Neurosurgeon, 80, Mumbai

 
On the run!

13 years

The beginnings

I always used to run for health and fitness. We used to stay in Sion earlier as I was attached to Sion Hospital and I used to run all the way to Vikhroli, sometimes Mulund, and ask my wife to pick me up. It was a good outing for us.

First marathon

2004 Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon

No. of marathons

70-plus half-marathons; 4 full marathons

Personal best

02:32:01 (half-marathon at the 2012 Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon)

Running means….

Being self-sufficient and independent through fitness.

Training

I belong to the Striders training group. So four days a week, the whole group goes running every morning at 5.40 am as part of our marathon training. The other three days of the week, I work out at the gym; upper body, lower body and abdomen. I am also a trekker; this March I trekked the whole Sahyadri range.

Diet

I have buttermilk every day; egg whites; salads that consist of lettuce, cabbage, onion, cucumber and carrot; and one chapatti made of bajra or mixed grain for lunch. And fruits… lots of fruits.

Health issues

My blood sugar was high once; but I’m on medication and it has been in control ever since. I get a stress test done before every marathon. In 2012, there was some irregularity with my stress test and nuclear scan and an angiogram was done. My arteries were slightly narrow; as a precaution, my colleagues from cardiology put in four stents. I paid my bill by the evening and was jogging again the next day! After the stents, I have run 26 marathons.

The age effect

Nothing really. I am so busy that I don’t have time to think about my age. I am writing my new book now. I am president of the Neuro Spinal Surgeons Association (NSSA) and that takes me all over the world. This year alone, I have taken 15 trips abroad and over 40 within India. There are days I have to be in two cities in one day. Every day, I find out I have worked more than yesterday! A disciplined lifestyle and my jogging and trekking escapades keep me healthy.

Top gear

I used to wear Nike shoes with cushion, but once during a run, the cushion burst. From then on, I have been using Asics.

Motivation

Health. Mental and physical happiness. Being on your own. I promote marathons, I want the younger generation to move away from their technology and get outdoors to engage in physical activity. One of the reasons I started Dr P S Ramani’s Goa Marathon was to promote healthy living.

Marathon moment

I took part in the Amsterdam Marathon in 2012. It was memorable because it started and ended in the Olympic stadium. The grandeur of the stadium was exhilarating.

The goal

The Ladakh Marathon

Photo: marathon-photos.com
Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
November 2017

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