Saumya's MindfulRunning

  “Small and consistent steps taken regularly over time lead to big gains. You spend a minute on top of the mountain but hundreds of hours on its sides.” Brad Stulberg Everyone has their Everest. Something that, relative to their capabilities, requires them to push their boundaries, both physically and mentally, to the max. Something they are not sure if they can achieve. I signed up for “my Everest” 4 months ago – to run 50 kms in the Sahyadri’s. Any task that seems daunting initially is something that excites me. I enjoy the process because the process or the journey is what makes you stronger both physically and mentally. If there is no challenge, there is no fun. I traveled to Lonavala for the Tata Ultra Marathon late Feb 2024. By this time, I had downgraded my distance to 35 kms because of a lot of other factors (which were non run related). I was unhappy yet relieved at the same time. This race that is so well organized in terms of just about everything. The new elements adde...

  "The eye never forgets what the heart has seen" African Proverb The idea to run the Tusk Safaricom Marathon came from my podcast guest and friend Matt Fitzgerald. He said it was his most memorable marathon. Since then, I was very curious to find out more so I decided to run it myself.  It took a lot of planning, preparing and fundraising for this marathon.  I was fortunate enough to travel to Kenya and run the Lewa Safaricom Marathon through the picturesque Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. It is a very unique race where your spectators are a few humans and a few animals. It’s situated on 5500 feet of altitude, hilly and rocky trails, over 80% humidity and an average of 35 degrees heat. It is a challenging and breathtaking race that cuts across Kenya’s oldest wildlife reserve – the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Running the Lewa Marathon is not just about the race. It's an entire experience on its own. From fundraising to school visits to running, to making friends from different ...

"Depression hates a moving target. A little bit of exercise every day helps to keep the mind at bay." Brad Stulberg, author and well-being coach This quote has stuck with me for a good time now.  For many people, lacing up their running shoes can take them on a journey out of a dark place in their lives. Regular movement can help prevent, manage, and even treat depression. The same is true for anxiety where the reasons could be biological (chemicals in the brain), psychological (confidence), social (community), or some reasons still unknown. Intrusive thoughts and feelings are stubborn. This is why "think positive" usually fails. Carving out at least 20 minutes of physical activity into your day helps. Even if it feels like you are forcing yourself or just going for a walk. The idea is to show up and do it regularly. One mantra that always holds true is “mood follows action”. You don’t need to feel good to get going, you need to get going to feel good. Sometimes you...

  “I admire a man who can burst into tears, who clobbers the stiff upper lip image of the British male at a stroke by letting the tears flow, unashamedly unchecked. And remains undeniably manly.” Rebecca Marjorie Proops, Journalist     emotion noun a strong feeling deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others. The 2022 FIFA World Cup got me thinking on one interesting topic that I thought was worth penning down. While sports has been an acceptable area where emotions are allowed to be let out by men, I paid more attention to it this time. This is something that goes against all social norms. Where else have you seen men express themselves freely without thinking of being judged? Sports allows us that freedom of expressing emotions freely (apart from all other things that sports teaches us).             Since ancient Greece, sports has remained one of the only socially acceptabl...

  “It is in our nature to explore, to reach out into the unknown. The only true failure would be not to explore at all.”   Ernest Shackleton - Antartic Explorer   Angkor Wat International Half Marathon was established in 1996 as the first international distance running event in Cambodia. The main purpose was to raise funds to help landmine victims of the long civil war to lead normal lives. Its further purposes were to help consolidate the nation and promote friendship with all people around the world.   I ran the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon on Sunday Dec 4 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. First and foremost, I am grateful that I could register, train, travel and participate in this splendid heritage event. The course is exceptional. It runs through the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire – the Angkor Wat and the Angkor Thom temples complex dating from 12 th  – 16 th  centuries. It’s a unique experience as we pass through 13 ancient temples set along...

  A gradual progression in a runner’s resume is to run a full marathon (26.2 miles; 42.2 kms) at some point. I was grateful to recently run the Big Sur International Marathon in California. It was one of the toughest and most incredible races. The first time I started thinking about the Big Sur marathon was when I read the ChiRunning book by Danny Dreyer. Danny (who is now 71) ran his first marathon (Big Sur) in 2002 and he landed up finishing it with a podium in his age group (3:04) which was great considering it was the first and that too a race with about a thousand feet of vertical gain on the course! Along with this, my other temptation was to meet my family in California and Chicago and do one of the most scenic marathons in the world– running on the ragged edge of the western world. There’s nothing like clubbing a marathon with a vacation, meeting family and friends (including my podcast guests) all in one. Running a marathon is a great way to explore different places and yo...