tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9341242403082746932024-03-28T05:23:47.884+05:30Health News You Can UseDr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-7437418235685511452023-07-31T12:45:00.008+05:302023-07-31T13:35:35.256+05:30On the Passing of an Ironman:<p> <b>Rishi was always there. And, with a smile.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My dear friend, Rishi Lalwani passed away on Sunday, 9<sup>th</sup>
July, 2023, at 9:30 am. I am still processing the shock and grief, over the
loss of a friend and a gentleman. Rishi was always there for everyone; he was
the classic 3 am friend, whether it was to party, or to go on a 4-hour cycle
ride, both of which have been done. He was an integral part of the SoBo running
and triathlon community, and it would be safe to say that Marine Drive won’t be
the same without him. In a group of alpha males (and females), Rishi was unique
– he trained as hard, if not harder than anyone around him, but somehow you
never felt that competitive edge, when cycling or running alongside him. And
before anyone pipes up – he was NOT overtraining. In fact, over the last year
or so, his training volume was the lowest I have ever known it to be. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Rishi was always there. And, with a smile.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the middle of a long run, it was not unusual for Rishi to
suddenly up the tempo and leave us behind. We would wonder where he had
disappeared, and would find him a kilometre ahead, at Worli, or at Chowpatty.
He would be waiting for us with coconuts in his hands, all cut and ready to
consume, so we could hydrate mid-run, without losing time. And for all you
Garmin obsessed runners, you know what a big deal that is! Our good friend,
Roopali Mehta, an ace runner and nutritionist was his regular running partner,
who needs no introduction. Roopali stops for no one during her run, except for
nature, which she often needs to. Rishi would specially carry a five-rupee
coin, so she could use the Sulabh Sauchalyas along the way, and wait for her outside,
every time. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Rishi was always there. And, with a smile.</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let’s rewind to my favourite Rishi-Simran story. Flashback
to November, 2019, Antalya, Turkey, at the half Ironman triathlon. Rishi was
known as the Ironman in our group, because of having done several ‘full
Ironmans”. For the uninitiated, this consists of 3.8 km of sea swimming, 180 km
of cycling, and 42.2 km of running, and yes, it’s all to be done back to back,
with the idea being to spend as little time as possible in transition, between
disciplines. Rishi trained his dear wife, Simran to participate in the
triathlon, and here we were, all together in Turkey, for the event. He
chaperoned her through the swim, and gallantly waited outside the ladies change
area, for her to transition to the bike. A decent T1 (transition time), would
be around 5 minutes, but after 15 minutes when she did not show up, he started
getting worried, before madam finally appeared. It turned out that she spent
the extra time, applying sun-block and getting prettied up for the next leg, as
well as sharing cosmetics and skin-tips, with other triathletes! We must have
narrated that story a hundred times, and each time, I could sense a mix of
exasperation and joy in him, as we recalled that day. Their sweet daughter, Mallika
was our official photographer during the trip, and the only adult present,
might I add.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Rishi was always there. And, with a smile.</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rishi was a rare high-level athlete, who was always happy to
run or cycle with those, much slower than him, and to give them company. If he
saw you struggling mid-run, he would happily change his plan for the day, and
give you the encouragement needed. His compassion extended off the field as
well, till the very end. A week before his passing, when he was on a family holiday
in Spain, they met an elderly couple in visible distress at Barcelona airport.
It turned out, they had left their passport in the aircraft in their earlier
flight, and were stranded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the cost
of missing his own connection, he accompanied them to various counters of the
airport, to make sure they were safe and sorted.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I was fortunate to have run with him alone, about ten days
prior to that fateful Sunday. Usually, we have our entourage of Roopali,
Krishna and the good lord, aka Saroosh, with us. Our conversations are never
serious, but that day, serendipitously, we started talking about his life
story. I learned how his first job was selling greeting cards, made by NGOs
such, as CRY. He would buy bags of them from Mumbai and carry them to Pune,
several times a week, where he would sell them to corporate clients. By chance,
he landed up in the business of freight forwarding, in which he experienced
great success, through sheer dint of hard work, and practical acumen. His was
the classic story of landing up in Mumbai, with very little and making it big.
I felt privileged to have had the good fortune of hearing it all from him, in
great detail. When I met with Simran after the funeral, she narrated a string
of random events, over the past two weeks, which somehow seemed to be him
saying goodbye to the world. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><b>The final run.</b></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>On that fateful Sunday, I was running by myself and passed
Rishi at Peddar Road, outside Jaslok Hospital, as I was heading north, and he
was returning. Ordinarily, he would have turned around and joined me, but this
time he just said, ‘see you at the end’. We did meet at NCPA, post-run, and
indulged in our usual banter. This time the theme was the cruise he had just
returned from, and we were ribbing him about it having been sponsored by his
in-laws. Rishi was in vintage form, regaling us with stories about Ibiza, and
how much fun the trip was, with his entire extended family there to celebrate
his mother in-law’s 75<sup>th</sup> birthday. He left for breakfast at KGC,
after which he felt a bit queasy and ‘acidic’. He got home, and passed away
within minutes, giving no chance for any emergency measures. He lived life on
his terms, and lived it to the fullest. Unfortunately, like many great souls,
he has left us too soon. He leaves behind a beautiful family; his wife Simran
and two lovely children, Mallika and Jaan, who is aspiring to become a doctor.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As Simran told me, Rishi is in heaven and smiling at us. I
actually imagine him on a stationary bike, coconut water in hand, and when it’s
our turn, he will be there to welcome us. <b>With a smile. </b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rMIfMU_gyVZq8wH1Yz3qpMnKNklPdeIcpuDJEN0P_dLCnSZsC8RBNWYDXjuspav2lp9L3CboJJaRIA2HEZpgRu0EhIDjauo754-6Y8GI7Q9KOnJ_J5mE-84Jw8_jeA6eZf1Cn6RUvY2S5AQHL1salXDn4-BHMqvwH6MSlbZPjhuzfo-ZA8Jo5ZmaaPg/s640/Rishi%20and%20Simran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rMIfMU_gyVZq8wH1Yz3qpMnKNklPdeIcpuDJEN0P_dLCnSZsC8RBNWYDXjuspav2lp9L3CboJJaRIA2HEZpgRu0EhIDjauo754-6Y8GI7Q9KOnJ_J5mE-84Jw8_jeA6eZf1Cn6RUvY2S5AQHL1salXDn4-BHMqvwH6MSlbZPjhuzfo-ZA8Jo5ZmaaPg/s320/Rishi%20and%20Simran.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rishi and Simran, Ironman, Turkey, Nov 2019</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUn17FNlYLrCF7TykOuGny00aNcAn_2HeFtZPFtsN_tXnl83YNVfVC_1E1eQdOtSJAxP6qsIKCkycfM72a72Zv_EN7o45bmfH8lxAlYXh-aYKE8SAyAn7m8pdHB8LcgfvQeflZqNgLKE-YZISSn7bNoVVAPgquOKg-lhOPZ6NkUjtRQThgN0MFkM4U0Z4/s1280/turkey%20ironman%20group%20pic.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUn17FNlYLrCF7TykOuGny00aNcAn_2HeFtZPFtsN_tXnl83YNVfVC_1E1eQdOtSJAxP6qsIKCkycfM72a72Zv_EN7o45bmfH8lxAlYXh-aYKE8SAyAn7m8pdHB8LcgfvQeflZqNgLKE-YZISSn7bNoVVAPgquOKg-lhOPZ6NkUjtRQThgN0MFkM4U0Z4/s320/turkey%20ironman%20group%20pic.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">At Antalya, after the half-Ironman. Rishi is on the extreme right, in black</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rNyR8n9tivP3sZINHqSP7cvhlChvIaOtFNLH6kls3xqdRtmONHHMJzlxORXbhQ7-_5Si6pefUmtFlD51W833wf4vUTRRKRdNU4wiS_dy417t_RzItVfr9u8BJlAxZDQiW4GcjAAVeaKGQGvjhN7qEJ9NsQwd7SvTd_AR9UZx3fOF63ylHz_u8_9HvB4/s4032/rishi%20simran%20roopali%20pic.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rNyR8n9tivP3sZINHqSP7cvhlChvIaOtFNLH6kls3xqdRtmONHHMJzlxORXbhQ7-_5Si6pefUmtFlD51W833wf4vUTRRKRdNU4wiS_dy417t_RzItVfr9u8BJlAxZDQiW4GcjAAVeaKGQGvjhN7qEJ9NsQwd7SvTd_AR9UZx3fOF63ylHz_u8_9HvB4/s320/rishi%20simran%20roopali%20pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />With Roopali and Simran at the 2023, Tata Mumbai Marathon</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p></div>Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-89303756579720169882020-09-08T13:52:00.002+05:302020-09-12T12:51:14.893+05:30Surviving Corona In The Big City<p> <b><span style="color: red;">Let me begin with 3 disclaimers first:</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><ul><li>This article is aimed at an urban office-going, white collar demographic</li><li>It represents my personal views on the subject, culled from the scientific and non-scientific reading I have done so far, and is meant to be a general guide on how to avoid catching the virus</li><li>The information here is current as of Monday, 11<sup>th</sup> September, 2020, 7:16 pm (yes, that’s how often our knowledge on the subject changes!)</li></ul><!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: red;">How does the virus spread?</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Clearly, to avoid catching it, you need to know how it spreads in the first place. The virus spreads mainly from person to person, through respiratory droplets. These are produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Through the droplets, the virus can fall on the mouths or noses of people who are nearby and may also be inhaled into the lungs. The closer you are to the person, higher the chances of the droplets falling on you. Recent research has also shown that it can be spread through aerosols, which are very tiny particles that can carry the virus. These have shown to be ‘alive’ for a period of up to 3 hours, leading to the fear of airborne transmission.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">However, do keep in mind that your body’s innate immunity is always making an effort to fight the virus, and whether you get the infection will depend on the fight put up by the immune system, against the total amount of virus attacking you, also known as the viral load. Higher the viral load you are exposed to, higher is the chance of you catching the infection (distance and masks reduce the viral load).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: red;">What do we know for sure?</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As was alluded to in the disclaimer, our knowledge of the virus is literally changing every day, but we know the most important ways of avoiding it, with a high degree of certainty.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">1. Physical distancing (I prefer this term to ‘social distancing’)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">2. Masks (any type, ranging from the N95 respirator to a simple home-made face covering)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal">3. Hand hygiene<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sB4Wcvfl5Qw/X1c_CqCyveI/AAAAAAAAMr4/lrOHjLM-H0YBz6DCKwPzg1YozLE0jNBrwCLcBGAsYHQ/s969/WHO%2Bmask%2Bwearing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="969" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sB4Wcvfl5Qw/X1c_CqCyveI/AAAAAAAAMr4/lrOHjLM-H0YBz6DCKwPzg1YozLE0jNBrwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/WHO%2Bmask%2Bwearing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div><p class="MsoNormal">Conversely, we also know with a fair degree of certainty, the situations which put you at highest risk. This is summed up nicely by the Japanese health ministry as the 3 ‘Cs’.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->C- Closed spaces with poor ventilation<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->C- Crowded places<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->C- Close contact settings, such as conversations<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">Let’s look at some <b>common daily scenarios</b> we might face, and the best way to handle them:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: red;">What about going to office?</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is a tough one to answer. For a lot of people, there’s a limit to the work that can be done from home, and going to office, is a matter of economic necessity and survival. If you’re lucky enough to have your own cabin at work, then the risk is very low, even if it’s a small room and you have the air conditioning on. One important caveat is that it should be a stand-alone AC, since a common unit could potentially spread the virus from one area to another. Avoid having people come in frequently, and when they do, leave the door open for better circulation and keep the meeting time brief (with masks on, of course).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you do not have your own cabin, then physical distancing is vital, and it would be best if you could maintain at least ten feet distance from someone next to you. Six feet is the ‘official’ recommended distance, but ten would be even better. Weather permitting, it would be good to have the windows open to allow ventilation. It goes without saying, that larger the room, the safer it is. In office settings, people often let their guard down while talking during lunch (one time, when you have to let your mask down), or around the water cooler.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: red;">But, how do I get to office, or elsewhere?</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you drive your own car, that’s the safest means of transport. And you don’t need to wear your mask, while you are by yourself in the car! On the other hand, travelling in a crowded train or bus is clearly the riskiest environment to be in.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Driver/Ola/Uber:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you don’t drive yourself, make sure that both, the driver and you, have your mask on the whole time. I would also recommend leaving the windows down to allow free flow of air. I’ve noticed many private cab operators, having the driver’s seat cordoned off by a plastic curtain, which seems a fairly innovative way of reducing risk. Clearly, it would be best to be driven in your own car, but I don’t think you need to worry unduly about riding in a cab, if the proper precautions are taken. In addition to windows down and masking, I would advise sanitizing your hands once you are out of the vehicle.