Lockdown Stories

It was mid-March, and that is when I heard that the Covid-19 cases in India were on a surge. Although, I did not anticipate that the entire nation will be on lockdown for this long, however, I knew it would not be plausible to run outdoors. It was best to stay safe and indoors.

An anxious voice in my head asked, if not running, then what?

I always wanted to build a lean but muscular body, and with running 3000+ km in 2019, that came across as an impossible goal to accomplish. I lost a bit of body fat, muscles, and weight.

Photos: June 2020 (after 60+ days of strength training)

The government had then asked us to stay at home, and it meant no running for the next 30 days (or maybe more). Another anxious voice in my head asked, if not now, then when?

The subsequent weekend, I found a workout plan for the next 60 days, something, Charmi (my wife) and I could do it together and would need zero-to-minimal equipment. The structure of this plan motivated us to perform at best for every move and every minute and to max out in every workout.

Each workout lasted for 30 minutes, and it was crazy hard (let’s call it insane). It was a battle between our bodies and our minds, and we did well.

Photos: Friday Ritual #PowerCouple

The current situation surely tested our patience in many ways, but it also made our bond stronger. We became a lot more disciplined with our sleep patterns, eating habits, and workout routines.

We did most of the things together. We shared the mundane household chores, picked up groceries once or twice a week, washed the car every fortnight, and binge-watched Netflix, Hotstar, and Prime Video over the weekends.

We stayed active throughout the day, kept a water intake log to stay hydrated, and consumed more than 3Ls every day. We also took days off for recovery, pampered ourselves with a manicure, pedicure, and face masks and did everything possible to reduce our anxiety and to up our immunity.

We made it a point to eat clean, healthy, and timely meals (6-7 meals a day) and avoided adding any packet food (with high sodium), processed food, or item with added sugar on our grocery list. It was fun discovering a healthier version of various street-food recipes that both of us were craving, and we also enjoyed cheating on meals together.

Photos: Home-cooked Vegan meals – Vada Pav (L), Pizza (C) and Burger (R)

We had our ”Friday Ritual” of clicking pictures, solo and together, spending hours editing and posting them on Instagram, and we religiously followed it.

The lockdown may have had its downs, but we found a lot of positives from it, and together we made it work for us.

We have never felt this good.

#StrongerTogether

Tata Mumbai Marathon, 2019 (03:28:43) – sub 3:30

Race Strategy #TMM2019 sub 3:30

I started slow allowing my body to Warm Up and not worrying too much about the Runners who sprints too early into the Race. Always remember they are having their own Race Strategy and you are on your own.

I chose to stick to my plan.

Split @ 2 km – 00:10:07 (Pace 05:04)

From NCPA to Peddar Road the roads get wider and I progressively picked up my pace. Not pushing too hard yet. Just keeping it cool and slowly moving closer to my race pace. The strategy was to conserve as much energy as I can for the 2nd Half of the Race.

Split @ 10.4 km – 00:51:36 (Pace 04:58)

Next up was a quick downhill from Peddar Road to Haji Ali and one of my favourite “sprinting stretch”. I clocked a 04:19 in my 11th km and got back into a steady mode from Haji Ali until the end of the Sea Link, making sure that I’m not pushing too hard yet.

Split @ Half Way – 01:43:47 (Pace 04:56)

Note the Avg Pace progressing from 05:04 in the first 2 kms into the Race to 04:56 at Half Way mark – and I knew by then that my race strategy was working.

The next stretch from Sea Link to Worli Sea face via Mahim was MY ZONE. Here, I was faster than my Race Pace starting from 22nd km until the end of 32nd km. The idea is to push hard when you are at your Best. (Also, at this point I was not too sure how things will workout post 35 kms – so I decided to go Fast instead).

At Half Way mark I was a lot more confident, my heart rate was steady and I had conserved sufficient energy to help me push as hard as I wanted.

It was time to run FAST🏃🏻‍♂️💨

Split @ 27.5 km – 02:14:52 (Pace 04:55)

Split @ 32.1 km – 02:36:53 (Pace 04:54)

At the end of 32 kms, I knew that I had another 2-3 kms to go before I climb the “Peddar Road” uphill and also that I was super strong in the last 10 kms. My strategy then was to slow down a bit and go steady at ~05:00 pace for the next 2 kms. I wanted to get into the climb without getting too tired and wanted to try and maintain that pace (not trying to push too hard before the climb).

I was trying to conserve some energy before the uphill stretch, because I had no intention to slow down or walk at Peddar Road. I knew that I had already covered some distance at a great pace and it was a good idea to slow down a bit from there. (I had Time in my bank there!)

