Conversations with a Centurion

a master marathoner

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash...

Running marathons with its variations has become a great sport in the last few years. All for good, it helps us in keeping ourselves fit ,for most of us :), creates challenges and is a means to create a professional community of like-minded people. Being an active runner for the last few years and a walker for many decades :) it was a pleasant surprise to find that my classmate was a super runner and had been at it for last many decades.

Ramasubramanian (I will call him Ram for short), nicknamed 'Papa' by our college was the short in stature, gentle, childlike guy whom we all knew. None of the 180 students in our batch could have imagined his hidden talent. For the tamizh word 'Papa' literally means baby, kid or toddler :)

Ram achieved the path-breaking feat of running 100 Full Marathons since his first in Dec 2013. In the last year alone, he ran 75 marathons! which averages 1-2 per week. He is not stopping with this and in his own words, he is on to do the second 100 in a shorter time frame.

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Here is a conversation I had with Ram on his achievement and running in general.
Q. When did you start running long distance 10k and more? 

Ram: The first 10 km run was in 26.1.97, in an event organised by our refinery club. Entered my name in a whim. Before that, it was all 5-6 kms a day and not very regular; used to run about 4-5 days a week. In the 10km event, I came first, surprising myself more than others. That was the real, solid motivation I needed. After that, I participated in all the annual events of the club, all 10 kms runs for the next 15 years and most of the times came first.  Gradually the runs became a daily routine, though I was in the 5-7 kms bracket only. Honestly, don't believe 10 kms falls in the marathon category. As it doesn't challenge the runner in any way.

Raju: Wow, that is quite a journey in 20+ years.

Q. When did you start running half or full marathons?

Ram: First HM was in Mangalore city, sometime in 2010. By then, my daily coverage was about 10-12 kms, every single day. That was the first time the city organised a HM. My colleagues were slightly worried; the club secretary and a couple of colleagues escorted me all along, despite my serious protests. Felt like some bigwig, and very embarrassed too. Finished nicely in 105 min, may be less. Didn't get any prize, except a bouquet from the chief guest. And, I had arrived on the marathon map, without a hitch. And my colleagues were happier than me. Closely followed with HM in Mangalore beach, Udupi, Chennai, all before retiring from formal work in 2012.

First FM was in 2013, Dec Chennai Wipro. Timing was 4 hrs,10 min. Got some solid cash prizes in the first two FMs.

After retirement, the daily runs became a steady 18-20 kms. Since then, the graph has kept going up. 

Raju: Daily Runs 18-20 kms! I can’t imagine doing this… Consistent and superlative effort which has paid off :)

Q. Have you been running solo or in a group since the time you started?

Ram: 99% of times I run solo. Prefer that way. Occasionally, our group organizes a team run of FM, usually once in six months. But, whenever I run with the group, my pace has been remarkable, trying to compete with the younger lot. And they keep egging me for more. Terrific motivation.

Raju: Yes, I prefer running solo too. Allows you to compete with yourself and adjust to your body. Though, periodically it is good to challenge oneself with competition.

Q. What do you do when running long distance: Half and full marathon? eg music, think about an activity, meditate etc. ...or keep your mind blank :) 

Other than sleeping time, always mumble some prayers. Be it plant rounds, doing crossword, cooking... And running is no exception. During the entire period, prayers run parallel to the running. Keeps me focused on the road, absolutely. And breathing is regular. Never gasped for breath. Not many do this way. Am dead against music while running; one can easily forget the surrounding and land into an accident. Nor can keep the mind blank. There must be full attention on the traffic and the body's responses, like niggle, sprain, etc.

Raju: This is interesting. Appreciate your point about breathing which I think allows you to do such long distances over the period and also with such frequency. Plus, your success in converting your running time to some form of meditation is commendable. For me, music is an aid for running and is doable as I run very slow, virtually jog:)

Q. Any statistics of timings of your runs?

Ram: Marathon timings: best was 249 min in Chennai 2014. Other official runs in Chennai, Cochin and Hyderabad range from 255 to 280 min. All the 75 odd FMs this year are in 280 +/- 10 min bracket.

Raju: Fantastic! This is quite good in relation to contemporary runners. Using age grading tables from Runners World this is 59.95% using a timing of 4 hours 40 mins and age graded time of 3.25.04

Q. What is your comfort level? Running outdoor vs treadmill / indoors e.g., during pandemic.

Ram: During covid period, for almost a year, there was restricted outdoor running. Certainly, mask was very very troublesome for long distance runs. I used the treadmill in the initial days. But couldn't sustain. The excessive sweat, with slippery mat, limited runs to below one hr. Above 8-9 kmph speed, it gets a bit scary. Coupled with the tripping hazard, was always skeptic about TM. And still, I am.