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: red;">Can I go to the Club?</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Different clubs are slowly opening up their activities, and I’m happy to see that they’re doing it in a graded manner. Walking outdoors, and tennis have opened in most clubs and are relatively safe activities. Some have started other services, like take-out from restaurants as well as their hair salons. Most sports activities, where distance can be maintained are safe by themselves. Often, it’s the congregation after the activities, or in the dressing room, which are the problem. Closed room activities, such as billiards or card rooms, should definitely be avoided.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Exercising outdoors, whether at the club or elsewhere is generally safe and healthy, since exercise builds immunity. A big question that pops up, is whether to wear a mask or not- with a lot of misinformation being spread on whatsapp. It got to a point, where I wrote a blog (<a href="http://drcontractor.blogspot.com/2020/08/" target="_blank">http://drcontractor.blogspot.com/2020/08/</a>) on the subject, and will post just the take-home messages here.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><ul><li>1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Exercise improves your immunity, for which moderate-intensity exercise is best.</li><li>2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->When exercising outdoors, if you are able to maintain a 20 foot distance from others, it would be fine to let your mask (guard) down. When unable to maintain the distance, put it back on.</li><li>3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Exercising with a mask, may lead to a greater subjective perception of effort, so you may need to reduce your exercise intensity.</li><li>4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->There are no ill effects of wearing a mask. If you feel uncomfortable while exercising with it, or have any serious health conditions, please speak to your doctor.</li></ul><!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: red;">What about food delivery or other parcels arriving at home?</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Currently there is no evidence that people can get infected by eating or handling food. However, people are afraid that the containers with food or any other delivery to the home, may be a source of spread of virus. For that to happen, an infected person needs to have ‘shed’ virus on the package, through sneezing on it, and you need to then touch the package (while the virus is still alive), and touch your mouth, nose or eyes, before you wash your hands. And, a sufficient amount of virus must be transmitted through this route for you to get the infection. While this is possible, it’s an unlikely route of transmission. However, it’s good practice to wash your hands after handling outside packages, to keep risk to a minimum.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: red;">Can I meet with family and friends?</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is the big one. Man is a social animal, and 'social distancing' can be crippling. Which, is why I dislike the phrase, but it's become part of our daily vocabulary. I prefer to call it physical distancing, which frankly is also a more accurate description. We have been deprived of the company of our loved ones for so long, and now that we are ‘allowed’ to meet, we shouldn’t let our guard down. But that’s exactly what happens, and I have observed this closely, including with my family. I think this is because of a subliminal belief that our near and dear ones, cannot pass on the virus to us. Sadly, this is far from the truth, and whether we like it or not, most of those infected would have caught it from those ‘nearest’ to them, pun intended.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Getting back to the question- it’s safe to meet, but you should not let your guard down. Avoid physical contact, and keep your masks on at all times. Most socializing also involves eating and drinking, at which point the mask has to be lowered, but at those times make sure there is adequate physical distance. And do keep in mind, that alcohol tends to loosen social inhibitions, and masks!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;"><b>What’s your risk appetite?</b></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I don’t think that many of us dwell on this, but on a daily basis we are taking decisions, which carry risk, which we subconsciously assess and decide whether to proceed or not. The simple act of crossing the road, walking in the rain, or even boiling water for tea carries an element of risk, which may not be as obvious as the risk involved in skydiving, bungee jumping or criticizing your wife’s cooking. And so, it is with our novel enemy, the Coronavirus. Apart from living completely by yourself in the wilderness with no human contact, every other situation carries the possibility of catching the virus. It’s a continuum of risk, ranging from minimal to very high, and you need to understand the relative risk of each activity and proceed as per your risk appetite. Each of the activities described above can be undertaken, but within each of them it’s important to be aware of the micro-environment, and keep your risk to a minimum. The BMJ- British Medical Journal published an excellent review article recently, titled –“Two metres or one: what is the evidence for physical distancing in covid-19?.” The table below, is from the article and grades your risk from low to high, in different daily situations.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Stay healthy, and stay safe. I will end by once again emphasizing, the best prevention strategy, whether you’re in a big city, or anywhere else in the world. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">1. Physical distancing (but socially connected)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">2. Masks <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">3. Hand hygiene<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-09CRd3_npzg/X1c_K2FMfdI/AAAAAAAAMr8/lL6Xr7h1srgwMBPNpTRbnLj9-FY8gP-BACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/distancing%2Btable.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-09CRd3_npzg/X1c_K2FMfdI/AAAAAAAAMr8/lL6Xr7h1srgwMBPNpTRbnLj9-FY8gP-BACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/distancing%2Btable.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-align: center;">Table from BMJ: 2020;370:m3223</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Two metres or one: what is the evidence for physical distancing in</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">covid-19?: Nicholas Jones et al</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">BIBLIOGRAPHY:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#Spread">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#Spread</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://coronavirus.medium.com/why-it-matters-how-much-virus-is-in-the-body-5a3998f8a323">https://coronavirus.medium.com/why-it-matters-how-much-virus-is-in-the-body-5a3998f8a323</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus-resource-center">https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus-resource-center</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3223">https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3223</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub/q-a-detail/q-a-how-is-covid-19-transmitted?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI--bQvILX6wIVRA4rCh3QrACgEAAYASAAEgIWvPD_BwE">https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub/q-a-detail/q-a-how-is-covid-19-transmitted?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI--bQvILX6wIVRA4rCh3QrACgEAAYASAAEgIWvPD_BwE</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></div>Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-71922404588063467922020-08-06T13:14:00.002+05:302020-08-06T13:45:37.528+05:30TO MASK OR NOT TO MASK (DURING EXERCISE) IS THE QUESTION<p class="MsoNormal">In the year 2019, if someone had told you that a rectangular
piece of cloth, which can barely cover your face, would become, not only the saviour
of the world, the following year, but would also be a potent symbol of
political division, within the United States, you would probably dismiss them,
at best, and question their sanity, at worst.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But still, here we are in the middle of 2020, and that’s
exactly what’s happened. This rectangular piece of cloth (which could be
cotton, chiffon, silk, polyester, or the surgical variety of polypropylene),
more correctly termed as a mask, is our defender-in-chief, against the dreaded
coronavirus, technically known as SARS CoV-2, or better known as Covid-19. As
we battle this pandemic, we have come to realise that it’s a virus like no
other seen before, hence the term, ‘novel coronavirus’, and it’s proving that
every day. With all the weight of scientists and doctors (and quacks and
charlatans) of the world behind us, we still seem to be struggling to
understand how it affects the body, and what’s the best way to contain and
treat it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, what we do know for sure, is that the best ways to
keep it at bay, are:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Physical distancing (I prefer this term to ‘social
distancing’)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Masks (any type, ranging from the N95 respirator
to a simple home-made face covering)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Hand hygiene<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Exercise and Immunity:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Regular exercise has been shown to boost immunity. Having a
stronger immunity is clearly an asset at a time like this. However, this is not
a case of ‘more is always better.’ Research has shown that exercise and
immunity have a ‘J-shaped relationship’, which means that the best immunity is
attained with moderate levels of exercise. Not exercising at all, and excessive
exercise lead to lowered immunity as compared to moderate exercise. Do keep in mind,
that the terms moderate and excessive are relative. If you have been
exercising, prior to the start of the lockdown, please continue to do so at
your usual levels, but do not increase it dramatically. If you haven’t been
exercising it might be a good time to start a moderate program, such as brisk
walking or cycling. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exercise and Masks:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When exercising indoors, in your own home, you certainly do
not need to wear a mask. The recommendations will be focussed on outdoor
exercise. In general, the risk of viral transmission is significantly lower
outdoors, than indoors, which is a great advantage to start with. But do keep
in mind when exercising outdoors, especially at higher intensities, the risk of
aerosols and droplets (which contain the virus) travelling further due to heavy
breathing, or the wind is theoretically much higher, than when a person is
standing still. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Intensity matters:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For most people, wearing a mask is uncomfortable at first,
especially during exercise. But like with most things, with a bit of practice
one gets used to it. While doing low or moderate intensity exercise, such as brisk
walking, wearing a mask should not be uncomfortable, but when you start
increasing the intensity, the degree of discomfort might increase. When
exercising with a mask, your perception of effort tends to increase, which
means you might need to reduce your intensity to feel the same level of effort
you feel, without a mask.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Distance matters, even more:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you are lucky enough to stay in an area where you can
exercise outdoors, with no one around you, then it would be fine to exercise
without a mask. Most guidelines recommend you stay 6 feet away from those
around you (<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html</a>).
However, during exercise, I would suggest increasing that distance, since, as
explained above, the droplets may travel further. There is no specific cut-off
that has been scientifically proven, but out of abundant caution, I would
recommend trying to maintain a distance of 20 feet. Now, I know that’s not
possible for most people living in crowded cities, so here is my practical
suggestion. Try and exercise using routes, and timings, such that you come
across the least number of people. Have your mask around your neck, or ears,
and lower it when no one is around you. When passing through an area, where you
cannot maintain the required distance, raise the mask and cover your nose and
mouth. You can lower it again, when clear of people.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What about carbon dioxide poisoning?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There have been reports in the social media, from various parts
of the world regarding people collapsing due to exercising with face masks, and
blaming it on carbon dioxide poisoning due to ‘rebreathing’ the air. There is
no scientific evidence to support this. Masks are designed to allow the flow of
air in both directions. Surgeons and other healthcare workers, have been
wearing masks since decades, without any ill effects. Yes, sometimes one does
feel a sense of suffocation if not used to it- in that case, it’s fine to
simply uncover your face and mouth for a few breaths, till you feel better.
Here are links to two good articles on the subject.(<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2020/07/01/debunking-2-myths-toxic-coronavirus-masks-and-breathing-warms-the-climate/#3b2d907a30f4">https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2020/07/01/debunking-2-myths-toxic-coronavirus-masks-and-breathing-warms-the-climate/#3b2d907a30f4</a>; </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/debunked-myths-about-face-masks">https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/debunked-myths-about-face-masks</a>)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One word of caution here – those with pre-existing
respiratory and cardiac conditions may feel a greater subjective sense of
discomfort, with a mask and need to adjust their activity accordingly.
