Ironman calling

INTRO: 

 @diipti

Can you imagine a day-long distance triathlon comprising 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km run? Well, a select few in Mumbai are training for just that.

Meet Girish Mallya, a media professional, who will be participating in his first full Ironman in Langkawi, Malaysia, this month. Mallya says, "I started with full marathons about 12 years back, moved on to single-stage Ultramarathons, multi-stage ultras and a couple of local triathlons. It all begins from a desire to push your limits and do something different each time."
What prompts this need to go from a single sport to a multi-sport event, you may ask? Akshay Samel, a commercial pilot, shares, "Doing a triathlon fits perfectly with my mindset of not stopping or finishing what you start, while doing it as fast as you can. As soon as you are done with swimming, you grab your bike and off you go; as soon as you are off the bike, you wear your running shoes."

But that's just it… as these enthused souls reach a feverish pace to go beyond their limits, the city's infrastructure, especially the lack of training facilities play spoilsport. "I self train as I like to experiment and find my way around challenges. But, given the monsoons and the condition of potholed roads in Mumbai, it has been very difficult to train. The only other option is to take up remote training," says Mallya.
Solonee Pathania, who trains under remote trainer Dr. Kaustabh Radkar, says, "I am training for the Hawaii Half Ironman next year. I have always been more inclined towards endurance sports. So, I see triathlons as more of a progression than a transition."
Could this be a beginning to a sporty Mumbai city? We'd sure like that.


- Akshay Samel recommends the Western Express Highway, Sanjay Gandhi National Park at Borivali and the Aarey Colony, especially for cycling.
- Girish Mallya recommends Bandra, which is great for cycling and running.