Let's start with habits & achievements to add weightage to this blog. I have been exercising consistently for the past 4.5 years, ran half-marathons, cycled 100km couple of times, motorcycled entire nation (except North-East) during lockdown, done numerous treks, been to major religious places across the country. Also habituated with novel reading from last 7 years, practising quick meditations (before & after bed) and worshipping just after the bath. Starting from 2024, included Digital-Fasting-Days (DFDs) to minimize digital penetration. Interestingly I have adopted all these though raised in a rural family with no trace of any goal-based value system. How did I pull that off?
This blog focuses on the physical aspects of my habits.
Why it started
In 2019, just after finishing a 2 km running event at Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad, I felt drained out with exhaustion. Though being raised by a hardworking man in the backdrop of rural Bharat, here I am struggling with just a freaking 2 km run. Does my journey to tech domain soften my physique? It was personal.
Again 2019 was the phase when I did recover from an one-sided heartbreak that diluted 2 years of my life. That resulted in a massive lifestyle change and being physically fit was the epicentre of that transition. I was strategizing a sustainable workout routine, unlike gyming which ends after a certain duration. By then, cycling was already part of my lifestyle.
Like all, I used to wake up my mornings with mobile. This sort of compulsive pattern started affecting my mental well-being. Also, had plans for marriage in few years, so wanted to attract profiles that are health (physically & mentally) conscious. As a travel enthusiast, there were travel plans lined up for an immediate 1 year and wanted a routine that could be continued despite frequent travels. These are the primary factors that inspired me to embrace running as part of my lifestyle.
Later in 2019, Covid19 pandemic broke out forcing lockdown & pushing Work From Home (WFH). Ad-hocly grabbing this opportunity, I executed my solo South India motorcycle travel expedition (5 months) as a part of my nationwide travel dream. This sort of circumstance postponed my running program till 2020.
How it started
Early summer of 2020, at my (rural) native, along with WFH, I started running 1km daily. In a week, increased it to 1.5km. The strategy was quite simple. Whatever time it may take, if distance increased, that has to be maintained daily, at all cost. By the end of the first month, I was running 2km every day. Gradually the bar is being pushed to 2.5, 3, 3.5 & 4km in just 3 months. By the end of 4th month, was pulling a 5km run. Though demanding, my 6 months of stay at home with healthy food & air helped me to successfully adopt a running habit. Meanwhile, 2nd wave of Covid19 pandemic ran its course in India.
How it continued
After 6 months at home (Aug 2021), I kick-started my solo West India expedition from Goa. A friend Santosh bonded over Goa trip. We stayed in rural Goa for a month & persisted in running from our stay to nearby Majorda beach. Surprisingly one morning I was able to sprint 10km nonstop. It took me 6 months to pull 5km but only a few days to raise that bar to 10km. That's the power of consistency. I was running 10km every day during last few days of Goa. When rode to Pune City, I opted for a month-long GYM membership that taught me the basics of gyming. I also experimented with running in city for the first time & it seemed fine to run early, a big plus for early birds. For remain of West trip, kept my habit of running 10 km on majority of days.
How it survived
By the end of West trip that lasted 6 months (Apr 2022), I had become skinny, thanks to the compoundings of hectic work, long travels, bad food and intense running. My mother was scared to hell as Just 6 months ago she sent a healthy man to face the world. She was quick to respond with a food-packed diet plan.
That sort of outcome compelled to readjust my tactics. I brought down the daily 10km run to 5km and allowed myself to race longer on Saturdays. Sunday became a rest day. Also started other workout combos like pushups, pullups & squats after each run. That helped. During my North India expedition, kept readjusting my workout based on region & food availability and had to bring that down to long walks to remain consistent against the chilling November (2022) colds of the Srinagar, Kashmir valley (J&K).
How it becomes a lifestyle
Life changes. At one stage due to a medical condition, my confidence dropped & I lost interest in almost everything stopping workout for 15 days. To come out of it, had to start exercise on our roof. It helped in slow recovery & introduced home exercises in my workout regime. This also made more sense as from the past 3 years of running, I had improved on my legs but the overall body fitness was stagnant though my internal health bettered. So carefully crafted a flexible workout routine keeping running at the centre of it. By then, I can go for a run (or) do workout (or) opt for a combination of both. Within a year, that resulted in a sharp chest, arms & legs. Belly was bit resilient. So added more stuff targeting belly directly. It stiffened a bit yet work is in progress. Below is the latest snippet of my workout.
[RUKOUT: RUN + WORKOUT (4km 🏃🏻♂️ + 500 army jumps + 40 Pushups + 500 skipping + 8 pullups + 20 Hanuma dand (hindu pushups) + 60 Squats + 50 Crunches + 30 Leg raises + 80 Mountain climbers + Handstand + walk)]. These can be combined or dropped based on time, goal, die etc. and doable anywhere without the need for a gym. I still move long on Saturdays.
How did I pull off a Half-marathon
Indeed running is a physical activity but up to a certain extent. For beginners, it could be up to 2-3 km. Once you breach it, the torch is being handed over to mental capability. With long-distance running, your brain comes with reasons to stop, out of severe fatigue. One has to release a dose of motivation every minute to keep on going. You need to keep reminding of long-term rewards like why you started this and how this charts your character, confidence, appearance, purpose & well-being. You have to repeat it every day, time & again. Once it becomes a habit achieving every target you set yourself, it builds a mindset so resilient that you can do anything you put your mind to it, the only question remains are you willing to grind through it?
Plan 3 months early for a Half-marathon activity/event, continue hitting your daily target & run longer on each Saturday increasing the distance gradually. I started from 10km & used to increase by 1km each weekend till the event. Below is an after-run snap at Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Quote credit - unknown.
Important takeaway lessons
🙃 Gym is just a platform to channel your efforts, you need passion/obsession to build your body.
🙃 A set of life forces play their drama at each stage of life, changing perception & purpose. You need to keep experimenting & reinventing your goal to stay on top of the long game.
🙃 Train yourself to be an early bird for physical activities which provides additional time with clean air, no vehicles, solitude and a pleasant atmosphere to grind on.
🙃 All of my important habits, whether its running, cycling, swimming, riding, trekking, walking, workout & sports are make a portfolio of habits that collectively bring the realities of my dream. If you build stamina/endurance with one habit, you level up as a complete being.
🙃 Moderately intense workouts take their own time to respond but in a healthy way, unlike extreme workouts where results are quick and have huge consequences. This approach also minimizes expenses that you can divert to building your financial goals.
🙃 Except for fitness professionals, your Gyming will end (98% possibility). If not now, it will end just after your marriage. I encourage you to craft a sustainable lifestyle-inspired workout model that can be continued for a lifetime.
🙃 Also Associating with running, cycling & adventure clubs broadens your horizon of reach if networking is important to you.
***
I have so much to share about this important aspect of my life but had to trim down to minimal content. Hope this blog is worth your time! Again your goals may differ but tactics shared here still be valuable.
Every bit of activity is being tracked on Strava.
Thank you. if you enjoyed it! dive into my other blogs 👇
👉 Experience Everest Base Camp at Everest Base Camp Trek
👈 Know the way I travelled at The Way I Travelled
Awesome
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it
Delete