Actually, this can apply to others, too. If you are feeling uncomfortable
exercising with a mask, reduce your exercise intensity and see how it feels. If
you feel better, that’s great, if not, stop exercising and have a word with
your doctor.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Take-home messages:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Masks, physical distancing and hand hygiene are
proven strategies to prevent the spread of coronavirus.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Exercise improves your immunity, for which
moderate-intensity exercise is best. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->When exercising outdoors, if you are able to
maintain a 20 foot distance from others, it would be fine to let your mask
(guard) down. When unable to maintain the distance, put it back on.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Exercising with a mask, may lead to a greater
subjective perception of effort, so you may need to reduce your exercise
intensity.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->There are no ill effects of wearing a mask. If
you feel uncomfortable while exercising with it, or have any serious health
conditions, please speak to your doctor. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MQPF-HUXn0A/Xyu0l8YqBjI/AAAAAAAAMo8/WpR3Um7Wj7U1VBqqIOgON4UT4VFuhSt-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s952/Picture1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="952" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MQPF-HUXn0A/Xyu0l8YqBjI/AAAAAAAAMo8/WpR3Um7Wj7U1VBqqIOgON4UT4VFuhSt-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Picture1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></p><br />Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-14150619480701478152018-02-15T18:01:00.003+05:302018-02-15T19:15:00.919+05:30Can one cigarette a day cause a heart attack or stroke?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Moderation is the key to long-term success, is a line I often use with my patients (and try and apply to my life too). However, there is one area, where moderation does not work, and that's for smoking. Most smokers accept that they have a problem, but are so addicted to the habit that, when I counsel them to quit, they will try and rationalize with me (and themselves) how a cigarette once in a while won’t hurt them. They also try to convince me that since they were smoking 15 cigarettes a day earlier, wouldn’t it be okay if they cut it down to five cigarettes a day. My answer to them is a well-rehearsed one, since I have said it a hundred times. I tell them, it’s like asking me whether it’s better to jump off the fifteenth floor of a building, or jump off the fifth floor! They usually get the message.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last month, a study was published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) which underscored this point. (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29367388" target="_blank">Click here for study abstract</a>). Researchers looked at studies from 1946 to 2015, and found that s<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">moking one cigarette a day was associated with a 48% to 74% increase in the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in men, a 57% to 119% increase in CHD risk for women, and a roughly 30% increase in the risk of stroke for both men and women.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><br /></span>
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">The conclusions of the study, were</span><span style="background-color: white; text-transform: uppercase;">:</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.5em; text-align: left;">
<abstracttext label="CONCLUSIONS"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Smoking only about one cigarette per day carries a risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke much greater than expected: around half that for people who smoke 20 per day. No safe level of smoking exists for cardiovascular disease. Smokers should aim to quit instead of cutting down to significantly reduce their risk of these two common major disorders.</span></abstracttext></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Benefits of quitting:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s never too late to quit smoking. It does not matter how long you’ve been smoking, the moment you quit your risk starts dropping. In fact, the benefits start from the minute you extinguish your last cigarette. Within the first hour your heart rate and blood pressure drop and the carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal. Over time your risk for heart attack, stroke and cancer starts dropping steadily towards that of a non-smoker. Of course, this information should not be used by you as a license to continue smoking with the thought that you will give it up one day in the future and recover all of your lost health. Remember, once there is build-up of plaque in your arteries, it can lead to a heart attack any time it ruptures. Smoking is one of the key factors that can precipitate plaque rupture, which is why even one cigarette can be harmful in the setting of blockages. It’s similar to standing on the edge of a cliff. Even a slight push may be enough to topple you over; in the same way, one cigarette may be the final straw that broke the camel’s back (no, not the cigarette brand, Camel).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last para excerpted from my book,<a href="https://www.amazon.in/dp/B01LWYY8XX/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1" target="_blank"> The Heart Truth</a> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-48135160641237129822018-01-25T16:10:00.000+05:302018-01-25T16:10:21.578+05:30HOW TO RUN A MARATHON IN LESS THAN 3 HOURS AND 40 MIN (3:40)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let me begin with two disclaimers: I ran the 2018 Tata
Mumbai Marathon on Jan 21, in 3:40:01, which is 2 seconds above the sub 3:40, in the
title. Secondly, the title is worded in this manner, since it’s a ‘search term’,
often typed into Google, and allows people to find articles, such as this. By
no means, do I purport to be a guru of guiding people below specific timing
goals, after having done it only once in my life (thus far…).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In January 2017, I completed the Mumbai Marathon in 3:54
hours, clocking the exact same time as I had done the previous year, and was
quite disappointed. By itself the time was respectable, but I wasn’t elated,
since my training was in tune with a better run, and I was injury-free. After the
ritual download of my Garmin data, I noticed a strange pattern in both runs
(2016 and 2017)- there was a dramatic drop in pace, post 32 km (20 miles). It
didn’t need me to look at data to figure that out, since I had clearly suffered
for the last 10 k on both runs, but what surprised me was the extent of the
drop. In both instances, I was cruising along at an average pace of 5:15
min/km, till 32 km and then wham- the pace dropped by more than a minute per km
after that. I’m embarrassed to say, that the obvious, didn’t strike me, which
is that I’d hit the proverbial wall. It needed my friend Daniel Vaz, who’s an
experienced running coach, to point it out to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the 2017 run, I decided to take an off-season from
running (which sounds unnecessarily grand, considering I didn’t have too much
of a season to begin with), which extended till the end of August. I knew I had
4.5 months before the next marathon, and decided to go in with a better plan
than the previous years, which would mostly centre around not bonking (a more
colourful term for ‘hitting the wall’), in the last 10 km. I’m not going to
bore you with the weekly mileage details, but want to highlight the key points,
which I felt worked for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AYEOvs0nEpQ/Wmmw2vP3MbI/AAAAAAAAFAk/N-vpmoXOc-4k5FmLyLAjg0OM2On_ol9UQCLcBGAs/s1600/orig-MUMG0242.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AYEOvs0nEpQ/Wmmw2vP3MbI/AAAAAAAAFAk/N-vpmoXOc-4k5FmLyLAjg0OM2On_ol9UQCLcBGAs/s320/orig-MUMG0242.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Finish line picture- at the 2017 Mumbai Marathon - with my daughter</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;">
1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Make a plan and stick to it</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know that this is stating the obvious, but it shocks me as
to how many runners train for the marathon, without a plan. All marathon
training plans, should be based on gradual progression of running volume, and
should include the following 3 components.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->a.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The long run-This is the foundation of the
training program, and refers to distances ranging from 12-35 km, in gradual
progression and is done at a comfortable pace, which is usually 30-60 seconds
slower than race pace. I ran my long runs at 5:45 min/km, since my goal was to
complete the marathon sub 3:45, a pace of 5:15 min/km.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->b.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Interval training-running distances between
400-1600 m, at close to all-out pace helps increase your VO2 max (your aerobic
power), and gets you used to sustaining a fast pace at the end of your long
runs, even when the muscles and spirit are flagging. My goal was to run 400 m
in 1 min 40 secs, and the longer intervals, at multiples of that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->c.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Easy runs- as the name implies, these are done
at a relaxed pace, a couple of times a week, to build mileage in your legs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In addition to these, there are tempo runs, race pace runs,
and fartleks, but the idea is not to get into the nitty-gritty of the plan, but
just to outline it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="color: red;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: red;">Nutrition matters</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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As described above, I have had two experiences, of what I consider
‘hitting the wall’, and they weren’t pleasant. The feeling I had at that time
was one where my legs seemed fine, breathing seemed fine, but I just felt that
there wasn’t any ‘energy’ in the body to move it forward. That made me go back
to the drawing board and look at how much carbohydrate I needed to supplement
during the run. Yes, I still use old fashioned carbs, since they are the
primary source of energy during running. Over the past few years, theories
abound on getting to teach your body to be a better fat oxidizer, since
theoretically fat in the form of stored triglycerides is a limitless source of
energy. On the other hand, stored glycogen is good for about 2,000 cal worth of
exercise, roughly translating to 20 miles or 32 km. The bulk of the data at
present, still supports the use of carbs as a ‘performance fuel’, and I’m
sticking to it, till there is different evidence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My strategy consisted of getting in about 45 gm of carbs per
hour of running, divided between a sports drink and supplemental carbs in the form
of ‘gummy sweets’, since I find the taste of gels hard to handle after the
first two. As I approached the 32 km mark, I was psychologically getting
prepared to get slammed, but luckily it didn’t happen, and I do believe that
the nutrition and fuelling strategy worked. <o:p></o:p></div>
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3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: red;">Think less about your ‘self’….to improve
yourself</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is a quote I’ve taken from the book, Peak Performance,
by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness. I read the book after my last marathon and
found it full of insight, not only to improve running performance, but also to
lead a better life. I highly recommend it to everyone. Let me explain what this headline meant in
relation to my race. My long time running partner, Cyrus Mehta, was on song
this year. He needed to run 3:40 to qualify for the Boston marathon, in his age
category. Now, for those of you who are running nerds, you’ll know what a big deal
a BQ (Boston qualifying) is. For the past few months, I’ve been convinced and
trying to convince Cyrus, that this would be a cinch for him this year, given
his level of preparation. I was as keen on him getting that time, as I was in
getting a 3:45. As usual, Cy took off like a rocket and I didn’t see him till
just before the sea link. On the link, I kept looking at my Garmin (well,
unfortunately I keep looking at it all the time), and wanted to finish the
first half in 1:48, so that Cy had a great springboard to achieve the BQ. The
time I had set for myself, was actually 1:50. Cyrus is a much stronger runner
than me, so when he overtook me at the 26 km mark, I didn’t make an attempt to
keep up. Well, to cut a long story short, thanks to pacing him, I had enough
time in the bank to complete it in 3:40, even though my goal was a full five
minutes longer. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Post-script:</span></b> runners tend to be obsessive about their ‘timing’
and I’m no different. I tried to behave myself this year and promised to look
down less at my Garmin. And what was the result- I didn’t look at it for the last km, and
finished two seconds over a sub-3:40 time. Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous, to
even talk about it, considering I bettered my previous best by more than 14
mins, but hey, if you’ve read the whole article thus far, you’re probably in
the same category. On that note, I’m signing off. Have a great running year,
and wave if we cross paths on the road. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Last km of this year's run</div>
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From L to R - Deepankar,Deepa (podium finisher), myself, Cyrus, Rox the Boss, and Ali</div>
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Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-46149356326006368942013-07-05T13:28:00.001+05:302013-07-05T13:28:37.851+05:30The Medical Profession has Lost its Allure. Yet its ability to touch lives is unmatched.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is an article I wrote for Outlook Magazine (July 1, 2013) on the medical profession. I have copied it below, and here is the link to the original article:<br />
<a href="http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?286234">http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?286234</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #af0e25; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold;">Lighter Medicine Chests</span><br />
<span style="color: #af0e25; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The medical profession has lost its allure. Yet its ability to touch lives is unmatched.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">
“My daughter just topped her entrance exams, but thank God, she does not want to be a doctor.” Coming from anyone, this may sound a bit strange, but when it’s spoken by one of the most successful physicians in the city, one really needs to sit up and take notice. When I heard my close friend utter these words over a Sunday evening coffee, my curiosity was aroused. His reasoning was quite simple—he had spent the better part of his life studying medicine, from graduation to post-graduation to super-specialisation, and by the time he was truly ready for practice, he was on the wrong side of forty.</div>
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Even then, to be successful was a struggle, especially since he decided to pursue the ethical route. On the other hand, he pointed to our friends who had made their first million before 30, and were in semi-retirement on their 40th birthday, since they pursued a career in finance. But, I argued, what about all the good you are doing and the gratitude you get from patients? Isn’t that the best benefit of a noble profession? “Nobility does not pay my bills”, was his pat reply.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">
Around the time I completed my 12th grade, the brightest took up medicine or engineering, irrespective of aptitude. Thankfully, that has changed, and students have more options. Over time, the glamour and prestige of medicine has diminished; no more is it the automatic choice of top students. Partly, it’s due to the reduced availability of ‘merit’ seats in government colleges and increasing fees in private institutions. Constantly changing policies on the duration of compulsory rural service, as well as admission to post-graduate courses, make it even less attractive. Post-graduate courses in specialisations, such as radiology, can cost upwards of one crore rupees, and make sense only to those who have a business in the field or intend turning it into a business (and then we wonder about ethics!).</div>
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</div>
<a href="" name="Blurb1" style="color: #af0e25; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><br />So, is there a silver lining amidst all this gloom? There certainly is. At the risk of delivering a cliche, I must admit that the look of hope on a patient’s face as you hold their hand, or the joy on a relative’s face when you tell them that their loved one is out of danger, is worth all the money in the world. As doctors, we have the ability to touch people’s lives as no other profession can.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">If you join medicine for money, then you are in the wrong profession. Before you point to all the doctors that drive BMWs, do remember that those are a minuscule fraction. Medical practice in India is such that 80 per cent of all the work (especially surgeries) is done by 20 per cent of the doctors. Those few are certainly well off, but the average doctor will earn far less than his compatriots in other parts of the world, even in relative terms. The reason is that healthcare in India is relatively inexpensive. With changing economics, people are comfortable spending Rs 10,000 or more on beauty treatments, but begrudge a doctor his Rs 1,500 consultation fees.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
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</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">
Of course, all doctors are not angels floating around, waiting to dart down and provide their healing touch. The reality is that malpractice does exist and often medical decisions and opinions are not carried out in the patients’ best interest. However, in spite of all its pitfalls and dubious practices, the medical profession retains a touch of nobility that is worth preserving. Just make sure, you don’t enter it to get that BMW.</div>
</div>
Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-75336492190938973342013-02-27T19:29:00.000+05:302013-02-28T10:54:16.541+05:30RISK OF DEATH DURING MARATHON RUNNING<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Legend has is that a Greek soldier by the name of <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><b><span style="color: red;">Pheidippides</span></b><span style="color: #333333;">, ran from the plains of Marathon to </span><st1:city style="color: #333333;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Athens</st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: #333333;">,
to announce that the Greeks had just defeated the Persians, in 490 BC. The distance he ran was 42.2 kilometers,
which has then become the official distance of a ‘marathon’. Legend also has it that after announcing the
victory, he collapsed and died. 2500
years later on February 24, 2013 a brave citizen of </span><st1:city style="color: #333333;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bombay</st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: #333333;"> ran the half marathon in Thane, and at
the end of the race he proudly collected his medal. After receiving his coveted prize, like
Pheidippides, he too collapsed and died, despite intense efforts to revive him
by the doctors present there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #333333;">Historians
contested this version of Pheidippides, and in fact later discovered that he
had run well over 450 km, over a ten day spell and was instrumental in saving
the battle for the Greeks.
Unfortunately, for our </span><b><span style="color: red;">Bombay Braveheart</span></b><span style="color: #333333;"> (I am not naming him, in respect
for privacy), and his family his death is undisputed, and I extend my deepest
sympathies to his family and friends.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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As is to be expected, this running death has created grave concern within the running fraternity of Mumbai, of which I consider myself an
integral part (both, as a runner and as the Medical Director of the Standard
Chartered Mumbai Marathon). In the
media, and in the running community I have encountered polarized views on the
risks of long distance running. One view
is that exercise in general, and running in particular is extremely healthy,
and therefore cannot be harmful by any means.
