured alternating cold and hot water on the calf and looked at my face in the mirror, I felt pity. But I replaced that pitiable face with that of Haile Gebrselassie, who won the 2000 Sydney Olympics 10,000m with an achilles tendon injury, beating Paul Tergat by 0.09 seconds. Video of that epic final.

I told myself that no pain could stop me from doing the race for which I had spent countless hours in the last 9 months. As I developed this approach the pain subsided and was absent on race day morning.

Race Day

The sea swim went smoothly. Near the end, my right calf threatened to cramp again, but I slowed down and adjusted, exiting the swim without incident.

Had a reasonable T1 and started the bike leg. Was overtaking people like crazy. I definitely went a bit overboard on the first lap. I started running out of gas and wasn’t able to match my power targets from the second hour. Fair to say that I have not ridden a bike so slowly as the last two hours of the bike leg in recent memory. While I saw riders of all sizes overtaking me on climbs I was embarrassed to think I had done everesting 4 years ago to the day.

As I neared T2 I told myself my bike legs didn’t show up, but was confident the run legs would. I made a fool of myself by almost exiting the transition area with my helmet on. Went back and kept it on the bike.

The run legs were there, a bit muted, but were there for me. I crossed the finish line almost an hour behind my target time, but I was overjoyed to have completed the Ironman. Nine months ago, I couldn’t swim 100 meters, and just two days before, I was struggling to walk without pain.

Kobe Bryant went a season in his high school without scoring a single point. His dad told him that he will still love him irrespective of whether he scored zero or sixty. Kobe says that it is the most important thing you can say to a child. But Kobe adds “to hell with that, I am scoring 60”. Similarly, getting up was probably a success, but deep inside I know that is not enough. Watch Kobe Bryant’s video.

Training Summary

With Gaurav – pc Mrs Alka

Race finish photo – pc Aman Poonia

Reflections

If I turn back, there are a few things I would have changed: not getting so riled up with stress the last few weeks, doing a smaller Olympic Triathlon before Ironman, and practicing nutrition more during bricks and mock triathlons.

PS: While I didn’t have a great race as an athlete, it was probably my best as a coach – my long-term athlete Gaurav won his age group in the same race.