When the rubber hits the road!

Most runners have at some point confronted the question – what’s the right way for the foot to strike the ground? The question becomes even more pronounced when one is nursing a running related injury, for that’s the time when most recreational runners are really forced to think about the finer nuances of running. Through this article, I intend to share the most widely recognized correct running form with respect to foot strike.   

Depending on which part of the foot takes maximum load at the time of landing, a runner can be classified in three broad categories - heel striker, forefoot striker and midfoot striker. Numerous studies have indicated that midfoot strike is the most efficient form and it can considerably help improve running form, while also reducing the risk of injury. When one achieves a midfoot strike, the pressure of impact is distributed across the entire foot – a major share of this load is borne by the mid-foot and forefoot, and relatively small share of load is borne by the toes and heel (see figure below).

So, let’s examine this a little closely - why is midfoot strike considered the most efficient form?

Reason 1: Midfoot strike helps distribute the load over a larger area, thereby reducing the pressure of impact

All other things being constant, a midfoot strike allows the load to be distributed over a larger surface area, thereby leading to a lower impact per unit area of foot surface. This uniform distribution of load feels much more comfortable on the foot as compared to a somewhat concentrated load impact that one feels during a heel strike or forefoot strike. 

As an analogy, think of it like this – if you were given the option of being nudged by one of the two objects – a sharp needle or a blunt object - which one would you choose? You would most likely choose a blunt object as sharp needle creates a highly concentrated force (i.e. high pressure) due to its very low area of impact. This is an extreme illustration of how reducing area of contact at the point of impact can lead to a feeling of discomfort; however, it’s the same laws of physics which warrant the load of foot impact to be distributed over a larger surface area through a midfoot strike.

Reason 2: Midfoot strike helps prevent braking motion, which significantly reduces the risk of injury

The proponents of Chi-running suggest that midfoot strike allows the runner to ‘cooperate’ with the natural force of impact. Essentially, in a midfoot strike the movement of foot (at the time of impact) is in the direction of the force exerted by the ground – this ‘cooperation’ with the natural force of impact facilitates shock absorption. As compared to this, when one strikes with the heel, there is a ‘bang’ at the time of impact (due to opposing direction of foot movement and force of impact). This impact passes through the runner’s lower body and can be a cause of various running related injuries (especially the knee injury). 

Reason 3: Midfoot strike helps prevent bouncing motion, thereby minimizing “energy leakage”

It is quite intuitive that when a runner is trying to move straight ahead, all possible energy should be deployed to create the forward motion. Any energy which doesn’t create this forward motion is an unnecessary dissipation, which can lead to sub-optimal running pace.

Now, how is this relevant in the context of our discussion related to midfoot strike?

If one traces the trajectory of the center of mass of the running body and compares the pattern for a runner with heel strike vis-à-vis a runner with midfoot strike, it is observed that the runner with heel strike tends to exhibit small cyclic vertical movements (see figure below).

These vertical movements, (often referred to as the “bouncing” motion of a runner) are quite small as compared to the predominant forward movement and may not be visible to the naked eye. However, these vertical movements require the body to spend some energy overcoming the force of gravity with each step. When aggregated across a large number of steps, this results in a significant loss of energy, thereby leading to sub-optimal performance.

Now that we understand the advantages of midfoot strike, the next important question is - how does one practice this running form? Like all proper running forms, proper foot strike may feel awkward to begin with. However, someone keen to practice this running form may focus on the following:

• Shorten the stride length – Longer stride length tends to land the foot ahead of the body, thereby leading to a heel strike.
• Try to lean – Tilting the body forward (from the ankle and not from the waist) places your center of gravity ahead of the foot strike and makes it easier to achieve midfoot strike.
• Listen to your footsteps – The ideal foot strike feels soft and gentle on landing and is barely audible (as compared to the loud thumping sound for hard strikers).

“A good runner leaves no footprints” – (Chi Running, by Danny Dreyer) 

Sundeep Singh
(+91 - 98181 19794)

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About the Author: By background, Sundeep Singh is a Mechanical Engineer from IIT Delhi and holds an MBA from IIM Kozhikode. Given his flair for mechanics and passion for running, he loves to analyze and write about the  finer nuances of running techniques / strategies.

