Ironman- Who Did Not Finish

Two time Ironman.

Third time DNF (Did not finish)! Why? What happened?

Ankush explains.

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IRONMAN Hamburg Race Report (DNF) Part 1 - Mistakes.

DNF - Did not Finish! Those words sting! Not the ideal race report I wanted to pen down but I need to reflect back on the mistakes I made and do a reset to help me focus on training and the next race. Also, putting this out may help someone else avoid the same mistakes.

I was so ready for this race, going in nice and healthy after a solid recovery from Chikungunya earlier in the year and was looking forward to a 14h45m finish. Not in my wildest dreams did I think I would DNF on this course.

In summary, I lost significant time to the following mistakes in Transition 1, that put a lot of pressure on the windy bike leg and I eventually missed the Swim + T1 + Bike cut off of 9h30m (This course was a 15h30m full distance IM course, unlike the others that are 17h courses) by 14 mins.

Mistakes :

1. In T1, I was done with the gear switch from swim to bike in about 12 mins. But some brain fade and I took my cycling shoes in my hand and ran from the Transition bag to the bike. That's strictly not allowed. Referees spotted me and I had to get back from almost near the bike to the bench, wear my cycling shoes and then again get to the bike. Lost 7-8 mins here, since the distance between the bag and bike is a to and fro 400m or so and very difficult to run in cleats on slippery roads. Learning : In longer non -carpeted transitions, just clip the shoes to the bike while racking.

2. I took the bike and head off to the bike-out where at the exit I realised I haven't worn my bib number! Completely missed wearing it while putting on rest of the cycling gear. Now I had to again go back to the transition bag (in cleats!) and pick the bib belt. Got back to the bike (a round trip of 800m) and another 10-11 mins lost in doing this. Overall a 12 mins transition became 28 mins! I almost did like three transitions!

I had now effectively 7h02 mins available to finish the bike. This incidentally was my target right from the prep, but race day had lot of wind and rain, and with the max push that I could do, I finished the bike in 7h17min. Missed the cut off by 15 mins.

Had I not made those T1 mistakes, I would have been in time and away.

Part-2 POSITIVES

1. SWIM : Unknown to many people, I fear the water big time. One of the reasons for me doing IM, is to go beyond this fear. Barring Malaysia, at NZ and Tallinn, I panicked both times in the first 200m of the swim literally searching a kayak for support. But this swim was different. Something in me had a sense of calm and right from the first stroke to the last, I stayed composed and steady. Had taken the first 30 seconds to just do breast stroke and get accustomed to the cold water shock & blowing bubbles. This worked wonders. The out 1500m was relatively fast but then the outer Alster lake got windy and choppy. Lost pace there but stayed super composed in those choppy waters holding on to some deeper thoughts. Finished the swim slow at 2h (my target was 1.45-1.50) but to me something about this was a BIG victory for the mind.

2. BIKE: This was a thriller for me vs me. I was racing against the clock and after gauging the wind and initial feel, I set out splits of 3h25 for the 1st loop and 3hr35 for the 2nd loop to target 7h. Pushed hard on the first loop, found windy sections and done in 3h28. This meant 2nd loop had to be 3.32 or 3.34 at max. But I found very heavy crosswinds & more Rain, finished in 3h49m and that was the end of my race. But I was able to push my best bike time in an IM. My trusted cycle stayed solid with me and responded to every push i gave.

End of the day, I gave it ALL I had on the swim and bike course. ZERO regrets there.

Insane support credits go to:

1. @biltoriavarun - A long distance brother, for all the motivation pre and post the race!

2. @ankita_earthy - For invaluable advice on tackling the panic in the swim and for hyping me up! we belong to one tribe!

3. @burzzz13 - For so much last minute swim advice and the push for me to give it ALL I had.

4. My better half - @prabhjoth1979 - constantly peppering me with suggestions she would see around to get my nerves down.

5. Karapusamy - my swim coach for the last one month, visualised his tips on glide-pull-glide while out on the swim!

Thanks to everyone who sent wishes and support, will do better next time! Signing off till then.

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Bravo Ankush for such a mature and critical self-analysis.

We were tracking Ankush online on Ironman App. T1 Transition of 28 minutes baffled us too. But we had no idea of what caused it. Although he tried his best to make up for the lost time, but the wet and windy conditions added to the challenge. Despite a long wait after bike finish, his tracker did not move for the marathon (the last leg of ironman). After 30 minutes or so, a cryptic message from Ankush gave us the shock.

