The World of Running

Sleep is such a basic need that it affects our mood, efficiency, longevity, and most importantly it improves our running performance. Sleep is also required for maintaining and nurturing our relationships, growth of society, and many more intrinsic necessities. 

Sleep releases hormones that aid in muscle protein synthesis, thus repairing the cellular level damage from exercise, it improves our reflexes, decision making capacity and overall keeps our mind and body working at an optimal level. 

In this episode we will be discussing the fascinating world of sleep and its impact on life, health and more importantly running performance.

Our guest for this episode is Dr. Sudhir Kumar. 

Dr. Sudhir Kumar is a neurologist. He has been in medical practice for about 30 years. He enjoys his work and loves solving complex neurological problems. He treats patients from across the world. His motto in medical practice is: Prompt diagnosis of disease, early initiation of treatment and offer the best treatment at the lowest possible cost. 

Dr Sudhir took up running at age 49. He loves training at lower heart rates. At 49, before he started running, he weighed about 100 Kg. Running has transformed him. He is very active on “X” & regularly posts about neurology, medicine, fitness, running and nutrition.

Reference 

Athletes Guide to Recovery 

Recover to Perform

Recover through Cold and Hot 

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As runners we are quite conscious of the training process be it the miles/week, the specific paces or the interval durations. But training is not just about how far or how fast we can run; it’s also about how well we bounce back and prepare ourselves for the next training run or race. The backbone to achieve performance goals without getting injured, is to have a good recovery strategy alongside the training. More often than not we are guilty of ignoring recovery all together, especially when we are juggling family, work and running.

This episode explores the art and science of recovery

GUEST INTRO: SAGE ROUNTREE

Sage Rountree is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, USA Triathlon certified expert, and Road Runners Club of America certified coach. She holds a PhD in English and is the author of The Athlete’s Guide to Recovery, The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga, and The Athlete’s Pocket Guide to Yoga. She also contributes to Runner’s World and Yoga Journal. Sage competes in running events from the 400m to the 50K and at triathlons. She raced for Team USA at the 2008 Short-Course Triathlon World Championship. Her coaching clients compete in running, ultras, and multisport events, including the Ironman World Championship. She is co-owner of the Carrboro Yoga Company and teaches workshops on yoga for athletes nationwide.

Please visit her website to find all about her work and useful resources for runners.

Her book on recovery - The Athletes Guide to Recovery

Most of us have heard about the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons. These legendary endurance runners, as famously chronicled in the book ‘Born to Run.’ They run for miles on barefoot, enjoying the sun, storms and treacherous terrain. In this episode of “World of Running,” host Aditi Pandya talks with Thomas Bobby Philip (Barefoot Bobby) on various facets of Barefoot running.

Guest Intro: Thomas Bobby Philip

Bobby is known in running circles as “Barefoot Bobby”, Bobby realized his passion towards running in 2009. Through years of disciplined training he has been a podium finisher across 10 km, Half Marathon & Full Marathon events in India.

Bobby transitioned to Barefoot running April 2012, and ever since he never looked back. He qualified for the Boston Marathon in 2014 and was the first Indian to have run the Boston Marathon, Barefoot.

With the support from the experienced Barefoot runners, he actively promotes barefoot running in Bangalore and other cities. The community of Barefoot runners are growing across the country, with the benefits they see in it.

Bobby ran his first Sub 3 hrs marathon at Mumbai Marathon ’17 and later has run 6 Marathons under sub 3 hrs. He has also run lots of 10Ks in under 40 mins. His personal bests for 10k is 36m:23s, Half Marathon is 1h:18m:37s & Marathon is 2h:55m:00s

Related Episodes:

Running is a beautiful sport, and we all runners swear by how it helps us.  But we sometimes take it too seriously. Overly obsessed with paces, getting stressed by upcoming races, irregular sleep cycles to accommodate the early morning workouts, constant barrage of injuries and more.  What once supposed to help us to get fit, healthy and enjoyable, becomes quite the opposite. 

In this episode of "World of Running," our host Aditi Pandya talks with Tina Muir and delves deep into how to run sustainably

How to enjoy running, and process of making it a lifelong sport 

Get the best from running, both at personal and social front

To create a sustainable environment around us for running 

Guest Intro: Tina Muir

Tina Muir is the founder and CEO of Running for Real; host of the award-winningpodcast of the same name and co-host ofRunning Realized; a mother of two; and a former elite runner turned sustainability advocate. An ardent environmentalist, she has worked with the United Nations, as well as many races in the running industry, including New York and Chicago marathons on their sustainability initiatives. Through her podcast and social media presence, she starts conversations and shares resources on sustainability, climate change, and how individuals can make a positive difference in their own lives. Her book, Becoming a Sustainable Runner,co-written with Zoë Rom, merges runners’ passion for their sport with their concern for their health, their community, and the environment. Tina is the first elite athlete to openly discuss having amenorrhea, Tina has become an advocate for others suffering from RED-S/REDs. 

Related episodes:

Ep7- Mind Training for Working Athletes

Whether you're a casual jogger or an aspiring marathoner, the journey of running is filled with its unique set of challenges and rewards. And just like any journey, having a road-map or a guide can make all the difference. This is where the importance of a structured training plan comes into play.

Imagine embarking on an ambitious project without a blueprint or setting out on a road trip without any maps. Sure, you might eventually complete the project or reach your destination, but the process would be fraught with uncertainty, inefficiencies, and potential pitfalls. Similarly, in the realm of running, embarking on your journey without a plan might lead you to some unexpected hurdles, injuries, or even burnouts.

