When The Buoy Dunked An Ironman

Four broken ribs during the bike crash in Ironman NZ in March 2025. No workouts for six weeks.

Injured knees, due to over work. Laid off for another six weeks.

Despite such debilitating injuries, Ankush kept up his morale and competed in the Ironman on 23rd Aug 2025 at Tallinn Estonia. He not only competed but finished the race improving his previous timing. Details below.

Ironman NZ: 1st March 2025. 15h 57min 40 sec. Bib No. 793

Ironman Tallinn: 23rd Aug 2025. 15h 41 min 31 sec. Bib No. 645

But is wasn't a cake walk. He got dunked under a marker buoy! What? Then what happened? Read on.

Screenshot of the Ironman Tracker app after Ankush completed the race.

This demonstrates the power of human mind. His swim timing yesterday was slower by 18 minutes. He had an injured knee. But he kept going. We can't reach him at the time of writing as he has to recoup the energy in the area reserved for the athletes. No cell phones. But we asked him how did he do it?

As a family, our thrill knew no bounds. Sharing below the snapshots of our WA chat.

[03:35, 24/08/2025] Harsh Bhargava in USA: @ANKUSH ,

Superb going!

Just 4kms to go.

I know your knee is hurting, but you have demonstrated the power of human mind and spirit.

Well done Son!

So proud of you 👏

[03:58, 24/08/2025] Ashi in USA: You got this Ankush! Last 2.5 kms. Amazing!!!!!

[04:05, 24/08/2025] Harsh Bhargava: Never mind Son.

I can see you are walking the last 2 kms in pain. But you are nearly there. May be faster than your previous best of 15h 57minutes! (Ed: And he did it!)

Go Son go!👏

[04:08, 24/08/2025] Ashi: Wow!!!

[04:08, 24/08/2025] Ashi: Congratulations Ankush!!!!

[04:08, 24/08/2025] Ashi: 👏👏👏👏

[04:08, 24/08/2025] Ankur: Amazing 👏👏👏👏

[04:09, 24/08/2025] Harsh Bhargava: Bravo Son 👏👏

[04:31, 24/08/2025] Prabhjoth in Chennai India: Done! Yay

From the above time stamp you can see that the race started on 23rd and ended on 24th Aug. Ironman needs not just training for endurance and stamina but also perseverance and determination. Ankush has proven it many times over. You may browse his story of the 1st Ironman, injuries before and the bike crash during the race.

Ankush Does IT - The Ironman - story of grit and determination backed by passionate zeal.

What is Ironman

You may browse our story linked below

Ironman New Zealand A Curtain Raiser - Get a feel of the Ironman preparations, venue and the race.

Coming back to Ironman Tallinn, Ankush shared that the swim start where due to hundreds of swimmers cramming for space and excessive turbulence, he got disoriented. In addition, the water was freezing cold. Sharing below Ankush's post a few hours after race completion:

[05:55, 24/08/2025] ANKUSH in Tallinn Estonia: Nah, the knee held up...minor pain from 21st km onwards so I slowed down to conserve. Else a pretty decent run. 5h30 for a post 180 bike...I was happy with that.

[05:57, 24/08/2025] ANKUSH: Swim was a disaster...the cold just froze me...I couldn't settle at all in the first 1900m lap. Took help of the kayaks to hold and rest. Plus I can't adjust to hundreds of swimmers. The second lap...I was left behind and it was so peaceful. Did that leg non stop

[05:59, 24/08/2025] ANKUSH: That grit and all came during the swim. Twice they asked me if I want to abort...I was barely able to move....dig deep into all the prep that went into all this

[05:59, 24/08/2025] Harsh Bhargava: Super 👍

[06:00, 24/08/2025] ANKUSH: My glasses fogged up...couldn't even figure out where to sight the buoys....was swimming all over the place.

Thereafter, when we spoke he revealed that due to disorientation, he nearly collided with the marker Buoy. As a result, he went under water and the buoy wouldn't let him surface as if something was holding him down. After a while, which seemed eons, he popped up and gasped for fresh air. Once he regained his composure, he swam the remaining 1.9 kms in less than 50 minutes. Only five swimmers were left to complete the swim. The swim cut off of 2h 20 minutes lurked in his mind. But he made to the swim finish line in 2h 04 min. Swim to bike transition took 18 minutes. Removing the skin tight wet suit took time.

