Attitude Prime - Attitude Prime - Attitude Prime Blog Mon, 22 Jul 2019 23:16:11 +0000 Joomla! - Open Source Content Management en-gb TRORT - 10 (Special Edition) TRORT - 10 (Special Edition)
Dear Participants, Thank you for making TRORT 10 Special Edition successful. Congratulations to all the finishers. By being part of this event you have also contributed to the needy in the society and have also helped them reach better heights. This year our proceeds goes to CHILDREN OF KRISHNAGIRI and SNEHAGRAM. Looking forward seeing you all in TRORT 011 with pleasant tough surprises. God bless you all. Please find the links to your photographs of the run at the following websites

For any support / queries w.r.t photographs please raise a support ticket here (NOTE : you need to log-in / register in order to raise a ticket)

  • marathon photos
  • TRORT photos
  • photographs from TRORT
  • Half Marathon
  • Full Marathon
  • 10k Run
    ]]> (Dr.Gladson Johnson) Run of Raramuri Mon, 30 Jul 2018 10:30:16 +0000
    TO DO…. OR….NOT TO DO (Shoes to Soles) TO DO…. OR….NOT TO DO   (Shoes to Soles)

    Never did I then knew that 21years later I myself am going to be a barefoot runner. This question was never answered till the day came where I had to learn it myself. Yes, that’s me. The unanswered questions to my child brain slowly started to be revealed to my “Soul” through my “Sole” .

    Is it good to do long distance running barefoot?? Absolutely YES. Our body has all it needs to survive in this planet earth. When it comes to foot the answer remains the same. It has all it needs to endure running mile after mile. Our foot is mechanically complex which makes it structurally strong. The foot has 26 bones, 33 joints and around 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments which acts towards structural mobility and stability, while the 3 arches namely the transverse arch, the medial longitudinal arch & the lateral longitudinal arch adds on to the complex shock-absorption system. Which means the foot is designed to run on highly uneven surfaces without losing balance and also propel the body to greater speeds without losing ground control or without any dangerous amplification of ground reaction forces which could convert into impact to damage any structures. Isn’t it amazing to know how well designed we are to run bare foot?

    But remember the entire body mechanics follows one rule. “What you don’t use…you LOSE”. Yes when such an enabled structure is not given its load appropriately it loses its skill. Which is what has happened to our foot and running abilities after the invasion of “ SHOES”. Hence when we decide to let go of them we need to apply a lot of thought to it. Remember shoes are only for protection and not to enable your running or support your foot as many shoe companies claim to be. Most of the runners today in the marathon world fall in the age category of 35-55yrs. The remaining age groups are relatively less but still occupy a good portion of the graph. And the unspoken factor is …we all have lived with some or the other footwear throughout our life. Hence entering into barefoot running becomes a bit of a risk to start with. But once you decide to let go your shoes there is NO real transition. Many follow a transition mode of more cushioned shoes to less cushion shoes and then to a zero drop shoe and then finally barefoot. Remember a covering on the foot is nothing but a shoe, however thin or thick it might be. Hence the first step and the only step to start bare foot running is barefoot walking and not minimalistic running. This calls you to literally stop focusing in events and start focusing in barefoot training.

    As I told you many runners are between the age group 35-55 , any changes made externally in the body takes a longer time to accommodate by the body. That’s why it is always good to start walking and give a good exposure to the feet of various terrains like tar roads, asphalt, lawns, muddy terrains and sand terrains like beach for a minimum of 8 weeks. This sets the tone for conditioning the foot towards various surfaces and also enables the foot and body to relearn its lost skills. Duration of barefoot walk could be restricted to 1 hour. During this phase blistering is common to start with followed by skin peeling too.

    Stage two is jogging on all the different terrains mentioned above. Keep in mind not to push harder with speed during this phase as the body is relearning how to take impact and diffuse impact. Duration of this jog could be restricted to 1 hour. This phase also lasts approximately 8 weeks.

    Stage three is to increase the duration of jogging beyond 1 hour. This stage too lasts approximately 8 weeks. Once you complete 24 weeks(6 months) you are now ready to practice speed trainings. You would also notice that the foot reflexes would have considerably increased during these 6 months of barefoot training, I mean your ability to withdraw your foot from the ground when sharp objects come in contact before they puncture your foot would be really rapid and swift. Run properly on barefoot ones sole does not callous but becomes leathery soft and smooth. But if you notice hard callous formations in the sole it clearly shows that the running form is erroneous. You need an experts observation for correction.