In this episode of "World of Running," our host Aditi Pandya delves deep into the crafting training plans for runners, with coach and sports scientist Josh Sambrook.

Guest Intro: Josh Sambrook

Josh is a sports scientist, 2:28 marathoner and running coach. At university he specialized in predicting race performance from training, which he then developed into a system that underpins his personal training. After finding success in races using this method, friends and training partners asked if he would share his training plan with them. This grew until it became his app, Run Kaizen. You can check out the app at https://kaizen.app.link/

Key Topics Discussed:

1. Foundation of Training Plans

2. Finding Training Plans

3. Basics of Crafting a Training Plan

4. Executing The Training Plan

Related Episodes:

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Based on the analysis we have done across various races in India, a surprising 80% of the runners take up distance running after they are in their mid-30s. One of the challenges however is no formal coaching, this is either because of an intentional choice, or lack of access to coaches, or many times life priorities wouldn’t leave enough time to work with a coach. In this episode, we'll explore how to get the best out of us, as we self-coach as recreational runners. In this episode we discussed: + Best practices to approach self-coaching + Setting realistic goals + Creating a training plan that fits our needs + Tracking progress and making adjustments as needed + Staying motivated Madhukar BK Madhukar has run 18 marathons many more half-marathon and 10K distances. He ran his first marathon in 2014 at the first edition of Shriram Properties Bangalore Marathon and completed it in 4:59:52. Since then, Madhukar has run marathons within and outside India and has also completed 5 of the 6 World Major Marathons including the Boston Marathon. He is currently preparing for his final WMM which is the upcoming New York City marathon due this November. His best time for a 10K is 41:51, Half Marathon is 1:32:11 and for the marathon it is 3:18:52. He has achieved the coveted BQ in the past 2 qualifying windows. He is an active member of Soles of Bangalore, a leading running group based in Bangalore. Apart from running he works with an IT firm in Bangalore and lives with his wife and 2 sons. This episode is sponsored by Athlos Athlos started with an aim to know what does it take to build functional yet beautiful running gear for Indian conditions. This led to the launch of Athlos in 2015. Today's Athlos running collection features Shorts and T-shirts made from sustainable and high-quality fabrics like Econyl (recycled ocean waste nylon), Eucalyptus, and Merino wool. Please visit www.goathlos.com to know more.

Related Episodes + Ep 3: Beginner's Guide to Running + Ep 22: The Science of Endurance Training + Ep 30: Heart Rate Training + Ep 32: Run Less Run Faster

Most traditional training philosophies and methods for long-distance endurance training have one thing in common, putting high mileage. For recreational runners, this type of training can backfire. Most runners’ focus on mileage, ignoring other important aspects such as speed, strength, and mobility.

In this episode we discuss the FIRST (The Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training) training method for runners, which focuses on training with purpose, intensity, and recovery. The FIRST method is described in the book ‘Run Less Run Faster’ by Bill Pierce and Scott Murr. The method is designed for recreational runners with full-time jobs, and it emphasizes progressive overload and realistic goals. This episode also discusses the 7-Hour Workout Week training approach, which is designed for runners who want to improve their health and fitness.

Bill Pierce

In this episode, we talk to Bill Pierce, who is behind the FIRST training methodology. Bill Pierce is a prominent figure in the world of distance running, known for his contributions to running science, coaching, and authorship. As a co-author of the influential book "Run Less Run Faster," he has played a pivotal role in reshaping the way runners approach training.

This podcast is sponsored by Athlos

Athlos started with an aim to know what does it take to build functional yet beautiful running gear for Indian conditions. This led to the launch of Athlos in 2015. Today's Athlos running collection features Shorts and T-shirts made from sustainable and high-quality fabrics like Econyl (recycled ocean waste nylon), Eucalyptus, and Merino wool. Please visit www.goathlos.com to know more.

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In the 30th episode of the podcast "The World of Running," host Aditi Pandya delves into the world of heart rate (HR) training and its effectiveness in endurance training. With guest speaker Anand Hatwalne, an experienced runner and co-founder of 'Running Potential,' this episode explores the importance of HR monitoring for effective training and optimizing performance and recovery.

Why does HR have such significance in endurance training? The answer lies in the fundamental principle, that is training at the right intensity to improve aerobic fitness, which is key for long-distance running performance. Traditionally, runners relied on pace and effort to gauge intensity, but the advent of smartwatches and chest straps revolutionized training by introducing real-time HR monitoring as a vital metric.

The episode then dives into the basics of HR training, highlighting the relationship between lower HR and lower effort. Understanding this connection is crucial for effective training..

The episode addresses various methods of monitoring HR, including wrist monitors and chest straps. Current fitness levels and genetics play a significant role in HR levels. Anand explains training zones based on HR, such as maximum HR (Max HR) and lactate threshold HR (LT HR), explaining their relevance and how to personalize the zones using Max HR or lactate threshold.

In addition to training, HR also plays a vital role in recovery. Resting heart rate (RHR) serves as an indicator of recovery status. Time to Recovery is introduced as a metric to guide training that is explained.

The episode delves into the practical application of HR training, discussing the day-to-day variations in HR and the factors that influence RHR, including sleep and infections. Adapting training based on these variations is essential for optimizing performance. The use of HR in racing is also explored, with specific HR zones suggested for different race distances like 10k, half marathon, and marathon. 

Finally, the episode introduces heart rate variability (HRV) as a metric gaining importance in running. HRV refers to the differences between consecutive heartbeats and can provide valuable insights into recovery and overall training adaptation. Different methods of measuring HRV are discussed.

