For these triathletes, ‘Ironman’ is the target

The passion for fitness and sports is contagious. When training in groups, it is easy to get inspiration and inputs from other members. For the past three years, a group of 15 people - doctors, IT professionals and entrepreneurs - from the city have been training and participating in triathlon events across the country.
In 2015, the members of the group, who had been interested in running, cycling or swimming, came together to train and participate in triathlons.

Gautham, a dentist who is part of the group, says each member is strong in some aspects. “Everyone has a different training schedule through the year. But we come together to train a month before triathlon events,” he says. Also, the group’s members update their activities and their training schedule in Strava, a social network for athletes, Gautham says.

Members of the group say they have participated in four triathlons so far. “We train for the triathlons held in Chennai, Mysore and Goa, which are the major ones being held in India,” says Pratheep Jagannathan, manager of a private firm, who is also a member of the group. Pratheep says he started as a runner after participating in a marathon held in the city in 2013. Pratheep says being in the group helps them all keep up their motivation levels. “If one person updates in our WhatsApp group that he has registered for an event, others get motivated to attend the event,” he says.

Being in a group and knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses also allows the members to take part in collaborative events such as relay triathlons, says S Adhith, a product designer and a member of the group. In relay triathlons, a group takes turns to reach the target. “We have done two relay triathlons so far. We are looking to do more such events in the future,” Adhith says.

Members of the group say each one of them is strong in one sport and when it comes to the group, they motivate each other to excel in areas which others are not strong enough. They also get together a month before a triathlon event to practice together and also attend triathlons as a group. After months of demanding training, these trips act as small vacations for the group, says Gautham. “When we travel to attend a triathlon event, it would be almost like a small vacation. We pack our bags, load our bicycles on three to four cars and set off for the event,” says Gautham.

The group members add that they are all training with an aim to reach the ‘ironman’ target, the most strenuous of all triathlons, which involves swimming for 3.8km, cycling for 180km and running for 42km. “It will take at least a year or two for us to achieve it,” says Adhith.

TIME TO TRI:

Around 15 members – doctors, businessmen, professionals

Train individually and in group a month before triathlons

Have participated in triathlons in Chennai, Mysore and Goa

Triathlon

A multi-level athletic event which includes swimming, cycling and running

Types of triathlons

Sprint – swimming 750m, cycling 20km and running 5km

Olympic - swimming 1.5m, cycling 40km and running 10km

ITU long - swimming 3km, cycling 80km and running 20km

Half ironman - swimming 1.9km, cycling 90km and running 21.09km

Full ironman - swimming 3.8km, cycling 180km and running 42km