How a Gurgaon analyst prepped for Iron Man challenge in Switzerland

The event concluded Sunday in the picturesque town of Thun in Switzerland. Bakshi completed the race in 15 hours and 22 minutes to finish at the 1,207th spot among 2,000-odd participants across all age categories.

The last four months have been painstakingly difficult for Bakshi, who juggled with his regular office hours and training. He did not have the luxury of a personal trainer as well. “Apart from the office, all my time was spent in training. To escape the harsh weather (referring to the heat), I did most of my training late in the night. I sometimes did my session from 9 pm till three am,” he said.

At the Iron Man event, it was a challenge from the word go for Bakshi. Thun was hit by a thunderstorm during the swimming leg, making it virtually impossible to maintain direction at the normally serene crystal-blue lake. The thunderstorm also caused a sudden dip in the temperature of the lake, which led to a lot of athletes seeking medical help at the end of the swimming leg. “It was freezing and I could barely see. I think that was the toughest part of the race,” recalled Bakshi who competed on a second-hand bike.

Now that Bakshi has ticked off Iron Man from his list, he wants to take a short breather and focus on his MBA course.