No stopping this Iron Man

After returning from two countries with flying colours, there seems to be no stopping the first resident Keralite who earned the Iron Man title in triathlon sports events.
No stopping this Iron Man

KOCHI:After returning from two countries with flying colours, there seems to be no stopping the first resident Keralite who earned the Iron Man title in triathlon sports events. Edapally-based Joby Paul, 36, achieved the title in North America and South Africa and is confident about retaining the prestigious position on his next journey to Malaysia in November.

The triathlon includes 3.89 m sea swimming, 180 km cycling and 42.2 km full-marathon running, done back-to-back without a break. "In 2016, I did half of this at a competition in Bahrain. I achieved my first Iron Man title in November in North America; that was a wonderful experience," said Joby. He completed his second one in April and said more than 2,000 participants were present, of which only three were resident Indians.

Joby's day starts at 3.30 am; he goes to bed at 9 am. His weekly workout is over about 25 hours. "It includes cycling, running and I also go swimming at Cherai beach on Saturday. Sunday is my day of rest," he said. He is joined by various partners during his running and cycling sessions. "I am a part of the Soles of Kochi running club; the members join me in these activities. While swimming, a lifeguard comes along as it is quite risky," he said.

Joby, an IT person professional, makes time for these activities because it is his passion. He reaches office by 9 am after his morning workout, which mandatorily includes yoga and the gym. He is also very careful about his diet. Joby said, while he was never really an athlete during his school days, he had an interest in running and swimming competitions.

Joby pointed out that triathlon is not a popular sport in India and there are hardly any good training facilities available here. But through sheer will, he has been able to make a mark in the field.

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