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Runspirational


Inspirational stories A poem Testimonials from visitors to our website You can definitely run
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

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

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Some testimonials from visitors to our website:

Read these two amazing e mails from Gowri Shankar in Vellore

From: Gowri Shankar
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2008 9:55 PM

Dear Sir,

I'm from Vellore (Tamilnadu). I'm taking sleeping pills to sleep. I have been taking tablets for 5 years. Because of that I can't wake up in the morning. I plan to go running every day. But I can't wake up. This is my big problem. I'm more and more interested to run. But my sleep problem is stopping me. Last month I planned to run. But I ran only for 3 days. The 4th day, as usual I slept. What can I do? Thanks a lot for your quick reply.

And then post running:

Dear Sir,

 I stopped pills before 10 days. I'm quite normal after initial struggle. Now I'm going running regularly and I'm fine. Thanks a lot

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
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.  

If you have an amazing story to tell, write in to us contactus@runningandliving.com and send us a picture if you can

Help others to start running and living today

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You Can Definitely Run
 

"Do not lower your goals to match your abilities but raise your abilities to match your goals"

"I am no athlete. My quickest 100m time in school that I remember was a superfast 16 seconds!! I have since been a jogger just like the rest of you - running 15-20 minutes, a few days a week, a few weeks a month, a few months a year. You get the drift."

"I then ran my first marathon at the age of 41 when I was posted to Chicago, and things have never been quite the same again"

"My younger daughter who was 6 then, used to tell her friends - running a marathon is simple - First you buy a book, then a T shirt and shoes, then you tell everyone that you're going to run, and then you run!! My 1st marathon was pretty much quite like that. Having braved my first Chicago Winter with a treadmill in the basement, I could, at the end of the  few months, run 3 miles non stop (5km) without stopping, which was a tremendous achievement for me. And then in May - I told everyone I knew, that I was going to run in the October Chicago marathon"

"My times have varied from 3 hours and 40 minutes in New Orleans to 5 hours and 30 minutes in New York with a fall and cramps included."

"Running is fun, and a really healthy way to get you going. To keep your engine well oiled and in good shape for your nineties, like Fauja Singh! I have managed a weight loss of 9kgs (20lbs) in 2 months and reduced my cholesterol level from 260 to 180 - all mainly via running and some sensible eating."

The benefits of running go way beyond health, into building self confidence, perseverance and ultimately optimism. It is like a miracle drug with good side effects, which even gets you on a high. It's the simplest way to break your self-imposed mental barriers and unleash your potential. These are well documented by studies across the world, over time, and with testimonials of non athletes from all over the world, including India.

"I found it incredibly difficult to get any information on running - books, websites or magazines, in India and then decided to set up a website which will always have current information, links and a link for Q&A to ensure that runners like yourself have a place they can go to for information, or for inputs and views from other runners so that you can get closer to you goal, and ultimately build a vibrant running community."

"I then quit my corporate career of 25 years with Unilever, Nestle and Motorola to focus on promoting running and helping at least 200 million people re- experience their first run after a long time."

Since then, we have had amazing stories of people who have experienced life changing experiences post taking up running - overcoming insomnia, managing asthma and blood sugar levels, becoming positive and optimistic, apart from feeling more toned, losing weight and more.

People ask me why only running - and I tell them it's a very holistic thing - as I too discovered over the last 8 years. You get more aware of yourself and your lifestyle and look at your sleeping, eating and exercise habits more closely. You get to check your drinking and smoking, late nights in moderation, junk food intake is managed, you look at your strength training, flexibility, concentration, mental strength and more.

It's akin to playing cricket where a batsman needs to have concentration and focus, mental alertness, be physically fit, flexible, with great reflexes. While fielding - be able to anticipate, sprint, dive, jump, aim and throw and more. All this while ensuring proper nutrition, hydration, sleep, rest, mental relaxation, work life balance and more

Try it. You can do it. Running is perhaps the simplest way to change your life - Forever.

 

Rahul S Verghese,
Chief  Believer, Running and Living

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Start running and living today!!