    Keep in mind I always suggest to run not more than 3 days a week so that you have atleast 3 days to practice strength and conditioning exercises. Strength and conditioning is the back bone for running and not just piling mile after mile.

    I am sure you will enjoy this journey from Shoes to Soles.

    • barefoot running
    • running
      ]]> (Dr.Gladson Johnson) Blog Fri, 25 Sep 2015 08:19:06 +0000
      Is your foot smiling with your shoe? With an all-time high number of runners present in the arena it’s a very encouraging sign to see people evolving towards a better lifestyle. In this article, I would like to expound on shoe selection for better running comfort. Remember the main purpose of wearing a running shoe is for protection and comfort while running and not for performance enhancement. And you should also know that you need to buy a pair of shoes which fits your feet and not try to fit your feet in any shoe. You need to know that the wrong selection of footwear might strain the joints of the leg and may lead to various injuries. Before selecting your running shoes you need to know your: 1, Foot Type 2, Foot Architecture.

      FOOT TYPE:

      This can be determined by a simple wet blot test, where you would step on a wet towel with bare feet and then place your foot on a dry paper to get an impression like any one of the below:

      Sole cage 1


      0 – High arch foot

      1 – Neutral foot

      2 – Mild Pronated foot

      3 – Hyper Pronated foot

      A high arch foot requires shoes which have more cushioning in the heel, since people with a high arch tend to land heavily on their heels. Neutral foot requires shoes which are flexible, light and minimally cushioned. A mild pronation foot requires shoes which have a mild and flexible arch support. People who have hyper pronated feet need to have a motion control shoe which will have a hard arch support. Again remember ….shoes which don’t fit you while you try them in the store will never get adjusted to you as you run with them. Rather you will be negatively adapt yourself to the shoe and this will eventually show up in terms of aches, pain and finally injuries.


      Foot architecture merely is the way your foot is designed on an appearance basis. It has mainly to do with the arrangement of toe length and the width of the fore foot. If you have never taken a look at your feet look at them now. They may resemble any one of the below mentioned architectures. Don’t get distracted by any of the names given but pay attention to the way the toes are arranged. The shoes which you decide to buy should be accommodative to the given foot architecture and should not constrain them. I mean the toe box of the shoe should be given equal importance while selecting one. Some women who have a broad fore foot find problems with major brands as, in general women’s shoes are narrow. My suggestion would be to switch to men’s models which have relatively broader toe boxes.

      sole cage 2 300x166

      Always bear in mind, you are not running at the mercy of a GOOD shoe. A good shoe is needed to support your running and not to enhance your running.

      • Foot Type
      • Foot Architecture
      • High arch foot
      • Neutral foot
      • Mild Pronated foot
      • Hyper Pronated foot
        ]]> (Dr.Gladson Johnson) Blog Mon, 27 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000
        Follow your nose Follow your nose

        For amateur runners who are just planning to enter into running I would advice a few very very basic things specific to running to avoid over-training and prevent injuries. F.E.D.S:

        • Follow your nose
        • Ensure arms and legs are coordinated
        • Do not wait to experience thirst or hunger
        • Stay


        Many runners run under the impression that it’s ok to breathe through the mouth while running. I am going to expound on this elaborately. The nose is designed in such a way that while we inhale oxygen the air gets filtered in the nostrils and then gets humidified before it reaches the lung. Only the humidified oxygen can get absorbed in the lung efficiently. Moreover, when we breathe out through the nostrils which are by design a narrow passage, we tend to prolong our exhalation compared to the sudden emptying of the lungs when we breathe out through the mouth. To keep the sport going, continuous flow of oxygen to all the working muscles need to happen at the ease of the body not at the cost of stressing it out by forcing dry air through the mouth.