I clocked a steady pace (05:00 – 05:05) for the entire stretch and then pushed harder again from downhill of Kemp Corner bridge towards Babulnath.

Split @ 36.1 km – 02:57:37 (Pace 4:55)

As you all know, I was Targeting a sub 3:30 Marathon and I had exactly 6.1 kms to go and less than 33 mins to get there. 🎯

Honestly, I was too overwhelmed by now, a little bit tearful and I had to wear my shades to cover it up. 😢😎

All I had to do now was to go steady and not lose my momentum. I was somewhere in between 05:00 – 05:10 for the next 30 mins, relaxed, chilled out and super happy to finish the race on time.

Full Course – 03:28:43 (Pace 04:57)

If you train well for your Race, hydrate well, follow the right nutrition, NOTHING can go wrong. Even the Mumbai Weather will not affect your timing.

If you want to do well and meet your Target, then you have to be consistent and you have to focus on your Goals. Don’t make a mistake of setting too many Goals. Target them Little by little, one at a time.

P.S. Forget the mistake, remember the lesson. 🤗

#RunwithRaah 🏃🏻‍♂️

Results link:

Tata Mumbai Marathon, 2019

Start Running Today

Running has taught me that I’m capable of so much more than I ever imagined.

Trust me, running can work wonders for you and your body.

Imagine that day when you can finally say “I did it”, when you can say “I never gave up, I never quit”, where these moments of pain turn into memories and your dreams become reality.

It may take long to reach that moment, but as soon as you get there you’ll thank yourself for the rest of your life.

All you got to do is Start, Today.

#RunwithRaah 🏃🏻‍♂️

Twenty Nineteen | A “year” like never before

Don’t limit your challenges, challenge your limits. 💪🏼

Setting a running goal of 2018 kms in the year 2018 scared the shit out of me and with a lot of Patience, Discipline and Consistency I managed. Exactly a year after, having run 1000 kms more in 2019, I feel on top of the world. It is true, good things come to those who work for it and I’m so-so proud of myself. 🤗
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In 2019, I was actively running for 234 out of 365 days, on the roads in Pune, Mumbai (and Berlin) covering a total distance of 3021 kms in around 267 hours and 1 minute. 🏃🏻‍♂️
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I burnt a total of 157634 calories by just running. That’s an average of 674 calories per run for 234 days of running, and an average of 432 calories per day in the calendar year. 🤭😅
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2019 was a GREAT year for me and I’m sure you had a FANTASTIC one too, so here’s a HIGH 10 x 3 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
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Set your goals for 2020 now and let me know how you plan on achieving them.
Let’s DREAM together and set our GOALS on fire. 🔥🔥
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#RunwithRaah 🏃🏻‍♂️

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P.S. The distance between your DREAMS and REALITY is called ACTION. ⠀

Tata Mumbai Marathon – Analysis & Strategy

The race for perfection has no finish line, but, we know that a Marathon has one. 🤭

So, here I’m with the year end ritual – analysis for my performance at TMM comparing 2017, 2018 and 2019 and my race strategy in 2020.

My performance in the first half of the race in 2018 (1:42:05) and 2019 (1:42:07) was exactly the same, however, my endurance and strength was at peak in January this year and the result is noticeable in the second half of the race (2:01:16) in 2018 vs (1:47:06) in 2019. I was faster by 14-15 minutes in the second half and this helped achieve the target of running a sub 3:30 marathon. 😬

I was also able to pull off “Peddar Road” slope at 05:06-05:09 mins / kms in 2019, a tremendous improvement from 2017 (>06:01) and 2018 (>05:45). 😃👊🏼
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Overall, I was 15 minutes faster in 2019 at the same Avg HR as compared to 2018. HR was still high, but the Speed looked good.
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The goal this year was to increase my Lactate Threshold HR and further lower my Avg HR per run i.e. to run faster and finish stronger in 2020. ❤️
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I included Tempos and Long Intervals in my training plan and did a lot of Long Slow running.
My Lactate Threshold HR improved from 176 bpm (in 2018) to 181 bpm (in 2019) and my Avg HR is now much lower, less than 145-150 bpm for most easy & medium runs. 🏃🏻‍♂️✅
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At TMM I was always on a positive split strategy, and I may continue with the same in 2020.
I did a lot of progressive and negative split running in my training this year. The idea is to get the splits closer to Even before dreaming about running a Negative Split Full Marathon.
(someday) 😃🤦🏻‍♂️
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The TMM route is ~500-600m extra, so I plan my timing accordingly. Also, the start in the race will be very crowded and I’d like to have a buffer of 1-2 mins over and above my target time to compensate for this and to avoid the zig-zag running. 🤪
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#RunwithRaah 🏃🏻‍♂️

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P.S. Successfully running a TMM is all about Hydration. Try and gulp on 180ml fluid (preferably water) every 20-30 minutes + electrolytes or gels every 45-60 minutes. 😅
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P.P.S. Taper for 2 weeks and Sleep for 7-8 hours. 💤

Hindsight: 2019 #Throwback

Berlin Marathon, 2019

Now is the time to reflect on your running in 2019 (and prior years) and think about what’s next for the year to come.

