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Yash, our 11 year old son, has two super powers – reading & poetry writing. As parents we are constantly trying various techniques to nurture these traits, because someone (I won’t say who), does not care much at this point in his life! Two days back we nudged him to pen a poem for our community healthcare professionals. ‘A Spot of Black’ is his “thank you” to these heroes who live normal lives amongst us. Last night we delivered this to few such heroes whom we know. This is my effort to spread Yash’s “thank you” to many more around the world. Hope you all enjoy this read.

A Spot of Black!

There is something among us,
A spot of black in white, 
And blood cells are coming out to fight,
This growing bigger spot of black,
This Virus, 
Draws your breath away, 
Quickly, 
Coming close, 
Spreading like a wildfire, 
The straits become more dire, 
Now you are the one it chose. 

So slow, 
Yet so quick, 
You are ceasing to exist. 
Your eyes close, 
Your window of life is closing. 

Doctors, Nurses, 
Huddle around, 
Trying to keep it open, 
Then came the black. 


But your soul fought back. 
Slowly your cells attach, 
Themselves to this dangerous intruder, 
The window of life’s curtain, 
Is falling back, 
Light is pouring into your eyes. 

The doctors and nurses perform CPR, 
Though it might be too late, 
And the heart monitor is slowing down, 
Yet they still continue. 


BEEP BEEP Beep Beep Beep BEEP BEEP 


Your heart is beating back to normal, 
The doctor’s and nurses’ persistence pushed through, 
Your cells just have to fight, 
A tiny spot of black. 

With all your might, 
You open your eyes, 
And realize, 
You are back in the light.

#yashmenon #poetrysoothes #thankyourhealthcareworkers #COVID-19

Related data points

• COVID-19 image from Public Health Image Library (PHIL)

In our 40s, many of us have families, own home/s, many professional achievements to talk about, relative financial security, an average health index and a mind which is getting comfortable and secure with the ecosystem. If you are in this group, CONGRATULATIONS! Your hard work, support from loved ones and some luck has brought you this far.

Going by Maslow’s original hierarchy of needs, you are among few humans at stage 4. This may not have been a straight, unidirectional upward journey. Many may have encountered setbacks resulting in downward shift/s and later bounced back to stage 4. It’s time now to introspect with a simple question  “how do I feel?”. 

“I feel stuck…”

“Lacking motivation…”

“Looming deadlines wear me down…”

“Not energetic enough…”

“Work is no longer challenging…”

If your answer is far from the statements mentioned above, it’s time, again, to CONGRATULATE yourself and continue with your blessed life. You need no reboot, so move on from this post and hopefully share your energy and kindness with folks around you. 

During the last few years, some of my good friends, whom I think of being successful in life, have expressed in many ways the notion of ‘hitting a wall’. Not having the thrill of dealing with scenarios they have excelled at in the past or developing an impatient temperament at home or expressing their frustrations more frequently at work. These discussions and my personal experiences led me to research this topic.

The more I dwelled, I realized how widespread it is – with very few recognizing it and actively pursuing a path for change. A very close friend of mine did the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostel in Northwest Spain. My father did the Sabrimala pilgrimage, a trek to Sannidhanam (in the state of Kerala, India) an abode to Lord Ayyappa, multiple times in his lifetime. Few other acquaintances completed the challenging Vippasana program, a 10 day silent meditation retreat. One of our neighbors did the Hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. Many pursue more physically challenging endeavors like completing a marathon or climbing Mount Everest. Kudos to all these people, because these experiences help your body & mind reboot. They were able to take a break from normal routine and invest a decent portion of their resources (time/money), but what if you can’t? Introducing #3W30CHALLENGE.

What is #3W30CHALLENGE?

Wakeup – Workout – Whole30

For 30 days.

Wakeup

Jolt your system by starting your day early. The definition of early is before 5AM local time. Research indicates that only 8% of Americans are in this club. Some find this routine easy and many think of it as an insane ask. If you are in the ‘insane’ camp, then this is your first challenge.