Won the F1 track Half-Marathon, but…

 Sometimes in our endeavor to do well, we get so hooked-up on the end outcome that we miss the smaller joys along the way. We, runners, often struggle from such a fixation on the end outcome. This desired outcome is usually framed in the form of timing targets and obligation to achieve PBs. I have been no exception to this “fixation-on-end-outcome” syndrome and the realization dawned upon me at the most unexpected moment during the recent F1 track HM. Here is a brief description of how the run unfolded for me.

6:15 am: It was still dark when we started lining up at the start line for the 6:30 am start. For a change, I was not carrying any music (and my ‘infamous’ black head-set!). This meant that I was able to hear the general chirping and chit-chat around the start line. This made me a little uncomfortable as I usually prefer staying in a ‘closed’ zone before the race start. I tried to filter out the external auditory stimulus and focus on the run ahead. At sharp 6:30 am the run started – I gently murmured “Sub 1:30 today” and started the run.

I had deliberately decided to approach this run a little differently and had planned a few minor deviations from all my previous runs. In particular:

No music this time - Listening to music while running is a good way to keep the mind actively occupied and push out the feeling of fatigue from setting in; however, music beats also interfere with body’s ability to synchronize feet movement with breathing rhythm. According to Danny Dreyer (founder chi-running) one should closely listen to the sound of feet while running. Despite all my inhibitions around running without music, I decided to give it a try.

Did not carry hydration – I usually carry two small 250 ml bottles, one in each hand. I realized that this led me to sip water very often (more often than needed!). It also meant carrying half a kg extra load during the run. For this particular run, I decided to solely rely on hydration support on the route.

No glancing at watch – I usually have a knack of glancing at the watch every few minutes. I realized that it doesn’t serve any purpose. If anything, it breaks the flow and adds unnecessary timing pressure. For the F1 track run, I decided that I wouldn’t glance at the watch till 14th KM mark. This was easier said than done as there was a strong urge to check the time at each KM mark; however, I did resist the temptation.

When I finally looked at the watch after completing the 14th KM mark, I did surprise myself – the watch indicated 58:55, which is the fastest I have been able to run for an hour. What is more, I was leading the race with a sizable lead vis-à-vis the second runner. 

By the time the run came to an end, there were several positives that had emerged for me - All my experimental deviations from previous runs had worked well. I had managed to clock a new PB of 1:30:43 (bettering my previous PB by around 40 seconds); most importantly, I had managed to secure my maiden first position during a competitive run. However, despite all these extremely encouraging outcomes, the mind was just fixated on one thought – missed the sub 1:30 finish yet again.

Soon after the awards distribution, a fellow runner of foreign origin approached me and had a short but very meaningful conversation:

“Hey Buddy – Congratulations.” – said the fellow runner.

“Thanks” – I replied with a forced smile.

“What happened – you don’t look happy! I thought you won the race”

“Yes – I won the Half-Marathon…but…”

...Brief pause.

“But what?” – asked the fellow runner with a somewhat quizzical and amused look.

“But…I wanted to do a sub 1:30 finish and I missed it by 43 seconds.”

The fellow runner burst into laughter and after a few moments replied with all earnesty – “it’s a matter of time before you shave off these 40 odd seconds and get to sub 1:30 finish, but this moment won’t come every day.”

“…If I were you, I would really enjoy it buddy” – he added as he casually jogged away to get back to his friends.

It may have been a short little connect with a stranger but it certainly had me thinking. I realized the broader message he conveyed. We often commit the mistake of attaching too much importance to seemingly futile things and in the process miss the fun along the way. Post that conversation I continued to meet and greet several fellow runners and whenever someone asked me “how was the run?” my reply was simple and ecstatic:

“I won the HM race!!!” (…and there was no “but” thereafter…)

Sundeep Singh 

+91 - 98181 19794

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About the Author: By background, Sundeep Singh is a Mechanical Engineer from IIT Delhi and holds an MBA from IIM Kozhikode. Given his flair for mechanics and passion for running, he loves to analyze and write about the  finer nuances of running techniques / strategies.

Don’t “hit" the wall…just “blast” it!

If you have ever run a full-marathon or planning to run one, chances are that you would have heard about hitting the notorious “wall”. Simply put, it is a physical state where the body has completely run out of its easily usable fuel reserves. When that happens, the body is forced to stall mid-run and the runner is said to have hit the wall. In this article, we explore the underlying reasons and during-the-run fueling tips to avoid hitting the wall. 