A month from now entire Mumbai will be back on the roads running or supporting the 17th edition of Tata Mumbai Marathon. The excitement and the spirit of Mumbai is something to run for.

But before I move forward, I’m taking an intentional look back. I did the same thing last year and it really helped me achieve my PRs 2019.

However, in contrast to last year, where I simply analysed my races. This year, I have answered the three essential questions to help explore my growth, lessons learnt and experiences that shaped my year.

1️⃣ What did I accomplish this year—big and small, planned and unplanned?

Big Goals that I saw to the finish line.

• A sub 3:30 Marathon – not once, but twice (Mumbai and Berlin).

• First International Marathon (Berlin)

• First World Major Marathon (Berlin)

Small but mighty wins that made me feel powerful.

• I became a Vegan 🌱 in January 2019. Been almost a year now and I feel so happy, strong and guilt free 😃

• 5K, 10K & HM PRs

• Discovered Yoga 🧘🏻‍♂️ and it’s physical + mental benefits. How it kept me injury free and helped maintain a positive mindset throughout the year. Especially during Berlin Marathon Training where I was running 100 kms week after week.

2️⃣ How did I challenge myself to grow this year?

• Advanced Marathoning – with more mileage per week. A lot of slow and long running. Touching almost 380-400 kms in back to back months.

• In 2019, I did not just run, I supplemented my running with a lot of Bodyweight training and Yoga practice.

It was difficult to clock high mileage, and at the same time not miss any Bodyweight or Yoga sessions. Not to forget I’m a Consultant and I have a work life too. 🤭

3️⃣ What did I learn?

Don’t just run. Cross-Train too. If you want to have a strong body, recover quickly and at the same time feel good about it mentally, you must concentrate on your overall fitness levels. You must exercise and build overall strength.

Try and include Weight / Bodyweight training, Yoga, Cycling or Swimming. Do breathing exercises daily or thrice a week to get all the mental benefits it has to offer.

You’ve collected wins all year whether you realised them or not. Savor the success – doing so fills us with positive emotions, motivates us, and keeps us strong in tough times.

Look back at all you made it happen and be proud.

Remember this. You achieve great things each and every year. Carry that positivity with you into 2020, and let it motivate you to achieve a lot more.

Don’t forget to #RunwithRaah

Marathon Racing Strategy

My strategy to Finish a Full Marathon is to divide the Race into four segments.

One: 5K (1 to 5 kms)

In this segment I focus on getting into the rhythm. I don’t want the HR to shoot up too soon, so I start slow, and then gradually hit my goal race pace. However, this is perhaps the most dangerous point in the marathon when adrenalin can take over but you need to hold back. DO NOT START TOO FAST (even if you are on a Positive Splits). AVOID ZIGZAGGING in panic. Spend the first few kms by getting into the stride. You will have plenty of time left to cover up and beat your PR.

After 5K you’ll notice that I’m warmed up, I have a spaced out route (the start will always be crowded and chaotic) and am looking good to maintain the pace.

Two: 21K (6 to 26 kms)

In this segment I focus on running comfortably and maintaining my race pace. There are times when you feel overwhelmed by the crowd support, loud music and enthusiastic runners around you, but don’t make a mistake of going too Fast just yet. Go as planned, try and stay in the right zone, don’t lose focus and drink plenty of water.

Three: 10K (27 to 36 kms)

This segment is all about recreating whatever has worked for me in training. I want to get a feel of running at a FAST pace (10K Time Trials). So far I have been ticking off the kms and running pretty close to the target pace.

I take some chances, a slight increase in pace and longer strides. Not sprinting really, but a few seconds faster than race pace. This helps add 2-5 minutes of buffer.

Four: Smile BIG 😬 (37 kms to Finish)

Survival is the KEY here. If things are going well, I put everything I have toward the finish.

If things aren’t going well, I don’t have an option but to slow down. However, I know that I’ve covered up 2-5 minutes in the 3rd segment and am okay to finish slow, and yet set a PR.

