By Indranil Ghosh
Director & Practice Head, Corporate, Financial PR & Investor Relations, Perfect Relations Pvt. Ltd.
It all started one Sunday afternoon in the summer of 2003. I looked at myself in the mirror and hated what I saw -- a big paunch, layered double chin and an almost 100-kg frame. I couldn’t believe what a bad lifestyle had done to me over the years – especially as I had always been a fit sportsperson, representing school, college, university and the companies I worked for at tournaments. I also had training in long-distance and cross-country running right from my school hostel days, which built a strong foundation for fitness. Losing that to layers of flab was depressing. That’s when I made up my mind to start running.
I began with a jog across the Bandra Bandstand promenade and the Mount Mary area, traversing the ups and downs. Every night after work, I would change in the car and run 10 rounds of the entire Bandstand. I would change back into dry clothes and have dinner at my favourite ‘Just Around the Corner’ (now ‘Eat Around the Corner’). What started as a resolution to kill the kilos became a lifestyle habit -- I worked on my diet, ate healthy and on time, carefully monitoring the foods. In less than three months, I had lost over 20 kg, and built tremendously on my cardiovascularity and stamina.
Around that time, the first Mumbai Marathon was announced, and I took on the 7.5 km Dream Run. But it was a disappointment. For lack of room to run properly, the crowd simply strolled along, turning it into a parade. I ran the 7.5 km in under 45 minutes, feeling quite comfortable. My next target had to be the Half Marathon, and running was becoming a way of life.
Over the years, my preparation, routine and runs continued, coupled with gym workouts six days a week. I worked on breathing technique, built lean body mass and lost some more weight. I did trial runs on the treadmill and on the road, actually running a couple of full marathons on the treadmill. In the last 10 years or so, I have added the Thane Half Marathon, Delhi Half, Goa Half, the Ahmedabad Full and marathons at Bangalore, Kolkata and Jaipur to my kitty. In August 2011, I took my first shot at a full marathon in Hyderabad. To date, I have run all editions of the Mumbai Marathon, capping my achievements with the Full Marathon this year.
Marathon running is not just about fitness or endurance – it is the ultimate test of grit, determination and will power. Now I use it as a tool to build mental strength, inspire myself, practise the concept of ‘mind over body’ and push myself to the limit. This year, I plan to run at least one international full marathon in Hong Kong, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, and perhaps one of the European marathons. I also aim to link myself to a charity or worthy cause.
My dream is to run the ‘Grand Slam’ of marathons – New York, London, Chicago, Boston and Berlin. Even qualifying for the Boston Marathon would be a colossal reward... Meanwhile, I’m off to the Pondicherry Auroville Full Marathon on February 12.
Feedback: indranilg@yahoo.com