“Hitting the wall” – a closer look
A running body operates on much the same principles as a running automobile. There is a fuel which undergoes necessary changes to release energy. This energy is used to produce motion – be it for an automobile or a runner. Given this construct, it all comes down to a simple equation – (i) how much fuel can a body store vs. (ii) how much fuel does the body need? 

Now for relatively smaller distances (say up to HM), the fuel that the body can store is sufficient to power the entire run. However, as one migrates to longer distances, the finite nature of body’s storage capacity becomes evident. Let us explore this a little more closely by looking at both sides of the equation:

(i) How much fuel can a body store?

• Carbohydrates are the main energy producing food. When we consume carbohydrates, these are broken into glucose and glycogen. Glucose is absorbed in the blood and circulates through the body – this is the most readily usable form of energy. Whatever energy is not needed immediately is stored in the form of glycogen reserves.
• There is a limit up to which a body can store glycogen. Different studies have revealed that a healthy human body can store up to 550 gms of glycogen (when appropriately carb-loaded).
•  In energy terms, 1 gm of glycogen corresponds to around 4 kcal of energy. 

So far, so good. These are fairly straightforward facts that characterize a human body. Let us now turn our attention to the second (and more interesting) part of the equation.

(ii) How much fuel does a running body need?

Clearly, the amount of fuel that a runner needs can be a function of multiple things. It can depend on aspects such as runner’s weight, running form, running economy etc. Even for a given runner, it can vary depending on the pace at which one runs. It is fairly intuitive that running at a faster pace would require greater fuel consumption as compared to running at a relaxed pace. Different studies have revealed that a runner typically needs around 3 to 4 gms of glycogen per min of running.

Understanding this fuel consumption rate for an individual runner is critical as it has implications in terms of when the runner may possibly hit the wall. This is fairly simple and can be computed by using typical running watches. All you need to know is the calories burnt and duration of run. For instance, following figure indicates how I can use the data from my TomTom watch to compute my fuel consumption rate for a fast run (say ADHM 2015 which is my PB for a HM) and a fairly relaxed pace (say closer to a full marathon pace):

A couple of obvious interpretations from this analysis:

• When I run fast, the fuel consumption rate increases. For instance, at a pace of 4:18, my fuel consumption rate is around 4.1 gm per min (as compared to 3.4 gm per min for a pace of around 5:34).
• Even if I run at a slower pace of 5:34, my fuel reserves (assuming ~ 550 gms) will only last for 162 mins (=550 / 3.4). In that time, a pace of 5:34 would have only taken me to around 30 km mark!! This is well short of 42.2 km mark that a full marathon requires me to cover. In the absence of appropriate fueling during the run, I face a risk of hitting the wall around that time.

This analysis highlights that there is a finite glycogen storage capacity for a human body and if the body needs to run beyond what this finite fuel can power, it has to rely on other fuel sources. This can come in the form of either burning fat (which is not ideal as burning fat requires significant oxygen intake, which is sub-optimal) or it can come in the form of replenishing glycogen reserves during the run (through during-the-run fueling). Let us look at this second option a little more closely.

Replenish the reserves during the run

The first step to understanding ways to replenish the reserves is to understand the “fuel gap”. Looking at the numbers from the analysis above, a pace of 5:34 would require me to run for a around 3 hours 55 mins to complete the full marathon. During this time, a fuel consumption rate of 3.4 gms per min would require me to consume around 798 gms of glycogen. Given that a healthy human body can store only around 550 gms I have a deficit of around 248 gms of glycogen, which I need to replenish (to be reasonably assured that I won’t hit the wall). 

Consuming power gels, bananas, energy bars, nuts and sports drinks during the run are some of the most commonly used ways to replenish the fuel reserves. Understanding the carbohydrate content in some of these common during-run foods may help one develop the right fueling plan. 

In the figure above, I have listed the carbohydrate content of the fuels that I usually carry for my long runs.

Overcome the wall

Why “hit the wall” when you have the option of “blasting” it through simple fueling related precautions! In more serious terms, one can certainly push the wall beyond 42.2 km mark by ensuring right fuel intake during the run. The key is to keep fueling the body before it is too late (remember – don’t wait for the fatigue signals to start fueling – by then, it may be too late).

I have thought through the fuels I plan to carry for SCMM full marathon in a couple of weeks. Have you? 

Sundeep Singh

+91-98181 19794

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About the Author: By background, Sundeep Singh is a Mechanical Engineer from IIT Delhi and holds an MBA from IIM Kozhikode. Given his flair for mechanics and passion for running, he loves to analyze and write about the  finer nuances of running techniques / strategies.