        Secondly, nose-breathing is not all about the oxygen you take in and out. Remember, our heart rate is influenced by our breath rate too. (That’s why granny at home advices to take a deep breath in when she sees her grandson coming home stressed) Since we cannot influence the heart rate directly we can have good control of it through regular nose breathing. A sustained calm breathing keeps the cardiac rhythm smooth. I do admit as an avid runner that it is not that easy to run always by breathing in and out through the nose, but I should also say that it’s not impossible. One needs to build his running ability along with proper nose breathing. The priority should be proper breathing rather than covering those miles. Because whenever you tend to run at the cost of panting through your mouth that is not the zone at which your cardiovascular system is at ease.


        This is the second essential. When you build your ability to run right, from those few hundred meters, you also need to know how to use your upper body efficiently by swinging your arms in rhythm with your legs. Swinging your arms consistently increases pace and also reduces the amount of impact which passes through the spine, hip, knee & ankle. One could run lighter by just swinging his/her arms while running. This is also the base in Chi-Running.


        While running or training to run, it is always preferable to be on the smarter side when it comes to the body’s needs. Do not wait for the body to give signals like thirst and hunger. Keep hydrating the body at regular intervals like once in 1km or once in 2km. Instant energy while running can only be derived from fluids or gel sources; not from solid sources of food. But then why consume solid sources? It is to only prevent hunger signals coming from the body so that the blood circulation is constant between the running muscles, lungs and heart and not re-routed to the gut for digestion.

        Don’t wait till you feel thirsty or hungry, but keep feeding the body in regular intervals so as to prevent cramps and dehydration before they could take you by surprise and ruin your marathon experience.


        Beyond everything….give time for your body to adapt to the new change you are inducing in the form of running. Remember, when you start with a 10k plan, stay there for at least 1 year. In the second year you may mile up to 21k and post the third year of consistent training one might shoot to 42.2k. When we don’t give this time required for our body to adapt we are opening doors to injuries.

        Final word : DO NOT PRIORITIZE MILEAGE OVER TECHNIQUE. If you can’t maintain the said technique you better not run any further. Because your run should be a game of quality not quantity.

        ]]> (Dr.Gladson Johnson) Blog Fri, 24 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000
        Keep your HEART-LINE going: Heart-rate based training. Keep your HEART-LINE going: Heart-rate based training.

        The cardiovascular system, which consists of the heart and the lung deserves due training to become adaptable towards all kinds of physical strain. Marathon running being an endurance sport is also “full impact” in nature and hence increases the strain on the cardio vascular system significantly. Hence, to keep the sport risk-free, one needs to indulge in “Heart-rate based training”. The goal of this training is to adapt the heart to various heart rate zones, making it easy on the heart when it is exposed to varying heart rates.

        What Heart Rate Monitoring is NOT.
        Let me clear the air of myths surrounding the runner's world regarding “Heart Rate Monitoring” . A heart rate monitor is not to monitor whether you are “blowing up” your heart or not. It is made to believe that running beyond a particular heart rate may be counter productive or risky. The body is not governed by knowledge but intelligence. That means it is not directly controlled by us but by our “Autonomic Nervous” system. The autonomic nervous system governs all the internal functioning like metabolism, digestion, assimilation, absorption. There are other factors other than exercise intensity which influences the heart rate too. For example if you take a roller coaster ride or any other amusement rides for the first time, you tend to experience a sudden rise in heart rate. It does not that mean you are exercising harder. Our anxiety levels also reflect in heart rate elevation. That is why on a race day our heart rate is slightly higher than our training heart rate by approximately 10bpm. Do not keep staring at your heart rate monitors to see whether you are going over board or not. If you are going over board all that will happen is you will enter fatigue zone and the body will just force you to drop speed or stop. You will not end up with a cardiac arrest.

        What is Heart Rate Based Training?

        A heart rate based training is basically to get your heart familiar with sustained heart rates for longer times in different zones. Without proper cardiac conditioning it is very likely that we push harder with an untrained heart and run in a “Fatigue Zone” which makes the body very vulnerable to musculo-skeletal injuries. Let me explain this – only when you run or train to run with sustained heart rate zones will all your muscles and other structures which are involved in running get a steady flow of oxygen and constant removal of metabolic waste products at a cellular level. This enables running and the contrary hampers performance and leads to injuries. This is why many runners get injured in the latter half of any race and not during the first half.

        To train in a heart rate based program you need to calculate your target heart rate. The Karvonen formula is the best, in my view.