I am positive and I SMILE BIG. Also, if I see someone else without a smile, I try to cheer them up. Things always fall in place, once I see the finish line. 😊

Run the first segment with your head. Be Smart.

Run the second and third segments with your legs. Be Strong.

Run the last segment with you heart. Be Inspired.

Happy Running.

2019 BMW Berlin Marathon – 2

Today I will run for pure, absolute joy!

(September 29, 2019)

Flashback: May, 2019

I had Berlin Marathon scheduled in 20 weeks and I wanted to train differently than I did for Mumbai Marathon. After some analysis and research, I observed that my Heart Rate was too high at 173 bpm (Race Avg) and Cadence too low at 134 spm (Race Avg)

The goal was to lower down the average HR over the training period and increase the cadence.

I came across Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger and picked up the 18 weeks plan that varied from 88 kms and upto the max weekly mileage of 113 kms. I customised the plan slightly so that I could also accommodate Yoga Practice and Strength Training as supplement with my Running Schedule.

I chose this plan because more than 80% of the training was at lower intensity. Also since most part of the training was scheduled in peak summers and then in rains, it would be easier to run slower than normal.

This training journey helped increase endurance, build strength, and lower down the HR weeks after weeks. I was also able to concentrate on increasing my running cadence (by running more slow runs than hard runs).

Training Journey to Berlin Marathon – 18 weeks

Running:
Runs: 91 times
Distance covered: 1414 kms
Duration: 128 hrs 43 mins 32 secs
Calories: 70713 kcal
Average Intensity Factor: 81%

Yoga & Strength Training:
Workouts: 126 times
Duration: 57 hours 8 mins 34 secs

On Race Day I was able to run with an average cadence of 176 spm – a great improvement from 134 spm (in early 2019), 118 spm (in 2018) and 106 spm (in 2017).

Due to heavy rainfall, my HR belt slipped a couple of times and I was not able to log the average correctly, but it comes to be somewhere below 167 bpm. Considering the fact that I was quicker in the first 35 kms as compared to TMM, I was able to run faster at a lower HR. 😬😬

I would say Goal Set and Target Achieved. It was one hell of a journey, and I have enjoyed every bit of it.

#RunwithRaah 🏃🏻‍♂️

2019 BMW Berlin Marathon

2019 BMW Berlin Marathon – my first World Major.

The Joy of running a World Major Marathon is hard to describe.

SCC Events has done some excellent work there. There were sufficient aid stations and impeccable course marking to ensure your focus remains on running.

The crowd support was exceptional and like never experienced before. I was pleasantly surprised to hear my name being called out at least 10 times. It feels great when people you don’t know cheer you up by calling in your name. Sending out some Teddybear hugs 🤗🤗

From Power-Ups “that Red Mushroom from Super Mario” to little kids crying-out for a High-Five.

I tried my best to not miss any 😊😊

The Berlin Marathon route was fantastic. Mostly flat with a couple of tiny bridges. I’m so glad to have run this one and I highly recommend it to anyone from anywhere else in the world – You gotta run and experience The Berlin Marathon.

At the start of the race it was NOT a perfect “Race Day” weather. It was very windy (in the opposite direction), slightly sunny and cold with a humidity of 76%. It only got worst half-way into the race with heavy rainfall, strong winds and a further drop in the temperature.

I was drenched and shivering 🥶

Rains ☔️ started at around 25 km mark for me and then the weather changed from being slightly sunny to extremely cold and wet. My HR belt was slipping again and again, so please ignore the HR stats. 🤦🏻‍♂️

I had a perfect start to the race on a not so perfect day and I was going amazingly strong until 32 kms. After that, I felt tingling sensations in my quads, they felt a little tight and I got shit scared 😧.. within a couple of kms I got the worst cramps EVER (never had one in a race before).

I stopped for a bit, had a glass of water, and realised that I was not able to walk. With more than 7 kms to go, running a world major, I cannot screw this one up right?

So, instead of walking, I tried running again (and I don’t know how), however not so fast, a minute to minute and a half slower than my race pace. I somehow crossed the finish line.

I lost a lot of time in the last 7 kms and was not able to clock a sub 03:20. I know I have disappointed a lot of folks who believed that I could even clock a sub 03:15. I’m Sorry. It was also great to know later that my expected target time was showing up as 03:16 at 30K and then it dropped to 03:19 by 35K mark and then 🤭😞 *blahhh*

Thank you each one of you for your motivation and support. You all know my training journey had been amazing and I exceeded all my expectations in clocking more than 100kms in a week to almost touching 400kms a month. No Human is Limited right? I strongly believe in it too. I have thoroughly enjoyed my training and journey to Berlin Marathon. 🏃🏻‍♂️😬✈️

So what went wrong in the race?