About Guest Anand Hatwalne

Anand has been running for close to 2 decades. In 2013, he co-founded 'Running Potential', through which he has been helping fellow runners and friends get better at this sport. He has a couple of ultras and a few marathons under his belt. Anand is especially drawn to the physiological aspects of running and exercise science. 

He is a public speaker and has delivered many talks related to Running in the public domain. Anand was also invited multiple times by Indian Army establishments such as the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the College of Military Engineering (CME) in Pune, the Army War College (AWC) in Mhow, and an army camp in Missamari, Assam, to talk about these topics.

In 2019, owing to his work in spreading awareness about HRV for endurance sports, the training platform HRV4Training chose Anand as one of its mentors.

Trail running has a certain charm associated with it, which is very different from road running. The former takes runners to quieter paths of mountains, lakes, forests, grasslands, etc. while the later is all about roads and speed. Trail running needs a different approach to running apart from speed & attire the most important is a mindset.

Whether you're a seasoned road runner looking for a new challenge or a beginner looking to explore the great outdoor trails, this episode will provide you with the basics of everything that you need to get started with trail running. From gear and nutrition to training, we have covered everything you need to know.

Our guest for this episode is Kannan Sundararajan a.k.a Coach Kay. Coach Kay is an Ultramarathoner, running since 2011 completed over 70 marathons and ultramarathons including a 100-mile (160 km) race, Back-to-Back Comrades Marathon, and a first-ever Triangular Run Challenge finisher with 500 km in May 2019. Coach Kay is the Founder & Ultrarunning coach of his academy KaysFIT Academy since 2016. He is the Founder & Race Director of Ooty Ultra & Bison Ultra. He is an ACE certified Personal Trainer and UESCA (United Endurance Sport Coaching Academy) certified.  

Coach Kay provides online/personalized coaching & mentoring on general fitness, weight management, ultramarathon/running & sports conditioning, and youth fitness. He has coached more than 300+ recreational marathoners, ultrarunners & young adults In March 2023, KaysFIT Academy achieved a significant milestone by signing an MOU with the Center for Sports Excellence (Dravid Padukone Academy) to set up and offer a long-distance running coaching program, based on RCF (a custom framework designed by Coach Kay), to recreational runners inside the integrated sports complex. Related Episodes:

Kenya can be said as the Mecca of the running world. Kenya has come to be the home of world-class athletes such as Eliud Kipchoge, Wilson Kipsang, Abel Kirui, David Rudisha, Florence Kiplagat, Edna Kiplagat, amongst others.

Though most of us are recreational runners, we are pushing the limits in our own way, and the Kenyan runners set an aspirational north star for us. As a recreational runner, we have a lot of questions related to how Kenyan runners train.

In this episode, we discuss topics related to:

GUEST INTROS:

HUGO VAN DEN BROEK

Hugo van den Broek is a former elite marathon runner, with a personal best of 2h12. He has coached amateur and elite runners from all over the world. His athletes ran at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics and had World Best performances in 2009 and 2015. When coaching his athletes, Hugo uses a combination of experience (he has been in the world of running for more than 30 years) and his scientific knowledge thanks to his M.Sc. degree in Human Movement Sciences.

Hugo and his wife Hilda Kibet have been living and training in Iten, Kenya, since 2007. They both retired from professional running in 2015 and have 3 daughters. The couple has a guesthouse where they accommodate amateur and elite runners from all over the world, and organize running camps called ‘Kenya Camp’ for amateur runners who want to experience training in Kenya under professional guidance.

VIJAYARAGHAVAN VENUGOPAL

Vijay was our first guest for our very first episode on marathon training and now again. It’s been a pleasure to witness Vijay on and off the track focused on sports and nutrition. Vijay has recently visited Kenya and get to see how Kenyans train, and brings the perspective of a recreational runner.

Vijayaraghavan Venugopal is an avid sports enthusiast, he is the father of an aspiring mid-distance national junior athlete, and himself an 8-time sub-3-hour marathoner. Amongst the marathons include Boston, Berlin, Chicago and Paris. He is also the co-founder and CEO of the nutrition brand Fast&Up.

RELATED EPISODES

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Marathon running is becoming more popular around the world as a way to stay fit. These numbers are growing y-on-y. Closer to home, this can be seen in Tata Mumbai Marathon’s recent edition. The maximum number of marathon participants is in the age group of 40 to 44 years, which is 24% of the total finishers. A whopping 64% of the total marathon finishers are masters’ runners (age 40 and above).

With fast twitch muscles declining, and bone density reducing, how do masters athletes maintain their mojo?

In this episode, we discuss the topics relevant to master runners.

GUEST INTRO

TARUN WALECHA

Tarun is a Delhi-based Architect and an avid marathoner. Tarun has been a sportsperson all his life, participating in various sports such as Cricket, Judo, and Volleyball at school, college, and district levels. After years of sports, he discovered running at the age of 40 as his fitness mantra.

Tarun has been running for more than a decade now and has participated in 56 Half Marathons, 10 Full marathons, and 15 Trail/Ultra Runs. His PB for 10K is 44mins13secs. HM is 1hr 38mins & marathon is 3hrs 44 mins. He has paced for various events such as Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, Cairn Pink City Marathon, Super Sikh Run, and Millennium City Marathon. In the year 2016, he did a self-supported run of 7 half-marathon distances over 7 consecutive days in support of underprivileged athletes. He followed that up in subsequent years and reached out to over 5000 athletes. Tarun has been a mentor to various running events, he was also the Race Director for two editions for FOOTLOOSE and Run for Justice. Tarun also has been training and mentoring people into running for the last 4 years and runs an academy by the name of FitWithT.