"Two mistakes cost me my race"

He was utterly disappointed and disheartened. Obviously. Having worked so hard for almost a year, guilt and regret overtake you. But he soon overcame it, packed his gear, returned to India and posted the above stories. Reflecting upon the race, he has been able to see the positives too. That's the spirit. Despite all the setbacks, he gave his personal best in the bike segment. Kudos to his determination and perseverance.

Well done Son. We are proud of you. You will soon hear the magical words, "Ankush, you are an Ironman" again!

All the best.

First Two Ironman Finishes

For those of you who haven't browsed the stories of his earlier Ironman Finishes, you may click the links below:

Second time Ironman ki Kahani Ankush ki Zubani - Ankush narrates the swim mishap and disorientation at Ironman Tallinn 2025

When The Buoy Dunked An Ironman - A tale of grit and determination

Ankush Does It - The Ironman! - Ankush's maiden finish in Ironman NZ March 2025

Commenting on Ankush's posts on Ironman Hamburg, another endurance athlete Vivek Bhargava from Chennai said the following:

"A DNF hurts, no doubt about it. But reading your report, one thing stands out clearly — your fitness, preparation, and determination were never the problem.

You fought back from Chikungunya, trained hard, arrived healthy, and still managed to push through difficult weather conditions. 

What impresses me most is your willingness to openly analyze what went wrong instead of making excuses. That mindset is exactly what separates good athletes from great ones. The lessons from Hamburg will stay with you far longer than the disappointment of the DNF.

Remember, one race does not define an IRONMAN. The courage to stand at the start line again does."

Well said Vivek, many thanks for the inspiring words.

In a lighter vein, the DNF at Ironman Hamburg happened because of हड़बड़ी meaning hurry, haste, or rush. It typically refers to acting too quickly in an anxious manner, often resulting in confusion or mistakes. However, it is easy for us in hindsight to say so. But all of us have done some हड़बड़ी or the other in our life! Isn't it? And such हड़बड़ी (either in the mind or actions or both) causes गड़बड़ी (meaning chaos, confusion, or a general state of being messed up) ! But jokes apart, the ability to gather your wits and press on despite a mishap, makes champions. And Ankush for sure is one!

We wish Ankush all the best for the next Ironman race.

Thanks for browsing and stay connected. Do leave a comment, few words will do.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Ankush Bhargava/ 11th June 2026/ Secunderabad and Chennai

#Ironman #Finisher #IronmanHamburg #DNF #DidNotFinish #AnkushBhargava #Transition #LearningfromMistakes #Endurance #Determination #Grit #NeverGiveUp #Perseverance #swimbikerun #hadbadi #gadbadi

Thriving on Surprises

When did you last spring a surprise on someone in a distant city?

Most people would say 'I'd rather send a surprise gift or make an unannounced video call'!

But don't you agree that no AI or technology can match a warm hug or the joy of giving (or receiving) a surprise in person! Of course it requires time and effort, which in my opinion is worth it!

Ghumakkad thrives on surprises! Surprises give joy.

Ghumakkad recently made a surprise visit to not just one but three people in Bengaluru. I travelled 680 kms either way from Hyderabad. Thanks to Vande Bharat trains, I did not require any elaborate planning to spring the surprises!

'Harsh Beta Sada Sukhi Raho'

An aunt nears 90. An affable person, sonorous voice, calligraphic handwriting, a dancer of repute, charming as ever and Ghumakkad's regular reader. Ghumakkad wanted to give her a surprise. My cousin Nidhi who also lives in Bengaluru, made a ploy to visit her. Literally after alighting from Vande Bharat train ride from Hyderabad, we drove to Savita Mami's house. Though her husband Jolly Mama was also part of the surprise drama, but with Mami Ghumakkad has a special bond. She was thrilled seeing me. See the pictures and the video below courtesy Nidhi and Mukul.

See the surprise on the faces of both the nonagenarians in the video below.

We had earlier published an exclusive story titled 'Dancing At Eighty' few years ago. See the graceful performance even though Savita Mami had to be seated because of her aching knees! You may click the link to browse the pictures and videos.