The Medal

Here is a picture of the engraved medal awarded after completing the Ironman well within the stipulated time. Congratulations Ankush again.

See the video shot by Saif, his companion. Ankush can be seen at the bike transition i.e. changing from the wet suit to the  biking gear. Tallinn was so cold that the race had to be deferred by more than three hours!

There were close to 70 participants from India for the Ironman and 70.3 (the half Ironman) events. Ankush met up with a few of them. See the picture below with a fitness celebrity couple:

On the same day another story was unfolding in India. Ankush's wife Prabs and daughter Anuva were participating in the Chennai Marathon. They both completed their respective sections. See the pictures below. A true adventure loving family.

We thank all the readers for their congratulatory messages, mails and calls. Your blessings and support did it!

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with inputs from Ankush Bhargava/ Tallinn and California/ 24th Aug 2025

#Ironman #Grit #Determination #Triathlon #Perseverance #endurancesport #NeverEverGiveUp #Tallinn #Estonia #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

Teenagers Of A Different Kind

Teenagers who love to collect metal scrap, or like to live on a tree in the wilderness? Sounds weird? No, not at all! Ghumakkad shares a short story of three teenaged siblings having such varied interests. They live in California. I was with them after their school yesterday.

Who?

The three teenagers pictured above will be seen in the video interview below. Their brief intros follow in ascending order of age.

Maana- A thirteen-year-old who loves all animals. She says her neighbour's black cat awaits her return from school everyday. The cat senses Maana's arrival and scurries into the back yard. See the picture below.

Syon- The only brother among two sisters, Syon loves working with waste material and scraps and loves to create a thing or two. Be it a copper wire or discarded screws, he collects it all. See the stockpile under his bed in the video. He is also an enthusiastic 15-year-old Boy Scout.

Sachi- The eldest of the three siblings, Sachi loves to climb trees or jump into a river in the wilderness. As an 18-year-old she is very sensitive about the environment and its preservation.

No more writing or talking, let us hear them live in the video below.

Was it not admirable? Ghumakkad sure got inspired by the three siblings. Hat tip not only to all the three teenagers but also to their parents Anchita and Satyam. 

You may like to read our earlier story about the trio linked below.

Who Says Children Don't Read Books? A story for the children by the children who love reading books.

Even as a toddler, Maana led us all in a hiking trail. Click the link below to browse the picture story.

Toddler On A Trail - How a toddler leads a trail around a lake in California.

As we say children are our true assets. They will take the world farther. It is our duty to be with them, understand their thinking and ignite the young minds. Sachi, Syon, Maana and all the teenagers of the world- more power to you guys! Rock on.

Thanks for browsing and stay connected.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with inputs from Anchita Nidhindra/ Fremont, California/ 21st Aug 2025

#teenagers #futurecitizens #youngminds #shapingyoungminds #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

Yosemite - Granite Grandeur

Yosemite National Park is an icon of California. It is visited by more than 4 million visitors every year. Ghumakkad visited Yosemite on 17-18 Aug 2025 along with three other nature lovers.

The Travellers

Who were the four travellers to Yosemite?Other than Ghumakkad, all three live in the Bay Area in California. Special thanks to each one of them for making this trip happen.

Ankur- An IT pro with 12 patents to his credit. My son-in-law, a golfer, dancer who loves life and all things tech.

Akanksha (Ashi)- An interior designer, photographer, poet, my daughter and a compassionate volunteer and parent.

Satyam- An IT pro, quiet by nature, mathematics enthusiast, keen traveller and hiker.

Harsh-the-Ghumakkad- whom you all know- a Navy Veteran, golfer, blogger, teacher, hiker and Nature lover. This was my visit to USA after a gap of 11 years. 