I have always been an early riser and can’t give my creative or focused best after 10PM. I am known to fall asleep in late night work calls. I vividly recall a conference call, where the organizer (my manager) had to boot everyone off his bridge, because I had begun to snore and was not responding to their pleas. On waking up, I remained quiet, trying to catch up on the discussion, only to realize I was the only one on the call. Needless to say, the next day, I had a sheepish start at work.

Benefits from the ‘Wakeup’ challenge:

• Most of the days I would wake up a few minutes before my alarm. Every time this happened, it reinforced the power of the mind. You honestly feel good beating the alarm. I thought 6 hours of sleep was good for me, however now I know that to be a fact. Every time I got 6 hours of sleep, my day started strong – on a high note. On other days, sluggishness plagued me. 
• I was looking ahead and planning not only for my next day’s schedule, but for the entire week. Mentally, I would be walking through my activities and that realization only occurred when I was in week 2. Needless to say, this got me more organized and prepared. Also, when you think of a problem or an important meeting a week ahead, it begins an iterative process, resulting in more creative and multiple point of views. 
• During the weekends, my fitness center opened at 7am and I would end up reading or writing after waking up and loved those peaceful moments. I was well rested, there was no rush and my home environment quiet. There is a certain ‘zen’ feeling to it. The only interruptions were the creaking of our wood floors or the humming of our central cooling system. 
• I was doing this challenge in Chicago during summertime and taking Bambi (our pet dog) for an early morning walk or run was simply blissful. You hear birds chirping, feel the morning mist on your skin and see other people who are also ahead of the rest of the world. To be out without the noise of vehicles and be among the first to experience that state has a calming effect for the rest of your day. 

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Workout

Workout for the purpose of this challenge, will be specific to each of our fitness levels. Goal is to workout for a minimum of 30 minutes with only 1 rest day in the week. Ideally, we complete this first thing in the morning, before any other commitments set in.

My routine covered weight training and aerobic exercise. Weight training targeted complementary muscle groups each week and I would choose between swimming, cycling or running for my aerobic workout. There were days when I was unable to do both and would choose between the two. 

Benefits from the ‘Workout’ challenge:

• My enthusiasm for this part of the challenge was super high, and I was eagerly looking forward to these 30 days. What I did not anticipate was the energy derived from other regulars, who also workout early in the morning. Don’t recall talking to many, but the intensity seen in their routines pushed my performance too. This may seem insignificant, but you don’t jump out of bed each day. On slow days, this focussed and high intensity energy around you gets you into the right groove.
• When you workout immediately upon waking up, you have accomplished a big goal for yourself. That feeling of having successfully completed an important task for the day was wonderful. Typically your daily family/work schedule kicks in and then you keep procrastinating your workout for later in the day. By the time you get done with work (early or late evening) and think about working out, family commitments unravel. You may also suffer from ‘guilt’ of not spending more time with family members. 
• During my graduation years, I would reach college early, workout and then attend class. Remember one of my professors lecturing the class about how some of us were burning our energy out in the morning and running low through the rest of the day. Now that is total BS. Science has attested to the link between working out and getting your endorphins flowing. These endorphins certainly help you for the rest of the day. You are able to manage stress better, you are in a good mood and have a spring in your step! 
• I do want to make a cautionary statement about taking baby steps before walking or running. It is crucial to not let our egos drive us to an injury. During this challenge, I was embarking on weight training after many years and there was no shame in working with light weights for the first two weeks. It is crucial to focus on ‘form’ and there are many tutorials available online. So please leave your ego out on this challenge.
• Chitra (my better half) always comments that I take too long to get ready when we “both” have to go out some place. A self admission, the last few weeks I have spent more time in front of mirrors admiring my body. Last evening we were all heading out for dinner and waiting in the mudroom I was admiring my triceps in the mirror. That was precisely when Yash (my 10 year old son) walks in, commenting “admiring yourself, because no one else does!!”, followed by a comical reenactment. Hah! I loved that moment, also admiring your body is definite benefit! 🙂

Whole30

The third element to this challenge is to consume only whole30 compliant food.  My last post focussed on Whole30 and its life changing impact. So here I am capturing some brief material. Please read my earlier post for more details.

https://shantatman.com/2019/09/02/whole30-welcome-energy-and-peace-back-into-your-life/

A one line answer of what to eat when on whole30; food before the farming revolution. So anything that could be hunted or fished and what could be picked/gathered from trees/plants. Quick reference table:

Why 30 days?

