Pune doctor, a veteran ‘Ironman’, does it again

Ironman Triathlon, organised by the World Triathlon Corporation, consists of a 2.4 mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.2 mile (42.2 km) run, in that order and without a break. It is widely considered as one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world.

[related-post]

“12:31:43, the official time clock said as I crossed the finish line on August 2 at Ironman Boulder, Colorado. Tears in eyes, I double-checked with the volunteer who came to catch me. He asked, ‘Have you done this before?’ I said I just did one two weeks ago in Zurich on July 19. What was your time? I said 12 hours 32 minutes and 33 seconds. Both of us didn’t say much after that. I had to soak the moment,” recalls Radkar who is back in Pune. According to him, 2,900 athletes participated at Ironman Boulder and anyone who starts and finishes the race is called Ironman. “Crossing the finish line has a special meaning to each and every athlete.”

Not many people take up two Ironman races in two weekends, one with lots of heat and a tough bike course and the other one at Boulder in high altitude along with hot conditions. “At the start, my legs were tired, but I had faith that they would start opening up as the day progressed. This time, I changed my nutrition. One of the key elements to finishing an Ironman race is watching what you eat and drink all day,” says Radkar. “On an average, athletes burn 8,000 to 10,000 calories. In that one day, you need to be careful about replenishing all of that.”

Though he will now start preparations for the Ironman World Championship to be held in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, at present he plans to focus on RadRx, a rehabilitation centre for sports medicine, heart disease and cancer.