Prakash Basumatary wanted to get rid of his obesity. Amitabh Dutta was once hospitalised after he had a blackout due to high blood pressure. Bibhas Bhagawati and Santanu Dutta, both doctors, were fighting a losing battle to maintain basic fitness. When the four men — three of them pushing 50 — got together in mid-2017, not many would have predicted that in a little over a year, they would have transformed into ‘ironmen’.
On November 17, all four successfully finished the Ironman 70.3 challenge in Langkawi, Malaysia. The Ironman 70.3, also known as ‘Half Ironman’, is a tough combination of long-distance races that test the endurance of participants. The ‘70.3’ refers to the total distance covered in miles. The race consists of a 1.2 mile (1.9 km) swim in the sea, a 56 mile (90 km) cycle ride, and a 13.1 mile (21.1 km) run.
Chance meeting
“It was a chance meeting at the swimming pool that got us thinking seriously about the Ironman triathlon,” Dr. Bhagawati said. They were an odd quartet. Dr. Bhagawati, 48, an anaesthesiologist, began running only two years ago, and was not a regular swimmer. Mr. Basumatary, a 48-year-old businessman, swam to combat obesity but stayed away from running, and had not cycled for years. Amitabh Dutta, 49, who works at a local court, swam regularly but did not cycle or run. Radiologist Santanu Dutta, the youngest of the four at 43, was into endurance running, but found it tough balancing swimming and cycling with his job and family commitments.
“We found a way out with a practice schedule from 3.30 a.m. to 6 or 6.30 a.m. We focussed on small goals, going to the next level, and the next,” Mr. Santanu said.
“I had a blackout due to high blood pressure in 2007 and had to be hospitalised. I knew I needed to exercise if I wanted to stay alive, but did not think I had it in me to do something crazy like Ironman. Practising for the last four months was tough, but it paid off,” Mr. Dutta said.
The quartet plans to participate in Ironman 70.3 for the next three to four years before taking a shot at the ultimate endurance test – the Ironman 140.6, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon run.
