The Why - Part 2

Dear Runner,

It’s nearly a month since this newsletter was born! Being in the midst of a ‘black swan’ event over this period, made us at Team Weekly Carb-Loading, wonder about black swan events in our personal lives.

Can one particular event have such a deep impact on our life, that it changes for the better (or worse)? Is life itself a series of black swan events, each one helping it self-correct to a new normal?

This week, Benny dives into his past, to take us through such an event in his life, the outcome of which had a profound impact on his health, habits and overall mindset.

This post can also be found on our website. If you missed Part 1 of this two-part post, it can be read here.

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“A little background - I was always a chubby kid growing up, overweight through school and all of my teenage years, even though I was active and played hockey and basketball.

I realized much later in life, in my late 20’s, that simply ‘being active’ and a bit of sports here and there is not enough, without the right eating, drinking and sleeping habits to complement it. As they say, hindsight is 20-20. These stats are an apt description, in those days:

Age: 24-28 | Height: 6’0 | Weight: 96 kgs (over-weight by ~20-22 kgs) |
Eating Habits : Unhealthy & poor | Lifestyle: Sloth | Self Confidence: Low

The cost of good habits is paid in the present, the cost of bad habits is paid in the future - James Clear

2012 through 2016 were the lowest years of my life - lost my job, fatigued physically and mentally, and completely ignored my health and fitness. In 2017, I reached a point of doing anything to lose weight.

On the spur of the moment, I signed up for a 10 km run in the vicinity, and stepped out for my first training run at Shivaji Park.

Having played sports through school, running would be simple, right? T-shirt and shorts, a pair of shoes and you’re off! Well, that first run lasted just 0.5 km, before I had to stop, catch my breath, have a drink of water and walk.

Don’t give up before the miracle happens - Fannie Flagg

I kept at it though, day after day, run after run, slowly increasing the distance, making changes in the food I ate, how much I ate and when I ate
.
The daily training made me realize I actually enjoyed running! That feeling of being on the road, able to cover any (initially short) distance in any direction, the mind at ease, and the post run exhilaration!

My aim and focus shifted from losing weight to running and how to get better at it - build stamina, gain strength, increase distance, go up in pace.

I gained something that I loved (running) and simultaneously lost weight, increased my fitness levels, and set healthy habits, all the while feeling better than I’ve ever felt before.

Your outcomes are a lagging indicator of your habits - James Clear

So here we are in 2020, three years, five half marathons and three marathons after signing up for that pivotal 10k run.

Age: 31 | Height: 6’0 | Weight: 73 kgs
Eating Habits: Healthy | Lifestyle: Active | Self Confidence: Much much higher

One life-changing Black Swan event? Several months of disciplined changes towards a new normal? Leading indicator of future outcomes? I don’t really know.”

-Benny

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Race Calendar

Another race announced! IDBI Federal Life Insurance confirmed dates for the Mumbai Half Marathon - 6th September, 2020. Something to look forward to and train for, post the Covid-19 crisis.

As before, they have 3 categories (21K, 10K, 5K) with an early bird registration till 30th April offering discounts and a personalized running T-shirt.

This is one race we’ve run and would definitely recommend, for those looking for a personal best time. The course is flat, the event is well organized, and hey, you may just get a glimpse of Sachin Tendulkar, if you’re lucky!

Could this be your black swan?

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Training Tip

"If you rush your training, it will likely cost you, and more times than not, the currency is injury"

- via Michael D'Aulerio @longrunliving on Twitter

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Fun Feature

Here’s something cool we found on Instagram - via @holisticmarathoner

What’s your running name? Let us know in the comments below!
At Team Carb-Loading we are TenK Bouncyboobs (KB) and Blister GottaPee (BG).

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We want to hear about your black swan event, so drop us a comment below!
If you like this weekly dose of carbs, subscribe to our newsletter, and have them delivered straight to your inbox!

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That’s it from us for this week. Stay tuned for next week’s newsletter!
Cheers, stay indoors and stay safe!

The Why - Part 1

Each one of us has an origin story, going back in our lives, a trigger or a pivotal point in time, when we first stepped out for a run.

For some it may have been the physical challenge of an impossible-sounding distance on foot, for others an effort to gain control over and reduce weight, yet others may have started after a minor health scare.

This week, in a world surrounded by Covid-19 and locked-down at home, we at team Weekly Carb-Loading chose to dive into our past, to reflect on the points in our lives when each of us began running.

This post can also be found on our website on Substack. Our previous posts are here and here.

We want to hear your origin story too, so write in to us or drop us a comment below! If you like this weekly dose of carbs, subscribe to our newsletter, and have these posts delivered straight to your inbox!

