To read about the runners high click here and here and the huge confidence boost that running gives you. Impress yourself with your achievements. All it takes is some dedication.
If you want to get inspired look no further than the fabulous story of Dick and Rick Hoyt.. If you don’t end up with tears in your eyes, I will be surprised.
See how a young kid is Buddhia Singh running ultra marathon distances (somewhat controversial however – as this is perhaps not recommended by most medical practitioners – for this age
What makes people run a marathon
Read about a cancer survivor and running - very inspirational and moving. Fauja Singh does it in his nineties!
Dean Karnazes has run 350 miles non stop and 50 marathons in 50 days!!! Watch him on the Late Night Show with Conan O’Brien
Oscar Pistorius - the fastest man with no legs gets even faster!
Poem
“Good Morning”
By Chinmayi Tripathi
It’s dawn, I feel the call of the morn,
The magic of the Sun sprinkled all around,
The glittering pearls of dew,
On the green draped ground.
I open my windows into the canvas of the sky
The soot dipped in orange and yellows, as the night passed by.
I leave my doorstep wearing wings on my toes,
To greet the gracious morning, and it’s beauty bestowed.
I run, I run down the lane, watching the birds,
Challenging the clouds and the Sun,
Framed in the blue shades of the sky,
I hear music in their chirps.
I hear music in the songs of the wind,
In the shivering of the leaves,
Entwined in their rhythm , Is the tapping of my feet.
I run, and I run faster,
Blood pumping passion into my veins,
I run, I run into the flight of my dreams,
I transcend into the dawn, The dawn of my aspirations,
That spring through a beautiful beginning,
They call it ‘Good Morning
Some testimonials from visitors to our website:
Prasun Banerjee – in his 40’s in Bangalore:
“I had a triple by-pass surgery in 2004 after being diagnosed with a 90% left main block. Now I am fit and back on my feet and guess what? I have got into running/jogging AFTER the surgery. I never tried to run before. I got into running cos I suddenly started to feel good about it. Guess after getting cleaned up, the strong blood flow got the limbs itching. In fact the doc never said anything about running..only walking. actually 4 months prior to the surgery, I had gone on a 6 hour trek up a 6000 ft peak in Coorg. Nearing the top, we had to negotiate a steep leech infested wooded area, and we were literally running uphill and hurdling over tree branches to avoid the leech's. By God's grace I survived without incident, considering was doing it all with a 90% block.
I have a neighbourhood walking group, who have been quite fascinated seeing me run, and sadly just unable to follow cos they sorely lack the fitness, so I am at the receiving end of their jibes. Good fun though but I'm nowhere near marathon running.”
Sandeep Goel in his 30’s in Gurgaon:
“I was a bulky 94 kgs in 2004 when my life was taking a great turn both on the personal front with a cute baby girl and the professional front with an initiative to start a Sports Sponsorships Business in the company.
I blamed my life style and decided to change. I came across the running community while managing the sponsorship of the Lipton Bangalore Marathon and started running on 25th Sept 2004. I also controlled my diet.
My weight started coming down and I started feeling better.
| 64 Kgs |
94 Kgs |
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I started with just a mile a day for 3 days in a week. As I lost weight, my capacity to run longer and faster, improved. My family, friends and colleagues started noticing the change.
Since 20th March 2007 I have been a streak runner (run continuously without a break at least a mile a day).
The results are very exciting. So far I have done more than 7000 kms (inclusive of 3000+ km in streak running). I have lost 30 kgs and most important is that I have maintained it for the last 4 yrs. I feel very healthy and mentally disciplined.
Join the running community. It is never late to take up running…..”
Prabhakaran in his 50's- Virudhnagar Tamil Nadu
" am 54 years old. Doctors used to ask me you have any family history of diabetes. My parents are diabetic, sisters are diabetic. All grand parents had diabetic death. One maternal uncle and maternal aunt had diabetic death. Two paternal uncles died of diabeties.
Last 20 years I am jogging. 400metres in 3minutes. I jog Kilometres a day. Cycling for 30 minutes to 7 kilometres. All these has kept diabetes away! We are agroup of people of different age group jog together. Lowest age is 20 and highest is 65. All of us are very very fit not even small health problem. We agree that all information given in your website is true. We are the living examples. We appreciate your interest in health"
Anand in his 30's- Chennai
"I am 35 years old and have been severely asthmatic for the last 3 yrs.
Every alternate day was spent either with a steroid injection or a nebulization. Somehow, the more intense my attacks, the more I was determined to run .I do not know why. I have never done a shred of exercise before I started having these sapping attacks . I could hardly run a distance of 300 mts without using my inhalers and puffing like a whale with bronchospasms when I started out. But now I can jog close to 5 kms at a stretch which for me is a life saver.
There were times when I have gone to depths of depression because of these repeated attacks and every time it was forcing myself to run the next morning, albeit with continuous broncho dialation that actually saved my sanity.
A severe enough asthma attack precludes you from doing anything –including breathing, standing,walking and talking –in addition to the panic attacks that ensue. It was Running which helped me tide over all these negative impressions in my mind by giving me something to look forward to -- a tough personal target that I could reach and focus on."
V Madhavan in his 50's- Hyderabad
"I can vouch and say with confidence that due to the regular habit of jogging, I have not had any health related problem like common cold, headache, fever, cough over the last six years."
Anna Chandy in her 40’s – Bangalore
"I was 83kgs severely asthmatic and repeatedly falling ill, when a friend suggested that I enroll myself in an exercise program. After a great deal of thought and several attempts at various new fad diets I enrolled in a gym and have never looked back .
For six months I exercised six days a week. I would run for a half hour followed by a combination of weights and stretches.
There were days that I felt low when I would self talk myself into recommencing my workout. I realized that after each workout I felt high, invigorated and happy. That in itself became my motivator!
It has been a decade since I have maintained my weight at 58kgs . I feel energized, youthful and happy and never had an asthma attack. Running is an integral
part of my daily routine that enables me to maintain a work life balance "
I continue to exercise if not daily at least thrice a week.
Shilpi Bhatiani – in her 30’s – Delhi
The Great Delhi run of 7 km that I participated on October 28th, in tow with my husband, Kapil was quite good. I began training at the Delhi University ground. Following a beginner’s schedule I downloaded from www.runningandliving.com the web – at least I tried to run. Of course walking was more of an anchor each time I felt breathless, but “Believe in self”. I would tell myself, “Shilpi Run, Don’t stop! Don’t you give up”! I had built the stamina at the gym. The instructor would tell me that I’m wasting my time and that if I can run on the ground I’d be saving my money. I saved my money and bought me a pair of Levi’s.
I regularly stretch out before running. I enjoy my pace and I’m proud of myself. I enjoy being amidst nature and the practice is worth my sweat! “Winners treat every practice as a game”
Dr. Farhad Kapadia MD FRCP in his 40’s - Mumbai
"When you are young, you lose your health trying to create wealth .
When you are old, you loose your wealth trying to get back your health"
In 2003 Farhad ran a 7k run in Mumbai in 55 minutes and has run 4 half
marathons till Jan '07 with his personal best at 2:05 and now is targeting for a half marathon in sub 2 hours and a full marathon in sub 5 hours.
Over time with running, as also sensible diet management and exercise, he reduced his weight from around 78 to 70kgs. In addition to weight, fat content, a better marker of fitness (range for the athletic male is 5-15% &  the athletic female 10-20%) was at 18%.
Philosophy: The best time to treat a disease is before it occurs
If you have an amazing story to tell, write in to us contactus@runningandliving.com and send us a picture if you can
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