Edelweiss honcho Rashesh Shah conquers half Ironman in Berlin

The finisher flies the tricolour; (right) Hitting his stride in the running leg

Edelweiss Financial Services Chairman Rashesh Shah is back to base in Mumbai, after finishing the Half Ironman Triathlon in Berlin, Germany on September 15. The top corporate leader clocked seven hours and 17 minutes completing the course comprising a 1.9 km sea swim, followed by a 90-km bike ride and a 21.1 km run. The time was a Personal Best (PB).

Loop scoop

Shah said, "This is my third Ironman, I have done one in Antalya (Turkey) and Italy earlier. This time, it was Berlin calling." Shah continued, "This is the Half Ironman, also known as the Ironman 70.3. Of the three - swimming, biking, and running - the cycling leg was challenging. The road had significant curves and bends. It was also very windy." Shah said as he prepared for the bike leg, "by a lot of indoor cycling. We are hampered in Mumbai with not too many places to practise biking, so indoors it was for me most of the time." He added though that he did cycling loops on the Palm Beach Road (Navi Mumbai) which sees many cyclists furiously pedalling away on that stretch.

Cold bold

The first leg of the Triathlon, which is always the swim segment, was all about the brrrr in Berlin. Shah said with a laugh, "This is an open water lake swim. The water was freezing, that cold hit me when I first entered the water, then I thought to myself, here are the first three strokes, and then more and more and I was on my way, swimming towards the finish line, one with the element." All that training at the Mulshi Lake, close to Lonavala stood him in good stead in the swimming leg.

Then was the challenging bike course, 90-km of a course, where you did not have to Bend it like Beckham in Berlin, but had to be wary of numerous bends. Then, off the wheels and onto heels for the final running leg, which is the half-marathon distance. "Like all endurance events, the Triathlon is a journey played out in the water and on land, as much as it is in your head. At times, at the start line there are doubts, oh my God, can I do this feeling... then that falls away and the race starts," Shah stated.

The balance

When asked about finding the inevitable balance between work and training, the Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad) alumnus said, "You need an hour a day and roughly three to four hours on the weekend. With some discipline, you may have to cut some socialising on the weekends and sleep in early to get enough rest, you can find that time. Nutritionally too, I ensure enough protein and other nutrients but like everything find a balance in the diet too," said Shah who started running in 2006. Shah will now start training for the half marathon to be run in Mumbai on January 19, 2025.

90 km
Distance of the cycling leg of the half ironman