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Supplements play a very important role in filling the gaps in runners’ nutrition to help with their running performance, recovery, cognitive development, and overall health & well-being.

Currently, the supplements marketed for runners can be overwhelming. Supplement companies use a variety of marketing tactics & this can make it difficult for runners to determine which supplements are truly beneficial. In this episode, we demystify the supplements for runners.

We have discussed various topics on Supplements including:

Guest Intro

Mihira Khopkar

Mihira has been a National Gold medalist in Swimming and has trialed for the Common Wealth Games 2010 in Synchronized Swimming. Mihira is the Lead Sports Nutritionist at Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital through which she has been working with Asian, Common Wealth, and Olympic athletes.

She has been working in the field of nutrition  for the last 5 years specifically in sports nutrition alone. Her work includes interacting with national coaches, periodizing nutrition meal plans, athlete consultation to setting up daily high-performance menus at various sporting academies, supplement recommendations to athletes and federations as well as conducting group sports nutrition education sessions.

Mihira is an avid writer on Health, Sports Nutrition & Lifestyle with various magazines, websites, and newspapers. She is actively involved in research concerning sports nutrition, obesity & metabolic syndrome and has presented papers at both National and International conferences along with being a speaker at various sports science conferences.

She is a visiting faculty for Sports Nutrition at Exercise Science Academy (ACSM Accredited), Nirmala Niketan College of Home Science and SVT College of Home Science and aims to educate & provide optimum nutritional guidance to individuals to improve and maintain maximum performance, prevent injuries, and maintain immunity throughout life.

Related Resources

Supplements for Endurance Runners

Faster Stronger Higher, A One Stop Nutrition Framework ; book by Mihira Khopkar

Related Podcast Episodes

Nutrition for Runners

How to Fuel for a Race

Running & Hormonal Health

Running & Heart Health

The body releases endorphins, a short-lasting, deeply euphoric state following intense exercise. Dopamine, Serotonin, Endorphins, and Oxytocin, what is common in these names? Well, they are hormones that make us happy. Endocrinology is the science of Hormones. Now, why are hormones important for us as runners?

In this episode, we talk about:

Guest Intro - Brigadier (Dr) J. Muthukrishnan

Our guest for today is Brigadier (Dr) J. Muthukrishnan. Dr. J. Muthukrishnan is an Endocrinologist. Currently, he is the  Professor & Head Dept of Internal Medicine;  Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) Pune.

He started running long distances in Jan 2010 & since then has run 29 marathons and more than 60 half marathons. Dr. Muthukrishnan is Boston Marathon qualifier from  2017 through 2021, his PB is at 3h 17m (TMM 2019). He is actively involved in promoting running in the community, and amongst medical students & professionals.

Started the AFMC Marathon in Pune in 2017, he has special interest in sports endocrinology and believes that sports and healthy lifestyle is an approach to tackle the Obesity-Diabetes epidemic.

Over the years there has been much research on the correlation between running and heart health.  While it is common knowledge that Running as a cardio activity does improve heart health, there is a lot more to the effect of Running on Heart Health. In this episode, we talk about how running can affect heart health in various ways with Dr. Aashish Contractor, who is a runner himself and is a pioneer of cardiac rehabilitation and sports cardiology.

In this episode, we talk about:

Guest Intro

Dr. Aashish Contractor

Dr. Aashish Contractor is currently the Director of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine at the Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, in Mumbai, India, and a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. Prior to this, he was the head of the department of Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation at the Asian Heart Institute. He is widely recognized as the pioneer of cardiac rehabilitation and sports cardiology in India and has recently authored a book, ‘The Heart Truth’, on heart disease prevention.

Dr. Contractor was the Medical Director for the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, from 2004 to 2014, as well as other international sporting events in India.  He is an avid sportsman, having run several marathons, and in April 2012, did a non-stop Mumbai - Pune – Mumbai cycle ride (329 km) with two friends and in the process raised 1.2 crore rupees for children with cancer.  In 2016, the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of India awarded Dr. Contractor as the ‘Outstanding Zoroastrian in Medicine.’

Related Resources

Demystifying Tempo Runs and Lactate Threshold

Find Your Training Paces - geeks on feet

Optimize training with RPE Scale

Sleep to Recover and Perform

Effect of Extreme Exercise on Hearth Health

Related Podcasts

Ep 22: The Science of Endurance Training

Ep 18: Metabolic Fitness for Runners

Ep 16: The Art and Science of Pacing

Ep 19: Guide to Running Metrics

Of the 7800 Runners who finished the Mumbai marathon in 2020, only 41 runners have run under 3 hours. That is about 0.5% of all the finishers.  It is every amateur runner’s dream to reach the sub-3-hour mark in a marathon.  So what it takes to run a sub-3 hour marathon?

In this episode, we talk about how to strategize a sub-3-hour marathon.

Guest Intro

Dilip Kumar

Dilip is a tech entrepreneur and an avid endurance sports enthusiast. He finished his last two marathons in under 3 hours. The most recent being the Boston Marathon this April 2022 with a time of 2:59:22. He has a keen interest in performance science & technology which has been an anchor to his own training philosophy. And he uses the same approach to guide other amateur runners as a coach. You can find him on Strava or on his blog at www.dilipkumar.co. Dilip was also a guest for episode 7 in the last season, Mind training for working athletes.