When Another Nonagenarian Blesses You

As a young Sub-Lieutenant I was posted in Jamnagar in 1973. That is when we met Dr and Mrs Achar. Dr Achar was the Medical Superintendent of Irwin Hospital. Their elder son had joined the NDA at Khadakwasla and daughter Harsha was studying at BITS Pilani. That is how the connection got established. It has been 53 years since then. Dr Achar is no more. His unmatched humour still brings a smile on our faces. Mrs Achar, a sprightly 92-year old lady, lives by herself in Bengaluru. She runs a school for the under-privileged since many years. I had last met her few years ago and made it a point to meet her again, this time unannounced.

A plan was hatched with Harsha to get her to RSI on the pretext of an Army social evening. Her joy of seeing me there and my own happiness, surpasses any other material gift. Let the pictures do the talking. PC courtesy Kedar, her grandson and Harsha.

A Pirate Party

When a Naval buddy turns 75, you can't miss being there. Moreso when the invite is so creatively designed by his daughter. See the clip below.

Ghumakkad gave another surprise in Bengaluru to Capt NR Ravi on his 75th birthday. Tanvee helped keep the surprise. Feel the thrill on the faces and hugs of  Ravi (partially hidden) and Lakshmi in the pictures below. Have also included the pictures of the elaborate decor and a video of the cake cutting. Thanks Tanvee and Vikas for all the effort. Thanks Saibal Roy Chou, who travelled all the way from Kolkata, for the shots in which Ghumakkad is not behind the lens!

 

Another fleeting video of Pirates jesting around.

It was such a pleasure to give the surprise to Ravi and Lakshmi.

Here is the video of cake cutting and the fireworks.

You are never too late for return gifts! See the imaginatively designed packaging of the return gifts!

Recalling Earlier Surprises

USA to India Surprise: We had the biggest of surprises few years ago when Ankur, our son-in-law landed from USA  unannounced at our home in Secunderabad. Instead of giving us a surprise, Ankur got the 'reverse' surprise on seeing the house locked. Some quick calls and smart guessing, he figured out that both Neeta and I were at RSI (our fauji club in Secunderabad). And lo and behold-- he gave us that biggest of surprises by locating and joining us at RSI that evening. Totally unannounced all the way from USA Unfortunately, no pictures or video of the memorable moment exist! But it is permanently etched in our memory.

India to USA Surprise: Sharing one more surprise across the continents. This time our son Ankush from Chennai, gave a pleasant surprise to our daughter Akanksha in California completely out of the blue. Of course such a secret operation can not be carried out without local support. Our son-in-law Ankur in USA teamed up with Ankush to pull it off. Back in 2012, the excitement was sadly not filmed.

Giving Surprises in Mumbai and Vapi

Another two surprises which Ghumakkad pulled off in November last year gave us a thrill. Two buddies one each from the Navy (who turned 75 that day) and from BITS my college (who had been unwell for a while), were thrilled beyond words when I entered their homes unannounced! Some of those precious moments are captured in the story below:

Thrill of a Surprise - Story of a secret operation from Hyderabad to Mumbai and Vapi with pictures and videos.

85th Birthday Surprise

Earlier this year, Ghumakkad gave a surprise to Col GB Sethi PhD, my golf partner, on his 85th birthday in Secunderabad. We share our birthdays and have many things in common. I wrote an exclusive poem, framed it with a picture of both of us and presented it in person. He was visibly moved. Sharing below a few pictures and a video clip courtesy Swati, his daughter.

Surprise Tests

The only surprise which is unwelcome is a surprise test by a teacher! Ask any college student and he/she will scoff at the very mention of a surprise test or surprise quiz in the class. Of course, teachers love giving surprise tests. But unlike surprise visits and gifts, the receiver (students) do not like such a surprise. Here is a symbolic picture of an MBA class.

  

What are you waiting for? Go and give someone a surprise visit. Remember surprises make memories which you cherish. If you are a teacher wanting to give a surprise test, think of the students too!

We close with a quote by Gilbert K Chesterton who said, "Surprise is the secret of joy." Now you know why Ghumakkad is so joyful!

Thanks for browsing and stay connected.

Do share your experience of a memorable surprise.

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Bengaluru/ 31st May 2026

#ThrivingOnSurprises #SurprisesInLife #JoyOfASurprise #SurprisesThrillEveryone #GivingSurprises #GettingSurprised #Joy #happiness #memories #cheer #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #friends #relationships #GilbertKChesterton #PQs #SurpriseTest #SurpriseQuiz

2nd Time Ironman Ki Kahani - Ankush Ki Zubani

 2nd time ironman! That is Ankush, our son. We had posted the story 'When the Buoy Dunked An Ironman' the same day. But the official pictures came later along with the story by Ankush himself. Sharing his Four part narration which is gripping as well as inspiring. Thanks Son and keep it up. Over to Ankush.

