A True Test of the Will to Survive

Soon, you too can race with some of the best triathletes, in the sun and sands of Goa.

A 1.5 km swim in the warm waters along the Candolim Beach, followed by a tough cycling stretch of 60 km through the picturesque town of Siolim, and finishing with an 11 km run amidst the pristine Arambol Hills—this is what India’s first-ever international triathlon has in store for its participants. To be held at Goa soon, the event promises to be the ultimate test of endurance and mental toughness.

While there have been stray instances of mini triathlons being organised across the country in the past, they have come nowhere near international standards in terms of distances or format. However, with the youth showing a keen interest in outdoor sport, the organisers of the India International Triathlon Goa 2010 foresee great potential in India. “I admit that this is a new-ish concept for India. But, with the Delhi and Mumbai marathons becoming so popular, one can see the growing popularity of running and cycling events. Today’s generation wants to be fit and wants to take on challenges. Hence, we felt that it was the right time to introduce something like this in India,” says Chandradev Bhagat, CEO of Greymatter Entertainment, the company that has brought the International Triathlon to India. The event is being held under the aegis of the Indian Triathlon Federation and has been powered and supported by the government of Goa.

It all started in 1978, during an awards ceremony in Hawaii, when a debate raged among athletes about who was fittest: swimmers, runners or cyclists. Finding no other way to settle an argument, one of the athletes—Navy Commander John Collins—thought of a sport that would combine all the three existing races, to be completed in quick succession. It was decided that whoever finishes first would be called the Ironman. Fifteen men participated in this first-ever triathlon, which was won by Gordon Haller. His winning time was 11 hours, 46 minutes and 58 seconds. Since then, there has been no looking back for triathlon. In 1989, the sport went international with 25 nations forming the International Triathlon Union in France. This led to the birth of Ironman World Championship, which is still rated as the incomparable test of fitness for both amateur and pro athletes.

Most participants of the Goa Triathlon are using this event as a stepping stone towards the Ironman series. “I have fantasised about participating in the series since childhood. In fact, my nickname in school used to be Ironman,” grins Girish Mallya, head of digital publishing at the Mumbai-based Next Gen Media. There happen to be two important Half Ironman races in 2010—in China and Singapore—and the Goa triathlon will prove to be an opportunity for athletes to measure their strengths and work on their weaknesses. “By choosing a distance that is two-thirds of a Half Ironman stretch, we felt that the race could serve as a last test for athletes in the region before they move on to China or Singapore,” explains race director Roman Floesser, who is a triathlete and also a race management expert.

Participation in a triathlon of an international stature requires months and months of preparation. One can’t decide on a whim to participate in a triathlon the next day. No wonder then that participants of the International Triathlon are going all out in their efforts to take their endurance levels to new heights. Delhi-based Mohit Oberoi, who runs an adventure gear company, has just returned from a cycling trip through the dunes of Rajasthan. He is also part of the Delhi Runners Club, as part of which he has been conducting and taking part in a lot of mini triathlons.

While Mohit considers cycling his forte, Girish is more of a runner. A keen distance runner for eight years now, he has participated in marathons across the country, including the adventure marathons in Leh, which are considered among the toughest in the world. “When you prepare for an international triathlon, it is not something you can just do in a year. I started working towards it two years back. I began with running and cycling to work, which is around 13 km one way,” he says. With all the hard work that the body is being subjected to, it is also extremely important for a person to relax and rest. Hence, Girish makes sure that he never misses on his sleep. “Sleep is extremely critical if you are into physical sport of any kind,” he adds.

A lot of athletes believe that besides physical fitness, the key to winning a triathlon lies in practicality and attitude. “This is not just about building muscles. You need a lot of practical strength. An endurance event of any kind is more of a mental game than a physical game,” says Darshan Jadav, CEO, Bangalore’s Widget Factory Software. Race experts agree. According to them, whether you are a pro or an amateur, you will get to a point where racing will become painful. It requires mental toughness and strong will to get through these low periods. “I recently had an opportunity to speak with the current Olympic triathlon champion from Germany—Jon Frodeno. He said that he had visualised the final sprint to the finish line in Beijing during the lead up to his race. He had also prepared himself mentally to not turn around and see where his competitors were during the final dash to the finish line. That’s what attitude is all about,” says Roman.

However, no matter how tough you are, the transition from swimming to cycling and then to running is far from easy. For Girish, it is switching gears from cycling to running that is most critical. “After cycling through a long stretch, the legs feel especially wobbly. That can cause difficulty while running for the first kilometre or so,” he says. But, for Bangalore-based Ramesh Palani, it is the transition from swimming to cycling that is proving to be difficult. “You need to change your dress after the swim. That could result in a lot of wastage of time. Cycling and running, in my opinion, compliment each other,” says this senior manager with IBM. However, all participants maintain that there are very few people in the country who can manage to do all three together. “If there was adequate awareness, then possibly people would train ahead and not at the last moment,” adds Ramesh.

It is to inculcate this awareness at a primary level that organisers of this triathlon are targeting kids and college goers. “We are especially looking at getting the 8–11-year-olds interested in the races. Hence we have introduced a number of duathlons for kids, as part of which they can cycle and run,” says Chandradev. While the organisers do their bit to make sure that the sport gets its due in India, the participants are not leaving any stone unturned to shine as an example to aspiring triathletes. By using the mind as their biggest strength and the body as a tool to achieve an end, their strongest asset is their belief in themselves. As an author and Clydesdale triathlete once said, “When you are taking on water trying to conquer the swim—You Believe! When you are trying to make that first milestone jogging and your lungs are about to explode—You Believe! When your legs are burning and you just don’t want to pedal your bike any more—You Believe!”

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