ADHM 2014 to ADHM 2015 - a memorable journey!

With its international status, Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM) is probably India’s biggest running event (or should I say a running carnival!). Anyone who ever participates at ADHM, takes along fond memories and experiences worth cherishing forever. This year’s ADHM was no exception – and having participated in ADHM 2015 (my second participation at ADHM), I have my own share of experiences. However, instead of focusing solely on the race day, I intend to share the build-up to ADHM 2015 culminating into the sweet memories on the race day.

Flashback at ADHM 2014:

There is a bit of background context that I need to share before coming to ADHM 2015, so let me take a step back and take you back to ADHM 2014 (i.e. last year), which happened to be my first participation at this grand event. I had gone into the event with a timing target of 100 mins (i.e. 1:40:00) – I had prepared hard for the big day and was very keen to achieve a sub-100 minutes half-marathon. After a bit of struggle and drag, I managed to complete the run in 103 minutes, missing the target by good 3 minutes. After crossing the finish line, I experienced mixed emotions – joy and despair - at the same time; joy for having completed the run, despair for having missed the target.

A few days later when I looked at the race day pics, the feeling of mixed emotions had primarily transformed into pure despair. It seemed like a sight of misery and struggle – far from what one would expect from a strong finisher. For the first time, I understood what people really refer to as “skeleton dance” towards the ending stages of long distance runs – dropping shoulders, loosely hanging wrists, unsteady head, fatigue written all over the face (see a snap from closing stages of last year's run).

Journey from ADHM 2014 to ADHM 2015:

So, with the dual disappointment of missing the target and a miserably “weak” finish, started the endeavor to improve for ADHM 2015. In my hope to raise the bar, I gave myself a timing target of 95 minutes this year (i.e. 1:35).

I realized that to improve as a runner, I had to focus not just on running skills, but the overall body conditioning – i.e. upper body strength, lower body strength, core strength and cardio-strength. I soon discovered that some of the best work-outs to improve overall body conditioning (for runners) are body-weight based workouts. After all, running is all about carrying body weight – possibly for a longer distance, at a faster pace!

What followed in the six months leading up to ADHM 2015 was a period of intense body weight work-outs - mostly focused on squats, lunges, burpees, pull-ups, chin-ups and push-ups. 

Primary work-outs for ADHM 2015: 

After about six months of grind, I was confident that I had a reasonably good chance of not demonstrating skeleton dance this year and also meeting the target of 1:35 (even though the best I had done till date was 1:39).

The night before the run, I was fairly anxious and couldn’t sleep till very late. I kept wondering how different scenarios might play out on the following morning. The last thought that probably crossed my mind before sleeping was that - previous year I had missed my target by three minutes, it would be nice to have my target miss me by three minutes this year. I decided not to put additional pressure on an already anxious mind and tried to stop the chain of random thoughts.

 29^th Nov 2015 – the race day

The day started with the usual race day rituals – early morning peanut butter sandwich, Enerzal, banana, energy bar etc. I had a clear view of what needed to be done at what time leading up to the 7:05 am start at Nehru Stadium Delhi. Once the race started, I kept reminding myself that it is a long distance run – and not a short distance sprint, so kept moving ahead at the planned pace and curbed the urge to go faster. I was cognizant of the mistakes from last year where first 5 K sprint played its part in last 5 K skeleton dance.

Out of habit, I kept glancing at my watch as I navigated through different KM marks:

• 1 KM 1: Time taken 4:30 mins
• 3 KM: Time taken 12:38 mins
• 5 KM: Time taken 21: 09 mins
• 10 KM: Time taken 42:36
• 14 KM: Time taken 59:45

…the timing at 14 KM mark for some reason triggered the same thought which I had the night before while sleeping – having my target miss me by three minutes was indeed a possibility! I decided to continue as per the pan for a few more KMs and really give it everything in the final 3-4 KMs.

By the time, I finished the race I had clocked a timing of 1:31:20 which was good 3 minutes 40 seconds faster than what I had targeted for the big day. What is more, I was able to wipe out the bitter memories of “skeleton dance” from the previous year’s ADHM. 

Sundeep Singh 

+91 - 98181 19794

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About the Author: By background, Sundeep Singh is a Mechanical Engineer from IIT Delhi and holds an MBA from IIM Kozhikode. Given his flair for mechanics and passion for running, he loves to analyze and write about the  finer nuances of running techniques / strategies.