NO EXCUSES.

All I know is that I have to work harder and go faster to be able to manage a stronger finish.

After thorough analysis, I felt I should have included at least one 30-35K Time Trial at Race Pace. I had included runs at Race Pace but none of them exceeding 23K. I will work on it the next time and get back stronger for sure. 👊🏼😃

There are Good Runs and Bad Runs, and if a Bad Run can give you your Personal Best, you know you have a lot of potential in you. I was faster by a minute and 26 seconds than my last Marathon in January 2019.

Overall, I’m not Happy Happy, but I’m still Happy about it.

I will celebrate this run. 😃🙏🏼

Keep Running

#RunwithRaah

It all began with that first plank. Now it’s a part of me.

Remind yourself of what you want to be and then go be it.

It will not be easy. It will hurt. It will take time. It will require dedication and willpower. You will need to make healthy choices. It requires sacrifice. You will need to push your body to its max. There will be temptation. You may get distracted.⠀

But, I PROMISE you, when you will reach your goal, IT’LL BE WORTH IT!

P.S. Don’t wait. The time will never be just right. Use it with intention.

LITTLE by LITTLE, a LITTLE becomes a LOT

I like who I’m becoming. A lot.

I was able to clock a sub 1:50 Half Marathon in 2016 and that was after running 8 Half-Marathons in 12 years since 2004. The difference between sub 1:50 HM attempt vs all those years from 2004-2015 is that I only trained for it in 2015.

I never really ran as much as I run today, and it was a couple of short runs prior to race day. My yearly mileage was less than 30 kms per year back then and it was the Mumbai Half-Marathon where I covered the maximum distance.

Running a Mumbai Marathon was a ritual, but then in mid 2014 after not being able to register for Mumbai Marathon 2015 (I did not have a timing certificate), I realised that I am spending too much time in the gym with all the weight training and stuff, I was Strong and Fit (for sure) but I was not seeing any improvement in my running speed and endurance. I always knew that progression beats perfection, and after doing some speed drills and running tests, I had to have a plan to improve my overall running performance. You can say, that’s when I actually got into running.

I am super thankful to my wife , I got disciplined only after I got married. 🤗😘

It all started with Goal-Setting and I promised to myself that I’ll attempt a Full Marathon only when I can clock a sub 1:50 Half Marathon (my last best being 2:05). I worked on an Annual Running plan in 2015 with a goal of achieving a sub 1:50 HM in Jan, 2016. I was sincere and focused on my goals. I clocked a 1:48:21 in Mumbai Marathon, 2016 and that’s how I crushed my first ever running goal. 😃😃😃

Later that year in June I registered for my first Full Marathon in 2017. Since then I have been consistent, taking small steps each day, striving for progress and celebrating every time I cross a checkpoint. It could be a tiny step, a sub-goal or a Marathon.

Raah has been Running ever since. 🏃🏻‍♂️

So, just pull your shit together and go for a run.

P.S. Don’t forget to celebrate every tiny victory. 🤗
#RunwithRaah 🏃🏻‍♂️

Do Everything YOU Love #10YearChallenge

“We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle

I strongly believe that Consistency is the key to Success. No matter what people say, that change is the only thing that’s constant, but I can agree to disagree.

To me, if you are consistent with what you do; nothing changes really. Even if it did, It can only get better. Now, it all comes down to “what you do”.

If you are consistently following a healthy lifestyle, you will never need a transformation. If you are not there yet, it is never too late to start. (Remember, I am with you) 😃

Don’t just blindly follow a diet that worked for someone else, or workout out of the blue by watching someone else do it. Everyone who inspires you in some or the other way has their own story to tell, they have been doing things consistently for a long time and for that reason it has really worked for them. There is no quick fix or shortcut to a healthy lifestyle.

It took me a while to understand what works for me. Most important is to do what you love to do. You can’t just start running because Run with Raah says running does wonders. You can try it, but, you will do it only if you “like it” – not because it worked for me or anyone else.

Again, the only way you’ll be consistent at something is if you “Do Everything YOU Love”. Understand what you can or want to do, there are tons of ways by which you can lead a healthy lifestyle. It will then become a habit and will stay with you for life. Like it did for me. 🤗

#RunwithRaah 🏃🏻‍♂️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

#10yearchallenge #NotATransformation #HealthyLifestyle #ConsistencyIsTheKey

Checkpoint 07/01/2019