Vikram BJ

Vikram has been an athlete all his life, he has run a sub-3-hour marathon on 5 different occasions, his Delhi Marathon in 2019 is at 2 hrs and 55mins, and his personal best. Vikram has recently run a sub-3-hour marathon in Berlin. Apart from running Vikram is a Speed Skating National champion (inline speed skating) 7 times. When he is not on the field he is an entrepreneur & distributor of a leading inline skating brand, Simmons Rana.

Related Resources

Science of Endurance Training  

Improve Balance for Beter Running

How to improve Running Stride

While the science of endurance training has progressed steadily over the decades, there has been significant progress in recent times. Eluid Kipchoge's sub-2-hour marathon effort is a major breakthrough.  However, the training advice on the internet and the science quoted t support it can be confusing, and even at times conflicting. In this episode, we tried to put together a structure for endurance training based on the latest science. Host Aditi speaks with Coach Ron George, where he talks about the evolution of endurance training and the latest science, and fuses it with his on-ground experience working with endurance athletes.

Here are some of the topics discussed in this episode

Guest Intro

Ron George (Ronnie) is an Indian endurance sports consultant and athlete based in Dubai.  He found his roots in middle-distance running and duathlon in his youth. He then converted that into a love for coaching adults in endurance sports which he has been pursuing for over 10 years.

Ronnie is a Lydiard Foundation Level 2 peer-reviewed and certified coach. He resides in Dubai where he coaches running and cycling at I Love SupersportDubai. He also founded and operates the popular international running clubHouse of Runners and the Indian multisport team Rightshift Performance.

Ronnie's specialties include scholarly studies in endurance training and adaptation mechanisms, cycling and running coaching, performance testing and monitoring, and 3D running mechanics analysis. He can be found on Twitter @RonGeorge_Dubai discussing the latest in sports science and on YouTube on his channel Endurance Performance Open Learning Show.

Useful Resources

How to fuel during the race 

Metabolic Fitness for Runners

The Art & Science of Pacing

Research shows optimal fueling improves our performance by 2 to 20% during the race.

Running a marathon can take anywhere from 2-6 hours based on a runner’s fitness level. The energy expenditure while running a marathon is between 2200 and 3200 kcal depending on runners' conditioning, body weight, running economy, and external conditions like weather, elevation, etc.

In this episode, we discuss the fueling strategy - before and during the race. Fueling for various distances, how to prepare your fueling strategy right from training to the race.

SUBRAMANI VENKATESH (SUBBU)

Subramani Venkatesh, aka Subbu. Subbu is 7x Ironman. Subbu has been coaching since 2015. While he predominately coaches Triathletes, coaching for running is a dominant part. He has coached at least 40 athletes so far. Subbu is a certified Ironman university coach.

When not coaching he works as a software architect. His running PBs are 5K: 18 mins, 10K: 36 mins, Half Marathon 1h:22m, and Marathon 3h:09m (in an Ironman event)

He can be reached on Instagram @subbu31mani

RELATED RESOURCES

You can subscribe to our newsletterfor news, running tips, shoe recommendations, and weekly workouts that will help your running.

The running shoe landscape has changed dramatically with tech innovation. In this episode, we try to navigate the landscape of running shoes, and how to choose the right running shoes.

The firstis the perspective of runners, and where they are in their running journey. Whether a runner is a beginner, intermediate, experienced, or elite, how that needs to be factored in when choosing a shoe.  The secondis the training perspective- use the shoes for daily training, speed training, easy/recovery runs, races of 5-10k, Half or Marathons, and beyond. The thirdperspective is the type of shoe- Low stack or High Stack, Low or High Drop, How much cushioning it has, how responsive it is, whether it has a carbon plate, etc.,

Guest Intro

Our guest for this episode is Sharath Adanur. Sharath is an Industrial Engineer working with a major steel manufacturer. A self-coached runner, Sharath’s personal best timing of 2:46 in a Marathon. A self-confessed shoe geek, his vast collection of shoes can shame any sports shoe showroom.

Useful Resources

Guide to Speed Training Shoes

All you need to know about Stability Shoes

Shoe Advisor

Running Shoe Reviews

Technology is aiding the ever-growing popularity of running as a sport. There are metrics helping us to track our pace, cadence, heart rate, lactate threshold, etc. These metrics give us a very intricate view of our running. Which in turn, helps in providing a holistic view of our running progress.

In this episode, we demystify the key running metrics, and how they can help us to become successful with our running goals.

We discuss the essential running metrics such as Pace, Cadence, Heart Rate, and more advanced ones like Ground Contact Time, Stride Length, Lactate Threshold, VO2Max, Running Power, Recovery Time and more.

Here is our past coverage on Running Metrics to read further on -

KARTIK IYER

The guest for this episode is Kartik Iyer.

Kartik Iyer is a hardware design and verification engineer by profession - and needless to say that technology drives him, be it at work or in fitness. He loves exploring his potential as a fitness enthusiast and the data that his watch and other wearables share become a vital part of the feedback in this process.

A passionate amateur endurance athlete and a strength training junkie. A conversationalist by nature Kartik loves debating and hosting shows. He hosts “Let’s talk running”, a monthly show on the GeeksOnFeet platform. A news addict, he loves staying on top of current affairs, especially in politics. Music is an essential part of his existence and he is a lazy Carnatic (vocal) music learner.

Kartik has run 15 marathons so far with a personal best of 3:17:30 at the New Delhi Marathon 2021. & ran his HM (1:31:00) personal best at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon in 2019. More recently Kartik ran a 10km PB (41:44:00) at the Bengaluru Runners Jatre.