The opposite view is that running is dangerous and if one wants to
exercise, nothing beats a leisurely walk.
In my opinion, neither of these views is absolutely true, since this is
a complex topic and needs a deeper understanding rather than knee-jerk
one-liners. The purpose of this article
is to try and shed some more light on the risk associated with marathon
running. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Before we begin, I would like to clarify that this article
is not about the benefits and risk of exercise in general. The health benefits of exercise have been
unequivocally established, and these benefits very clearly outweigh the
risks. Also, this article deals with running half and full marathons, and not distances beyond that. There is new literature emerging on the
cardiovascular effects of ultramarathons, which can be discussed separately.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">DEATH DURING LONG DISTANCE RACES: THE NUMBERS</span>
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In 2012, a study was published in the New England Journal of
Medicine, titled ‘Cardiac Arrest during Long-Distance Running Races’. This
looked at the incidence of cardiac arrests in marathon and half-marathon races
in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region>
from 2000 to 2010, and included 10.9 million runners. In that entire period there were 59 sudden cardiac
arrests, of which 42 were fatal.</div>
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Sudden
cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating.
When this happens, blood flow to the brain and other vital organs stops, and
can lead to death if not treated within minutes. In fact, this year at the SCMM marathon we
had a sudden cardiac arrest, and due to a combination of luck and medical
preparedness we were able to save the runner (for more on that, read here: <a href="http://drcontractor.blogspot.in/2013/01/a-miracle-on-race-day.html">http://drcontractor.blogspot.in/2013/01/a-miracle-on-race-day.html</a>).</div>
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<span style="color: red;">The following is the information we learned from the Cardiac Arrest study:</span></div>
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<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal">Cardiovascular
disease accounted for the majority of these cardiac arrests and deaths</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">The
incidence of arrests was significantly higher during full-marathons than
half-marathons, and was higher among men than women</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">The
incidence rate of cardiac arrest during half and full marathons was <span style="color: red;">1 per
184,00 runners</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">The
incidence rate of death during half and full marathons was <span style="color: red;">1 per 259,000 runners</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">The
commonest cause of death was hypertrophic cardiomyopathy</li>
</ol>
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According to official figures, about 10 deaths take place on
the Mumbai suburban railway network each day, and approximately 7 million
commuters travel each day. This translates into 1 death per 700,000 commuters.
In other words, the risk of dying during marathon running is a little more than
double that of taking a ride on the Mumbai local trains! I know this is not a fair or scientific
comparison, and I do not mean to trivialize even a single death, but the idea
is to put the risk in perspective, which in absolute terms is very low.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_cV-bHZsUJg/US4QzLyvNVI/AAAAAAAACDY/urhDRXcAMgQ/s1600/DSC_0187+(Large).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_cV-bHZsUJg/US4QzLyvNVI/AAAAAAAACDY/urhDRXcAMgQ/s320/DSC_0187+(Large).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">WHAT CAUSES THESE ARRESTS AND DEATHS?</span></div>
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The two most common causes of death found during this study,
as well as others looking at exercise and acute cardiovascular events were:</div>
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<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Atherosclerotic
coronary artery diseases (blockages in the arteries)</b></li>
</ol>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">(<b>HCM</b>) </span>has been defined as <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">a primary disease of the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myocardium" title="Myocardium"><span style="background: white; color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">myocardium</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span style="background: white;">(the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle" title="Muscle"><span style="background: white; color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">muscle</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span style="background: white;">of the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart" title="Heart"><span style="background: white; color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">heart</span></a><span style="background: white;">) in which a portion of the myocardium is<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">hypertrophied</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span style="background: white;">(thickened) without any obvious cause (source: Wikipedia).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">It has been well
established that among young individuals, less than 30 years of age, HCM and
other birth related (congenital) abnormalities are the main cause of
cardiovascular events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">It was also
thought that in athletes over the age of 30, atherosclerotic coronary artery
disease (which is just the scientific way of saying ‘blockages in the heart
arteries’) is the most frequent cause of cardiac arrest and death. Vigorous exertion was thought to lead to
rupture of the blockage, leading to clot formation, which leads to an
abnormal heart rhythm knows as ventricular fibrillation and ultimately death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">The surprising
finding in the <st1:place w:st="on">New England</st1:place> study was that HCM
was also the leading cause of death in the population studied during the ten
years of marathon running, including the older runners. Several of the deaths were due to a
combination of HCM and blockages in the arteries. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">OTHER CAUSES OF DEATH:</span></div>
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Besides the cardiovascular causes, hyponatremia (low sodium
level in the blood), and hyperthermia accounted for a total of about 10 percent
of the deaths. These remain important
concerns during long distance running but are not common causes of death. </div>
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<span style="color: blue;">WHAT CAN BE DONE TO REDUCE RISK?</span></div>
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This is clearly the most important question at the end of it
all. In my opinion, risk can be reduced
by taking care of the following:</div>
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<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal">Pre-participation
health check</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Paying
heed to warning signs</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Sensible
and appropriate training programs</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Medical
facilities available during races</li>
</ol>
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<span style="color: red;">Pre-Participation health check:</span></div>
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Before you read any further, it is important to acknowledge
that the human body is an extremely complex organism. There is no definite testing protocol which
can completely rule out risk, which is why you occasionally have the scenario
of someone suffering an attack, even though they recently passed their medical
evaluation with flying colours. Having said that, these are the tests I
recommend, and the reason for each:</div>
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<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;">ECG:
</span> this is certainly not a perfect test, but is a great starting point to
give a basic indication of your heart function. It’s a great test to pick
up HCM</li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;">Fasting
sugar, lipid profile, blood pressure, body mass index and weight
circumference</span>: all of these will give an indication of your ‘cardiac
risk profile’.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;">Stress
test</span>: one can debate the necessity of a stress test, but I would recommend
it for two reasons. It’s a great
indicator of your cardiovascular fitness, if nothing else and may indicate
the presence of blockages in your arteries. One can criticize it for two reasons
too: blockages show up on the stress test only when they reach a certain
size and are ‘obstructive’ to the flow of blood. Often, there are smaller
plaques which are the ones that actually rupture and cause the attack.
Also, stress tests often show up ‘false positive’ tests, wherein no
abnormality exists even though the test is abnormal (for some strange
reason, doctors call it ‘positive’ when it is abnormal). Let the physician conducting the test
know that you are a marathon runner and to allow you to carry out the test
till you reach maximal fatigue.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red;">2 D-
echo</span>: this is a great test to assess heart valve functioning, and the
pumping capacity of your heart muscles. It’s also a great test to rule out
HCM. It is relatively expensive, and if you are younger and asymptomatic I
guess it would be fine to just do a simple ECG.</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The most important part of the evaluation is to consult with
a physician who ‘understands’ exercise and the kind of program you hope to
embark upon. In addition to the above
tests, your medical and family history is vital. Data from individual tests do not have as
much meaning as the combined risk profile.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red;">Warning Signs:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Several studies have shown that individuals who experienced
cardiac events during exercise, often had mild warning signs and symptoms,
which they or their physician chose to ignore.
The most common of these, which occurred a week before their arrest were
(as reported by friends and families):</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal">Chest
pain</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Increasing
fatigue</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Indigestion
/ heartburn /gastrointestinal symptoms</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Excessive
breathlessness</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Ear or
neck pain</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red;">Appropriate training programs:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All exercise programs should be progressed gradually. Most arrests and deaths occur in individuals
who participate without adequate preparation or those who ramp up their
training exponentially. At the end of
vigorous physical exertion it is important to cool down appropriately
(something which most of us, including myself do not do), since reduced blood
supply to the heart may be exacerbated by abrupt cessation of activity. This is the reason that runners often
collapse immediately after finishing an intense race.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red;">Medical facilities on race day:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It goes without saying that adequate medical facilities
should be available during long distance runs, especially those exceeding 10
km. In addition to medical facilities, I
personally feel that every runner should take it upon himself or herself to
learn the technique of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). In the event of a
cardiac arrest, good CPR can be life-saving.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;">TAKE-HOME MESSAGE:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Long distance running can be a safe and enjoyable sport with
considerable health benefits. There is a
small amount of risk involved which can be kept to a minimum by making sure you undergo a
‘running-specific’ health check, train sensibly and pay heed to warning signs
and symptoms should they occur.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red;">References:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. Cardiac Arrest Duing Long-distance Running Races. Kim et al, NEJM 2012;366:130-140</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Exercise and Acute Cardiovascular Events: American Heart Association Scientific Statement: Circulation 2007;115:2358-2368<br />
<br />
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Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-56312627084985706392013-02-20T10:41:00.001+05:302013-02-20T10:41:32.314+05:30Straight from the heart: Personal accounts of the Bravehearts who ran the 2013 Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There is an inexplicable sweetness in setting a lofty goal for yourself and achieving it. After all the accolades of your family, friends and peers have settled down what remains with you is the quite sense of achievement. But what happens, when you are not able to achieve the goal you have set, even after trying with all your heart?<br />
The first few moments, and even the first few days after your 'disappointment' can drag you down, and in spite of all the consolatory comments of the same band of supporters, it is hard to shake off that losing feeling. However, after all the dust has settled down, and you sit down and analyze the course of events, you may end up realizing that the adversity that you went through has made you even stronger, and considering the situation, you ended up a winner.<br />
<br />
Here are the stories of a few of our Bravehearts from the Cardiac Health and Rehabilitation Center at the Asian Heart Institute (Mumbai), all of whom have heart disease and ran the half marathon in the 2013 Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. Most of them tell a tale of heroic courage in the face of great pain, and all of them are looking forward to take a crack at the run in 2014.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
My Run and Pain: How I confronted and conquered it</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The day finally dawned after a year of hard training and
injury. Woke up at 3.45 am to a warm morning. Had a steaming coffee, cleared my
mind and told myself to give the race all I have as the next few hours was what
the whole year was about. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The run started, with me doing the 80/20 ratio (run:walk) and
maintaining a good speed. At 8 km my watch read 58m instead of 61m as per my
practice time, felt good! There was a crowd cheering when we got off the sea link.
Makes you feel that you are a hero and the world has come out for you, a great
uplifting feeling. Of which I saw the result at 10 km when the watch read 73m,
little did I realize what was in store! At Worli dairy the pain came up, I
stopped running and walked and prayed for the pain to go away. Tried running
after a while, the pain became excruciating. Knew I could not run and would
have to walk the balance distance. A painful decision when you gave this day
your whole year. When pushed the heart and mind can work like there is no
tomorrow. Got myself to a resolve that I will not give up inspite of the pain
and started walking like I have never done before. A few times I actually
overtook people who were jogging! Now the cheers of Run Mumbai run were hurting
me, but, kept my mind focused on what lay in front of me and how I had to
conquer the same with severe limitations. At Babulnath the African pack
thundered past me on the opposite side, maybe someday I will like them, but
today it was a difficult and different challenge. I was walking at a good pace,
alone with my pain and fears and finally could barely run past the finish line
at 2h 41m 30s a full four minutes less than last year. I was hurting physically
and demoralized. It took me a full 24 hours to realize that considering what I
was up against the outcome was pretty good. I was proud the way I faced and
dealt with it and finished faster than last year. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The race has left me braver and wiser to the point that Life
is going to throw tough challenges at me but will have to rise above them, I
did on Sunday, and will try to do so always.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SUKEN MEHTA:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did manage to complete the marathon but this will be the
5th one but the worst one till now . I have injured my knee during last week’s
badminton game, for which I had taken pain killers and applied ice. I even did 30 minutes running in treadmill on
the 17th ,that was before the marathon and nothing happened then. So I took the challenge and participated in
the marathon ,which I think has been a mistake on hindsight . I ran the
marathon for more than 9 /10 kms but after that my knee gave way and ended up
in severe pain, everytime I took a running step .</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I walked the distance after that and completed and hence
took nearly 3 hrs 40 minutes !!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am ashamed of my timing when i was sure of doing better
than the last marathon timings and have my garmin records to prove ....it was
not to
be !!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now I am determined
to get the knee examined and try to run the 21 kms within a month or two. Of
course all will depend on the <st1:personname w:st="on">reports</st1:personname>
..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thank You, Dr Kiran and Dr Priyanka for all the help and
support</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p>SUBRAMANIUM ESHWAR</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Before the start of the Race my target was to finish within 2 Hours and I had decided to stick to the group of 2-Hour Bus. When we started at 5.40 AM, it was pleasant, and the air was cool. Keeping earlier year’s experience in mind, I was carrying Half ltr. bottle of electral to avoid dehydration. I was feeling quite comfortable till the Jaslok Hospital incline. My left ankle started giving me trouble around that time. I slowed down a bit, walked for 1-2 minutes and again continued my run. But that point onwards I could not catch up with the group running with 2 Hour-Bus. Due to ankle pain I could not dare to increase my speed beyond certain level. Ultimately I finished my race in 122.34 minutes. Since I was not carrying Stop Watch, I thought my timing was 121 minutes. Maybe next year I will finish it within 2 Hours.<br /><br />I must thank Team AHIRC for their continued support and encouragement without which it would have been difficult for people like us, ex-Heart Patients, to get over traumatic experience of earlier years and become physically Fit. That is the reason I prefer to run with Team AHIRC rather than with my Bank’s Team which also participates in Mumbai Marathon. I hope to continue my association with AHIRC for ever.<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
BHUSHAN BAGWE</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks for the encouragement and guidance, due which I could
attempt and complete, for the first time in my life, a half marathon. I could not practice as much as I wanted to due
to sciatica in my right leg and pain in left knee which surfaced after the 21km
practice run at BKC, on 15Dec. Subsequently, I did manage 3 bouts of 10km,
including the Powai Marathon on 02Jan, apart from shorter ones, but this was
not enough strengthening, as I found myself tiring out and loosing steam around
the 15 km mark on the slopes of <st1:street w:st="on">Pedder
Rd.</st1:street></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My target was to keep it below 3h, but lost out by 3mt and
29 sec. I could not attain my target of
8km in the first hr due to to bunching up on the sea link. And then I missed Mr
Venkat’s 3 hr bus as we exited onto <st1:street w:st="on">Marine
Drive</st1:street>. Positives
are that there was no injury, undue pain
and I am back to running, after a days rest. Now I know that I need to be
regular thru out the year and will be aiming for 2:45hr in 2014.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Congratulations to ALL !!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
CAPT. SANJIV BHALLA</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As decided earlier I was going to walk with my wife Malini
entire <st1:place w:st="on">Marathon</st1:place>. IT was cool on marathon day.