        .I would not say they are accurate but atleast valid from a reference point of view. Based on this formula one may derive his 60% Max Heart Rate (MHR), 70% MHR, 80% MHR, 90% MHR.

        Validity on a practical stand point:

        This is the verdict. Once the various percentages are calculated one needs to start sustaining those heart rates for longer durations like gradually from 3km to 40km. Also, when the body enters the fatigue zone you will see the heart rate creeping higher and performance starts dropping. The idea is to train the heart to sustain and not push it in the fatigue zones. Beginners might enter the fatigue zone very soon. But don’t worry. Once you enter the fatigue zone you need to stop or slow down. Do not prioritize distance over fatigue. If you do so you may delay your own cardiac conditioning. Train smart.

        To add further more validity to heart rate monitoring you may cross refer the pace. As your ability to sustain a particular heart rate pace increases you should also see that your pace should increase eventually at the same heart rate without any additional increase in heart beats. This does takes a while but shows a different paradigm of endurance achieved. Hence my view is that heart rate conditioning should always be mapped in cross comparison to pace for better training results and higher cardiac endurance.

        Have a great training ahead folks.

        • Heartrate
        • HEARTLINE
        • musculoskeletal system
        • Cardio vascular system
        • Autonomic Nervous
 (Dr.Gladson Johnson) Blog Fri, 20 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000
          Running Long Distances Safely Running Long Distances Safely

          Lets look into various practical parameters where one needs to look deep into to ensure safety. These are my one listing of safety measures as a runner. Adhering to these would make a runner seasoned over time without doubt.

           TRAINING: This one word is the bible rule in safety. When I say training I mean the amount of time spend in preparing oneself for a marathon. There is no short cut. One needs to spend time in training. Running is an endurance sport. Hence it is not just enough that one includes only running as part of his training, but needs to add a good strength training program and a flexibility program so that the bearing capacity of the body to endure running increases.

          Secondly, while one enters to start running at a 10K level my suggestion here would be to stay in one category for atleast one whole year and then graduate to 21K in the second year and then 42K in the third year. Only then there is sufficient time for all the internal systems like cardiac system, metabolic system, neurological system, endocrinal system and musculo skeletal system to adapt to the tremendous stress placed on it in the form of running. When we expect too much too fast …then we are already preparing ourselves for our own disaster which might take us by surprise. Never see it.

          Heart Rate Zone: This is the next important factor one needs to look into while training and while performing for an event. Monitoring devices comes handy these days that one may use for training towards a run. Monitoring ones heart rate enables a person to train himself in various heart rate zones. Hence it is very important to train your heart at different zones so that your heart eventually adapts to bear higher levels of stress for extended periods of time.

          Also during any event where one generally tends to become competitive and try to push his or her ownself beyond the heart rate zone in which one has trained may prove fatal sometimes. Hence my suggestion here would be stay in zones of heart rate for which you have trained for always. A 10% of push during an event is acceptable but not beyond that.

          Recovery time: Understand one truth. The body is one masterpiece by our creator. But sometimes it does not behave it self only when we don’t ALLOW it to. What I mean here is in our urbanized lifestyles there is always more time spend in DOING and very less time spend in UN-DOING. Running is not just an endurance sport it is a full impact sport too on all our systems. Hence without adequate recovery time between running days one is always at the risk of accumulating additional physical stress which might always by “standing on a bomb” situation.

          Remember all the systems in our body perform the best only when recharged(recovered). Hence we need to allow that to happen. Recovery does not necessarily mean do nothing. In my opinion I would not suggest running on consecutive days. Rather run on alternate days not more than 3 days per week and spend another 3 days in building strength and flexibility hence the body actively recovers.

          In total 5-6 days of training in any form is adequate and 1-2 days one may take off thoroughly from physical activities. As an beginner one might need more time to recover. Hence running 2 days per week and strength and flexibility training for another 2 days would be a good start.

          Sleep: The most underestimated part is all what we do is “Sleep” . Sleep is a gift from GOD and one of the most efficient ways to recover faster. It is only about the number of hours but also the quality of sleep which really matters. Sleep restores balance into our systems. Tissue repair and healing is promoted faster through good sleep. I have come across seasoned runners who suffer “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” a condition where despite of good training over a period of time performance keeps coming down progressively. This is a very dangerous condition not for a non-runner but definitely for a runner, because when a seasoned runner sees that his or her performance is dropping down they tend to push themselves harder to achieve, not realizing that the body is underperforming because of lack of recovery and many a times in running history have proved it “FATAL”.