Kartik can be reached on Twitter @kartikiyer2007 and on Instagram @kartikiyer2007

Being metabolically fit means - building an efficient metabolism that optimizes the energy required for our physical endeavors as runners, while also helping us by preventing insulin resistance which is the cause of many chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension / high blood pressure, and many forms of cancer.

In this episode, we go into the details of the role metabolic fitness plays, and

Guest Intro

Dharmendra is an alumnus of NIT Trichy and IIM Lucknow. He started running in 2001 while he was still at Lucknow campus and since then has run ~ 30 events of marathon distance or above. He has run for around 21 years at various events around the world including the Boston 2 Big Sur Challenge and all editions of the Mumbai Marathon among others. He quit his job as a management consultant in 2011 and has coached runners since then. He is certified as a personal trainer and used to be an occasional quizzer and a freelance writer, who has written for several leading publications on health and fitness. He loves filter coffee and reading. He lives with his wife and two sons in Bangalore. He currently leads the community initiatives at Ultrahuman

Dharmendra can be reached at @dhammonia on Twitterand Instagram

In this episode, host Aditi Pandya discusses the topic of Strength training for runners with fitness coach Swetha Devaraj.

The guest for this episode is Swetha Devaraj aka sweatyswetha. She is a vascular radiologist by education and a fitness trainer by passion and profession.

She grew up playing tennis professionally and continued to play for Alcorn State University in Mississippi – US, where she also did her under graduation and post-graduation.

Upon returning to India in 2016, she juggled between three jobs – at the hospital, a CrossFit gym, and online training. She finally quit her job at the hospital to take up fitness and online training as a full-time profession and also to travel the world and learn different forms of fitness. Currently, a globe trotter with no postal address, she comes to India to conduct Animal flow workshops and help other trainers get certified as animal flow instructors.

While you are here check out our post on How to improve your running stride

You can subscribe to our newsletterfor weekly workouts that will help your running.

For any feedback and collaborations please write to us at connect@geeksonfeet.com. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @geeeksonfeet for updates on our recent articles, podcast episodes, and more.

In this episode, host Aditi Pandya discusses the art and science of pacing.

The guest for the episode is Daniel (Dan) Vaz. Daniel is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), from National  Strength & Conditioning Association ( NSCA), USA. Apart from this Dan is a certified Ironman coach, has Human Kinetics certification for Running Mechanics and Nutrition for endurance.

Dan has completed 44 full and 2 ultra marathons. He is the head coach of the Nike Run Club, India, since 2008 and part of the Nike Global Coach's Summit at NYC, the USA in 2015.

Here are a few posts that help you to understand more about Pacing:

For any feedback and collaborations please write to us at connect@geeksonfeet.com. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @geeeksonfeet for updates on our recent articles, podcast episodes, and more.  You can subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here

In this episode, Host Aditi discusses the most common running mistakes that runners do in training and their approach, and how to avoid them.

Please also check the following resources from geeksonfeet.com and runmechanics.in to improve your mobility.

ZAC NEWMANN

Zac Newman is a Running Coach and the Co-Founder of Run2PB Online Run Coaching. Zac is a long-distance runner with a wealth of experience on the track, cross country, and road races spanning over 20 years of training and competitive experiences across the globe.

Zac spent time in the USA competing at the NCAA US Collegiate System, before returning to Australia, He has competed in major marathons including London, Chicago, and the prestigious Lake Biwa Marathon in Japan, as well as finishing in the top 10 at the Melbourne Marathon on two occasions. His Marathon PB is 2h25mins. Zac’s other PBs are 10 Kilometres-30:47; Half Marathon- 1:06:55

Run2PB features running training programs for distances ranging from 5km, 10km, half marathon, marathon, trail & ultra-marathon, and even triathlon-specific run, it was established in 2017 and has grown to a community of 300+ runners, from all over the globe being coached online.

Zac also is a host of Better with Running a running Podcast and also manages the partnerships and content of Australia’s leading running podcast - Inside Running Podcast.

In this episode, we talk about the importance of Mobility training for runners.  The topics covered in this episode including

Guests of this episode s Dr. Gladson Johnson and Kavitha Reddy.

Dr. Gladson is a Sports Physiotherapist and Director of Attitude Prime. He has been into Fitness for 22 years.  He is also a well-known barefoot marathoner himself.

Kavitha Reddy is one of the most reckoned runners in the female amateur marathon circuit. She has run 5 world majors, with her current PB being 3:14:19 in Chicago 2019.

Please also check the following resources from geeksonfeet.com and runmechanics.in to improve your mobility.

You can write to us at connect@geeksonfeet.com  Follow us on Twitter, Instagram,and Facebook@geeeksonfeet for information that helps you to become a better runner.

This is the beginning of our second season.  In the thirteenth episode of ‘The World of Running’ podcast, host Aditi Pandya talks about “The art and science of Tapering”.  To give our listeners a complete perspective of Tapering, we have invited Coach Pramod Deshpande and Athletes Kartik Iyer and Sharath Adanur as guests.

In this episode, we have covered

Q&A

If you have questions on topics covered in this episode or any other running-related topics please write to us at connect@geeksonfeeet.com. We will have them answered.  Or you can also leave us a voice message by clicking the “Message” button on  https://anchor.fm/the-world-of-running/message

Resources

Here are some useful resources for you to check on Tapering and Race day planning

What is common between amateur runners and marathon world record holders? https://geeksonfeet.com/blog/spbmtapering/ Race Report of TMM 2020 by Kartik Iyer https://geeksonfeet.com/blog/tmmracereport20/

Pramod Deshpande

Pramod Deshpande is a managing director of JJActive, a company dedicated to providing Services and technology solutions for Fitness and sports activities.  Currently, Pramod is training more than 1200 runners across 26 locations. Pramod is the Author of Bestseller books Master Your Run and Neevuu Odabahudu.