Ace your Race at the right Pace!

The month of November is here, and so is Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM). On the 29^th of this month, runners of different ages, professions and nationalities will get on to the roads of Delhi to experience the eighth edition of this vibrant high energy running event. Different runners would have their own reasons to participate in the event. There would be some who would be there to experience the joy of running, some others would be there to experience the euphoria and intensity associated with this mega-event, there would be still others who would be there to achieve their personal timing targets. In case you happen to belong to that last category of runners (with aspirations to achieve your timing target), this article is probably going to be helpful for you.

Over the past few weeks, several running friends have approached me to discuss the best way to pace a Half-Marathon. Incidentally, many of them aspire to achieve a timing target of sub-2 hours at ADHM. Well, the reality is that Half-Marathon is a long distance and a lot can go right or wrong depending on how one paces the run. Additionally, there is no unique way in which two different runners can approach a race, even if they are gunning for the same target! In this article, I intend to illustrate a simple approach in which one can break the 21.1 Km (seemingly long and unmanageable stretch) into somewhat simpler and more easily manageable segments. For the purpose of illustration, I am taking the example of a timing target of 2-hr finish for the half-marathon.

Step 1: Assess the overall objective

If you are planning to achieve a timing of 2 hours for a half marathon, you need to achieve an average pace of 5:41 (mins:seconds) per Kilometer.

Average pace for 2 hr finish = 120 mins / 21.1 km = 5:41

The first question to be answered even before we get down to crafting a pacing plan is to ascertain if this is the right timing target. This is more of a subjective introspection than anything else. For instance, if you have recently clocked sub 2 hrs 10 mins then probably with a little bit of stretch there is merit in targeting 2 hours at ADHM. However, if your latest timing has been upward of 2 hrs 15 mins then probably 2 hrs target for ADHM is too aggressive.

Step 2: Understand the constraints and race-day conditions

This is probably the most critical step to appropriately plan a run and primarily involves two aspects – (i) understanding the race day conditions, and (ii) Understanding the current level of body conditioning (and pragmatic expectations of one’s own abilities). These are explained below:
  

Understanding race day conditions

There are several aspects that one needs to look at to understand the race day conditions. For instance, some of these could be (non-exhaustive list below):

• Negotiating crowd: If you are targeting a sub-2 finish, chances are that you have been lined up in sections B, C or D in the race start sections. This means you would have to negotiate crowd in the initial few kilometers, which means you will essentially run at a pace slower than the average target pace (which is actually not a bad thing as it allows the body to warm-up and is a desirable thing to do – crowd or no crowd).
• Race timing: Most of our local running events are designed to start the race at around 5:30 – 6:00 am. However, the Half-Marathon run at ADHM has a staggered start with section A starting at around 7:10 am, and then other sections starting with a time offset of around 5 mins. Hence, you will likely be running till around 9:15 to 9:45 am, and by that time sun would have assumed full effect. If you are one of those who does not necessarily enjoy running in the sun (like me), this may have an implication on your running pace in the last 4 to 5 kilometers.
• There may be other race day considerations such as elevation, humidity level, availability of hydration points etc., which may need to be factored into your running plan (some of these may not be big considerations for ADHM, as the course is fairly flat and the weather conditions are the best that one can expect for a running event; however, these would be big considerations for an event like Airtel Hyderabad Marathon).

Understanding current level of body conditioning
This is critical so that one can appropriately plan a pace for different segments of the race. Again, for the purpose of illustration, some of these considerations could be:

• Split timing: Unless, one is an elite runner, chances are that we are not gunning for negative splits (second half faster than the first half). During my training runs, I have found that I tend to take approximately the same time for the first 11 km, as I take for the remaining 10.1 km, i.e. in terms of timing, my time at 11 km mark tends to be the mid-point of the race. This could be an important input into my racing plan.
• Pace towards the end: Similarly, during the training runs one may observe that in the last 4 -5 km, average pace is around 20 – 25 seconds slower than the average target pace for the race. This is a common observation as by that time fatigue has already set-in and it adversely impacts the pace.