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Ironman Tallinn Race Chronicle. I finished my second full distance Ironman (3.8km swim + 180km bike + 42.2 km run) at Tallinn, Estonia on 23rd Aug 2025. 

Covering the journey across four posts as Pre-Race, Swim, Bike, Run. 

Pre-Race

The start of this one dates back to 2024 when I looked at Tallinn to be the place where I aimed at my first full-iron finish. But guys at Sweden and Estonia embassies had different thoughts. Rather than a first Ironman finish, I got my first visa rejection, and from not one but 2 countries 😃. End of the dream at least for 2024

Anyways, signed up IM NZ 2025 next day where the magical first ironman finish happened in March 2025 at Taupo! (Ed: You may browse the story of  Ankush's finish at New Zealand Ironman here)

On the side, Ironman guys at Estonia were grateful enough to consider the visa rejection and give a FREE slot into Ironman Tallinn 2025 which I grabbed without any hesitation. After all, who would not love two full Ironman’s in a year! 

And so after Taupo was done in March, and the broken ribs suffered there were healed by end of May, I started training with full gusto for Tallinn. Overdid it and ended up with a knee injury (Patella Tendon) that would sideline running for the next 10 weeks all the way up to race day!

Thankfully it didn’t hamper swimming at all, and only partly the bike. Was able to put in a few long rides in Training and was confident of a steady pain-free ride.  So here I was landing up at Tallinn in August with ZERO running training!

The first impression upon reaching was – COLD! Didn’t anticipate such cold weather and after soaking in one day and night, it was clear that the biggest challenge would be the weather than the course itself. Did a recee ride of one loop of the course, which was good and also a 10k controlled run+walk to get a feel of the course. A couple of chilly swims over the next two days and it all looked set! 

Time to visit the expo, finish check-in formalities, setup the Transition Bags and prepare for bike racking!

With the man who got us to hear about Ironman - Milind Soman and Ironman Rockstar Ankita!

The wet suit

All Bags!

My trusted steed 🙂

Swim course being readied. Took eternity for the marker buoys to be positioned.

The Timing chip (Bib Number 645)

Practice swim. Made some amazing friends at this event. Burzin, Araf and Saket here.

Race Day

Just after racking the bike on the eve of race day, we got intimated that the race start had been delayed by 3 hours from 6.30 am to 9.30 am due to the morning temperature prediction of a mind-numbing 5 degrees! Helped feel a little better with a mid-morning start at 9.30 am but the weather stayed cold through the day. 

More on that in the individual reports below. But what an Ironman finish really brings to the fore is how and where you derive your energy from. 

In my case those sources are:

1. Prayers - Hanumanji was summoned multiple times 🙂

2. The feeling of mum watching from above. Like protecting her child always!

3. All the countless training hours that have been clocked and backing yourself up with that

4. The loved ones waiting at home for you to finish

5. Biggest of all - your own WHY!

Swim

Lining up at the swim start of an Ironman is always a goosebumps moment. At Taupo it was the Maori Haka, here it was arms around each other, eyes closed and thinking about WHY you are here! And then the battle-cry! 

Swimming is my weakest discipline, from a speed and comfort perspective (inherent fear of water!). Somehow I’ve never really developed comfort in swimming with tens of swimmers splashing around me. Got a kick on my face that put me off-rhythm in Taupo, and similarly got smothered at the first turn here by some athletes to the extent that I was gasping for air and had to get to a kayak to pause and get my breath back! 

And from there the real trouble started. Fogging up of my swim goggles. I couldn’t sight any buoy at all and it panicked me further. All I did in lap 1 was swim 100m, look for the next kayak, hold on to it, lift the goggles, see the next buoy and aim for it. Repeated this eight times! Timing went for a toss.

I had another mishap in lap 1 when I got stuck under one of the Red-turn buoys while swimming around it. It floated over me and each time I changed direction, it stayed over me. Scary moment where I somehow pulled myself from under it and got some much wanted air! Took a painstaking slowest-ever 1h6m to complete just lap 1 (1900m) and for the first time I got the gutting thought if I would even make the cut-off of 2h20m. 

