Retired civil engineer, 72, Gurugram

 
On the run!

8 years

The beginnings

Inspired by my father, I started going for early morning walks when I was a teenager. At times, walking would be interspersed with running. My sweetest memory of running is completing 29 rounds of a football field at 19. I started running marathons in 2009 at the age of 64.

First marathon

2009 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon

No. of marathons

15 half-marathons and 2 full marathons

Personal best

02:11:00 at the 2011 Chandigarh Half Marathon and 05:53:07 at the 2013 Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon.

First time at the 42-km mark

2011 Running Club Marathon held in Delhi

The high!

I have always felt good about running and enjoyed every moment of it.

The challenge

Earlier, I would run without any recovery time and that affected my health. I suffered severe pain in my right knee in May 2013. I took a long break but am back on my feet. However, I take things slowly and give myself time to recover now.

Training

At one time, I was a part of group training given by Reebok coach Melvin Berota. He made us do interval training followed by strength training that worked very well for me and helped me gain speed. I undergo the same training three months before every marathon. Besides, I gym and do light exercises.

Motivation

Running has become the demand of my mind, body and soul. I enjoy my time on the field and that is my motivating factor.

Marathon moment

The first marathon I ran in 2009 came as a surprise to me. The coach had arranged a bib for another participant who backed out at the last minute, so I was asked to fill in. The marathon was held on 1 November and the bib was handed over the previous day at 9 pm! So technically, I had no time to prepare myself. But I’m happy I completed the marathon in 2 hours 53 minutes and 7 seconds.

The goal

I want to participate in the Boston Run some day.

The age effect

I never think of age. When it comes to running, I am still young. Besides running, my other passions are cycling and playing lawn tennis.

Message for silver runners

Running is a game of the mind. If you have the desire to run, your body will follow your instructions and you will feel fit and young.

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

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• VINOD KAUL
• ELSIE NANJI
• P K N NAMBIAR
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• NISHA SUTARIA
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• PREMANAND RAMANI
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• JAYANT DAVDA