This year as marathon was to start early it was nice and pleasant early in the
morning. Though previous day was cold. I was walking casually and Malini was on
speed walk she has to pace with me. On sea link we over took one physically
handicapped person. He had Jaipur leg. He was with one companion. He used to
fast walk some distance and than slow down and walk slowly. This gave malini
boost that when his man can do it even I can complete. This was there till
Lotus and after that we were ahead of them. Even on sea link visually blind man
ran past us. He too was with one companion. I was enjoying my walk along. At
worli we were greeted by Mr. Vikas Desai. Crowd on the way were cheering participants offering biscuits, oranges,
sweets, home made soft drinks and glasses of mineral water. On the way Asian
Heart staff at respective medical camp were very helpful and were cheering
participants. After crossing furnishing line I hugged Malini that she has
finished without any injury though she has injury on her right shoulder. It was
great moment for us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SHAILESH PATEL</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tks a lot for your and your teams support. Ours was one of
the few teams, where all happily finished.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I started a bit slow to avoid crowd. It was nice cool
climate so sea link was v. Enjoyable.
Till lotus cinema, I was with the 2.30hr bus but then slipped may be due to wet/uneven
surface. I continued slow jogging till cadbury house. As the home run
approached I became a bit more confident & started fast up pedder rd slope
and that was mistake, and I slowed & started walking, and a angel
tapped from the back saying, “run run”. Gathered breath started jog till <st1:city w:st="on">wilson</st1:city> collage. Slight
pain started in right knee so slowed(walk/jog) till jazz by bay where used pain
killer spray got boost from my respected trainer. I continued slowly till the
finish enjoying my run as I understood that I was behind my planed timing with
little pain in my knee which was damaged in early 90s due to my bike stunts.
Last 2 runs I never had right knee pain don't know where it came from but today
its gone. Went for a nice walk this morning enjoying cool <st1:city w:st="on">Bombay</st1:city> climate which is GODs gift for runners.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SUNIL FADIA</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(The angel who tapped fm behind was non but our own Roshni fm AH family)</div>
<br />
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Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-3208998981343279352013-02-04T13:17:00.002+05:302013-02-04T13:17:39.115+05:30Weight-Loss Myths Refuted in New Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
No topic in the world of health and fitness excites as much comment or discussion as weight loss. Consequently, most of us have several firm beliefs in our head on 'what works' and what does not. However, as you will read below, many of these beliefs are only half-truths and often are downright false. A special article published in one of the most respected medical journals, was published a few days back which debunked many of the myths. These myths are listed below, and I have added 'my take' to each of them, for what its worth!<br />
<br />
The findings were <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1208051">published online</a> January 31 in a special article in the New England Journal of Medicine. Here is a link to the article, but you need to be a member to read the whole article:<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1208051?query=featured_home">http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1208051?query=featured_home</a></b><br />
<br />
<br />
The below article on the subject has been pasted from theheart.org, and the full link for the article is below.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.theheart.org/article/1501837.doutm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Theheartorg+(theheart.org)">http://www.theheart.org/article/1501837.doutm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Theheartorg+(theheart.org)</a><br />
<br />
The authors discuss a total of 7 myths, along with refuting evidence. Here are some examples:<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Small changes in food intake and/or exercise will produce large, long term weight changes</span></b> — This idea was based on the old idea that 3500 kcal equals 1 pound of weight. But it does not take into account the fact that energy requirements change as body mass changes over time. So, as weight is lost, it takes increasingly more exercise and reduced intake to perpetuate the loss.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">My take</span></b>: In other words, as you begin losing weight you will need to curb your caloric intake further and / or increase your caloric output to continue losing weight at the same pace.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Realistic weight-loss goals will keep people motivated </span></b>— This idea seems reasonable, but it is not supported by evidence. In fact, several studies have shown that people with very ambitious goals lose more weight (eg, TV's The Biggest Loser).<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>My take</b></span>: Actually, I used to believe in realistic and gradual weight loss goals too, and still do, but with a caveat. I have realized that for those who are very heavy (say, at least 30 kg above ideal body weight), gradual weight loss does not work. One of the reasons, in my opinion, is that a 6-8 kg weight loss (which may take a few months, when done 'sensibly') usually, does not show on the person, and no one notices. I feel, that positive feedback and 'wow' comments from near and dear ones go a long way in keeping up motivation, and often gradual weight loss does not lead to that.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Slow, gradual weight loss is best for long-term success </span></b>— Actually, a <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12529-010-9092-y">meta-analysis of randomized, controlled weight-loss trials</a> found that rapid weight loss via very-low-calorie diets resulted in significantly more weight loss (16% vs 10% of body weight) at 6 months, and differences in weight loss persisted up to 18 months (Int J Behav Med. 2010;17:161-167).<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>My take</b></span>: I am surprised to know that the weight loss persisted up to 18 months. Will need to read the entire article to be satisfied on this one.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>A bout of sexual activity burns 100 to 300 kcal per person</b></span> — With intense sexual activity, a 154-pound man burns approximately 3.5 kcal per minute. However, given that the average amount of time spent during one stimulation and orgasm session is about 6 minutes, this man might expend about 21 kcal total. But, he would burn about 7 kcal per minute just lying on the couch, so that amount has to be subtracted, which gives a grand total of 14 kcals of energy expended.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">My take</span></b>: So much for all the 'studs' who thought they were getting a great workout between the sheets.<br />
<br />
The article also explores 6 "presumptions," or widely accepted beliefs that are neither proven nor disproven. Among them:<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Eating breakfast prevents obesity — Actually, 2 studies showed no effect of eating vs skipping breakfast</b>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Adding fruits and vegetables to the diet results in weight loss</b> — Adding more calories of any type without making any other changes is likely to cause weight gain. Eating fruits and vegetables is healthful, however.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Weight cycling, aka "yoyo dieting," increases mortality</b> — The data are from observational studies and likely confounded by health status.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: lime;">Finally, the authors offer 9 facts about obesity and weight loss that are supported by data, among them:</span></b><br />
<br />
Moderate environmental changes can promote as much weight loss as even the best weight-loss drugs.<br />
<br />
Diets do produce weight loss, but attempting to diet and telling someone to diet are not necessarily the same thing.<br />
<br />
Physical activity does help in promoting weight loss and has health benefits even in the absence of weight loss.<br />
<br />
For overweight children, involving the family and home environment in weight-loss efforts is ideal.<br />
<br />
Providing actual meals or meal replacements works better for weight loss than does general advice about food choices.<br />
<br />
Both weight-loss drugs and bariatric surgery can help achieve long-term weight loss in some individuals.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-18145934656935754872013-01-28T13:37:00.001+05:302013-01-28T13:37:54.259+05:30Sugary Drinks and Post-meal Walks: Weekly News Round Up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jan 28, 2013</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the past week, two studies were released, which are of interest, though they only reinforced knowledge we already have. I will present the studies, followed by 'My take (-home message) on it'</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first looked at sugary drinks, what we commonly refer to as 'cold or soft drinks'.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>New meta-analysis on sugar sparks old debate</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="enrichlocation">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cutting
consumption of sugar produces a small but significant reduction in body weight
for adults, a new meta-analysis concludes. The
study found was published by </span></span>Dr Lisa Te Morenga (University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand) and colleagues in their paper published online January 15, 2013 in BMJ.<br />The review is accompanied by an editorial by Dr Walter C Willett (Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA) and Dr David S Ludwig (New Balance Foundation<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Obesity Prevention Center, Boston
Children's Hospital, MA), which concludes that the tide is beginning to turn
against sugar, with evidence continuing to accumulate that it is indeed
deleterious to health.</span></div>
<div class="enrichlocation">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN">"It's clear that sugar does have adverse effects,
particularly in liquid form as sugar-sweetened drinks," Willett told <span style="color: black;"><b>heartwire</b>.
"</span>This study addresses a piece of the picture, the effect on weight gain.