Actions need to be repeated to form habits. There is research suggesting it takes 21 or 28 days to form a habit. Psychologist Author – Jeremy Dean – states in his book that both these values are demonstrably incorrect. It can take us much longer to form a habit, depending on the action/activity. So if you were hoping to start tracking your daily food calorie intake, that may be possible to achieve in 21 or 28 days. However, if you want to create an early morning workout habit, it could take longer. In short, activities that are challenging for you mentally or physically, take longer to develop as a habit.

I have been recording my daily calorie intake for more than a year and now my day seems incomplete without it. This habit of mine, was not difficult to form. 

The 30 day challenge helps you develop easier good habits and encourages you to pursue more challenging ones. 

In conclusion

We are all unique, beautiful people and #3W30CHALLENGE not easy to complete. There are always excuses in life and only we can overcome them. I challenge you to this journey and no better way to start a new year. So here is wishing you and your loved ones a healthy and memorable 2020.

Related data points

• Waking up time research: https://www.edisonresearch.com/wake-me-up-series-2/
• Maslow’s hierarchy: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
• Camino De Santiago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_de_Santiago
• Sabarimala pilgrimage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabarimala
• Hajj pilgrimage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajj
• Changing habits: https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/02/how-long-it-takes-to-form-a-new-habit/

At boarding school, my friends gave me the nick name “thulla”, which in the Sindhi language means “fatso”.  Every time I met my parents, however – during those very years – they would say “Don’t they feed you? We can count your bones!”. The name calling or comments never bothered me. When food was served, I would relish it and that is what mattered. I could devour just about anything – poorly made porridge, a watery bowl of lentils or just plain hard bread. As an active kid, my body needed fuel and my brain would be in a happy place during school canteen/cafeteria hours.

Until the age of 37, I don’t recall worrying about how many calories I was consuming or what my fat, protein and carb mix was for the day. I would work out and eat a wide spectrum of foods (vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, legumes, chocolates, Indian sweets, varieties of Indian bread etc). In 2016, I was training for my second full marathon – it was also the year I turned 40 – when Chitra (my wife), heard about Whole30 from a friend. As long as I’ve known her, she has been plagued by the perception that she needs to lose weight. And I have jokingly asked (with dire consequences), “which finger of yours needs to lose weight!!??” So even though Whole30 is a ‘reset’ program, she started her research, to soon realize, there was enough merit to explore our first 30 day program – hence the name, Whole30.

Stating upfront that we have benefited a lot from Whole30 and I am an unpaid, vociferous advocate. I talk about it to strangers on flights, my customers and friends/family – who have had to bear me the most. I’m sure this post will get a lot of eye rolls from some of these “victims”. Having said that, anyone I know, who has experienced the program and was disciplined about it for the 30 day period has benefited immensely. As I have stated on multiple occasions “it is a life changing experience.”

Is it a weight loss program?

Absolutely not! During the first year, I consumed nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans and pistachios) very liberally and there was a phase after my marathon when I was “couching” hard, so no prizes for guessing that I gained a few pounds. There will be cases where people have had a poor diet for years and may be overweight. A simple switch to a better eating lifestyle will result in weight loss. 

Do we have to do it for 30 days?

Yes. After we started this eating lifestyle, we loved it soo much that we continued it beyond the 30 days and have largely (~90%) followed it for 3 years now. There are times when we vacation or travel to India and simply cut loose. Almost instantly, we realize the impact of it and soon switch back to a disciplined 30 day routine for a reset. As a matter of fact, I’m currently on day 29, after over indulging my systems this summer.