About Yosemite

Yosemite National Park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an area of 3000 sq kms. However, most visitors spend the majority of their time in the valley's 18 sq km area. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, groves of giant sequoia trees, lakes, mountains, meadows, glaciers, and biological diversity. Yosemite was critical to the development of the concept of national parks. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant of 1864 that declared Yosemite as federally preserved land. According to Wikipedia, the word Yosemite (derived from yohhe'meti, "they are killers" in Miwok) historically referred to the name that the Miwok gave to the Ahwahneechee, the resident indigenous tribe. The term Yosemite in Miwok is easily confused with a similar term for "grizzly bear", and is still a common misconception. For detailed history of Yosemite, the readers may refer Wikipedia. It is interesting to note that tourism significantly increased after the first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, while the long horseback ride to reach the area was a deterrent.

The park contains thousands of lakes and ponds, 2600 km of streams, 1,300 km of hiking trails, and 560 km of roads.

From Ankur's residence in Pleasanton, the Park is 230 miles east. It is about four hrs drive including 6 of his EV. See the map below:

Notable Spots

Tunnel View - a scenic viewpoint located on California State Route 41 in the Park. Since its opening in 1933, it has offered visitors iconic, expansive views of Yosemite Valley, making it one of the park's most renowned viewpoints.

El Capitan, a 3000 feet granite monolith on Yosemite Valley's northern escarpment

Close to El Capitan are 'Three Brothers' rocks.

Half Dome - It is a quartz monzonite batholith at the eastern end named for its distinct shape. One side is a sheer face while the other three sides are smooth and round, making it appear like a dome cut in half.

North Dome - is a granite dome in the southernmost summit of Indian Ridge, one km north of Washington Column and the Royal Arches on the northeastern wall of Yosemite Valley.

Royal Arches - An inset arch on giant rock face.

Washington Column - a roughly 1800-foot high rock formation, arising from Yosemite Valley. It can be viewed from many points in Yosemite Valley including the trail to Mirror Lake.

Yosemite Falls - the highest waterfall in the Park, dropping a total of 2,425 feet from the top of the upper fall to the base of the lower fall. When we visited on 17th August,  the waterfall had completely dried up. 

Even the lower falls had dried up completely.

Mirror Lake - The iconic mirror lake had shrunk to a tiny pond. It was very disappointing for Ankur, Ashi and Satyam because they had all frolicked and jumped from a rock into waist deep water last season. Pictures of our hike to the dried up Mirror Lake below.

All that the dried up Mirror Lake offered was some waves caused by strong winds. See the video below.

But the Merced river compensated with some stunning views next morning, reflecting sunlit granite peaks in the water.

You can feel the river and its ripples in the video below.

Sequoia Tree Groves - The park has three groves of ancient giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) trees; the Mariposa Grove (200 trees), the Tuolumne Grove (25 trees), and the Merced Grove (20 trees). This species grows larger in volume than any other and is one of the tallest and longest-lived. 

We stayed overnight to enjoy the beauty of dusk, dawn and a short hike in Yosemite. There are numerous trails for hiking for all age groups. Sharing below few pictures of our hikes.

Star Gazing

Yosemite offers unique opportunity for star gazers. With clear skies and complete darkness, we could see thousands of stars and milky way. Sharing two pictures shot by Ashi.

Here is a video to give you a feel of the night experience in Yosemite.

Yosemite Tour

You can see the Park by riding a free shuttle bus. There are three routes coloured differently. Just hop on and off. In addition,  there is a paid ride in an open coach with a ranger guide with excellent commentary. Mark our guide has volunteered and later worked at the Park for the last 60 years.

Bear Traps

The Park has some 500 Black Bears. They love to eat the food left in the tents. With a strong sense of smell,  they forage for food and any other scented items in visitors' bags at night. Therefore,  in the tented accommodation where we had stayed, we had to lock up all scented items like toothpaste,  Vaseline and food in a metal safe kept outside the tent. Picture below.

In addition,  there are Bear Traps placed near the camps.

Hope you enjoyed the Yosemite Park armchair tour with us. You have to visit the Park to feel its vastness and ecological diversity. Signing off with another picture with a fallen tree trunk.

Thanks for browsing and stay connected. 