There is also a strong body of evidence showing that sugar-sweetened beverages
are related to type 2 diabetes. </span> But the question remains as to what is a desirable
limit, they note. Current intake of added sugar in the US and UK is about 15%
of total energy, so the 2003 <b>World Health Organization</b> (WHO) aim of
limiting intake to 10% "could be viewed as a realistic and practical
goal." However, the <b>American Heart Association</b> (AHA) suggests a
limit of 5% of energy, "which would be more consistent with a goal for
optimal health," they point out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This information was taken from theheart.org. The full article can be accessed by clicking on the link below.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.theheart.org/article/1496039.do?utm_medium=email&utm_source=20130116_heartwire&utm_campaign=newsletter">http://www.theheart.org/article/1496039.do?utm_medium=email&utm_source=20130116_heartwire&utm_campaign=newsletter</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IpRu3LzUyH4/UQYwj7LB2dI/AAAAAAAACCk/9-_8gD9gQIs/s1600/colas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IpRu3LzUyH4/UQYwj7LB2dI/AAAAAAAACCk/9-_8gD9gQIs/s320/colas.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>My Take-home message</b>:</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sugary drinks, be it soft drinks, such as colas, or sweetened juices, do not really have any health benefits. At best, they are empty calories, and at worst they are agents promoting overweight and diabetes. Luckily in India, the soft-drink culture has not yet invaded the country to the extent it has in the west. A recent survey in the US showed that the average daily consumption was more than a drink a day (about 400-500 ml) </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(http://www.gallup.com/poll/156116/nearly-half-americans-drink-soda-daily.aspx).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Growing up in the 70's (now I am dating myself), a soft drink was a special treat, and I think we need to go back to viewing it as such. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Light exercise can reduce postprandial triglycerides</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Brisk walking
followed by some resistance training an hour after eating can suppress the
postprandial elevation in triglyceride levels, research suggests. When
compared with the elevated levels that occur following a meal, triglyceride
levels decreased 72% after a combined exercise program of walking and light
resistance training, report investigators.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In contrast, brisk walking and resistance training prior
to eating decreased triglyceride levels 25%. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Authors: </span>Dr Wataru Aoi <span style="font-family: inherit;">(Kyoto Prefectural University,
Kyoto, Japan) and colleagues in the February 2013 issue of <i>Medicine &
Science in Sports & Exercise</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="enrichlocation">
<span style="line-height: 16px;">This information was taken from theheart.org. The full article can be accessed by clicking on the link below.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.theheart.org/article/1498383.do?utm_medium=email&utm_source=20130123_heartwire&utm_campaign=newsletter">http://www.theheart.org/article/1498383.do?utm_medium=email&utm_source=20130123_heartwire&utm_campaign=newsletter</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>My Take-home message</b>:</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN">An after-meal walk has many benefits, and reducing triglycerides is one of them. However, the regimen used in this study- </span>a 2-km walk followed by squats, shoulder
presses, push-ups, and leg raises, among other resistance exercises- is certainly not a practical or sustainable solution. I would recommend sticking to your usual exercise routine, and not changing it based on this information. The post-walk meal can be a leisurely 10-15 minute stroll, which will aid digestion and help burn a small amount of calories.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-26939127691610821272013-01-24T18:50:00.002+05:302013-01-25T10:25:26.290+05:30A Miracle on Race Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Usually, when you read the term 'miracle' in one of my posts, it's natural to think that I am talking about one more inspiring run by one more person, under extreme circumstances. Many of these inspiring runs did take place on Sunday, 20th January, during the tenth running of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, but on that day something much more miraculous took place- a runner survived a cardiac arrest!<br />
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At around 8:15 am, I was running alongside the venerable Fauja Singh as medical support (and I mean RUNNING, not jogging or walking), when I got the dreaded call on my walkie talkie. A runner had been 'picked up' around Babulnath mandir, and was in cardiac arrest. In all my time as the Race Medical Director, these are the words that haunt me the most. In simple language, a cardiac arrest is a 'death rhythm' and unless the person gets advanced medical care very very quickly, there are very few chances of survival. Thanks to the very quick reaction time of our ambulance doctor, who started CPR on the spot, the runner reached Jaslok Hospital alive. By the time he reached, he had already received advanced CPR, a tube was put down his throat to his lungs, and he was give intravenous emergency medication. At the hospital another of our doctors received him and along with the Jaslok team, continued with the emergency medical care. I was at the hospital, and must give credit to all for working in perfect unison. In no time the on-call cardiologist arrived and the runner was taken up for an emergency angiography. He made it through the procedure and was then shifted to the ICU for observation and treatment.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medical Base Camp<br /></td></tr>
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As of this morning (thursday) he was fine and in complete recovery mode. It is very rare to rescue a cardiac arrest, especially in the middle of a crowded event, and for that I am grateful to the Asian Heart Institute medical team and God.....I am sure the deity of Babulnath mandir was watching over us all that morning.</div>
Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-21121216689305197472013-01-19T12:22:00.000+05:302013-01-19T12:22:03.610+05:30Great Weather for the Marathon, but Take Care<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am writing this on Saturday morning, a day before the 10th Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, and the weather is perfect. I was on Marine Drive at 10 am, with two living legends of distance running, Haile Gebrselassie and Fauja Singh and was surprised by how cool it was. It's perfect running weather and let's hope it lasts for at least 24 hours more.<br />
However, since its unusually cold for our city, I thought I would thrown in a few points which runners should be aware of:<br />
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1. Plan to carry something to warm you up, before you leave home, and as you wait at the start line. Two great options are an old t-shirt or a large garbage bag, with appropriate cut-offs for your arms. Both, can be discarded after a few km of running, probably after the sea-link for half marathoners, and after marine drive for the full. (please, please don't throw the garbage (pun intended) on the road, but in a trash can).<br />
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2. While this weather is great to attempt a personal best, don't get carried away at the start. Stick to your pacing plan (trust you have one ready by now). If you are feeling great, you can always accelerate once you hit the home stretch at Marine Drive. That still gives you plenty of time to put in a better than expected performance.<br />
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3. Don't ignore hydration. Your thirst cues may be a bit off, due to cooler weather, but I suggest you stick to your usual hydration and nutrition plan (again, I trust and hope you have a plan).<br />
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4. Have fun and have a great race.</div>
Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-20643585133968046222012-08-14T13:23:00.016+05:302012-08-16T17:08:12.750+05:30Why does India fare so poorly at the Olympics?<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d3gHFSs1Szw/UCzbjEGIujI/AAAAAAAAAWE/ntz8gkPbbj0/s1600/sprinters.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d3gHFSs1Szw/UCzbjEGIujI/AAAAAAAAAWE/ntz8gkPbbj0/s400/sprinters.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5777233817450887730" /></a><br />Let me begin with a confession. I have spent the better part of the last two weeks with my eyes glued to the TV screen and my buttocks glued to the couch. It's an irony that the Olympics which embody the zenith of physical activity have turned me into a couch potato. Thanks to the non-stop coverage on 4 different channels, and my newly acquired toy, the HD-recording TataSky setbox, I have been able to record the Games on two different channels, while simultaneously watching an earlier recording on a third channel. And thanks to watching only recorded versions, I have been able to fast forward the deeply regressive and offensive Hero motorcycle commercials (the ones where the women are called 'chidiyas') and the annoying Tata docomo ads (to be fair to them, even the best ad when repeated a zillion times can be annoying).<div><br /></div><div>As the games progressed, it became quite clear that India was not going to drastically improve its performance over the previous years, and before you pounce on me and point out that we have doubled our medal haul, let me remind you that its a double of three. It's the same 'low-base' effect that affect most of our national calculations, including economic growth. Six medals for a large nation is a pathetic showing by any standard, and here I am not even getting into our exact population, since I understand that that is not entirely fair given the circumstances in which a large number of people live. Having said that, I have the deepest respect and admiration for all the medal winners and all the other athletes who fought valiantly on the international stage. A special mention must be made of OGQ (Olympic Gold Quest), and their efforts. I have met Viren Resquniha and the dedication he and his team have is amazing.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, to get back to the original question of our perennial poor performance, let me try and answer it with a little bit of science and a lot of my own thoughts, for whatever they are worth. Let me preface it with the disclaimer that at the end of all my thoughts, you may be more confused than when you started.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Nature Vs Nurture Debate:</div><div><br /></div><div>In a lot of human endeavour and human health, scientists have forever tried to answer the question of how much of what happens to us is due to genes, versus the environment. There is no doubt that there are genetic factors at play which influence sporting performance. The most stark examples of that are the Jamaicans and the East Africans. Jamaica has a population of 2.8 million people (about one fifth of Mumbai- sorry, I could not resist that), and has had a monopoly on both the men and women's short sprint distances, over the recent past, and East Africans have had that same monopoly over middle and long distance running. Our muscles are divided into three different fiber types; 1, 2a and 2b. Type 1 are also called slow twitch muscle fibers, and as the name implies they are designed for distance rather than speed. Type 2 are fast twitch muscle fibers, of which type 2 b are essential for explosive speed, the kind needed to ace the short distance sprints. The percentage of fiber types is largely genetic, and world-class sprinters are born with a large amount of type 2 b muscle fibers. It would be scientifically accurate to say that if you did not have a significant amount of these, there is no way you could be a world class sprinter. Clearly the Jamaicans have an abundance of these, though they were 'discovered' only recently. I think it was Merlene Ottey, the great woman sprinter who threw open the doors of possibility in the 1984 Olympics (incidentally, Merlene is still competing at the international level, at the unbelievable age of 52, but for the Czech Republic now). Ever since the floodgates have been opened, the Jamaicans have dominated. Similarly the East Africans have dominated long distance running, over the past few decades, and they are blessed with an abundance of Type 1 muscle fibers which are fatigue resistant and allow them to glide like gazelles over long distances. The Jamaican and East Africans have been 'discovered', but there are several other parts of the world, which are just discovering their potential, such as The Bahamas in sprinting, and Uganda in distance running. </div><div> </div><div>Both long and short distance running, as well as several track and field events at the Games require a large amount of 'genetic gift'. But, most of the other events at the Olympics don't. You don't need to be born talented to excel at fencing, or badminton, or table tennis, or synchronized swimming. Yes, talent will help, but will not be the deciding factor in success, unlike the sprint events. The point I am trying to make is two-fold. </div><div>1. Genetic talent or the nature part of the nature vs nurture argument, cannot justify our poor showing at the Olympics, since very few sports are heavily dependent on raw genetic talent.</div><div>2. India is a very vast country, consisting of varied ethnic groups. I am sure a dedicated search will unearth several groups who have the right muscle fiber structure needed for track and field events. One group that comes to mind are the folk who live in the high mountains, and have a superior ability to utilize oxygen and therefore perform well in long distance events.</div><div><br /></div><div>The 'lack of interest' debate:</div><div><br /></div><div>Culturally, I do not think that sport has ever been a priority for Indians. A recent worldwide study showed that Indians are a relatively active group, compared to several other countries, though I doubt that. My feeling is that this included the country as a whole, and as we know a large part of the country is under-served by road and mechanized transportation, making physical activity necessary for survival, as opposed to something done voluntarily for health benefits. Besides cricket we really don't give a damn about sports, and even in cricket our performance is at best lukewarm, considering that our population is more than all the cricket playing nations put together. We have always viewed sports as something that children do in school, and that too for a limited period of time, so that their academic prowess is not marred. In whichever city you live in, look around at the scores of billboards advertising 'coaching classes', and think about when was the last time you saw a hoarding which promised to make your child the best runner or tennis player. However, in spite of the lack of overall interest, we do know that there are parts of the country, which are crazy about football, such as Bengal and Goa. Put together, their population is far in excess of nations which excel at the game, but still we feature nowhere. I really don't have a convincing explanation for that.</div><div><br /></div><div>The killer instinct:</div><div><br /></div><div>There is a theory that we are good at sport, but lack the 'killer instinct' which is necessary for winning at the highest level. In my opinion, there is some truth to that. Take tennis for instance; over the last few decades we have had some fabulously talented players, but the one who made it to the top was Leander Paes. In pure strokeplay, Leander was clearly not the best of his generation (and I have had the good fortune of having played with most of them), but what set him apart was his strong mental strength. His lack of strokes was made up by agility of mind and foot, and I am willing to gamble that had he the strokes to match, he would certainly have been in the top ten in the world in singles. As a nation we seem to have taken that old saying to heart, 'its not the winning that counts, but the taking part'. This seems to reflect clearly in our approach. If you heard the commentary or read the news articles, it was apparent that we thought that being in the quarterfinals or semis was 'good enough' and we were not expected to ever challenge the top few seeds, especially in badminton, boxing, or wrestling. Why ? Most of our athletes in those sport were in the top 20 in the world, and therefore should be expected to win at the highest level, rather than have an attitude of 'reaching this far is good enough'. When pitted against the best in the world our media and athletes are satisfied with putting up a good fight, which often means winning a few points. Contrast that with the killer mindset, which has guided American sport in the recent past with the dictum, 'winning is not everything.....its the only thing'.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, amidst all this gloom, the silver lining is that we have won more medals than ever, and that should spur on a whole new generation to perform better. Mary Kom, Yogeshwar Dutt and others will serve as heroes to the country, especially those in their hometown, who will know that it can be done, and in human endeavour that's often all that is needed for success. Much like the 4 minute mile barrier which stood for decades, but once Sir Roger Bannister broke it, it was broken repeatedly in that same year. Our medal winnners this Olympics will serve as the Bannisters of their generation, or closer home, they will serve as Tenzing Norgay did to a whole generation of Sherpas to reach the highest point in the world. And when they do so, cynics like myself will have to start blogging about why Indians are so great at sport. </div>Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-19233929301369485922012-05-09T12:06:00.000+05:302012-05-09T12:06:13.567+05:30Born Free......Ruled by Garmin (and the refreshing tale of Bhupendra Rajput)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It was 4 am on Sunday morning, and as I went through the last minute check of my equipment (my cycling equipment !), I went into a mini-panic. The screen on my Garmin had frozen, and consequently, so had my brain. We were about to embark on a 200 k training ride from Panvel to Pune and back, and the thought of doing it without a functioning Garmin, freaked me out. Once again technology came to the rescue, and in the light of the moon (and the golden arches of the adjacent McDonald's), we browsed the net on our blackberry, and googled out a solution to the problem. All was then well with the world, and we went on to complete a strong 200 k ride.