What is the objective of Whole30?

As we go through the ups and downs of life and get closer to our 40s, we knowingly or unknowingly abuse our body. This abuse is driven largely by lifestyle, choice/addiction to processed food and poor sleep routines. There are hormonal changes and also an imbalance to our body’s chemical composition. In short, our body is wearing out. With this plan, we are helping our body hit the ‘reset’ button.

From my personal experience, after the first 30 days, my body felt lighter and tighter (no bloating). I had more energy and there were no lethargic spells in the afternoon hours (post lunch etc). I completed my second marathon, including the training months, while on Whole30 and there was no adverse impact. One key observation was that my body recovered faster from minor niggles/injuries. 

Also importantly, after Whole30, when you introduce foods not consumed during the 30 day period, your body is very vocal about how sensitive you are to them. In my case, when I introduced rice (only a couple of spoons), it felt like I was trying to digest a softball. Another example is black beans – after eating a small quantity, I‘m ready to give a 21 gun salute. Bread is OK, though and I don’t feel miserable. You’re able to identify food types that don’t work well with your body and you can either avoid them totally or consume with caution. 

What can you eat and what not?

One line answer – food prior to the farming revolution. So anything that could be hunted or fished and what could be picked/gathered from trees/plants. Quick reference table:

What do we typically consume in the day?

Breakfast:

This has been the best discovery for me so far. 99% of the times, I eat 1 banana, 1 apple, 3 tablespoons almond butter and 2 hard boiled eggs. I love to mash my banana into the almond butter, thoroughly mix and use that as a dip for my apple slices. On a few occasions,  I have been accused of saying “this combination is better than sex!” Chitra’s yoga guru told her to keep a bottle of almond butter on our bedside table, with the hope that I will renounce my claim. Thankfully, I have not been put to the test (yet!). 😊 On our hard boiled eggs, we like to sprinkle salt and pepper/red chili powder. This meal gives me 685 calories and keeps me going through afternoon.  

Lunch and dinner:

Whole30 gives you a number of options to experiment and you can get very creative in your cooking. On a typical day, we eat some sea food (baked salmon) and various types of vegetables.

Few tricks from our kitchen:

• Currys are based in coconut milk, which gives them a thick and creamy texture
• Makhane (lotus flower seeds) are a substitute for something crunchy and when toasted in olive oil or ghee with Indian spices, a great healthy snack (think of them as popcorn)
• Cauliflower rice and veggies make a great filling meal
• Sweet potatoes roasted in the oven are awesome. Chitra’s kitchen produces the best in the world, no kidding! This is after having tried them in many other homes and restaurants. We bake in bulk – two full trays and they don’t even last 2 days. Just remember to keep it simple – organic sweet potatoes, olive oil and salt
• Also instant pot cooking has revolutionized and eased our cooking process.

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Any other benefits observed?

Alright, this is gross but needs to be explained. Have you ever seen a healthy dog poop? The dog smells for sometime, finds it’s spot and finishes his/her job in a few seconds. Pooping for us humans too should be the same. Since we don’t have to smell and locate spots, we should be done in a few short minutes too. If you are not grossed out yet, how could I disappoint. Chitra attended a workshop by Tias Little in which he briefly spoke about human poop. Human poop is a daily indicator to the wellbeing of your systems. According to Mr. Little, your poop should ideally be one long piece and float in water (in western toilets)! Sticky, broken or other forms is a sign that your body is not functioning fine. By the time I hit day 14 on whole30, I experience what a healthy dog experiences multiple times in a day! I hope to erase some of that visual with pictures of the best behaved male member of our family – Bambi Menon.

I travel a bit, so is Whole30 feasible?

The first time we explored Whole30, I was a worried traveler. Now I am a Whole30 travel pro! For breakfast, I have located Italian restaurants, in airports, that can serve me veg omelettes made in olive oil with no dairy. It does become easy, when I tell the waiter that I am allergic to dairy products, they are also extra cautious. I do stop by Whole Foods and pick up almond butter, apples, bananas for multi day trips. All hotels have small refrigerators and offer paper plates and spoons etc. 