So let's dive in then, back to the past.

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“I grew up a sporty child, most school days were spent on the cricket field and summers in Shivaji Park. In higher grades and through college, badminton became a regular sport.

It was then that I started running, initially to improve stamina and be able to last three exhausting games in the sweltering summers of Mumbai. Runs back then were just a few loops of the neighborhood park on alternate evenings, no pace target or distance in mind.

2008 was a pivotal year in my running journey, with my father in the grip of late-stage cancer.

Evening runs morphed into an hour of escape from the realities of his deteriorating health, from thinking about the immediate and impending future. Round and round the park till my legs and stomach hurt, sweating out the hate and injustice of it all. (“why him, and why so early?”)

Yes, I started running in anger, and was back home every night refreshed, ready for a new start, ready to face the next day.

Somewhere along the way, the distance my body allowed before the legs and stomach hurt, increased. Every evening in the park became a reaffirmation to stay healthy and not put another family through the same experience at a later stage in my life.

Somewhere along the way, an educational and professional world of entire days spent on laptops and in commutes, with sedentary lifestyles clawing away at us, fueled the drive further.

This newsletter, Weekly Carb-Loading was a natural progression for both Benny and me, to write and share our running experiences, and inspire as many as possible to take up a physical activity, stay fit and lead healthier lives.

Looking back, there have been very few occasions since 2008, when I have run in anger. Yet, even now in times of stress or anxiety, heading out for a run clears my mind almost instantly, to come back refreshed, a clean slate. Running is my meditation, my retreat.”

- Kushal

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Race Calendar

Last Friday, Dubai Sports Council and ASICS Middle East took indoor running one step further, hosting the world’s first ever “Marathon at Home” on Strava, a 42.2 km timed virtual run between 8 am to 6 pm! The event drew 749 registered participants, included prizes for the podium finishers, and T-shirts & medals for everyone else!

In the United States, the organizers of the Rite-Aid Cleveland Marathon 2020, scheduled for the weekend of 16th - 17th May, have converted it to a virtual run, for runners to log their miles in a location of their choice between 15th April and 17th May, while also allowing confirmed participants to defer their registrations to next year.

For those of us hoping to register for a timed event soon, worry not! We might be seeing more virtual runs in the months to come!

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Home Workout

Continuing with the Home Workouts rage right now, we thought of sharing this with you, via @subtle.strength on Instagram

Your birth-date is your workout for the day! Why don't you give it try, and drop us a line with your birth date in the comments section below.

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Inspiration

“Running is something we all can do and relate to globally. A language we all understand” - via @officialleighholland on Instagram

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We hope you enjoyed reading this week’s issue. Until next week, stay fit, stay indoors and stay safe. Cheers!

Step Back, Reset, and Review

Dear runner,

We're live on a new platform this week - Substack!

Its early days for us, but as we mentioned last week in 'The Start Line', its important to keep reading the body and adjust to the niggles and information thrown up in the initial stages of every long run.

In similar vein, we recently discovered Substack, which makes it easier to manage two formats online - a blog and a newsletter straight to your inbox every week, with a clean interface and easy social media integration; allowing us to spend more time on writing and compiling better content for you guys, our readers! So, we've moved!

We're sure you'll notice a few differences in this email, and we hope you like the new look! Don't forget to write in with your feedback, thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

This post can also be found on our new website, and if you like it, do share with your friends and fellow runners, and subscribe using the link below!

Without further ado, let's dive in.

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Over the last month, regions all over the world have restricted public movement and encouraged social distancing, to slow down the spread of the virus.

As sales and services temporarily plummet for non-essential items, corporate offices have resorted to 'Work-from-home', to keep the wheels turning, until operations normalize.

Several teams are using this as an opportunity to step back, reset, and review - step back from the daily to-do lists and routine work, reset their annual goals for 2020-21, review progress over the last year as well as brainstorm and plan their strategy for this year and the next.

So, why not do the same as runners? Let us not fret about the spring and fall marathons in 2020 being cancelled or postponed, and the change in our training plans, now majorly restricted to the house.

Instead, let's take this opportunity to step back, reset, and review! Step back from our daily fitness routines, and switch them to indoor workouts, reset our goals for 2020-21, and review the progress we've made over the last year!

We, at Team Carb-Loading, are engaging in body-weight and dumbbell workouts, along with stair climbing with ankle weights, to substitute for outdoor runs. The aim is to keep the legs moving and build core strength, as a base to emerge stronger, well rested, and fresh, from this lock down period.

We're also using this time to evaluate our progress over last season, as well as what worked and what didn't in training and race strategy. You can expect snapshots of this in coming newsletters, along a brief on some of the popular fitness tracking apps used to record and analyze activities. 

