Saiyami Kher on completing Ironman 70.3 Challenge

Her acting chops have always earned critical acclaim but few would know that Saiyami Kher is quite the storyteller too We get a glimpse of her way with words when she paints a vivid picture of her German escapades as she set on to become the first Indian actress to complete the Ironman 703 Challenge In chronicling how she completed the endurance racemdashcomprising a 19kilometre swim a 90kilometre bike ride and a 211kilometre run within the span of eight and ahalf hoursmdashKher takes us on a journey thatrsquos synonymous with a cinematic take on a sporting victoryThis narrative picks up pace when she chronicles how she was told shersquod be disqualified midrace ldquoI had completed the first 45kilometre bout of the cycling leg and missed the exit for the second loop The officials subsequently told me I was disqualified and would need to end my race because I wasnrsquot supposed to be where I was Twenty athletes had been disqualified for the same reason but because I wasnrsquot exhausted I wanted to keep going There was no road to cycle back to the starting line so I carried my bike on my back and ran for 26 kilometres to start again This was difficult for two reasons Running in cycling shoes is tough because they are designed differentlyAlso I had wasted 30 minutes in the processrdquo recalls the actor who was subsequently told that she would only learn if she could continue competing after she entered the second loop ldquoSo Irsquod have to cycle 45 kilometres again but this time I wouldnrsquot even know if I was still in the race or out of it This was a mentally challenging space to be in Since the others had already moved on the journey this time was lonely It wasnrsquot until the 64th kilometre that I spotted people who had stopped due to exhaustion It was only after I finished 90 kilometres that I learned that I could still compete The 90 minutes leading up to that were nerverackingrdquoItrsquos in moments like these that Kher says onersquos athletic spirit is expressed Riding along the picturesque roads of Germany she recalls staying motivated by convincing herself that ldquothe journey is more important than the destinationrdquo ldquoThese are silly things that you tell yourself to stay on trackrdquo she playfully confesses going on to reflect with some gravitas ldquoThis whole trip has been about losing the way and finding my pathrdquoTraining daysDistances covered by athletes in endurance races like Ironman and Spartathlon often seem incomprehensible to enthusiasts who may count 10kilometre runs among their notable achievements Several practice sessions in Mumbai would have preceded Dday we assume only to be corrected by the actor ldquoOne isnrsquot supposed to cover the whole distance during training Usually you practice one to two components in a day And even then you donrsquot cover the entire distance of each component You may perform brick workouts on some days which implies doing small chunks of all three components An example would be executing a 70kilometre bike ride followed by an eightkilometre run If one is prepping for a 42kilometre marathon the maximum distance that theyrsquod cover during any training session would be 35 kilometres As far as I am concerned the maximum distance I covered in a day was a twokilometre swim a 60kilometre bike ride and a 10kilometre runrdquoWhile she had access to the knowledge of several coaches well versed in the field of endurance training Kher also turned to a seasoned athlete known for covering long distances on foot ldquoI was shooting with Milind Soman and he said he would cover full distances during practice as well so that he could get accustomed to the feeling of covering it However since I was shooting an action film before the race I had limited time to train like people do in the last month which is a crucial windowrdquoBuilding an elite athleteThe subject of endurance training is likely to illicit a mental picture of athletes huffing as they attempt to cross the finish line Kher however remained fairly composed as she navigated the distances in her first shot She credits her athletic prowess to two factors ldquoIrsquove always known that covering a long distance is not a problem for me I have never worked on improving my speed but if I attempt a race calmly I donrsquot find it tough to finish it I was worried about the cutoff time I have many friends who were disqualified in the first Ironman In fact a week ago during a race in Berlin six Indians could not finish the swimming bout and four couldnrsquot complete the cycling bout So none of them even made it to the running leg But surprisingly I performed better than I have in the cycling and swimming bouts The excitement of being in the race helps you perform betterrdquo She also credits her ldquobase trainingrdquo for helping her breeze through the race ldquoI adhered to lowintensity endurance work and ensured that my heart rate did not go above a certain number In Mumbai maintaining that is tough given the weather conditions But Irsquod train with two friends and wersquod ensure that we maintained a heart rate so low that we could speak to each other throughout the race If you can have a conversation while running your heart rate is in the optimal zonerdquoThe way aheadDespite her athleticism and exposure to the three endurance components from an early age Kher says her journey to winning the title wasnrsquot bereft of challenges Having never swam in open waters she recalls having struggled to cover 50 metres in her first attempt ldquoI wondered how Irsquod swim two kilometresrdquo she says as though still carrying the fear of the feat with her ldquoBut when yoursquore consistent with your training you learn what your body is capable of Itrsquos quite amazingrdquoMoments after returning to Mumbai after her race Kher tells us she has her eyes set on another challenge ldquoIrsquom finding the next race to sign up forrdquo she excitedly exclaims Ask her if it would be the full Ironman challenge and she is quick to dismiss us ldquoIrsquom giving myself time for that and would like to do it before I turn 45 Before that I want to do another full marathon 422 kilometresrdquoFood that fuelled the raceHaving kept an armrsquos length from protein supplements Kher says she turned to adequate portions of eggs and chicken to meet her requirements ldquoI would have six eggs and at least two portions of chicken for lunch In the day Irsquod also have dal sabzi greens and some fruit Dinner comprised salads and either chicken breast or fish While managing my eating habits at home was easier doing so during shooting legs was harder Often Irsquod eat a lot of fish to meet my requirements because protein is extremely importantrdquoGiven that carbohydrate loading plays a vital role during endurance races Kher ate ldquowhatever I desiredrdquo two days before the race ldquoA friend who has participated in similar races had told me to avoid fibre before the competition so I did that as well I also eliminated dairy from my diet during that window I stuck to pizza and pasta in the four days leading up to the race Carbloading is the best part about endurance sportsrdquo she signs off