I begin with a quote I read somewhere: ”Four wheels move the body; two wheels move the soul“. My wife Divya & I were blessed with Aashvi & Ayaansh in 2019 August. Raising twins & doing so without quitting our jobs was challenging for both of us.
We hardly ever had time for ourselves. The kids’ sleeping patterns were different; one woke up early while the other slept late at night. Meanwhile, I gained a lot of weight. I wasn’t getting time for workouts.
I used to be active in different sports like running (including marathons), table tennis, cricket, etc. So, in 2023 January, I decided to wake up early, much earlier than the kids (between 3 – 4 AM) for exercising.
Despite such cold weather, cycling was the only option left for me. (Due to the presence of stray dogs, jogging in the early hours is unsafe. The gym doesn’t open either.) From here, I started my journey of solo cycling (it was difficult to get company at this early hour) around Wishtown.
Soon I developed a passion for this. In 2023 February, when I learnt about the HCL Cyclothon, I decided to participate in the 55kms race category. The Cyclothon was scheduled on Sunday, 19 March. Though I was not well prepared, I was able to complete the race within 2 hours 22 minutes.
Post-race completion, I got a medal for finishing within the specified time. It was an amazing experience riding with 1,100+ cyclists from different parts of India. It’s always more fun to go cycling/ running in a group.
I love cycling as it makes me feel lighter (physically as well as mentally). I end with a beautiful quote: You can’t be sad while riding a bicycle! So, keep pedalling.
by Shakti Kumar (PC15/ 802)