If all this sounds Greek to you, let me take a step back and explain. Garmin, is a company which makes GPS-enabled devices, which 'talk' to satellites orbiting the earth and give you live feedback on your distance, speed, average speed, etc etc, as you run or cycle. Fortunately or unfortunately, I have possessed one of these since the past 3 years, and it has changed my running and cycling completely. I have become a data junkie, and like all junkies, cannot function without it. The plus side is that thanks to all this real time information, I have been able to significantly improve my endurance event times, but it has come at a price. The price is the loss of "absolute freedom" that running free is able to give you. I always envy those who are able to step out of their house, and just go for a long run, without bothering about trivialities, like time, distance, and pace.<br />
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Which is why I was thrilled to run into (and run with) the embodiment of such a runner, this past weekend in Pune. Bhupendra Rajput is no ordinary runner, and i would like to share his fascinating story with you. I had gone to Pune for the weekend to conduct a sweat study for the Pune Runners Group, along with my friend and colleague Venkat and was privileged to have dinner with Bhupendra. At first glance Bhupendra comes across as a 43 year old mild mannered sales manager of an engineering company, which he is. It's only when you know about his 'other side', will your jaw drop. Mr. Rajput is the winner of the 160 km Bhatti Lake run in Haryana, which was organized in 2011. Besides that he has run several 100 + km runs all over the country, the latest being the Thar Desert 160 km in April of this year. With this impressive resume you would imagine that he has been a life-long passionate runner, with a very competitive edge, but nothing could be further from the truth. I spent a good part of the dinner, and my run with him next morning trying to figure out what makes this man tick, and was left with more questions than answers. I will make an attempt to reproduce our conversation, and beg your pardon for minor inaccuracies in dates and times.<br />
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Bhupendra had never run long distance in his life, till he came across a billboard for the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, in January 2006. Just for a lark, he decided to enroll (those were the days when marathon entries did not 'fill up'in under 48 hours). Enroll he did, and completed the 21 km distance in an amazing time of 2:30 hours, without any training. He then did a few more half marathons, and upgraded to the full in 2009. Sometime in September of 2011, a friend of his was planning a 150 k run in Pune, and informed Bhupendra about it. And he decided that he would join him !! Remember, that his previous maximum distance was 42.2 k. Most runners have their weekly schedules planned well in advance, and would never run more than a few km in excess of their schedule. And here is our friend Bhupendra, who without hesitation, and without training, decided to run three times his previous longest run. It was beyond my comprehension that someone could do this, and I repeatedly asked him what his motivation was. His only answer was that he wanted to see if he could do it, but was confident of the fact, that if he needed to stop running at any point, he could always complete the distance walking. To complete this amazing story, he managed to do the distance comfortably, and then went on to participate in the Bhatti Lake 160 km run in Haryana, in which he came first.
Bhupendra to this date runs without a watch, and it's absolutely refreshing to come across such individuals who participate in the activity for the pureness of it. More power to him and his legs. We wish you all the best, and trust me, we will be following your every step (though we may not be able to keep up after a while).<br />
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Details on the Sweat Study can be found at:
http://youtoocanrun.wordpress.com/2012/03/25/sweat-rate-study/
</div>Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-31647247939855757112012-04-02T22:35:00.012+05:302012-04-03T17:58:39.152+05:30Did it ! Mumbai to Pune and back on a cycle: 329 km<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0AP5o50W8cw/T3n2IigZm-I/AAAAAAAAAOE/EacvtLLFT7U/s1600/start%2Bpoint%2Bwith%2Bkids.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0AP5o50W8cw/T3n2IigZm-I/AAAAAAAAAOE/EacvtLLFT7U/s400/start%2Bpoint%2Bwith%2Bkids.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726879027740384226" /></a><br />Jaideep, Prashant, and I just cycled from Mumbai to Pune and back, covering a distance of 329km in the process !<br />As unbelieveable as that sounds, what is far more incredible, is that three idiots on a bike (I take liberty with my two friends here :) ), could raise more than 85 lakhs in ten days for children suffering from cancer (more details on the NGO below) !<br /><br />Here is the detailed account of how it all took place for those willing to undergo the suffering of reading about our dream ride on April 1, 2012 (the irony of the date does not escape me).<br /><br />How did it all begin ?<br /><br />Jaideep and I have been friends since the past 12 years, and have always done our outdoor endurance runs together. As age and injuries have caught up, we decided to spend some of our time on a sport which is kinder to the joints, and therein was born the cycling bug. We did our first 100 k on May 3, 2009 and it seemed a big deal at the time. We did not increase mileage much, until we decided to do something truly challenging for ourselves and the decision to cycle to Pune was born sometime at the end of Nov, 2010. I was about to turn 40 in a year, and I would like to think that this was not a mid-life crisis decision (though I guess most men look for a fast car and a faster woman to tide over that one). We trained for it and closer to the big day, decided to use the 'event' as an opportunity to raise funds for St. Jude and Akanksha. We were very pleasantly surprised, when an email to family and friends ended up attracting more than 15 lakh Rs. in the span of a week (yes, it did help very much that one of us is an investment banker). During our training rides we bumped into Prashant and realized that we had one more guy who was crazy enough to come out cycling at 3 am on a Sunday morning when most people were trying to figure out ways to beat the breath analyzer test on the way home from a party. Prashant had spent many years biking in the US and even with very little training was able to ride along with us to Pune last year.<br /><br />It would be fair to say that the 'athletic achievement' was the prime motivator last year, but this year we were driven by the desire to do something for the kids at St. Jude and knew it had to be 'special' for us to go back to our friends and family like Oliver Twist to ask for one more helping for a good cause. We threw around ideas, and 250 km came up as a real challenging number. We looked at the map and figured that besides Mahableshwar there was no other location which was specifically that distance away from Mumbai. We then thought about going to Pune and returning till the 250 k point, but somehow it did not sound right to say we will by cycling to Pune and back to somewhere between Khopoli and Panvel! On one of our training rides one of the three wise men (yes, i am being sarcastic) came up with the bright idea of going to Pune and coming back to Mumbai, and much to his surprise the other two wise men agreed. Technically one could start from Chembur and finish at Pune univ and return to Chembur, for a total distance of about 280 k. While that sounded most sensible (in a relative sort of way), the wise man suggested that if we were going for it, we might as well start from the tip of south Mumbai, so that we can do 320 km which in the endurance cycling world is known as a double century (200 km). Once again the other wise men agreed and the three idiots (and now I am not being sarcastic- ask our wives) were quite happy until they realised what this entailed.<br /><br />The Actual Ride: <br /><br />I will bore you with our training details in a separate blog, for those masochistic enough to take more of this, but to get back to the point, we were all ready in our cycling gear at the gates of Mumbai University, at 7 pm on 31st March, with our family and friends in attendance to flag us off. More importantly a group of young kids from St. Jude were there with a twinkle in their eye and a smile on their face (to avoid infection while undergoing cancer treatment, they wear a surgical mask, but the smile came through). Seeing them there deepened our resolve, and made me realise that those smiling faces would carry us through the next 15 hours, come what may. We were gaily dressed in bright yellow and black (no pun intended), colors of the LiveStrong jersey and cycling shorts. We have written to Lance Armstrong for his 'support' and not heard back yet, but will keep trying.<br /><br />For the first 50 km till Panvel, we had the Mumbai chapter of Hell's Angels (a.k.a investment bankers in leather jackets and Enfield bikes) to be our outriders, and they were superbly effective at their task. The way they revved their mean machines to frighten away taxi drivers who dared to steer onto our path, made me shudder at the plight of the corporate folk they cut deals with during the day. Besides, I think the taxi drivers knew that Jaideep was on the road and they need to steer clear (sorry, thats an inside joke). Following close behind each bike was a car with drivers trained to stick to the cyclists rear wheel all the way through in a scene reminiscent of the Tour de france (minus the speed of the cyclists and the backdrop of meadows of sunflowers, though fuming trucks and ST buses more than made up for the ambience). I am convinced that Prashant's driver, Sanjeev has a job waiting for him in the professionaly cycling circuit, the way he nimbly cut off speeding motorists and dogs alike.<br /><br />We hit Panvel at an average speed of 25 k/hr and were all set to leave after a quick food and 'call of nature' stop, when Murphy's law struck. Jaideep, who had not had a flat tire all season had a flat in the rear tire. Luckily we had spare tires (besides the ones around our waistline) and after a quick change we were on our way, only to be hit with another flat in my front tire. We tided through that one too, and were on our way to hit the Bhor Ghats from Khopoli to Khandala. It was a half-moon night and there is something surreal about putting all your effort in a concentrated manner on just one goal, which is to keep the pedals churning and moving the bike forward. The only other time you experience this complete laser sharp focus is weaving through Mumbai traffic (on your cycle)at peak rush hour and every sense you possess is heightened to a level of alertness you can never achieve in daily life. Once we passed the temple on the final bend, we knew the worst of the Ghats were over, and the only obstacle remaining in the next few km were the 'chasing dogs' which live on a strategic spot on the flat portion of the ghat, past the temple. Luckily they were not interested in our ankles this night, and that too passed.<br /><br />We hit Khandala in 4 hr 26 min (sorry, but I am addicted to data), and took a pit stop at Kamats. I am convinced the right term is 'piss stop' since that is what really happens, but someone coined 'pit stop' out of politeness. The next stretch from Khandala to Pune saw us at our best, and as we were approaching Pune, I was convinced that we had this one 'in the bag'. I would pay for my optimism (the right word is 'cockiness') about six hours later, but thats another story. Prashant was his usual pragmatic ( i call it pessimistic) self, reminding me that it's not over till it is over, and of course he was right. At Pune university, we retreated to the warmth of our cars and got all geared up for the second half and took some pictures to prove we were really there. A group of policemen seemed quite amused to find 3 old men in spandex, cycling at 2:30 am, but were quite good natured about it and bade us well, as we left.<br /><br />In the interest of finishing this before you fall asleep, suffice it to say that we had a strong ride till Khandala and thoroughly enjoyed the feel of zipping down the ghats with the help of the light of the moon (and our cars). At the end of 250 k all three of us were riding very strong, and all that remained was a short stretch home. To make the home stretch easier some of the Hell's angels had traded in their denim jackets for athletic t shirts and their Enfields for trek cycles, and joined us in our ride. Also, at Panvel we had a convoy of cars with family and friends following us.<br /><br />Somewhere between Panvel and Vashi my body decided to remind me that it was sitting hunched on a cycle for the past 11 hours and that reminder did not go away till the finishing line. I freely admit that the last 25 k ( to use Jaideep's words) were 'not trivial'. What made it easier (or harder) was that both Prashant and Jaideep were riding wonderfully strong. We had decided to return via the 'long way' through Dadar, Worli, Peddar road and Marine Drive so we could ride along our home stretch, which further lengthened the ride by 9 km (another one of the brainwaves of the three wise men, which i was cursing at this point). Jaideep and Prashant were waiting for their laggard friend at Wilson college and we rode as a group, for our moment in the sun, with cameras flashing all round from cars of friends. As we rounded the Air India building bend one of the BEST drivers nearly knocked down some of the cyclists, and looked almost disappointed that he had missed such easy prey.<br /><br />We entered the home stretch to be warmly greeted by the kids from St.Jude and suddenly all the pain and discomfort was over when we stood next to them to click our final pictures.<br /><br />For those as crazy as me about ride stats, here is the garmin data from my watch. We did the 320 km stretch in 13 hr 11 min of ride time, and including stoppage time it was 14 hours 4 min. The 329 km, University to University stretch took a total time of 14 hr 30 min.<br />http://connect.garmin.com/activity/164001246 <br /><br />Below is a short write up of St. Jude. If you would like to donate please contact them or e mail me at ascontractor@gmail.com, and I will put you in touch with them.<br /><br /><br /><br />St. Jude Child Care Centre: www.stjudechild.org/ St. Jude Child Care Centres is an organisation founded by Nihal and Shyama Kaviratne that provides free housing for children and parents that come to Bombay for cancer treatment. Typically, all these children live outside Bombay and are not in a position to take care of treatment AND pay for a place to stay. Most of their treatments are subsidised through various trusts that Tata Memorial, Wadia and Raheja hospitals recognise but what St. Jude does is make sure these kids finish their entire treatment by providing them with a place to stay and all the emotional support that comes along with it. At present they have 7 centres - 1 in Mhasker Hospital, 2 in Parel run out of the Indian Cancer Society building and 4 in Kharghar.Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-37725009667518353572012-03-20T10:05:00.002+05:302012-03-20T10:16:14.662+05:30Mumbai to Pune and back...need your help to support us for 320 km<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nWYunnYYjjM/T2gLfMVzajI/AAAAAAAAAN4/gabGEyvGS14/s1600/3%2Bfinish%2B3.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nWYunnYYjjM/T2gLfMVzajI/AAAAAAAAAN4/gabGEyvGS14/s400/3%2Bfinish%2B3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721835957090740786" /></a><br />HI Friends,<br /><br />I am writing on the blog after a while, and have now vowed to update it on a weekly basis. In the meanwhile, I have been training for some extended torture on a bicycle seat. Last year, my friend and I cycled from Mumbai to Pune non-stop in about 7 hours. We decided to solicit monetary support from our friends and family to help underprivileged children in the area of education and cancer support. What started of as a fitness goal, led to a collection well in excess of Rs. 15 lakhs. Your support overwhelmed us and this year we have decided to set a staggering target for charity, and the fitness goal is secondary. Please read our request below and lend your support to brighten a child's life. At the end of the blog, I have put up some links which covered our ride last year.