Monthly Archives for February 2016

Run Day Basics

Fitness, Fitness related, Marathons - Anupriya kapur - February 23, 2016

I used to be always stressed a couple of days before the run and even more so the day before. And since I’m not a morning person, my biggest fear has always been about snoozing the alarm and not waking up on time. The other one being what if I have to use the washroom in the middle of the run! However, over time I have learned a few lessons by talking to others and from experiences. You can’t control everything that happens on the day of the run but you can certainly be better prepared.

First things first, stop stressing – We are all recreational runners. While we would like to test ourselves, it’s more important to enjoy the event. 5kms and 10kms are the best community events there can be. You get to spend a morning with strangers cheering you on, feeding you and offering water, and celebrating doing something healthy for yourself. There is nothing called coming last and it’s perfectly ok to walk the entire stretch, from start to finish.

Get ready the night before – Lay out your running gear, attach the running bib and get as much sleep as possible- aim for eight hours. But that hardly ever happens so ensure you get enough sleep through the week.

Don’t do anything new – Don’t try new food, new gear or anything that you haven’t done before. It’s easier said than done. I have ended up wearing new shoes and new tees (event tee) and I have been lucky so far. Wearing something comfortable is the most important thing. Wearing something that makes you feel good is important too 🙂 For women it’s equally important to wear the right sports bra which offers good support and doesn’t chafe the skin (click here for some tips on how to buy the right one).

However, I’m always careful about food. I avoid eating sea food specially and outside in general a couple of days before the run.

Eat something – Have a banana, dates or a slice of toast at least one hour before the run.

Port-a-loo – Most good runs have port-a-loos near the start line and somewhere mid distance. Now you can’t expect them to clean or not stink, as they are being used to by hundreds. So clip your nose and use it if need be. You will get used to it soon enough 🙂

Light meals the day before the run – Don’t go overboard with food specially proteins a day before the run. Eat light, healthy and wholesome food instead.

Playlist – If you are not much of a talker or need something to distract you so that the distance doesn’t bog you down, then a good playlist is important. An armband to keep your phone will be handy. I prefer wireless MP3.

Post the run – Eat something nutritious within 30 minutes of finishing the run. I prefer eggs, nuts and a sandwich. And no, eating chole bhature isn’t going to help.

Be active the next day – As sore as you might feel the day after the race, it’s important to do some easy activity or the other, it could be cycling, just a stroll or a bit of stretching. The movement will increase circulation to your sore muscles and help you bounce back sooner.

Happy Running 🙂

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Darting Damsel – Women relay 5km

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Pinkathon 2015

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Now that’s what you call flower power

Fitness, Fitness related, Marathons - Anupriya kapur - February 18, 2016

I was recently invited for the launch of adidas pureBOOSTx shoes and I felt totally lost in the midst of models and fashion/lifestyle bloggers but that’s a story for another day. Anyway, apparently it’s the first for women only running shoe in the world. My first thoughts when I saw the shoes were,

“Too girly”

“Floral!!!!”

“So not me, I’m a runner!!!”

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With Elena Fernandez at the launch

“I love my Boston Boost and I’m loyal”

Basically, I was wary of running in them. I did a 40 minute Bootcamp in the new shoes and even though they felt comfortable, light, flexible and were wide enough for my toes to breathe, I decided to not form any opinion till I get to run in them.

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Post the 53 min 10km at Mumbai uprising

I had shared in my Boston Boost review that I only understand one thing when it comes to running shoes- that I don’t have to think them about while running. I like to run free. And that’s exactly how I felt doing the 10km at adidasuprising just a day later; I was able to soak in the energy of Mumbai and its runners without a bother. I “broke into the shoes” with ease. 

I have done a couple of runs in them now but nothing beyond 10km. For now I want to stick to my Boston Boost for long runs and alternate these for my shorter runs (5-10km) and training. I love how light they are, hug my feet and have excellent arch support. I don’t like my shoes with too much cushioning or minimalistic, probably any lesser or more and I wouldn’t have liked it.

 

And since this is not a technical review, I’m attaching a couple of links at the end of the article where you can read more.

And who said floral can’t be badass?

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Cool for shopping and even clubbing

Verdict –  pureBOOSTx is a serious running shoe in a very good looking avatar. It looks equally cool with dresses as it does with the running gear.

Word of caution – Since the shoes is a snug fit, you might need to consider a size bigger. However, I’m wearing the same size as my other running shoe and it’s fine.

 

Links – http://www.therunnerbeans.com/2016/02/adidas-pure-boost-x-review-2.html

http://www.runnersworld.com/the-shoe-room/first-look-adidas-pureboost-x

pureBOOSTx was given to me to review. However, all opinions are my own.