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Akanksha Bhargava/ Yosemite National Park/ 19th Aug 2025

#yosemite #NationalParkService #California #hiking #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

Hiking in USA - The American River

American dollar. American football. American economy. American presidency, we have all heard.

Have you heard about 'The American River'?

Even I hadn't until I hiked up to the river named 'The American River' recently! It is a 50-km long river emanating from the Sierra Nevada mountains and merging with the Sacramento river. Historically the river is known for the gold deposits. It now offers white water rafting, kayaking and hiking and camping along its banks.

Thanks to Hemant and Deepali who live in Davis California, we hiked together yesterday. It wasn't a huge hike by distance or altitude. But it was tougher than that because of searing heat in which we did it. It was high noon with temperatures nearing forty degrees Celsius. We were almost dehydrated on the return leg. I had to take frequent breaks to catch my breath. But the view along the river bed and cool flowing water of the river more than made up for the sweat! Interestingly, the starting hill is called the Cardiac Hill. The trail is named Cardiac Trail. And those who can not tackle steep slopes, there is an alternate trail aptly called the Bye-pass Trail.

After you park your car at China Bar Area Auburn, you go along a shallow canal with flowing water. A narrow path along the canal with several pointed stones slopes down gradually. But you can't lift your eye for fear of tripping on one of the several stones. We couldn't start early that day. We met several hikers returning from the hike. One of them narrated sighting two rattle snakes on the way. It rattled Deepali till she completed the hike three hours later! It was already past 9AM and the Sun was showing its might. Those who can not hike, are recommended to take a car pass and drive down along a tarred road to the bottom of the hill.

See the flowing water of the canal in the video below.

After 20 minutes or so along the canal, we turned left down the slope of the Cardiac Hill. The trail was pretty steep going down. I anticipated the challenge on the return leg. We kept going util we reached the road head for those who came by a vehicle. The river in all its glory was captivating. Gurgling in some part while calm and steady in another. See the pictures and the video below.

You can get a feel of the river in the two short videos below:

Hemant and I wend down to the rocky river bed. Deepali shot some more pictures while we spent a while in the hot Sun.

After cooling ourselves a bit, we commenced the return hike up the steep slops of the Cardiac Hill. We were short of drinking water and the heat was building up. Therefore, after going up for 15 minutes or so, we decided to take the Bye-Pass Trail. It was  a bit circuitous but easier on the knees. I forgot to bring a hiking pole. With ageing knees, hiking poles are a big help for both- going downhill or climbing up. It was Hemant's encouragement and frequent halts that I could complete the uphill return leg. We had told Deepali to move ahead to escape the heat.

We ate black berries on the way up to replenish the energy. 

You can hear the heavy breathing of a Veteran going up the hill in the extreme heat.

After almost five hours in the blazing Sun, we returned to our car. Car AC seemed heavenly. Trekking in Himalayas in its cool climes was much easier than fighting the dehydration in the searing heat of Californian summer.  See Deepali's new car below.

The rarefied atmosphere of Ladakh offers another degree of challenge to the hikers. You may browse our story of a recent hike in Nubra Valley in Ladakh.

High Altitude Hiking in Ladakh - Is it Risky? - The story of hiking with grandson in a river bed at 13,000 feet above the mean sea  level.

Sharing below the story of another hike in California done 11 years ago. All the toddlers in the story are now teenagers who have kept up their love for hiking.

Toddler on a Trail - Picture story of hiking around the Pinecrest lake in California. The hike was led by a toddler. Incredible? Read on.

Here is a recent picture of Ghumakkad (in Navy Veterans cap) with some of the then-toddlers-now-teenagers!

The American River, south fork offers river rafting of Level 2/3. The day we were hiking in the north fork, few Pilani friends aged around 75, were doing river rafting in the south fork. Sharing their pictures courtesy Prem Jain my BITS batchmate. Never too old for an adventure, isn't it?

Thanks for browsing and stay connected.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Hemant and Deepali Bhargava/ Davis California/ 10th Aug 2025

#hiking #trekking #california #cardiachill #auburn #cardiactrail #byepasstrail #summerhike #dehydration #theamericanriver #sierranevadamountains #sacramentoriver #navyveteran #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh