Son of Sura Routray – Sidharth Routray completed the Ultraman Florida Race on 13 Feb 2022. He finished this three-day, 512 km multisport race in 31 hours 55 minutes. This triathlon includes 10 km of open-water swimming, 418 km cross-country cycling and an 84 km ultra-marathon run.
Impossible done – All credit goes to a great crew
- Rick Van Tuly [Rick] – 3 times Ultraman
- Manmadh Reba [Mann] – 3 time Ultraman
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Day1 Swimming – 6.2 miles [10 km] – 4 hour 59 minutes
Day1 Cycling – 90 mile [145 km] – 5 hour 38 minutes
Day2 Cycling – 170 miles [273 km] – 10 hour 42 minutes
Day3 Running – 52.4 miles [84 km] – 10 hours 35 minutes
Total Distance: 512 KM
Total Time: 31 hours 55 minutes
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The extraordinary and experienced crew made me do these impossible in such easy ways:
- My first ever and longest swim in life – 6.2 miles [10 km.]
- My first ever and longest bike ride in a day – 170 miles [274 km]
- My first ever and longest run in a day – 52 miles [84 km]
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I signed up for it in 2019, trained for it, but it got canceled because of Covid. In the meanwhile my mountaineering hobby picked up as races were all canceled. I stopped training for triathlons.
I was away for 4 weeks on Aconcagua Expedition in Dec and Jan. The Ultraman team was trying to confirm if I am doing the race or not. Without internet in the mountain I did not see these emails and my phone wont work.
For me I was expecting to move it by a year, as I have a bigger mountaineering expedition coming up in march. I have to train for that and there is no time to train for Ultraman. And so far they had not found a crew for me. I replied if you cannot find a crew, please move me to next year.
On Jan 18th I got confirmation that I have Rick as my crew chief.
O oo .. I had to train for Ultraman in 3 weeks.
I stopped mountaineering training and started ultraman training. A lot of hamstring and glute strengthening and pushups, 3-5 hours a day. I knew I needed the arms for the swim and the hamstring for the run and bike. Make it so strong that it would not cramp in an 11 hours run time.
Then I called Mann – my old friend who introduced me to triathlon. I am doing it, and you have to come.
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How was it possible to do this impossible:
- Great crew – they knew what to do at what time
- Strict instructions – Rick asked me keep 5 feet from the kayak, the kayak will stick to the course, if I am away or close, I am off the course. And every 30 minutes swim back to kayak, drink and eat. I never swam a 10km distance, but it looked so easy at the end. Wow was the crew.
- Experience – My crew had done these races themselves and knew every bit of it. Day 2 I got severe gas around 140 mile followed by diarrhea till the start of the run on day 3, my crew changed my nutrition plan and made me reach the finish line. No where I was to worry about direction, nutrition or anything, they were there every time at every place I needed them. Great Great Great – How cool they made this race.
- No questions asked – hydration, nutrition, and solid food at specific intervals. Discipline is what keeps you away from cramps, and I had none during these extreme 3 days.
- On day3 Manmadh made the run so easy, he himself ran around 29miles step by step, keeping me company. That is a long run for a crew member. Rick kept the food, nutrition, hydration on time, and Mann kept the pace. Unbelievable I did a 52 mile [82 KM] run without any pain or cramps.
- Being Spiritual
- Chanting – long breath and god and war cry – Breatheeee — Jai Mata Di – Breetheeee – Jai Jagannnath —- Breetheee – O YA YA. That takes you to a different zone, and makes impossible possible.
- I even prayed to my bike – “Maa Durga Keep me safe”. I had 2 big collar bone operations riding this bike and I wanted no accident.
- I had my team back in India do a prayer at our factory goddess – Maa Jhadeswari, especially after day 2 health conditions. The prayers worked, it rained at the perfect times where I was so heated up and dehydrated, and kept me running.
- Mountaineering
- I was at 24000ft, that’s a lot of red blood cells to help in ultra races.
- Hypoxi low oxygen training made me train 3 times faster.
- Although I did not train for Ultraman, the mountaineering training and the long hours of hiking in a low oxygen zone with a heavy backpack make you strong for any extreme conditions.
- Army background [ Alumni – National Defence Academy India – Hunter Squandern]
- Never give up
- Do or die
- Talk to mind
- Find that inner strength
- All these principles played a big role in completing the race. In the end it is more of a 50% mindgame to finish such extreme races.
- My Dad – Suresh Routray
- Madichala – keep going no matter what – it is his famous principles which are imbibed in me which consist of 4 things:
- Fearless – I went and swam in that same lake alone and got my fear out.
- Honest – It give that extra strength, “I don’t care I am truthful”
- Hard Work – No matter where you work hard, it helps in extreme conditions.
- Perseverance – Continue trying even though it is difficult, and the Ultraman is a perfect example for it.
- Madichala – keep going no matter what – it is his famous principles which are imbibed in me which consist of 4 things:
- Enjoy Smile Be Happy
- Someone asked me where is your garmin – I was like – I don’t even we’re a watch – just go have fun, no stress around position on time.
- Keep it simple – food, nutrition, hydration – repeat the same at specific times, till the finish line, no excuses allowed.
- Everytime you meet people or crew members – simple, dance a little, and throw the stress out.
- The Ohana Family – The Organizers
- It is a way different feeling than running an Ironman.
- It is like a big family for 6 days, you laugh together, you suffer together.
- It is like you are trying to finish and there are 20 people helping you do so, not just your own crew, but every other crew member who meets you on the way.
Loved it, thank you everyone who made me do this impossible task.
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