As for which race to run next, we are on wait-and-watch mode for developments on Covid-19 in India and other regions. (Some positive news on this below!)

Meanwhile, we wish all our readers the best of health

Stay indoors, stay fit, and stay safe!

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Home Workouts

Over the last couple of weeks, with Covid-19 forcing the closure of gyms and group activities, most fitness startups in India have taken this opportunity to pivot their offerings online, and are offering some classes free of cost!

Cult.fit is offering daily online classes on a new platform, Cult.live - across formats such as Strength, Cardio, HRX and Yoga, which can be streamed free of cost on mobile devices and desktops. Most of these are body-weight workouts, needing little or no equipment.

Similarly, HealthifyMe is hosting daily live sessions on 'Workout', 'Yoga' and 'Fitness', available to all users free on their app.

So go ahead, get on these platforms this week, and let us know what you think about them in the comments below!

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TCS World 10k - New Date Announced!

Yes! You heard that right! Procam in discussion with the Indian and World Athletics Body, have announced a new date for the TCS World 10K - 13th September 2020 - five months from now. This is much needed positive news amid the dry patch for running due to Covid-19 and the lockdown!

Those of you who were planning the Procam Slam this year need not be disappointed. It is still on, and the TCS World 10k now slots distance-wise, into the preparation and run up to the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (October), with the slightly curtailed season continuing into the Tata Steel Kolkata 25k (December) and the Tata Mumbai Marathon (January)

Registrations for the rescheduled event start 2nd July, and all those who had registered earlier will be automatically transferred to new dates, subject to eligibility and confirmation. For those who have registered but may not be able to compete, Procam is offering a window from 12th May to 29th May to surrender your applications.

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WTF! News of the Week

Its happened again. This coming in from England. James Campbell, a former Javelin thrower has run a ‘Marathon’ in his 20 foot backyard on his 32nd birthday. Thousands tuned in to the live stream to watch him run, which took him a little over 5 hours to complete.

He did this feat to help raise money for the U.Ks National Health Service and ended up raising over GBP 20,000. Respect!

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To end this newsletter, we thought we’d leave you with a short poem. This is our bad attempt to bring some Hope (Hold On Pain Ends) to you runners out there.

Roses are Red,
April is Grey,
We hope we can leave our houses,
and ‘RUN’ in May

Cheers!

The Start Line

Dear runner,

Welcome, to the second edition of our newsletter.

At Weekly Carb-Loading, we have one simple aim - to inspire as many as possible to run on a regular basis and lead a healthier life. Our weekly newsletter will share a curated set of running and fitness related articles from around the world, straight to your inbox, for both newbies and experienced runners alike.

Don't forget to reach out to us with your thoughts, opinions and tips in the comments section below.
For reading this post in your email, and not missing out on a single issue, do subscribe on this link

We can also be reached on < weeklycarbloading at gmail dot com >

Without further ado, let's dive in.

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The Start Line

Running is as much mental, as it is a physical sport. Races are won first in the mind, then on the track. A marathon is a long and lonely battle, we against our previous best, over the course of a few hours.

There are many unknowns, and even after several seasons of preparation, it is difficult to know on the morning of a race, how it will pan out. After all the planning and practice, we stand on the start line each time, bottle of energizing fluid in hand, and pockets full of gels.

Today, is such a day. India, like most other countries, is in a week-old lock-down. We've done our homework, spread the word, and stocked up on food and essentials.

We should remember though, this is only the start line. The next few weeks will throw new surprises at us, not unlike the initial stages of any marathon. A few niggles may surface, early signs that the body may not hold up, or a sudden change in weather on that very morning.

Earlier this week, the lock-down was extended country-wide, and until mid-April, to stem the growth of the virus. On Friday, the RBI extended a helping hand, with measures to ease liquidity and help businesses and the general populace tide over the crisis.

More news may emerge in the weeks to come, some good, some not so good. We may be in for a long period of social distancing. Localized outbreaks may prompt stricter containment measures.

But, through it all, as the kilometer markers pass by, it is up to us to not panic, to keep rumors at bay, and to not let our fear compound in our minds and online.

On some days, distance running may feel like a lonely sport, but like any marathon, on race-day we're all running together on the same road, surrounded by thousands of others.

Today, the finish might seem very far away, and not yet visible. Just being confident in our preventive measures, preparation and race strategy is all it takes. One day at a time, step after step, mile after mile.

Keep calm through it all, and keep the phone away.

Stay fit, stay indoors, and stay safe.

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Quarantine & Chill

Can't run a marathon since they're all cancelled / postponed? Why not do a movie marathon instead. Our study indicates that runners spend, on an average, their personal best marathon time, browsing Netflix and other OTT platforms, only deciding what to watch next!

