For most urban dwellers, leading sedentary lifestyles, climbing two flights of stairs is a feat in itself. For Arun Bhardwaj, an upper division clerk in Delhi and Lihas Trivedi, a businessman in Ahmedabad, a good exercise routine would be a 100 kilometre jog. The duo enjoys running marathons and ultra marathons; spanning longer distances. For Arun, running began as an attempt to set an example for his children. “I always wanted to do something extraordinary for my children and ensure that I become a role model for them. I started running by covering the 180 kilometres that made up the kanwariya yatra (a religious pilgrimage every year) in under 23 hours. I enjoyed it immensely and began to look at running as a full time option.”
He adds, “I do not like to take long breaks as they break the momentum. The body is good at adapting to severe tests of endurance. The battle is more in the mind than the body.”
Over the last 14 years, Arun has run ultra marathons across the world, and won accolades at races in South Africa and United States. “One of the toughest races was the one that starts at 282 feet below sea level in Death valley in California and ends at an elevation of 8, 360 feet. The weather conditions vary and temperatures hover around the 49 degree centigrade mark. I have run that race many times. I was the first Indian to win a clutch of races in South Africa.”
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Another incident he recalls is in the course of his Kargil to Kanyakumari run in 60 days. “When I met an Army officer for some logistics in Ladakh, he tried to dissuade me. He asked me to spend more time to acclimatise in the mountains. I was confident of my stamina and completed the race within the 60 days. I discovered the country and also met many good people on the way. I enjoyed the run.”
Bhardwaj says, “Many people on the way were surprised when they learnt that I was not part of the Army and did not drink protein shakes. I am a vegetarian and love my wife’s cooking.”
He adds, “I wanted to prove that Indians have the stamina to compete in endurance sports. All that is needed is good discipline and will power.”
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For Lihas, running happened after a major knee surgery. He says, “I became very restless sitting at home and began to run post my surgery. As Arun says, I have always believed that running long distances is a matter of the mind convincing the body.”
He adds, “It has made me very fit. I have travelled across the world, participating in ultra marathons and winning accolades, breaking multiple national records in the process. I want to run for 60 hours. Running is becoming very popular in India. It is very encouraging to see participation by Indians at various marathon and ultra marathons go up every year.”