For lunch, I eat at client cafeterias from their salad bar or for luncheon/dinner meets select restaurants where I can have a good steak or fish with roasted or steamed vegetables. The salad/hot bar at Whole Foods has a few options as well. If eating dinner alone, I have begun to like organic cut peeled carrots/celery/baby cucumber, guacamole and canned sardines. This has now become second nature and I would do this even in the most fancy hotels. 

RxBars are a great emergency option and I always carry a couple with me. Two bars give you enough boost when you don’t have time or running late for meetings. Remember RxBars have a peanut option (brown color pack), that is not compliant. Most airport stores carry raw nut snack bags. It must be raw, because most of the nut snack bags have multiple types of oils or even sweeteners in the ingredients. Caution: RxBars are quite chewy and sticky, so give yourself enough time to enjoy them and make sure your teeth don’t have any left overs. You don’t want your clients getting distracted with colored remnants on your teeth!

There are some airports or certain terminals where you really can’t find any options. Stick to bananas and apples sold at Starbucks and other stores too. I hate these events but they don’t happen too often. For Chicago (ORD & MDW), Minneapolis (MSP) and Phoenix (PHX) I can designate myself as the Whole30 guru. I know which restaurants to visit and what to order. Some staff now recognize me and know my ‘usual order’. 

Many of my work colleagues joke when I walk into morning meetings with my Almond Butter, banana and apple. They find it amusing and like in my boarding school days, I don’t care much. They don’t realize I am experiencing something ‘better than sex!!’  😉

Solutions for your sugar fix

When not on Whole30, sweets are my Achilles’ heel. I am unable to control my portions and overshoot my calorie and sugar intake dramatically. Being on this plan has not exactly fixed this problem, but I am consuming “healthy natural sugars”. This is how I convince myself and Chitra. 

Dates, dried figs, apricots and raisins with nuts and seeds (cashew, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds etc) are my saviour. Sometimes I also switch to grapes + nuts or grapes + almond butter. 

If I have “behaved” well at home, I get treated to a fig and walnuts instant pot sweet dish. It is super awesome. Ingredients are dried figs, walnuts and clarified butter (ghee). There are other similar versions with apricots etc. 

What do I miss the most when truly on whole30?

Salty snacks!  You can have salted pistachios or Makhane but they are not a great substitute for the crunch, ease and fulfillment of a banana/potato chip. There are many options people suggest but they don’t fulfill my salty snack cravings. If any of you have other ideas, please feel free to share. 

In conclusion

If you ever want to experience the feeling of a light and tight body, you have to experience Whole30. Do it diligently for a life-changing experience!

In my Client Partner role, I never want to be in a meeting with any of my internal or external stakeholders when I am not exhibiting high energy. Whether these sessions are early mornings, post lunch or at night. 

What’s the connection to peace? When you can start your day feeling energetic and cleansed, you feel at peace and exude this energy to everyone around you. 

Are you ready to dedicate just 30 days for a reset to your life?

#whole30 #whole30advocate #whole30ontravel #whole30travelguru

Related data points:

• More information about whole30 on www.whole30.com
• About Tias Little https://www.prajnayoga.net/tias-little/

Our son, Yash, is an animal enthusiast and would go to any extent to observe and learn about their habitats. When he was seven, he agreed to wake up at 3am – while on vacation – and drive 2 hours to take a kayaking tour with alligators in the wild. I vividly remember this because it took a gentle whisper and he sprang out of bed all excited. Wish he would do that on school days!

For Yash’s 9th birthday, we had decided to take him to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. A few years back, in an inflight magazine I had read about Crystal Rivers, Florida. A small city, two hours north of Orlando, known to host for Manatees in the Crystal River. The city is located around Kings Bay, which have a number of springs, ensuring that the water temperature is a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit all year long. Hence, in the winter, manatees move from the cool waters of Gulf of Mexico to Crystal Rivers. This is the only place in the USA where humans are legally allowed to observe Manatees up-close in their natural habitat.