Kartik Iyer

Kartik Iyer is an experienced marathoner and a regular Contributor to Geeks on Feet. He is always open to trying out new training methods and is a keen observer of the innovation in the science of running. He currently has been training based on running power. His race reports on GeeksOnFeet are legendary.  Kartik’s personal best in a marathon is 3:17:30 at the New Delhi Marathon 2021, which is his favorite race.

Sharath Adanur

Sharath Adanur is well known as one of the first runners who broke the sub-3 hour mark in the amateur running scene in India.  He took up running in 2013 and has been training on his own. His personal best in the marathon is 2:46:06, in Chicago 2019. Sharath has run Boston twice, in 2018 and 2019, and is currently training for his third upcoming Boston marathon.

This is our twelfth episode, and we complete the first year of "The World of Running".  Our vision when we conceptualized the podcast was to bring the art and science of running to every runner. So far we've covered a variety of topics, from beginners' guide to running, to more advanced topics like marathon & ultra running.

In this episode we are bringing to you a curated compilation of the snippets from previous episodes, starting from our first one in October 2020.

You can access all the episodes from the first season here https://www.geeksonfeet.com/podcast/

In this episode, we talk all about running shoes.

The guest for the episode is Brian Metzler. Brian is the author of the book Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture, and Cool of Running Shoes. He is a trail runner, a freelance journalist writing on various running topics, running gear, and everything running-related. Brian is the founding editor and associate publisher of Trail Runner and Adventure Sports magazines.

Here are few additional resources for the topics referred to in this podcast

In this episode, we talk about the various aspects of 5K training for beginners and advanced runners.  Topics covered in this episode -

Guest for this episode is Sameer Joshi. Sameer, is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) of USA, Sameer is a certified Nutritionist from Precision Nutrition and is a certified running coach from UESCA.

Sameer, runs his own venture, Pushing Limits-Integrated Fitness Solutions. He is currently mentoring aspiring individuals on their holistic wellbeing journey through his running, fitness, and nutrition programs.

Here are few additional resources for the topics referred to in this podcast

You can write to us onconnect@geeksonfeet.com You can also follow us ontwitter,instagramandfacebookat geeeksonfeet.

Inthis episode, we talk about the various aspects of endurance training. Endurance running, in general, refers to ultra marathons. The most common ultramarathon distances are 50K, 50 miles, 100K, 100 miles, or a multiday run. We dwell on various aspects of - improving aerobic capacity if there is any role of nature in conquering the distance, and how to prepare for an ultra marathon.

The guest for this episode is Anjali Saraogi. Anjali is a known runner in the marathon and ultra-marathon circuit, she has participated in 12 marathons and 7  ultramarathons.

Anjali has represented India in the - 100k world and Asia Oceania Championships, and is awarded the ultra runner of the year award by the Athletics Federation of India for the year 2018 and 2019. Anjali holds the fastest time for an Indian female at the Comrades Marathon.

Here are some articles and episodes that are related to the concepts discussed in this podcast.

Recover to Perform - One of the important parts to avoid overtraining is getting better at recovery. Recovery is a science by itself and this article summarizes all the recovery strategies.

Importance of Running Form- covers the importance of running form, how to improve your running form performance, efficiency and injury prevention.

VO2Max- Infographic on VO2Max

You can write to us atconnect@geeksonfeet.com You can also follow us onTwitter,InstagramandFacebookat geeeksonfeet.

In this episode, we talk about the various aspects of preventing running injuries. Running injuries are broadly categorized under 3 buckets - Biomechanical factors, anatomical factors, & training errors.

These injuries can be due to over-use of certain body parts or trauma. Studies show 50% of runners experience injuries every year.

Guest of this episode is Somya Rout. Somya is a Sports Physiotherapist and certified strength and conditioning trainer.  Somya is the founder of  Stairs Physiotherapy which offers a holistic fitness experience for athletes. Before this he was associated with various sports associations in India and abroad - Soumya was the head physio for the Odisha Ranji Cricket Team, Indian Football for U19 and U17, and he also worked with the Vietnam Tennis Open.

He is certified at the Asian football Sports physiotherapy (ASPETAR, Qatar) and also has Certificate in Manual therapy(MTFI)

You can write to us on connect@geeksonfeet.com  You can also follow us on twitter, instagramand facebookat geeeksonfeet.

In this episode, we talk about the various aspects of our mind that are wired to the performance of a working athlete - be it our everyday running targets, or waking up in the wee hours of the morning, and being fully responsible towards our families. It is about committing to our targets and knowing how important the goal is which is ahead of us. Focus, camaraderie, and visualizations are a few among the other topics discussed in this episode.

The guest of this episode is Dilip Kumar. Dilip is an avid endurance sports enthusiast who started with long-distance running accidentally and went on to get qualified for the Boston marathon twice and his PR at 2:59:52.

Besides running long miles, he has been an entrepreneur for many years and likes tinkering with tech ideas & building startups. Currently, he is the co-founder of ImStrong a venture capital backed fitness tech platform that is being used by fitness coaches & enthusiasts. You can read more about his untold secrets on his blog www.dilipkumar.co.

Nutrition plays an important role which includes macronutrients like carbs, proteins, and fats and micronutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fluids. Endurance runners rely on a whole lot of things to keep their bodies balanced during long-distance running.

