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Once he reached the top, his body completely cramped, and he fell with his beloved Bianchi. He couldn’t move to even release his cleats. As he struggled, a volunteer came to his rescue and helped him off his bike. He was given a cup of soup, and he felt his body relax but had to give himself a good 15 minute rest before he could get back on the move.
“If you are going through hell, keep going” – Winston Churchill.
Now started the last leg of the race and his first ever Full Marathon. The final 42.2K of pain which opens the door to guts and glory. He had to take 4 loops of the 10k loop. As easy as it sounds, and as glorious as he made it look, it was pain unleashed.
He had cut his foot the day before on a piece of glass but at this time it was just too far into the race to let a cut affect him. And so it went, the Ironman shuffle; one foot in front of the other and a smile on his face (“it relaxes me and reminds me that this test of physical endurance makes me happy”).
Nagraj Harsha
All those weeks that we ran around the Kanteerva track flashed across my mind. And just like that, in 13 hours 17 minutes, our beloved Ironcub became an Ironman. He made us Bangaloreans so proud. Nagaraj – you are a rockstar and we love you and your “nothing can stop me” spirit.
What’s next? Nagaraj says that he has realised a few things. Firstly, race day conditions just cannot be predicted, and they make a big difference to your performance. No one had expected Zurich to be as hot as it was and it had meant that original race strategy could not be followed.
Secondly, the relevance of taking rest. Also, continual and race day nutrition and just how important they are for peak performance. He has also understood how 70% of the Ironman is about the games our mind plays with us,and 30% is about the physical endurance that an athlete has. It is easy to see that he is addicted – hooked, booked and cooked!
He will be aiming for a sub-12 hour Ironman next, and I have a suspicion that he will be completing it in less than that. To more training and faster times – show us how its done IRONMAN – lead the way!