          Absolute abstinence from high intensity training should be done if the above condition is identified. Massage would help to enable relaxation and induce some amount of sleep too. A dietician advice would be mandatory in order to add nutritious intake for faster recovery. If sleep still suffers a sleep therapist needs to be contacted for assistance.

          Basic medical tests: There are two levels to this and both are mandatory and ensure your safety. I call it the “Macro level tests” and the “Micro level tests”. Macro level testing involves

          1.  Echo cardiogram and an ECG for the heart.
          2.  Lipid Profile to test your cholesterol levels.
          3.  Blood sugar levels.
          4.  Liver function test.
          5.  Renal function test for your kidney functioning.
          6.  Pulmonary function test for the lungs.
          7.  Blood Pressure.
          8.  Thyroid hormone levels.

          All the above test needs to be discussed and interpreted by an Physician and intake of drugs not to be ignored if prescribed by the Physician. These are vital regulatory functioning of the body and hence any imbalance in them might hamper exercising and hence your physician should be well informed about all your activities in terms of exercises. If one is on drug for any of the above mentioned you MUST regularly meet your physician once in a quarter or as per how he advices.

          Micro level testing involves the following. These parameters if altered may not prove fatal but might disturb your exercising cycle for sure and may not keep your running enjoyable

          1. Vitamin D3.
          2. Vitamin B12
          3. Serum ferritin
          4. Hb count.
          5. Vitamin E
          6. Calcium
          7. Sodium & Potassium levels.

          If any of the above said micro level are found deficient then you need to again meet your Physician and need to be supplemented thoroughly till you overcome the deficiency.

          Red Flag: Since there are so many marathons happening in various parts of the world and most of the runners would just land there the previous day and not be acclimatized to the condition it is very likely that the race day might me unpredictable on a lighter note in terms of altitude levels, humidity, terrain stress like incline/decline etc.
          Hence need to watch out for any of the red flags before it is too late. Idea is not to see the red flags at all.

          • Level of perspiration: The amount one would normally sweat will be known to ones ownself. Hence if you find yourself sweating more it is definitely a heat stress in the form of temperature or humidity. Hence electrolyte and glucose has to be adequately replaced by consumption.
          • Water loss: Loss of water can be detected by thirst or sweat becoming very salty that when it flows on your eyes it may burn. Replace water before your systems may dehydrate.
          • Electrolyte loss: This can be easily detected by the taste of sweat becoming sweet like water and not salty. Hence replace electrolytes.
          • Dizziness: This could say that the body is going to shut down due to any existing weakness like fever(my own experience in Mumbai this year), extreme levels of dehydration or drop in sugar levels or blood pressure. Do not push beyond. Take assistance immediately.

          We all have grown up as runners at different calibers. Now is the time to evolve as RESPONSIBLE runners. Because the honest truth is running seldom kills but shows you who you really have MADE yourself to be.


          • Training
          • Recovery
          • Sleep
          • Medical Tests
          • Red Flag
   (Dr.Gladson Johnson) Blog Tue, 10 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000
            The natural knee brace – The IT Band The natural knee brace – The IT Band

            For your information, let me reveal the first secret: The ITB is NOT a muscle. It is technically called a “fascia” which means a thick chord-like strand which has barely any or very little elasticity. The ITB primarily provides stability to the knee joint when the knee is in continuous action like walking, running, climbing etcetra. It runs in the outer part of the thigh from the hip to the knee.

            But then, how can a structure, which has least elasticity create tension in the knee like other muscles which are far more elastic in nature??

            The answer to it is though the ITB is not so elastic in nature, it is attached to elastic muscular structures at one end called the “Gluteus” muscle. Hence when the Glutei muscles are tight or weak they can exert tension in the ITB, which would result in a pain in the outer part of the knee.

             This irritability in the outer part of the knee is called as ‘Ilio Tibial Band Syndrome’ or ‘ITBS’. Common reasons for ITBS are:

            • Lack of proper warm up before running and lack of stretching after running.
            • Lack of proper strengthening exercises on a regular basis.
            • Improper running forms like too much of in-toeing.
            • Excessive hill training without proper rest periods for recovery.

