Triathlete, marathon runner and long distance cyclist Mehak Kapoor says running has acquired a new social status, and cautions runners to avoid letting their competitive spirit turn runs into races.
Uski Run Meri Run Se Tez Kaise?
Have you ever observed when you are about to overtake a person running ahead of you with almost equal speed, he suddenly increases his speed. Ego pe mat le yaar, keep running your own race na.
More than half of the people who run, started running because someone else was doing it, or rather because everyone was doing it. Running is one of the most “in” thing today. We have a new social status in the country called a “runner.”
Outrunning others is the aim
If you ask these people what are their running goals, yes they will tell you everything, from timing improvement to more mileage to running stronger and better than themselves. They are lying! The running target truly is to run faster or run more distance than him/her. He has achieved sub 2, how can I lag behind? She has ran 50k, let me run a 100k.
Recently, I ran in an event and had a podium finish, before congratulating me, 90% of the people asked my timings! I had forgotten that the question “how was your run?” actually means “what was your timing?”
I have been associated with fitness and running for the past 4 years. My fitness mission is to motivate people to believe in themselves and accomplish the extra ordinary by being at their best self.
Measuring every single run
This competition is not just in a racing event, but in regular practice runs as well. Runs are turning into races and then there is endless cold wars on social media through running statistics. A lot of runners give up on fast running due to this pressure of pacing. They switch to ultras. Well, it is a different game of “who runs longer than whom” altogether.
All these runners don’t earn their living out of running! Mind you, these are amateur runners, they are office goers, home-makers, professionals, students: just ordinary upper middle class people who run but have forgotten or not discovered yet why they run.
Set your own goals
I am no one to tell what should be the purpose of running, it is each to his/her own. Yes that’s exactly what I intend to say “EACH TO HIS/HER OWN”. What formula worked for a given person, might not work for your life. Life is full of races, at work, at home, in one’s social circle, let’s keep running out of these races.
Running groups/event organizers would crucify me for writing this post, because they thrive on this competitive spirit of runners. But I am certainly not commenting on the mushrooming of running events here. In fact, I too am a founder of a running group in my home town Amritsar.
But I strongly believe in setting our own targets, and working diligently towards achieving our own goals.
Some running communities for women
Bootcamp Yellow group in Gurgaon
Mehak Kapoor has accomplished the International Olympic Triathlon in Delhi, and works as a fitness trainer and Business Head with NCR’s largest outdoor fitness community, Bootcamp Yellow. She is the founder of We Amritsar Runners, the first and largest running group in Amritsar, Punjab and the mother of two beautiful kids.