The World of Running

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-winning podcast of the same name and co-host of Running 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

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. Related EpisodesSubscribe to our newsletter for weekly workouts that will help your running.

At Run Mechanics, we have analyzed more than 200 runners and almost 95% of them had weak hips. This could be pelvic drop, pelvic tilt, hip rotation, etc.  Whether one is a seasoned marathoner or just starting out on their running journey, the strength and mobility of your hips can make or break your performance.  Poor hip mechanics manifest in more ways than one while running - weak glutes resulting in un-optimal stride, extreme fatigue in lower legs, unstable pelvis, pelvic drop, and a whole host of injuries.   In this episode we had Aravind of Team GeeksOnFeet, who is also co-founder of RunMechanics join us to discuss how to master hip mechanics to become a better runner.  Aravind is a certified running gait analyst. We have discussed various topics including: Common issues that cause  poor hips mechanics How to assess your hip mechanics Framework for building good hip mechanics  Workouts that will help you to build good hip mechanics  This podcast episode is sponsored by Athlos.  Athlos started with the aim to know what it takes 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 Resources: Perfect your hip mechanics How to Improve Running Stride How to prevent Overstriding Improve Hip Flexion for Better Running Importance of running form

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: Endurance Training for Ultra Marathons Malnad: An Ultra to Reckon Trail Blazers - Let's Talk Running

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: What is unique about the training that sets Kenyans apart? How many miles do they put in a day or week? How do they recover from their hard training? What is their nutrition like? How do they preventing injuries? 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 Supplements for Runners Marathon Training Breaking 3 Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly workouts, and tips that will help your running

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: Nutritional Foundation for Runners Common nutritional deficiencies in runners that need supplementation Why and When to take supplements Pre-Run Supplements During Run/Race Supplements Post Run Supplements Periodization of Supplements 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

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. Journey to Sub 3-hour marathon Training approach Handling the progress plateau Role of a coach/mentor Mental preparation & handling race anxiety 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 Principles of Endurance Training for Runners Volume, Intensity, Polarization, and Periodization in Training How to bring Specificity and Individualization to Training Training Considerations for Women and Masters Runners 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 Supersport Dubai. He also founded and operates the popular international running club House 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

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 how running helps to better our metabolic fitness using metabolic metrics & insights in our running and importantly how metabolic fitness can help our running goals. 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 Twitter and Instagram

In this episode, host Aditi Pandya discusses the topic of Strength training for runners with fitness coach Swetha Devaraj. Benefits of strength training for runners Importance of right posture in strength training Strength training for improving triple extension in running Approach to strength training for beginners vs. advanced runners and much more 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 newsletter for 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.

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 The concepts of tapering How tapering differs from different formats of running What are the key activities to do during tapering How to plan taper from week to week till the race day Tapering for goal vs. non-goal races Considerations of travel and jet lag for overseas races 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. Evolution of running shoes The art & science of shoe selection Performance, biomechanics, and running shoes Future of 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 Basics of running shoes ShoesGeeks.in - India’s first running shoe community Shoe Guides Shoe Reviews

In this episode, we talk about the various aspects of 5K training for beginners and advanced runners.  Topics covered in this episode - Volume vs Intensity for 5k training Muscle build-up and recruitment Building aerobic and anaerobic efficiency VO2 max and interval training Determining paces for your training runs Pacing, drafting & other strategies for optimizing race day performance 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 Interval training basics that Event Runners needs to know [https://www.geeksonfeet.com/run/intervaltraining/] Understanding VO2 Max [https://www.geeksonfeet.com/run/vo2maxgraphic/] Lactate threshold and how Tempo runs help in building speed endurance [https://www.geeksonfeet.com/run/tempo/] You can write to us on connect@geeksonfeet.com  You can also follow us on twitter, instagram and facebook at geeeksonfeet.

In this 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 at connect@geeksonfeet.com  You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at geeeksonfeet.