Of monsoon lows and running highs

The rains that battered the city may have affected their training but it hasn’t dampened their enthusiasm. The four runners talk about their fourth week of training.

October 21, 2014 06:32 pm | Updated May 23, 2016 07:30 pm IST

mp_Padma

mp_Padma

Last week I could not run as I had some pressing commitments. Also, the weekend rains, made it impossible to run on Saturday and Sunday. I wanted to do some indoor strength and stretching on these days to maintain my energy levels but couldn’t due to unavoidable circumstances.

Skipping my exercise has left me weak and enthusiastic and I’m itching to get back on track.

My diet remained the same through this week. I probably am going to indulge a little this Diwali—but will chose to eat only homemade light sweets such as Payasam and Sheera and avoid store-bought ones that are laden with sugar and ghee.

I am planning to ease my body into running by starting with a selection of strength and crosstraining before pounding the pavements. I hope to improve my pace considerably by the end of this week.

Padma Ram

I was able to run only twice last week due to the rain that battered the city. However, I did visit the gym and stretch at home. I have been sticking to my regular good diet though I possibly may have a few sweets on Diwali. .

I am feeling good and hope to stick to my schedule, despite Diwali celebrations.

Mangalamba Varma

I didn't run much last week (just 4kms), due to the weather. But am happy to see my average pace improve from 12 mins/km to 10 mins/km. My ortho's given me Vitamins K, E and D to strengthen my muscles (I just learnt that this is a post-menopausal occurrence - glad he identified it right away!). He also stressed the need for good sleep and anti-oxidants. He is very clear that women over 50 need to take care of themselves - since no one else will take care of them (I admire his honesty!!!). I did my tests and got a clean chit on all other health parameters (BP, diabetes, cholesterol, heart, bone density, etc).

At one point, I began to wonder if I'd bitten off more than I could chew by taking on this marathon - but our mentor-team is very encouraging and supportive with their valuable inputs and advise. So, I'm still enthusiastic!

I stick to my regular diet - oats, dosa, upma for breakfast - a little rice and lots of veggies for lunch and dinner - in between, I have fruits, nuts, yoghurt, juice and green tea (with cinnamon!). Nothing fried, no aerated drinks, very little chocolate/ sweets. I love sweets, but honestly it hasn’t been too difficult to resist them this year.

I feel good and am more aware about my health. People seeing me after a couple of weeks commented that I've lost weight and my skin is looking good. Next week, I will focus on speed and stamina - and get back to the training routine.

Girija

Last week is not a productive one for me mainly dur to two things—my back and the rains. I have been suffering from a bad muscle pull and have advised to take complete bed-rest for a few days. I was very worried and upset about it—wasn’t sure if I could complete the run, at this rate. However, I tried to keep my emotions under check and concentrated on getting better.

When I felt a bit better, I tried running and managed a 4 k on Thursday and Saturday. There was no pain, thankfully but the rains made it hard for me to train more than that. I am waiting for the coming week to begin to get back on track and complete my schedule.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.