I was reluctant to go to a clothes store, get into a crowded elevator or get a medical insurance done, and the reason for this reluctance is not difficult to guess. I was overweight and obese.
Not long back, I made the journey from being over 120 kg to getting under 80 kg. This journey was not new to me as I had done similar but shorter trips down the weighing scale before. But this time, along my journey, I discovered something new called ‘running’ and that has helped me manage my weight and stay fit for a while now.
The first steps:
A good beginning is always necessary for sustained interest in any activity. Most people ask, “Doesn’t your knee hurt or don’t you get injured?” Any physical activity done without application of mind would certainly lead to injuries. So, to start running any distance, you need to build a strong foundation. Even to start running, one requires lot of lower body strength and being overweight means you will need more strength to lift your heavy body for a longer period of time. So, until one gets the weight down considerably, it is not advisable to attempt long-distance running. That leads to the next question — ‘How to reduce weight and how to build strength?’
While there are several physical activities that can help in expending calories and thereby aid weight loss, the one thing that is irreplaceable for weight loss to happen is to watch what you eat. No, don’t starve. That doesn’t help, because somewhere you will yield to temptations. All that is required is to know what you eat and watch what you eat. As a simple thumb rule, sugar and fried food can be avoided to start with. A small calorie deficit in itself would help in reducing body weight, and coupled with physical activities such as brisk walking, swimming or cycling, it will help in weight loss.
Even a small weight loss will make you feel lighter, and this is the time one should start running short distances, and may be combine a run and walk.
Building strength:
One other important element that many miss out on is to build strength, for which some sort of structured weight training is necessary. It could be by lifting lightweights in a gym or using body weight and doing cross-fit. As the weight reduces, stamina will increase, and you will be able to run longer and faster. This running will then contribute to weight loss, and by this time, you would have set the cycle on course.
Core strength and cross-training:
To keep running longer distances, it is also important to have core strength and keep your muscles and ligaments intact. This is where cross-training, yoga and stretching help. Running being a repetitive activity, it is important to break the routine by cross-training — i.e., by swimming or cycling, so that different sets of muscles are worked in a different way. Yoga helps in building core strength, flexibility and stretching. It is important to rest and that requires sleep.
Running & eating:
A popular myth that runners have is that they run, and therefore, can eat any high-calorie food. There are stages in a weight loss journey, when one hits a plateau, there is no further weight loss after a point. It is never good to get obsessed with weight loss and worry about not losing weight. This is when the effect of adjusting food habits and strength training are felt the most. But the key is to keep at it and be consistent. How long does this have to go on? The simple answer is, forever. Keeping all this going forever is where a sport like running is helpful.
Keeping the interest on:
Participating in your local neighbourhood runs or marathons help in keeping your interest levels high, and since participation and competing in events require consistent training, the consistency is also maintained. A few months after I started my road running journey, I heard about Dream Runners Half Marathon in 2012, and all my running buddies were training for the event. Training by following a plan is also fun, because there are many small challenges within the larger challenge that you train for. Every run that is accomplished as per plan gives a high, and it finally culminates in the grand finale event. There are a number of running events in and around the city but one needs to pick wisely. The city marathons usually have a festive atmosphere, and therefore, get the adrenalin rushing. The Wipro Chennai Marathon 2015 is around the corner on December 13 and this may be a good time to start training for your first 10 km, half or full marathon.
Statutory warning:
Running is addictive. Once you have experienced the runner’s high, you are guaranteed to want it again. But the greatest part about running is that you are required to do a variety of things to keep your running addiction going. You will need to watch your nutrition, build strength and core strength, do cross-training, stretch and sleep well.
About Chennai Runners
Chennai Runners is a passionate group of runners with 18 chapters across the city. They periodically organise various running events across the city, including the marquee marathon event in December. More about Chennai Runners at >facebook.com/groups/chennairunners/