 

 

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Better, Faster, Stronger

Fitness, Fitness related, Marathons - Anupriya kapur - February 10, 2016

‘Fast’ is a relative word when it comes to amateur long distance running or probably everything else in life. I did my first half marathon in 2010 in 2:55! And the next one in 2:28, before I had to take a break for 2 years. But I came back stronger; my timings have only been improving in the last two years, from 2:09 at ADHM in 2013, 2:03 in 2014 to 1:50 in 2015. I have been getting better even though I’m running lesser, way lesser than I used to. I was thinking of certain things that I did differently (accidentally) to improve and it’s only fair that I share it on my blog –

1) I have accepted that with the kind of erratic work schedule, I probably can’t follow a routine. Earlier I would miss out on my workout if I missed out on a certain fixed time I had decided for it. Now I fit in a work out whenever I get time through the day. It could mean doing the planks in the morning post dropping my son to school and doing the calf raises in the afternoon when taking a 10 minute break from work.

2) For the last six months, I have been doing (or try) 3 reps of planks (45 seconds each) 4 days a week.unspecified (10)-01

3) I spend 10 minutes on doing basic weight training for upper body 3 times a week.

4) I have been doing calf strengthening and sitting squats whenever I can (3 times a week). Click here to see the videos. I will be adding more.

5) Once a week I run 5 kms as fast as I can. I never time myself as I don’t want it to stress me out.

6) I concentrated on improving my timing for 10 kms rather than for long runs.

7) I get massage done for my legs once a week. But I don’t do the fancy ones as I find them too expensive. A simple massage by a girl who comes home and does it, works for me.

8) I consume one gel before the start and one during the half marathon.

9) I was lucky to have figured the shoes which suit me the best. Boston Boost  it is for now.

10) During warm days drinking electrals/ORS during the runs instead of any other drink has made a huge difference in recovery. Recently, I  tried Recover (post my runs) by FastandUp which worked wonders as well.

11) Post run stretching by way of basic yoga poses – Warrior pose, Downward Doggie, Dhanurasna, boat pose, reverse boat pose and Viparita Karani.

I hope this helps. Do share what works and what doesn’t work for you.

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Strengthening – It’s half the game *videos*

Fitness, Fitness related, Marathons - Anupriya kapur - February 10, 2016

I think it was August last year when I attended a clinic by Dr Rajat Chauhan who’s a renowned sports doctor and also the race director for La Ultra in Ladakh. Since he is one hell of a runner himself (his PB for full marathon being 2:38), I paid a lot of attention to all the things he said. He kept reiterating the basics which we tend to ignore in pursuit of clocking more mileage. At that time, I used to feel as if my legs are very heavy, as if some weight is tied to them, making running a task rather than fun. He advised me to strengthen my leg muscles and do planks regularly in order to run injury free in the long run. And well, it worked. I made a couple of videos with him and would work on more to demonstrate the simple strengthening exercises and stretches he swears by.

 

 

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10 K plan by Jatin Arora

Fitness, Fitness related, Marathons - Ankit Chatterjee - February 10, 2016

Jatin is the founder and Head coach of BootCamp Yellow, Gurgaon. He’s a certified personal trainer, crossfit level 1 trainer, barefoot and rehab trainer. 

  1. Start it slow and steady, don’t try to run too much too soon.
  2. Follow the plan and ask questions to your trainer if ever in doubt.
  3. Discipline, hard work and consistency is the fuel of a strong runner.

You can download the 10km training plan. Follow this plan once you are comfortable doing a 5km run.

 

Beginner 10

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Apple Cake with all the good things

Recipes - Anupriya kapur - February 2, 2016

I run or bake when I’m stressed. And since I haven’t been running this month, I’m back to baking quite a bit. And Apple walnut cake is something I love in winters. It is loaded with apple chunks, raisins, walnuts and cinnamon powder. The batter is thick, easy to make and barely covers all the apple chunks which have gone into it. I love it with a cup of black coffee or tea. And yes I like to believe that it makes for an excellent snack for runners. (Sorry about the picture quality, all clicked with my basic phone).

Apples – 450 gms (net weight)

Flour – 195gm

Sugar – 150 gm (granulate it post measuring)

Butter – 85 gm (use a pinch of salt in case of non-salted butter)

Eggs – 2 (room temperature)

Baking powder – 11/2 teaspoon

Vanilla Essence – 1/2 teaspoon

Cinnamon Powder – 1 teaspoon

Raisins – 50gms

Walnuts – 75gms

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Place walnuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes at 180 degrees C or until lightly brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and coarsely chop.

  1. Mix the flour, baking powder, granulated sugar and cinnamon powder.
  2. Add eggs, and melted butter to the flour mixture and whisk well (I did it with the hand blender).
  3. Peel the apples and cut into bite size pieces (size of 2 square lego pieces size!)
  4. Add the apples and dry fruits. Mix well.
  5.  Pour the mixture in a greased pan lined with butter paper.
  6. Bake for 40-50 minutes (mine was done in about 50 minutes) at 180 degrees C in a 8 inch square baking pan.

Note –

The batter is really thick. You will have to use a spatula to spread it evenly.  Keep all the ingredients ready before you cut the apple. You can squeeze a lime so that the apple pieces don’t get brown.IMG_20160202_153959 (1) IMG_20160202_142206

Disclaimer – This is not my recipe. I had got it from the internet 3-4 years back.

 

 

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