MarkHealth

RUNNING ON THE EDGE with YUVARAJ PATIL

The races we run either relieve us, fill us, or rewards us. You can run too fast or too slow but you need to move. Keep moving for the world needs quick fixers in this fast-paced avenue. The starting point could be a challenge, the journey feels different but the endpoint is a sure shot win. Life is a race and the World is your stage. Go unshackle yourself. Buckle up, Move... Run!

We introduce you to the STAR of the article Mr. Yuvraj Patil, who’s Has 18+ years of corporate experience and yet is devoted to his passion for running. From running 100+ obstacles 25km to finishing first in the universe's cruelest ultra-marathon in just 8hrs. Many interstate marathons like Bengaluru live to run and Goa Marathon to corporate's TCS W10k run Ageas federal 12-hour run.

Let’s hear it from him:

Hello, this is Yuvaraj Patil. I am a Goan born Maharashtrian currently residing and earning my livelihood in Bangalore. I have been a part of the corporate world for over 16 years and currently engaged in exploring life alongside my daily work. After all, it's work that pays off my adventures.

Describe your experience in the industry?

The fitness bug caught on to me when I had ample time prior to joining my graduation college and since then there has been no looking back. Been over a decade and a half of discipline, patience, consistency, and learning that has helped me achieve the milestones. I took up running 7 years ago and the only motive was to tone my muscles and of course wanted to look good and have no

excuses wearing any kind of attire. Seeing the perks of running, it gradually hooked on to me, and running became a passion in no time.

Tell us about your training philosophy?

A few quotes that make me get up every morning and make me think - next big what. “Add life to days and not days to life” “Failing is not a crime, lack of effort is” “If it does not challenge you, it won’t change you” Passion! Dedication! Discipline! Patience! The day you carve these words into your everyday thought, you will start outdoing yourself. In short, 2 days of Yoga, 3 days of weight training, 1 day for the long run. The schedule tends to change and is majorly dependent on the next set milestone. Mental fitness is equally important as physical because, in endurance goals, the

constant communication between the mind and body leads to a win-win situation. I tend to meditate when I run and this in-turn guides me on taking the calculative risk if any involved to overcome the barriers. and yes, not to forget 1 day of complete rest. Your body needs to rest and so does your mind.

How do you keep yourself motivated and engaged?

Work keeps me busy and so does my passion. The planned motives in my life keep me on my toes. I, therefore, pre-plan events for the year and schedule my fitness programs accordingly. I frequently interact with like-minded people and a talk or a two is good enough to keep up the adrenaline pumping. Co-Leading the Run machines of the Sutra running group and being a part of numerous other fitness groups help in assessing yourself and learning different methods and definitely kick out the boredom. So, Plan, Train, Interact and Execute are my go-to words to keep me motivated and engaged.

How did you cope up during the pandemic?

Phew! Glad that passed by. This had many understand the importance of healthy living and the boom we saw in online fitness classes being attended from the comfort of your home was a blessing in disguise. All the public events for the year were called off and was a major blow to my yearly scheduled plan. These were postponed to next year and looking forward to the same. Running

also took a setback as we could not venture out of our homes. I continued with my workouts at home and post unlock 1.0, running with the MASK was the IN thing. That felt different as I had to work on the intensity of the runs to help me cope with the oxygen intake through the mask and slowly and steadily, it felt all good.

How would you suggest a 20,30- and the 40-year individual should look after their health?

First, Age is no bar to start your fitness journey. Second, Walking and Running comes to you naturally, hence you don’t need to be trained unless you have drastic goals that need mentoring. Third, you know your body well and what it is capable of doing, so choose your workout plans wisely, and yes, connect with a trainer if necessary. Fourth, Consistency and Patience are the keys. Do not try to achieve big when you begin, plan for short goals to see the happy gains. The message is simple, just like you invest in mutual funds for returns, you need to invest in health for longevity.

Can India's representation increase in international marathon competitions?

Good question! And then the answer is simple, make more people run. To begin with, Target schools to educate every upcoming generation about the benefits of healthy living followed by the taking up a sports activity for physical wellbeing. Encourage and develop an interest in the budding runners by showing a roadmap of the progress and achievements. It all has to begin from the root and schools are the best place to sow the seed and is also a platform for peer motivation and healthy competition.

In your recent 12hr stadium run, can you tell us what you went through you to achieve such a feat?

“Getting out of the comfort zone” has been the mantra. The passion for running makes me test my caliber and threshold levels. The learnings from such humanly possible physical activities give you an insight into how much have you benefited from your training plans and what more needs to be done ahead. The 12 hours run was a pure mind over body game for me. The moment the body gave up past the physical threshold, the mind played an important role to overcome the fatigue and helped me run all night. As simple as sipping water at frequent intervals to keep your body hydrated is a signal that you receive from your mind despite not feel thirsty at any given point in time. Fellow runners, we’re encouraging too and every runner on those tracks just added to the motivation one needed to keep going for long hours.

Tell us about the nutrition that you're taking and what would you recommend to an aspiring individual?

I stick to home-made food as much as possible and try and avoid foods that do not give me any nutrition. I do have cheat meals once in a while and capable enough to draw the line to avoid overeating. My daily routine involves small meals 4-5 times a day. 2-3 liters of water. The equation is simple, if you don’t urinate water, you are not having enough water. 5 different kinds of fruits in a week. 6-8 hours is of sleep. This is something all individuals seeking a healthy life can follow.

Carbs, water, and electrolytes are a runner’s companion. No second thoughts there. Learn from the food intakes you that become a part of your practice runs. These are basically the building blocks to plan a bigger goal.

What type of mindset does one develop who's into fitness?

Life management is the key takeaway learned from the numerous activities that I have followed so far. It helps you govern your body and mind. A healthy relationship between the two is a must and will take you places in the long run. Your physical image, confidence stance tend to set an example to others around you. When people look up to you, you tend to naturally advise on what it took you to be where you are today. Such conversation starters help you network with like-minded people and the ones who want to follow your path become your mentees. Your consistency in training programs is also an outcome of the disciplined life that you choose to live. You set your goals

upfront so that you do not deviate from your training. You feel nothing is humanly impossible and you can win any battle that you may come across in all streams of life.

Any advice that you'd like to give to our audience overall?

Please pick up a sports activity and add it to your daily routine. Eat healthily. Drink Water, sleep well, and Seek help whenever required, and last but not least Inspire at least one person.