We had booked a 3 hour tour with ‘Fun 2 Dive – Swim with Manatees’ and after a brief training session were in the boat with our crew, looking for these gentle giants. River Manatees don’t have any natural predators and their number one enemy is boat rotor blades. They eat only greens, sleep 12 hours a day, swim, rest and make babies. No wonder they live long lives!

Honestly, what amazed me the most about Manatees, was that they did not care about the large number of humans around them – entering their natural habitat. They went about their lives — eating, sleeping, swimming and being with their loved ones — as if we never existed. They were happy! This, to me, was the biggest take away. Can we humans also remain unaffected by our surroundings, people, events and positively carry on with life in a happy state? I believe there are such people, who I would like to call ‘Human Manatees’. Psychologists from the University of California who study happiness found that genetics and life circumstances only account for about 50% of a person’s happiness. So these ‘Human Manatees’ clearly have developed traits and ways to practice them always.

“The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.” —Benjamin Franklin

I classify myself in the category of folks who are NOT ‘Human Manatees’. For people like me, it‘s important to identify any negative drivers that adversely impact my happiness index. We all exhibit behaviors that can be recognized by ourself or loved ones as signs of not being in a happy state. Each of us will have specific signs and it is in our best interest to be aware of them. Sharing a few indicators that I have come to track for myself – also it is appropriate for me to thank my wife, who promptly alerts me when she begins to observe a pattern. 

• Indicator 1: Eating excessively is my first marker. I may not be eating ‘junk’ food, but that is my way of trying to mask this indicator. On a bad day, for example, I may end up eating a dozen ’dates’ after a good dinner. 
• Indicator 2: Typically, 6 hours of sleep works best for me. Then there are times when I tend to sleep longer and despite the longer sleep cycle, I wake up lacking that purpose and drive.
• Indicator 3: Procrastinate many activities. These activities may not be critical but the fact that I have a list piling up, bogs me down.

These indicators will vary person to person. My dad used to watch TV  and play cards (the game – patience) to de-stress himself. Since 1972, researchers at the University of Chicago conducted the General Social Survey to evaluate the social climate in the United States. Regardless of education, income, marital status or age, happier people surveyed watched about 30 percent less television each week than unhappier participants. On average, the happier respondents watched 19 hours of television, compared to 25 hours for the unhappy set. 

In an ideal world I would also be a ‘Human Manatee’ not impacted by the circus around me. Until then, let me continue improving my skills for early identification and early remedial action. Cheers to all those people on this journey to being a ‘Human Manatee’.

Related data points:

• The tour operators we booked – https://www.fun2dive.com
• About Crystal River, FL – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_River,_Florida
• 10 signs you’re not happy – https://www.stuffmomnevertoldyou.com/blogs/10-signs-not-happy1.htm
• 10 habits of chronically unhappy people – https://www.businessinsider.com/10-habits-of-chronically-unhappy-people-2016-11
• You Asked: Is Social Media Making Me Miserable? – http://time.com/collection/guide-to-happiness/4882372/social-media-facebook-instagram-unhappy/

In grade 7, I registered for a diving event – with one catch, I did not know how to swim! My only objective was to add participation points on the scoreboard for my team. We were not doing well in the event – low registration numbers was one of the factors. It was a decision, not under any compulsion or peer pressure, but self driven. Guess I am a good team player.

I had seen the diving pool and also witnessed some of our seniors practice. Was very confident of reaching the edge of the pool and being able to grab the inner railing and make my way out. On our first day of diving practice, I made my way up to level 1 of the diving board. No hesitation, no fear, I took position and jumped – my first dive ever. Here I would like to note, that I had been in swimming pools before – where the water level was low enough that I could stand and have fun with my friends. So in my defense I was not alien to water bodies. 