Thankfully at the lap change on the pontoon, fortunes turned. When I went in for the second lap, I was among the last 5 athletes left in the water (Yes! last 5 out of 1088!) but that meant just calm all around 🙂 also cleaned the goggles once and they stayed good. 

Swam a lonely second lap but with a very relaxed rhythm and completed the remaining swim in 54 min plus the walk to transition in 4 min, in an overall disappointing time of 2h4m, but very relieved that it got done. My pre-race target for swim was to better my Taupo time of 1h48m.  But that's for next time now.

And It Starts!

Hundreds of swimmers splashing!

At the end of Lap 1. Fingers and thumbs were jammed!

Relieved that it got done!

Bike

After an as-planned transition of 18 grand minutes 😃, in which I took on a buffet of bananas, a croissant, gels, peanut chikkis and had conversations with Saif, Ankita, Milind and said Hi to Prabhjoth Bhargava over a video call too 😃 , It was now time for my favourite part of the race, the Bike! 

Had planned to conserve the ailing knee and not go all out but maintain a steady 24kph, that meant each 60k loop in 2h30m, and I stuck precisely to that. The cold, wind and rain made the arms shiver on the bike especially on downhill sections, and that shivering translated onto the handlebars too 🙂 Each time the course went into the village section, I would start praying to god to keep me safe from a puncture! The roads there were chip-seal type.  But amazing landscape and picture perfect surroundings. 

Having learnt the very hard way at Taupo of how NOT to throw garbage off a moving bike 🙂 , I stopped once every lap to dispose off empty gel pouches and take on fresh bottles of electrolytes and nutrition! 

So 3 prayers, 10 Gels, 4 bananas, 5 electrolyte bottles, 180kms, and lots of shivering later, I finished the bike in an exact planned time of 7h32min. Legs were fresh, HR was averaging around 140bpm and I was ready for the run.

Picture perfect village roads in Tallinn

Stuffed till the brim as i headed out for the 180km bike!

Aero!

More Aero!

Pushing Hard!

And harder!

Run

This was where I was getting into the unknown and was most nervous about. 

I hadn’t run since June 14th and whatever little I had tried had not lasted beyond 12-13 mins before unbearable knee pain would take over. The plan was to have a go at the start and see till where it lasts pain free, and if the pain comes, then drop to a walk + run or just a walk in the worst case. But there would have to be sufficient time at hand to walk (hated the idea of walking itself though since the ironman is swim bike RUN!!!)! 

The course was 4 loops of about 10.5 Km each. I ran (<10% walk) the first 20K in 2hr30m and was very happy. Was getting hopes of a sub-5h run.  And then the pain came from the 21st Km onwards. I didn’t take any chances and dropped to a 50%  walk+ 50% run combo. It also had become very cold and dark by now and I picked up a woolen pullover to add to my tri-suit and a skin-tight layer that I was already wearing. 3 layers in all along with cycling gloves which i held on to for the run! 

Completed the next 21 Kms in 3 hours for an overall 5h30 min marathon time. To me this was a huge accomplishment in context of where I was on my running training!

Crossing the finish line (at 1.40 AM) and hearing "Ankush, You are an Ironman!!" was a different level of satisfaction unlike Taupo where it was first-timer’s elation. Here it was about how a measured and controlled effort can still get you the perfect result and how to listen to your body! Overall Time 15h41m31s

Overall I was very happy with the post-race energy levels. Showered up at the venue, had a salad bowl and walked home with the bike at 3 AM. Was back at 9 AM cheering our 70.3 friends 🙂

That's a wrap up! Can’t wait for the next – IRONMAN Hamburg on June 7 2026! Pictures follow:

Started the run a bit before sunset that happens so late in those parts!

Before darkness fell and got freezing cold!

Four laps of 10.5Kms

And the run up the red carpet!

Finished!

Hard earned Medal

With the time and name engraved!

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All is well that ends well.

Thanks Ankush for penning down and sharing your incredible story.

Keep it up and all the best for the next Ironman in 2026!

Thanks for browsing.

Do leave a comment. It will inspire Ankush to keep going.

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Ankush Bhargava/ 5th Sep 25/ Secunderabad and Chennai

#Ironman #Grit #Determination #Triathlon #Perseverance #endurancesport #NeverEverGiveUp #Tallinn #Estonia #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #2ndtimeironman #gueststory