Okay, well that's a made-up statistic obviously, none the less, here's a list of 30 running - related movies compiled by Runners' World, to save you some browsing time and get you your weekly dose of inspiration. Hold your horses! Only watch, don't venture out just yet!

Our top picks: Forrest Gump; The Long Green Mile; The Barkley Marathons; Gun Runners; I am Bolt; Breaking 2, Brittany Runs A Marathon.

If you're not the movie binge types, and feel like breaking out a sweat at home, why not head to the next section below!

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Home Workouts

Home workouts are all the rage right now, and we thought about doing our bit. Here's something to mix things up for you, via @subtle.strength on Instagram

You name is your workout! Pretty cool, eh? Why don't you give it try, and drop us a line in the comments section below. Long name? Lord help you! 😜

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WTF! News Feature of the Week

Imagine running a 'Full Marathon' in your balcony. Yes, quarantine lock-down is real folks!

32 year old Elisha from France (36 time marathoner) ran a Full Marathon in his 23 foot long balcony. 3000 laps in 06 hrs 48 mins. Mind = Blown!

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We hope you enjoyed reading this edition of Weekly Carb-Loading.
Stay tuned for more! Until next week, cheers!

Back to Basics

Have you been thinking about taking up running to get fit? You probably have read articles or heard people talk about the benefits of running.

• 'Oh! running makes you healthier, cut your cardiovascular age by years, and makes your arteries younger'
• 'Oh! running helps you lose weight'
• You wanna start running, well, say goodbye to your knees'. 

Well, it’s one of those topics wherein tons of research has been done 'Proving the benefits', on the other hand there’s research which shows that ‘No Significant’ benefits can be proven.

Well irrespective of what you've read or heard, the gist of it is, you gotta get off the couch and MOVE.

Let's present to you our study, quite straightforward to be honest:

• Get off the couch. Walk, run, stretch, exercise. Get moving, Period
• Build a slow and steady workout routine. Start with a walk and some stretching
• Over a few weeks, build up to a slow jog
• Further build that into a run and a lighter body weight workout routine.

Eat well, eat right, and maintain ideal body weight (PS: if you’re overweight, focus on getting your weight down to the Ideal Body Weight) There’s a reason it’s called Ideal Body Weight… 'Save those Knees'.

Having a training program that combines running with body weight exercises not only keeps your body fit, but also puts the mind to ease and helps you sweat out a lot of crap.

Let’s face it, the best part of running is the ‘Runners High’, the release of dopamine, serotonin and other juices that give you the most amazing feeling, and - it’s legal!

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Bringing us to our next feature: Home workouts.

Yes, we couldn’t stay away. Yes we know that stepping out of that door, the first step towards becoming fit is the hardest, BUT ’Corona’. The Covid19 virus has become an integral part of our lives now and is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

It may have managed to keep everyone at home, Quarantined, but do not let it keep you away from your workouts. Going outside for a workout may be tough, but nothing prevents you from squeezing in a workout at home.

Here’s something to keep the juices flowing, the mind fresh and also well, to burn off the extra food you’ll be consuming while under quarantine. Let’s face it, that’s gonna happen.

Disclaimer: No Weights and Equipment required, hence No Excuses!

• Here's an Intense 8 minute Lower body workout to fire up those legs and core, designed by Arica Sky
• You could follow that up with this Ab workout for beginners designed by Chris Heria. 

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Here's 2 questions you as a runner should think about - Why do you Run? How does running make you feel?

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement."

- Steve Prefontaine, international track star.

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News from Around the World

As you may have heard, all road races, including most of the world majors - Tokyo, London, New York, Boston have been either postponed or cancelled.

However, NY Times carries this article about going ‘back to the basics’, with respect to running and workouts. A running boom is taking place around the world, BE A PART OF IT.

Closer to home, the Airtel Hyderabad Marathon 2020 stands to be delayed or cancelled until further notice. Those who were training for that race would need to probably decide on another race further down the year.

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Lastly, our WTF! News Feature of the Week

The French police is using the popular fitness app Strava to track and fine cyclists for training outdoors. Cycling has been banned outdoors in Spain and France and also prohibited in Italy. Only professional cyclists are permitted to be outdoors for training if their livelihood depends on the sport. It’s hilarious to see the French police leaving a comment on some of the cyclist’s workout posts, mentioning the fine amount as well. LOL!

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So, that’s it from our side for this week, hope you enjoyed this week's newsletter, you can stop CARB-LOADING now!

If you liked this, the first edition of our weekly newsletter, do subscribe and share with your friends and fellow runners.