            Apart from the above mentioned reasons, rapid weight loss around the waist can also cause ITBS as the core and the body has to adapt to the body’s changes which impact how it bears weight.


            Recovering from ITBS is as difficult as many of us believe it to be. But it requires adequate stretches, strengthening and a bit of rest. As I have told you, the ITB is not a muscle, it’s a hard fascia structure which is less elastic. The muscles to which the ITB is attached are the Glutes and the Lateral Quadriceps. Hence to make the ITB more mobile and supple the adjoining muscles to which the ITB is attached has to be made more flexible and strong.

            Ensure your natural knee brace stays “BRACED” always.

            Below are a series of stretches and strengthening exercises to treat and prevent ITBS




            This is a glute and a deep hip stretch. You need to lie on your back and pull the knee towards the centre of your chest and hold it firm there while you pull your foot towards the floor using the other hand. You need to hold it there for 20 seconds and repeat it three times. It eases the proximal attachment of the ITB.





            This is a direct ITB stretch. You need to sit on a firm surface with one ankle on the other knee. Then gently press the knee down and bent towards the ankle. Hold this position for 20 seconds and repeat three times on each side.




            This is a strong quadriceps stretch. You need to kneel on a cushioned surface and place the other foot on the ground firmly. Then fold the foot towards the butt. Hold this position for 20 seconds and you may repeat it 3 times on each side. Ensure that the knee cushioning is adequate for comfort.






            This is an inner thigh stretch. This needs to be done in combination with the other stretches to ease out the tension in the ITB. You need to sit against a wall with your back well supported and feet against each other. Then gently press the knees down towards the floor and hold it for 20 seconds and repeat it 3 times.


                                    itb6      itb7 


            The free squats are a basic form of strengthening the quadriceps and the glute muscles. Amateurs may do these without weights and elite exercisers may do them with a pair of dumbbells or barbells. You may do it in 3 sets with repetitions of 18,15,12 in consecutive sets for good strength gains.

                                    itb8      itb9


            The elevated back foot lunges are amazing for strength gains in the glute and quadriceps muscles. They are tougher than squats. Again for amateurs, you may do it without weights by placing the back foot on an elevated platform and lunging by bending both the knees simultaneously. For greater strength gains you may do 3 sets of them with repetitions of 18, 15, 12.

            • itb
            • ITBand
            • stretching
            • ITBS
     (Dr.Gladson Johnson) Blog Fri, 30 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000
              The Runner’s fore engine - The upper body It’s amazing to realize how our body functions in times of calm and in times of crisis. The astonishing fact is that the body which we possess is auto-regulating and modifiable in its functioning according to the environment. Our physical adaptability is also way higher than any other living creature on this planet. This is the reason why we have out-grown from a planet which was animal dominated into a planet which is human dominated. The dinosaurs have become extinct but we have not. We have overcome all the catastrophes, which this world has experienced and survived while many other species ended up.

              But many of our physical capabilities are not utilized due to our current lifestyles and hence these abilities gradually vanish off from our human system. Hence when we start with any activity we need to gradually start conditioning our bodies in terms of building strength, flexibility and endurance in order to evoke our dormant capabilities. Failing to do so invites injuries.

              Runners generally have a notion that running is all about our legs. Hence many runners focus on strength building or flexibility building only for the legs. This creates an imbalance between the upper and the lower halves of the body creating an imbalanced running engine.

              So how important is our upper body in running? Is it really essential to train it? How? Why?

              The upper and the lower halves of the body function like two inter-dependent engines while running. Both compliment each other. The lower body or the ‘rear engine’ of runner has its primary function as ‘PUSH’. Each time one would land on the foot the legs take the impact and push the person off the floor. As I had mentioned in my earlier article, the impact received in our legs is approximately twice our body weight.

              This is where the role of our ‘Fore-Engine’, the upper body, is very crucial. The upper body has its primary function as ‘PULL’. When the upper body is properly used in terms of arm swinging along with proper core stabilization this engine not just pulls the body off the ground but also minimizes the impact on the lower body an hence reducing the chances of impact related injuries in the lower body. Hence upper body training is mandatory. It has to start with flexibility training and then with strengthening. I have listed a few exercises below. Get ready to fuel your fore engine and maximize your running efficiency.


