Run - To throw your weight around

Last month - I ran in Tughlaqabad with a group of folks and I started chatting with one of them - Shivam, about why he was running. He was really fit at 70 kilos and what I thought would be small talk, literally floored me.

He told me he was 145 kgs earlier - I did not believe him! And then he told me he was 145kg exactly a year ago and that 'today' was his anniversary run. Totally incredible!! I asked him to email me his story and his pictures and here they are - they tell the story better than anyone else can. Read this and then check out the pictures of progress

"All I needed was to be free, to be free, to be free…

One Year earlier, I was 146 Kg when I first stepped onto a dusty, red dirt track in the Park looking for a way to shed the embarrassment that I'd felt most of my life.

At that time, I was the boy who ate until my stomach hurt, who slept like there was no sun-rise, who preferred to lie down rather than sit, whose favorite apparel brand was Plusss Size. I used to think that I could not go on and life was nothing but an awful song. I was stuck with a poor self-image.

That day, on the track, I felt like an Alien. At 5'7" and 146 Kg weight, I thought I didn't belong. I was full of doubt and I was cold. I was worried about what the future holds.

The night before I saw tears in my Father eyes because of his overweight son. I was rudely awakened by the rejected feelings that surrounded me that night. Somewhere the hurting must stop...and I was determined to take myself to the limit.

But I soon realized that it’s not going to be easy.

I said to myself - "take it easy and don’t look into the people eyes who were looking down at me." As I ran my first round of park, I found nothing broken, nothing burst, heartbeat steady. So I tried another. And another.

There were days when I felt like I got knocked down but I got up again. I Ran, I Swam, I Gymmed .I got support from my mother for dieting.

I ended up weighing 115 Kg within two months. It was then when I decided to meet this biggest challenge head on and not only overcome my obesity,but conquer it in such a way that I could never look back and say it disabled me. My heart was on fire, I had the strong belief that now no force on earth can stop me from achieving my dream. I fought with my weight by running, Gym, dieting just to kill that bloody fat to survive. I pushed myself until the end but never lost the grip on my weight loss mission.

Now I have found a joy that jumps over sadness. I have found a strength that stands like a mountain. Now I know the meaning of life. I'm leaning on the everlasting Fit life.

I‘ve achieved 70 Kg weight something that for me was once only a distant dream reserved for the world of miracles.

I have found, I've found Myself!

I am Running And Living"

Shivam Goyal

This is inspiring - many of us have a health issue or something that is holding us back, and have a story to tell, where running has made a difference. Go ahead and post your story. Inspire othrrs to change their lives.

Or email me with your story and I will spread it for you.

For more about the benefits of running -
http://runningandliving.com/running_living.html

Have fun on the run

Rahul Verghese

(an accidental runner)

Running in probably the most beautiful half marathon in the world

I have run marathons in various countries in 6 continents, and some half marathons, but last week, when I ran the course we have set for the Shimla Half Marathon, I found it breathtaking. Both literally because of the altitude and the gradient in parts, and figuratively because of the natural beauty of "The Queen of the Hills" and the historic buildings of "The Summer Capital of India"

Here is a pictorial view of the route - enjoy the run!!

Chandigarh gets Running And Living

Elemention CGA in Chandigarh was humming with activity from early May 17th at 5am onwards with volunteers putting out direction signs and getting water stops ready for the over four hundred participants from Chandigarh and around for the 1^st Runningandliving.com 5km and 10km runs in Chandigarh.

There were people who were young and old, from all walks of society, CEO’s, bureaucrats, businessmen. students and others – many a bit weary after having been up late – tuning in to the IPL scores and the election results. But all were now focused on running, in what is perhaps the prettiest city in the country for such an activity.

The support from the police and the administration was fantastic - At 5am when I was putting up the direction boards along the route there were smiling traffic police who were keen to know what the objective of the run was and where it started from so that they could pass on information to those who would ask them.

Fortis Ambulance and the doctors provided super support and we also had a talk from Dr Deepinder Singh on Running and the heart.

Reebok trainers provided information on feet and shoes with a discounted set of stocks available and we had Running and Living Water Bottle belts and running T shirts available on sale.

Well fun was the focus as we ran, and the 5km runners followed at 645am. Smiling, cheering and then shouting out to others was what added to the fun as various social barriers were breached. Running was doing something that the electioneering had not been able to do – it had brought people from all over, together, to have fun, and not even consider that there were any differences at all between them. Running is a great community builder.

The finishers then also got a first hand experience of Elemention, and a discount on membership. Several said they had fun and keenly enquired about the next run, running clubs in different parts of India and more - check out running groups at information on running groups

Spread the word and lets get India running!

Elemention CGA in Chandigarh was humming with activity from early May 17th at 5am onwards with volunteers putting out direction signs and getting water stops ready for the over four hundred participants from Chandigarh and around for the 1st Runningandliving.com 5km and 10km runs in Chandigarh.
There were people who were young and old, from all walks of society, CEO’s, bureaucrats, businessmen. students and others – many a bit weary after having been up late – tuning in to the IPL scores and the election results. But all were now focused on running, in what is perhaps the prettiest city in the country for such an activity.

The support from the police and the administration was fantastic - At 5am when I was putting up the direction boards along the route there were smiling traffic police who were keen to know what the objective of the run was and where it started from so that they could pass on information to those who would ask them.
Fortis Ambulance and the doctors provided super support and we also had a talk from Dr Deepinder Singh on Running and the heart.
Reebok trainers provided information on feet and shoes with a discounted set of stocks available and we had Running and Living Water Bottle belts and running T shirts available on sale.
Well fun was the focus as we ran, and the 5km runners followed at 645am. Smiling, cheering and then shouting out to others was what added to the fun as various social barriers were breached. Running was doing something that the electioneering had not been able to do – it had brought people from all over, together, to have fun, and not even consider that there were any differences at all between them. Running is a great community builder.


The finishers then also got a first hand experience of Elemention, and a discount on membership. Several said they had fun and keenly enquired about the next run, running clubs in different parts of India and more - check out running groups at information on running groups