The above are some of the considerations that one may factor-in to develop a pacing plan. Please note that these are not exhaustive considerations, but just trying to illustrate what kind of aspects one can think through. Once we develop a thorough understanding of these constraints and considerations (and that really is the purpose of training runs), the next step is to put it all together in the form of actual race day pace plan. This is important as each consideration really has an implication in terms of how best to pace the race. For example, following figure highlights how each of the above considerations can be translated into a pacing implication:

No.	Constraint	What does it mean?	Pacing implication
1.	Timing at 11 km mark approx. represents the half-way mark (in terms of timing)	For a 2-hr target, need to cover first 11 km in 60 mins and next 10.1 km also in 60 mins	Average pace for: first 11 km is: 5:27 next 10.1 km is: 5:56
2.	Negotiating crowd in the first few kilometers will mean slower than average target pace	Average target pace for first 11 km is 5:27 (see point 1 above), but average pace for first 3 km would be around 20 - 25 seconds slower (let’s say 5:50)	Simple math will show that avg. pace:   for first 3 km is 5:50 for km 4 to 11 is 5:19 (this will allow one to achieve overall average pace of 5:27 for first 11 km)
3.	Fatigue and sun in the last few kms will slow me down	Average target pace for last 10.1 km is 5:56 (see point 1 above), but average pace for last 4.1 km would be around 10 – 20 seconds slower (let’s say, 6:10)	Simple math will show that avg. pace: for last 4.1 km is 6:10 for km 2 to 17 is 5:47 (this will allow one to achieve overall average pace of 5:56 for last 10.1 km)

Step 3: Put the plan together

As illustrated in the steps above, based on an understanding of race day conditions and our current body conditioning, we have segmented the overall 21.1 km into 4 segments as shown below:

Step 4: Follow the plan

Once you have done the due-diligence of identifying what formula works for you, the next important (and probably the hardest) step is to stick to the plan on the race day. For instance, the plan in the case we analyzed above is shown below: 

There invariably would be an urge to go faster than the planned pace in the initial few kilometers. However, it is important to keep following points on the radar:

• Do not try to beat your plan; after all, it is your own plan! If at all you had the ability to do better than the plan, it should have been factored into the plan in the first place.
• Having said that, it is important to listen to your body signals – if you constantly get a message that you can go faster than the plan (may be because of race day Adrenalin), conserve that energy for the last segment. Do not be lured by the desire to go faster in the initial few segments and risking your performance in the closing stages of the race. Remember you are more likely to realize your best timing potential by finishing strong (and not by starting strong).

I would just reiterate that each individual has to identify his / her own pacing plan for the race day (based on an understanding of self as well as the race conditions). The better one understands the real conditions and factors them into the pacing plan, the higher is the likelihood of beating the target on the race day.

All the best for ADHM 2015 and looking forward to meet you on the race day!

Sundeep Singh 

+91 - 98181 19794

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About the Author: By background, Sundeep Singh is a Mechanical Engineer from IIT Delhi and holds an MBA from IIM Kozhikode. Given his flair for mechanics and passion for running, he loves to deeply analyze the  finer nuances of running techniques / strategies. Sundeep ran his first half-Marathon on 12th Oct. 2014 and within less than a year of running, he achieved a personal best HM timing of 97 minutes. 

About Boot-Camp Yellow: Founded by coach Jatin Arora (in 2013), Boot-Camp Yellow is an outdoor workout experience that redefines fitness through structured training and sustainable nutrition. Our outdoor training offers broad programs that are suitable for any level of fitness. Our program is based on Cross-Fit methodology. For more details, please visit: http://www.bootcampyellow.com/. To book a trial class, call / whatsapp: +91-99104 09992

One year down - a life-time to go!

Last year, on 12^th Oct 2014, I had participated in my first running event (CRPF HM). As such, I am on the verge of completing my first year in the world of running. Given this context, the current edition of my Running Reflections holds a special significance for me. In this edition, I intend to look back at the year that just went by and share the learnings / experiences which I value the most.


During the course of last one year, my outlook towards running has assumed different shapes and forms – at different times during this short timeframe, I have viewed running as recreation, crazy passion, potential long-term profession, compulsive obsession...the list goes on. After all these fluctuating perspectives, I seem to be finally happy at just trying to be an ardent student of this sport for now. Like a typical student, I am starting this blog with three most important learnings I have had with respect to running. I am sharing these as I believe these are the areas that most beginners tend to get wrong.

My learnings from the first year of running

Learning 1: Technique matters!