              Hold each of the below stretches for at least 10 slow breadths or 30 seconds.


              This is an arm relaxer, place the hand on the wall with the fingers pointing down.




              In stage two, try to turn your body away from your hand to experience a stretch throughout your arm.


              This stretch opens the rear shoulder. Place the reverse part of the wrist on the waist.



              Then gently pull the elbow inwards to experience the stretch from the shoulder through the arm.


              This is a neck relaxer. Gently pull the head to the side to experience a stretch in the side of the neck.


              This stretch stretches the entire ‘Lat’ group of muscles. Hold the elbows against each other and bend sideways.

              Strengthening exercises


              Push-ups strengthen a variety of upper body muscles including in the shoulders, chest, back and core. They build the required strength and stability to efficiently conduct day-to-day activities or undertake athletic pursuits, minimizing the risk of injury. Ensure proper form by keeping your head, back, glutes and legs in a straight line. Build up to about three sets of 15 repetitions each.


              Pull-ups and chin-ups can be done at the gym or on a sturdy bar at home or tree trunk in a park. Like the push-up, these are highly effective upper body strength building exercise. For a pull-up, grab the bar with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder width and palms faced away from you. Pull up till your chin as on par with or above the bar. Pause for a second and lower yourself. Pull-ups work the back and biceps. Chin-ups are very similar, but your palms face towards you. Build up to three sets of 15 repetitions each.

              Pull-ups and chin-ups can take some time to master if your upper body is considerably weak to begin with. You can start by standing on a bench, getting into position, and then letting yourself hang and lift. You could also do individual repetitions, taking a break after each, till you build the requisite strength.


              Triceps dips work the triceps, the muscles on the back of your arm. Sit in front of a chair, bench or bed with your legs extended in front of you. Lift yourself up with your arms and lower. Make sure, the arms are doing the work. Build up to three sets of 15 repetitions each.

              • stretches
              • Strengthening exercises
              • Pullups
                Strain not your groin! With the increase in multitudes taking the plunge into marathon running, more are the number of athletes getting injured too. Injuries need not plague the running community. Proper awareness and guidance can help you not just overcome injuries but prevent them too at a much earlier phase. In this issue we are going to examine groin strains and look at ways to avoid them by understanding the injury mechanism in depth.

                Groin muscles are called the “Hip Adductors” – they are situated in the inner region of the thigh. Their primary action is to bring both thighs together and to stabilize the hips (pelvis). But this action significantly changes when the same muscles are subjected to running. Remember, distance running is an endurance sport. That means it involves thousands and thousands of repetitions of the limbs. Hence, this repetition combined with movement and speed converts into “IMPACT”. This impact makes and breaks too.

                For example, when impact goes through our body, it makes our bones stronger, increases our metabolism and so on. On the other hand, if this impact passes through structures (muscles and bones) which are not strong or flexible enough to imbibe this impact, it results in muscular strains, sprains or ruptures. Groin injuries are very common and they take longer time than other injuries to recover, owing to the following mechanics behind them.

                The hip adductor muscle, which is the main muscle in the groin region, stabilizes the hip while running. This is the reason our hips do not swindle (like when cat walking), while running. When we shift weight to one leg while lifting the other leg in the air while running - this is the phase when the groin muscles take the maximum load during the run. Hence, if this muscle is excessively stiff, its ability to absorb the impact will also be significantly less, paving way for a near-groin strain.

                Another instance where the groin could get strained is…guess what? As I had mentioned earlier the groin muscles (Hip Adductors) are the hip stabilizers. The hip is also stabilized by another strong group of muscles called the “Core Muscles”. If the core muscles are weak or not trained regularly, the groin muscles (Hip Adductors) will have to work harder to compensate for core weakness and hence get injured soon.

                Treating and preventing groin injuries

                Acute management requires icing and rest for symptoms to be relieved. Then the following exercise in the form of stretches helps to get them back to shape. These stretches need to be done in this combination, as when the groin is strained the surrounding muscles also need to be addressed since they too may contribute to the problem.

                Get back sooooon….