Popped out soon to catch a breath and then tried to swim to the inner railing. It was close and in just a few strokes my out stretched hands would get there. Then I remember not being able to make it. Memory fades a bit, I recall hearing the coach use his whistle and some seniors jumped in and pulled me out. The commotion had not rattled me. Then my coach asked me “Do you know how to swim?”.  Something he must now do before all newcomers line up for their first dive. When he understood my reason to participate and the fact that team ranking was my only goal, he laughed. The next few days I dived with a rope around my hip and he would pull me to the railing. Soon we did away with the rope and I was able to make it to the inner railing. Now that was my initiation to becoming a swimmer!

Fast forward 21 years, when my son was born, i knew he would learn how to swim early in life. He started his swim lessons at age 4 and today enjoys his time in the pool, in the deep end too! Watching him during his swim lessons rekindled the thought of learning to swim. I started in the lap pool and over a brief period was able to make it to the other end – 25 meters. However this pool was 6 feet at the deep end and I could stand to safety. I struggled getting better in the water and my progress stalled at 4 laps. Have to emphasize here, I had completed 2 full marathons and multiple half marathons. So, stamina or endurance was not my issue. 

Chitra, my wife, suggested registering for a local sprint triathlon event. She was convinced that setting a goal and investing the registration dollars would give me enough drive to do better and be more disciplined in my training. So at the age of 42, I registered for my first sprint triathlon and began focusing more on my swim training. Slowly I progressed to completing 8 laps but was unable to do more. My event was 8 months away, when I spoke to my friend and workout buddy Chandu, an anesthesiologist. He volunteered to give me some basic coaching. Either he was a true friend or Chitra and he were planning to get me out of their way. His presence with me in the pool and motivation was a turning point. We began doing around 14 laps but my poor form ensured I was getting winded. In the event I had to cover 375 meters swim which was around 16 laps, cycle 13.1 miles and run 3.2 miles. 

Enter coach Georgia with whom I signed up for some personal swim lessons. She knew my goal and helped me with my technique and I was able to see huge improvements. I invested in a good road bike and my training was now in full swing. With 2 months to my event, confidence levels were reasonably good, a very supportive wife on the home front and friends motivating me, I had a good shot at completing the event. 

On race day, pressure was high and watching better swimmers, who had earlier starts, complete their swim in 4 to 7 minutes did not help my nerves. My time had come and I started strong, however after about 50 meters in the deep waters I experienced my first ever panic attack. With hundreds of people in the open water I felt like a rock! My mind was unable to control to my arms and legs. I was sinking!!

Barely managed to grab on to the buoy at the 75 meter round-about and hold onto for dear life. There were many others who were in a similar state. Two life guards were in the water trying to pull some folks to safety. Many thoughts crossed my mind and more importantly I was able to take a few deep breaths. This break would have been around 30 to 45 seconds, but it felt like a lifetime. I began to swim again, however very soon I had the same sinking feeling. Now other swimmers were bumping against my hands & feet. If the first 75 meters were bad, it was only getting worse. In training, coach Georgia had taught me to roll over to backstroke, which I attempted to do. It was the right decision, enabling me to breathe deep and fast. It made a big difference, as I began to better my form and soon switched back to front strokes. This ordeal lasted 15:33 minutes and being able to stand back up on my feet never felt better. 

Transition 1 from swim to cycle took me 6:38 minutes and when I got onto my bike I was still not completely out of the shock. Slowly, my focus switched from saving my life to gaining lost time with my cycling speed. Both my cycling (49:07 minutes) and running (30:27 minutes) phases went as planned and my overall time was clocked at 1:45:21.

Looking back I could not have done this without the support of Chitra, the constant motivation from Chandu and life saving skills offered by my swim coach Georgia. So what’s next? I plan to participate in the same event again next year and my only goal is to walk out of the swim phase not having a panic attack.

Related data points:

• School I attended: Barnes School, Devlali, Nashik, Maharastra, India
• Event participated: Naperville Sprint Triathlon 2018
• Others whose swimming skills inspired me: Nikhil P., Sara F. & James W.