By nature, running is simple – all it requires is moving quickly on the feet, something that most of us have done at some point in life. However, for someone who aspires to evolve as a runner and stay injury-free, this is slightly more nuanced. There are several finer elements that one needs to be aware of. For instance, there is so much to be learned about aspects such as stride length, cadence, arm swing, foot strike, body poster, pelvic rotation etc. Getting these finer nuances right is critical to running efficiently and expending minimal possible energy, which is important for running long distances.

This is one area where I have made maximum progress over the past year. Not because I have mastered the technicalities (in fact far from that), but only because I have started identifying these inefficiencies which is probably the most important step to start improving. For instance, as it stands today there are three areas that I am working on:

1. Instead of back and forth arm swing, my arm swing tends to be all over the place.
2. Shoulders should be kept steady (like headlights of an automobile) - for me shoulders tend to swing as I run.
3. Lastly, my foot-landing tends to be a heel-strike as opposed to a mid-foot strike. This is a common cause of knee injuries for runners.

A simple visual comparison with an accomplished runner can help elucidate these points. For example, compare the position of shoulders, elbow and foot-strike between me and Shshank Sir in the visual below (thanks to Coach Jatin for this analysis). Interestingly, both Shshank Sir and I are running at just about the same pace in these pics. It’s a different matter that I seem to be exhausted as if sprinting and Shshank Sir seems to be relaxed as if just brisk walking – that’s what proper running technique can do!

Learning 2: ‘One size fits all’ approach doesn’t work

Many of us have at some point entered search strings like – ‘sub-2:00 training plan’, ‘sub 1:45 training plan’ etc. in Google search bar. It certainly helps to understand what these typical training plans look like. However, over a period of time I have realized that these standard plans should not be adopted without appropriate customization.

The reality is that each body is unique and has its own training needs. Personally, I realized that there was sufficient ‘homework’ that I had to do even before something like a standard plan might be useful for me. This homework was required in the form of building the basic capabilities required for running (strength, cardio etc.). Even today, almost 70 - 75 percent of my training comprises of strength workouts and my average weekly mileage is relatively low compared to other runners (it tends to be around 25Kms per week).

The other important thing to note here is that training needs would differ by the type of race. For instance, the training focus prior to a race such a Hyderabad Half-Marathon (hilly terrain, high humidity) could be on building strength, endurance workouts etc. On the other hand, an event such as ADHM (flat course, cool weather) may require more of cardio workouts, interval runs etc.

Over the past few months I have tried hard to build different elements of workouts (other than running, of course) in my training regime.

Learning 3: If you have a race-day plan, stick to it!

The only mistake I consider bigger than ‘not having a plan’ is to ‘have one and not stick to it’. This is something I still find difficult to execute and till date AHM has been the only event in which I managed to stick to my race-day plan. On most other occasions, I have been guilty of deviating from my plan and eventually ending up with an inferior timing (compared to what I had planned for).

Moreover, it is interesting to note the factors that can lead to deviation from the race-day plan. On some days it tends to be the race day adrenalin which prompts me to run faster in the beginning. On other days it would be over-ambition or probably just lack of focus. Worst of all, there have also been instances when all it would take is an ‘unknown’ runner overtaking me and my petty ego prompting me to run faster, thereby screwing up the overall plan!

My most treasured moments from the first year of running

The journey over the past year has been full of magical moments / experiences. As I look back at the year and recollect the most treasured moments, can’t help think of the following moments.

There couldn’t have been a more auspicious start to my running journey than to meet my all-time idol Sachin Tendulkar minutes before my first run (CRPF HM). I recall how tears continued to trickle down and I kept staring blankly at the great man even after the race had started.

The journey was made special as I met some inspirational coaches, mentors and buddies along the way. Special thanks to Jatin Sir, Shshank Sir, Coach Ravinder Singh, Ash Nath and Aby Dee.

Finishing every race (big or small) was special, but none more so than finishing first Full Marathon at SCMM, completing Airtel Hyderabad HM and winning Rookie Runner of the Year Award in 2015.

…a big thanks to all who have been a part of my first year of running journey and I hope to have many such fun-filled running years ahead!

Sundeep Singh 

+91 - 98181 19794

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About the Author: By background, Sundeep Singh is a Mechanical Engineer from IIT Delhi. Given his flair for mechanics and passion for running, he loves to deeply analyze the  finer nuances of running techniques / strategies. Sundeep ran his first half-Marathon on 12th Oct. 2014 and within less than a year of running, he has achieved a personal best HM timing of 97 minutes.