So, in a desperate measure, tried our apartment terrace. It gives the satisfaction of actual run, unlike TM where only the rubber mat moves. It's a big plus. And no slippery surface like TM. I was lucky to get a terrace with some 28 met perimeter elliptical plot. Not entirely free of encumbrance, but lets me run any amount of time, free of mask running and TM. What started as a stopgap, is a regular feature nowadays. Till dawn, I run in the terrace and switch to streets thereafter.

When it comes to comfort level, it's outdoor only. Despite the dirty roads, high particulate matter, insane traffic. Have always enjoyed the runs in the predawn, when these discomforts are minimum. Sunday runs are heavenly. Prefer tar roads to sandy stadium tracks. But wherever it is, running with masks is plain murder. No way.

Raju: Agree with you. Running indoors or on the terrace can be quite claustrophobic with so many twists and turns. Outdoor is any day more comfortable in spite of the pollution and road conditions.

Q. Any comments on dress, tools e.g., watches, shoes? 

Ram: Always polyester jersey and shorts. Nylon socks. These don't allow the garment stick to the body with sweat. Have tried barefoot runs in terrace; not much difference in pace, compared to run with shoes. But gives slight pain in the feet. So, vote for shoes only. Running barefoot in roads is ruled out; never know what punches your feet: glass, stone, beedi, cow dung. ugh, can't even imagine.

Anything more than the time of the day from the watch is not needed. After all, I run for the sheer joy of the activity. If it shows me the distance, it's ok. But, the rest of the data, like heart rate, steps, Aadhar card number :) etc. is waste of money. That's my opinion, which I know is different from the younger lot.

Raju: :) I think a lot of us have taken to logging, reading and analyzing the data from the running apps as an additional activity which actually helps to motivate. :)

Q. Have you watched Forrest Gump / Lal Singh Chaddha? :) 

Ram: No, haven't seen. But have watched Tamil movie, Ethir Neechal, starring Siva Karthikeyan. Enjoyed his preparations for the half marathon. None of which I have practiced.

Raju: Your comment “I run for the sheer joy of running” is spot on. Reminded me of the question “why are you running “which people ask Aamir Khan in the movie Forrest Gump /Laal Singh Chaddha.
Q. Do you engage other cross activities: playing a game, cycling etc. 

Ram: Cross activity: pranayama is absolute must. 15 min a day, as part of Sandhyavandanam. On days when there is no running, do stretching, Surya Namaskar for about 35-40 min and aerobics for 10 min. Earlier this was a daily routine, but with increased running these have been compromised. Should try to correct this.

Raju: Superb! For any runner cross activity of some form is essential to bring balance to the activity. Looks like your breathing exercises are helping a lot. Also, one cannot but help emphasize the importance of stretching.

Q. Any comments on doctors who may not approve of your marathon activity intensity and frequency? Are you in touch with a doctor who knows what you do? 

Ram: Our Trichy runners’ group of about 70 members, has over 15 doctors. Most of them are super athletes, with outstanding fitness. State 10 km champ, national level FM runner, etc. And they all get my daily running report. I have run some FM with this elite group, and they are totally aware of my routine and interact almost daily. They keep encouraging me for better pace, challenge me and are inducting me into an ultra-run next month. In fact, they have completely changed my earlier notion of lazy doctors.

BTW, my elder brother, aged 75, is a doctor and he never misses his daily treadmill 30 min runs. And, he is also aware of my runs, though not on a day-to-day level. He has presented me with a Garmin watch and super running shoes.

Agree, in general, doctors may not approve of my runs. But these athletes do appreciate, and what's more, they encourage to do better. They happen to be doctors.

Raju: This is so refreshing to hear. Quite a few doctors do not understand running and how it can keep us physically (and mentally) fit. But thankfully the tribe of doctors encouraging runners is growing.

Raju: Ram, it has indeed been a very fruitful and enjoyable conversation with you. I particularly liked your observations on all that you do to support your running activity be it your motivation, cross training or ways to make it enjoyable and sustainable. Great inputs for many of the runners who will read this blog in furthering their own running goals whatever they maybe. Once again congratulations on your achievement and best wishes for many accomplishments.

Ramasubramanian lives in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India and can be reached at vramain@yahoo.com