                Stretch 1




                This stretch is a primary hip opener, stretching the “Illio-Psoas” muscle. The knee on the ground needs to be cushioned. The stretch force comes by pushing the hip forward. The leg forward will get a hamstring stretch. And the leg on the cushion will get a front hip stretch on the Illio Psoas muscle.






                This stretch is a direct hip adductor stretch. The seating surface should be lower than the knee height. Stretch force comes by pushing the knees apart.





                This is a hamstring stretch. Where one leg is kept ahead of the other and by arresting both the knees you need to bend forward. The hamstring in the forward leg would get stretched. Hamstring tension adds to the groin strain and hence needs to be addressed in this combination.






                The last in this combination is the outer hip and the IT band stretch. While lying down pull the foot with both hands towards the face. The stretch will be appreciated in the outer thigh and the butt region.

                • Groin muscles
                • stretch
                • hamstring stretch
                • IT band stretch
                • IT band
                  The Runner's 'Soul'...SOLEUS The Runner's 'Soul'...SOLEUS
                  The calf muscle technically is a composition of three major muscles, namely, ‘gastrocnemius’, ‘plantaris’ and ‘soleus’. Amongst these three muscles, gastrocnemius and plantaris are built for strength-related activities like sprinting and climbing. It is only the soleus, which is built for endurance activities like marathon running and long distance cycling among others.

                  Unfortunately this muscle is given little or no importance and this paves way for some of the deadliest running world injuries like:

                  • Achilles Tendonitis
                  • Retro Calcaneal Bursitis
                  • Calf Muscle Strain
                  • Plantar Fasciitis

                  The soleus muscle is also of great importance when it comes to blood circulation to the leg. This muscle is otherwise called the ‘peripheral heart’, meaning, this muscle acts as a pump to push blood from the legs back to the heart.
                  It is essential to stretch this muscle before and after exercises or running. Failing to address this muscle in the form of stretches would result in tightening of this muscle and reduced efficiency of the muscle to sustain repetitive movement and hence the proximal and the distal structures namely the gastrocnemius, Achilles and plantar fascia starts to compensate for the loss and end up straining themselves resulting in any one of the above mentioned injuries.
                  These injuries could result in severe heel pain, arch pain, pain in the calf and sometimes mechanical knee pains too as the gastrocnemius muscle originates behind the knee joint. Observing any of the above symptoms one needs to ice it and inculcate a structured stretching and strengthening regimen for the soleus and gastrocnemius muscled as shown below. Ensure these muscles are always flexible and strong.
                  Save your soul……Run with it always. Injury freeee.

                  Exercises to stretch and strengthen the soleus and gastrocnemius

                  Seated Outer Calf Stretch

                  calf stretcth

                  Sit on the floor and extend your right leg before you. Lean forward with your torso, extend your left hand to grasp the right foot and pull it inwards. This gives a nice stretch to the outer calf muscle. Hold for 5 -10 slow breaths. Repeat with the left leg. If you are not able to extend the legs out straight, bend the knee slightly.

                  Seated Calf Stretch

                  seated calf stretch

                  Remain seated on the floor. Extend your right leg before you. Lean forward with your torso, extend both hands towards your right foot, pulling it towards your body to give a deep stretch to the calf muscle. Hold for 5 -10 slow breaths. Repeat with the left leg.

                  If leaning forward is difficult, you can perform the stretch with an exercise band or a towel (as below).



                  Seated Soleus Stretch


                  seated soleus stretch

                  Sitting on the floor, extend one leg forward but with the knee bent at an angle of roughly 120 degrees and the leg supported by placing the heel on the floor with toes pointed upwards. Lean forward and pull the foot of the extended leg towards your torso to stretch the soleus. Hold the stretch for 5 -10 slow breaths. Repeat with the other leg.

                  Standing Soleus Stretch

                  standing soleus stretch

                  Stand with a small foam roller of about three-inch diameter placed approximately a foot behind you (you can use a rolled up rug or carpet). Bend forward and extending one leg behind, placing the foot on the roller. Stretch the foot of the extended leg towards the floor, trying to touch the ground with your heel. Hold for 5-10 slow breaths. Repeat with the other leg.

                  • runner's soul
                  • soleus
                  • Calf Muscle Strain
                  • Calf Stretch
                  • Seated Soleus Stretch
                  • Standing Soleus Stretch