Nutrition plays an important role which includes macronutrients like carbs, proteins, and fats and micronutrients like vitamins, minerals and fluids. Endurance runners rely on a whole lot of things to keep their bodies balanced during long-distance running.

In this episode, we will be discussing the importance of macro and micronutrients along with, time and recommended nutrition intake, bodyweight composition like - racing weight, and fat metabolism

Guests for this episode are Sonali Sahoo and Sujoyjeet Mondal.

As a nutritionist, Sonali knows how to get to the root cause of her clients' health concerns. She enables her clients to open up about their struggles, goals, and what’s standing in their way to achieving their end result. Her focus is on building habits that stay with her clients long after they leave the program.

Sujoyjeet is also a certified nutritionist and a personal trainer. To provide actionable insights to clients, he tries to understand his clients' lifecycle from - their lifestyle, medical history, and their goals. Only after a sanity check, does he roll out a habit-based nutrition plan. The habit-based nutrition plan teaches his clients how, what & when to eat and why to eat certain specific foods to meet their health, performance, and body composition goals.

You can write to us on connect@geeksonfeet.com  You can also follow us on twitter, Instagramand facebookat geeeksonfeet.

This episode is all about Women in Running.  We discussed various aspects of women, which affect their running and performance at different life stages. This episode touches aspects of - Female Athlete Triad, Women’s Physiology, Safety and much more.

The guests for this episode are Nirupma Singh and Vandana Arora. 

Nirupma is ACE certified coach and holds several other certifications that qualifies her as personal trainer and fitness coach. She has qualified for the Boston Marathon for 3 consecutive years,  and has come a long way in making her mark as a pioneer runner in India's female running fraternity.

Vandana, has  won the recent 2021 Bengaluru Marathon across all age categories with a timing of 3 hrs 28 minutes. Her journey in fitness started in her mid-30s and it was only in her late 30s that she became serious about her fitness and took to running long distances as one of the avenues to stay fit. When she is not running she is a full-time software engineer with a product company

You can write to us atconnect@geeksonfeet.com You can also follow us ontwitter,instagramandfacebookat geeeksonfeet.

In this episode, we will be discussing everything on developing a good running form that encourages better motor patterns and muscle recruitment. A good running form improves our running efficiency and reduces the risk of fatigue and injuries particularly which comes with longer and more frequent running.

Aravind Yarra, he is the brain behind the tech and production for GeeksonFeet and our podcast. Aravind is a certified Level 1 Crossfit trainer and has a keen interest in reaching optimal running pace by focusing on running form. He is a certified running form analyst and a marathoner with a PB of 3 hrs and 48 mins and his 5K PB is 21 minutes.

You can find more learning about running form and the mechanics athttps://www.geeksonfeet.com/;

Shoes can have an effect on your running form and the foot strike.  Here are the Basics of what we need to knowwhen choosing running shoes.

Cadence plays a very important role in your running form, performance, and injury prevention.  Our post oncadence,training for cadenceand asummary infographic.

Here is a collection of infographics on foot strike, foot mechanics, and ground contact time.

You can write to us onconnect@geeksonfeet.com You can also follow us ontwitter,instagramandfacebookat geeeksonfeet.

In this episode, we discuss everything one needs to know at the start of their running journey. Importance of run-walk technique, strength & conditioning, breathing, the right amount of mileage, and more.

Coach Shreyas Karnad shares his insights, through his vast experience of training 500+ people over a period of 5 years.  He spoke about the importance of nutrition, breathing, and his coaching philosophy. Shreyas runs his academyRunners360, and he has been running for the past 11 years; and his marathon PB is 2 hrs 59 mins.

You can find more learning resources related to running athttps://www.geeksonfeet.com/;  techniques,form,race analysisand getexpertviews. You can write to us atconnect@geeksonfeet.com You can also follow us ontwitter,instagramandfacebook; our handle isgeeeksonfeet.

In this episode, we will be discussing everything runners need to know to improve their speed; various workouts like threshold training, VO2 max intervals, sprints or speed intervals, endurance training, pacing, and more.

The guest for this episode is Anubhav Karmakar. Anubhav’s personal best for marathon distance is 2 hours 38 min, with diverse experience in endurance sports, competing in a wide range of formats like multistage cycling races, Marathons & Triathlons. He is a podium finisher for several top races in India and has also qualified for the world major races like the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon where he finished as the top Indian. Anubhav is a full-time coach, and you can know more about him through his website,https://www.athloft.com/

We spoke to him about various speed workouts, running biomechanics, pacing, and his coaching philosophy.

You can find more learning resources to prepare for a marathon athttps://www.geeksonfeet.com/;  techniques,form,race analysisand getexpertviews. You can write to us atconnect@geeksonfeet.com You can also follow us onTwitter,InstagramandFacebookat geeeksonfeet.

Episode #1 - Marathon Training by Geeks On Feet

In this episode, we will be discussing everything one needs to know to prepare for a marathon; aspects of running physiology, structuring training, running drills, strength training, nutrition, and more.

Guest for this episode is Vijayraghavan Venugopal. He has been in the running circuit for the last 8 years and is a sub 3 hours marathon runner. He has qualified for the Boston Marathon in 2017 and participated in world marathon majors at NewYork City, Chicago and Berlin. Vijay is the CEO of Fast&Up India.

We spoke to him about his running journey, his training approach, nutrition, and race day strategy for a marathon.

You can find more learning resources to prepare for a marathon at https://www.geeksonfeet.com/;  techniques, form, race analysisand get expertviews. You can write to us on connect@geeksonfeet.com. You can also follow us on twitter, instagramand facebookat geeeksonfeet.