<br /><br /><br />Dear Friends,<br /><br />To those who know, we are back again ! To those that are seeing this for the first time, we solicit your monetary support for a good cause and your prayers as we cycle from Mumbai to Pune and back non-stop, for charity.<br /><br />The three of us, Jaideep Khanna, Prashant Mehta and, Aashish Contractor are keen amateur athletes who also have an interest in charity. Every year we plan our training schedule around a fitness goal, and to ensure that we stick to it, we use it to achieve a philanthropic goal. Over the past couple of years we have approached colleagues, friends and family to raise money for worthy charities using the one big event and our participation as a draw.<br /><br />Last year we set ourselves the goal of riding from Mumbai to Pune non-stop, covering a distance of 175 km. The ride was not part of a formally organised event and was entirely self-funded. We used the ride to raise money for St. Jude Child Care Centre, an NGO that works with children suffering from cancer and for Akanksha, an NGO engaged in providing education for under-privileged children. We were quite successful, raising over Rs 15 lakhs from our network. This amount was raised entirely from individuals, not from corporations.<br /><br />This year we have upped both the monetary target and the physical challenge. We hope to raise more than twice the amount we did last year and cover nearly double the distance. Our charity goal is to raise money for St.Jude's and this time we are targeting a significantly larger corpus, hopefully well in excess of Rs 30 lakhs. In the last week, a very close family member of mine has been diagnosed with cancer and has just been operated for the same. Her brave fight has made me more determined to complete the ride strongly, and your monetary support will go a long way in helping the fight against cancer. We do appreciate that many of you already have a favourite cause which you support, and if you wish to donate to it instead of St. Jude, that's fine as well. The purpose of the ride is to use the cycle as a vehicle to benefit the underprivileged. <br /><br />On April 1, the three of us will ride from Mumbai University to Pune University and back again, covering a distance of 320 km, including the Mumbai-Pune ghats. To put the physical challenge in context, the distance is much longer than the longest stage of the world's most gruelling cycling event, the Tour de France. In 2011, the longest stage was a flat stage of 226.5 km. During the 14-16 hours non-stop that we expect to be on the bike we will face temperatures ranging from 20*C to over 40*C. In training we have dodged erratic truckers, rowdy motorists, mad dogs and assorted potholes; hopefully, it is no worse on D-day. In order to minimize some of these obstacles, we will be riding through the night.<br /><br />To speed us on our way and to give us motivation when our legs are flagging, our heads are sagging and our butts are reminding us that they were not designed to be planted on 5 inch wide cycle seats for 15 hours at a time, please donate generously. St. Jude Child Care Centres does wonderful work with very sick children. They are contributing to society in ways that are an inspiration to all of us and, most importantly, reaffirm the generosity and selflessness of the human spirit. <br /><br />We ask you to pledge an amount per km of distance that we cover- for example, Rs10 per Km will result in a Rs 3200 pledge, Rs 100 will result in Rs 32,000 and Rs 1000 per km will result in a Rs 3,20,000 pledge if we make it to Pune and back. To establish a minimum corpus, the three of us are pledging Rs. 3,50,000, of our own money.<br /><br />Please be generous in your support. The kids need it. The three of us will definitely need it.<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />Aashish, Prashant and Jaideep<br /><br />P.S. We will write again once the ride is over with details of how it went and also with instructions on settlement<br />P.P.S Please forward this to friends who you think might contribute<br />P.P.P.S. In the event that you wish to support a charity of your choice, please let us know the amount of your pledge and the name of the charity. After the ride is over, we will arrange to have the amounts collected from you and delivered to the charity of your choice.<br /><br />St. Jude Child Care Centre: www.stjudechild.org/ St. Jude Child Care Centres is an organisation founded by Nihal and Shyama Kaviratne that provides free housing for children and parents that come to Bombay for cancer treatment. Typically, all these children live outside Bombay and are not in a position to take care of treatment AND pay for a place to stay. Most of their treatments are subsidised through various trusts that Tata Memorial, Wadia and Raheja hospitals recognise but what St. Jude does is make sure these kids finish their entire treatment by providing them with a place to stay and all the emotional support that comes along with it. At present they have 7 centres - 1 in Mhasker Hospital, 2 in Parel run out of the Indian Cancer Society building and 4 in Kharghar.<br /><br />Profile<br />Aashish Contractor, 40 years, Preventive Cardiologist and Head of Department of Cardiac Rehabilitation at Asian Heart Institute<br />Prashant Mehta, 43 years, CEO, Komli.com<br />Jaideep Khanna, 47 years, Managing Director and Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, Barclays, India.<br /><br />Links describing last year's ride:<br /><br />http://www.indianexpress.com/news/from-mumbai-to-pune-nonstop-on-cycle/778957/<br /><br />http://cyclists.in/profiles/blogs/mumbai-to-pune-for-charity<br /><br />http://www.stjudechild.org/News/Article/?story=Peddling_hard_for_St._Jude's<br /><br />Garmin: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/77215868Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-42004517935312652002012-01-23T12:09:00.000+05:302012-01-23T13:19:00.354+05:30Blood (literally) and sweat en route to running 21.1 km.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i5hb5CHWQQs/Tx0P5UxcjxI/AAAAAAAAANs/LGYmTJ3yBpA/s1600/IMG_22081.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i5hb5CHWQQs/Tx0P5UxcjxI/AAAAAAAAANs/LGYmTJ3yBpA/s400/IMG_22081.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700730180823977746" /></a><br />Imagine this :<br /><br />It's the Friday before your first marathon on Sunday, and you are out on your last training run, to keep the muscles warmed up and ready for the big day. On the last 50 meters of the run, you hit an obstacle on the road, and go flying forward and land directly on your face and knees.<br /><br />To make matters worse, you are on blood thinning medication, which does not allow the flow of blood to stop. If that was not enough, imagine you have asthma, and a history of epilepsy which can make running hard. And to top it all, you have had open heart surgery two years ago and have never run after your school days. And did I mention, you are 68 years old!<br /><br />Before you cringe any further at my imagination, let me remind you that truth is indeed stranger than fiction, and such a person in flesh and blood (with a little loss of it :)) does exist and this unique individual is Surendra Dasadia.<br /><br />Every year more than 70 heart patients from the Cardiac Rehabilitation department at the Asian Heart Institute participate in the Dream Run of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon to prove to themselves and to society that heart disease is not the end of life, but is a new beginning. To further drive home the point, another 15 or so participate in the half marathon. Each year, several Dream Runners want to 'graduate'and move to the half marathon, for which they consult with me in the month of July. Last year, there was a 'fresh' batch of 6 patients wanting to upgrade to the half and Surendrabhai was one of them. <br /><br />Let me be honest and mention at this point, that I was in mixed emotions about his participation. On the one hand, his enthusiasm was palpable and that to me is the most important ingredient in endurance training, but on the other, I was skeptical about his ability to 'go' the distance, especially to run it. He had started jogging for the first time for a few hundred meters in June of 2011. To make matters complicated, he had an epileptic attack a few weeks later and had to be hospitalized for it. At this point I tried to dissuade him from participating and could see that he was clearly dejected. My heart went out to him, and we arrived at a compromise, that we would take a week at a time, and make a final call closer to the end of the year.<br /><br />In mid September, he joined our friend and chief motivator, Mr. Venkatraman (who is an inspiration himself) for outdoor runs at the MIG club. At the end of this post, I have copied the training plan Venkat put him through, for those interested in following his progression. Surendrabhai was remarkably regular in his training, both at cardiac rehab and with Venkat for the outdoor runs. Day by day he progressed, and by early January he looked ready and raring to go.<br /><br />On that fateful morning of Friday, Jan 13, I got an SMS from Venkat which informed me of Surendrabhai's fall, and both of us were very concerned, about his injury and health. Surendrabhai was also very concerned- not about his injury, but about the fact that we may ask him not to participate !<br /><br />Participate he did, and he finished in a very respectable time of 3 hours and 14 min, and what's more important is that he stuck to all of Venkat's pre-run commandments.<br /><br />1. Complete the distance,<br />2. On foot and<br />3. Enjoy the participation<br /><br />There are many kinds of heroes in this world, from whom we can draw inspiration. You have the swashbuckling hero who runs into a burning building and rescues a damsel in distress (do they exist outside of the movies ?), and then there are the quiet ones, who look just like you and me, but what differentiates them is their sheer determination to rise above the ordinary. Surendrabhai is a shining example of the latter and exemplifies the words of Rudyard Kipling, in his epochal poem, IF.<br /><br />"If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew<br />To serve your turn long after they are gone,<br />And so hold on when there is nothing in you<br />Except the Will which says to them, "Hold on!"<br /><br />We will continue to draw inspiration from him as he climbs greater heights. <br /><br /><strong>VENKAT'S POSTS:</strong><br /><br />This was posted the next day Dec 17th, 2011<br /><br />So coming back to SD and his training plan.<br />First some don'ts<br />- Since he was epileptic there was going to be no pushing him into 'stressful' situations. Stress is a known trigger for epilepsy incidents.<br />- Also since he was asthmatic no anaerobic training either.<br />Besides the above, here is something by way of his training background.<br />- He was already running on tread mill for about 30 minutes each time for 3 times a week at the Cardiac Rehab. His HR used to be under 150 at the end of each run.<br />- He also did some minimal weights for strength training. <br />With this background, he wanted to do the HM and felt that he should train with a group so that he can be motivated better. With him going to Rehab for 3 days a week, it was decided that he would join me for runs 3 times a week. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays were deemed the most practical based on the calenders of both.<br />He has been very punctual and regular. Very driven. In the first few weeks, I wanted him to get the mental exposure / sensory overload to running on the open ground. The enclosed ground at MIG was very suitable for this purpose since it gave him a protected environment to start running. Far better than running on unpaved roads.<br />His initial focus was on feet time. He was slowly graduated to combinations of running with walking. He began with first two days of only walking around. I wanted to be sure that his 'chassis' can take the load in progressive basis. After that he was told to run one length of the ground ( 100 mtrs ) and walk 3. Slowly the mix of running was increased. No attention was paid to his pace at all. As long as he ran comfortably it was OK. He voiced an opinion ( often ) that he could do better than this, since aerobically he was doing 30 minutes on the treadmill. I assured him that I was slowing him down for his own good, since his body should be able to adapt. I also assured him that a stage would soon arrive when I would be 'pushing' him and he would find excuses to avoid training. It bought a smile in him, knowing that he was a go-getter by nature, who was being restrained in the initial phase of his training.<br />All along his strategy has been to do a run/walk. He is quite happy with that. He also knows that his proportion of running will increase as he trains and his walking will decrease. After about one hour of feet time..which was about 3 weeks into training, he did his first Kalina loop of 9 kms. Again a run/walk but he did it quite comfortably. <br />On the Sunday that Raj ran his second 100 kms, he came to Marine Drive and did 14 kms ( two loops ) and went home very happy.<br />In a progressive manner he has been slowly inching up his distance and last Sunday he did 18 kms. Today again he did 18 kms and I must add rather very comfortably. Dec 31st, he is determined to do 21 kms.<br />In order to meet with his business commitments, he has taken to taking flights to Ahmadabad and Baroda so that he does not miss training.<br />He has had no injuries, which was my major fear. He ices himself religiously after each run. He ensures that he controls his diet on evenings prior to training so that he does not face digestive issues. <br />He also does steam inhalation on mornings before the run so that his chest passages are clear of phlegm.<br />I learnt today that out of the 11,000 or so runners who register for the HM, only about 7,000 show up at the starting line. In each of these 7000 there is a 'human interest' story like SD. I felt that if I did not share one such story then I would be doing injustice to the readers of this forum who are the silent majority and each one of whom may have something similar to narrate.<br />Cheers...and more as we go along.<br />Venkat<br /><br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br /><br />Posted on Dec 20,2011<br /><br />I have told SD that there are 3 objectives for the SCMM 2012. They are:<br />1. Complete the distance,<br />2. On foot and<br />3. Enjoy the participation<br />He has often come to me and told me the distance that he did on the treadmill and at what speed. Even today he calculated his projected timing and was hoping to do it within 3:30 hours. I do not want to set any time goals on him. I have told him how to improve things it is a multi-year plan not a few months plan. But after each run the notes that get compared are the time, distance and speed metrics. This is what I want to avoid and this is what I meant when I said that recreational running often talks in the language of athletic running.<br />As can be understood he is an aggro Type A personality. He wants to do it all in one year. My fear is that he should not do too much too soon and then suffer injuries which would invalidate not only him but the entire old folks running movement in the eyes of the non running society.<br />Most times my main job is to slow him down and hold him back.<br />Venkat<br /><br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br /><br />Posted on Dec 27, 2011<br /><br />My first concern when SD wanted to be trained was his level of physical fitness...in short his chasis..and how much of beating it could take. <br />We had about 3 months to go..and I knew that about 2-3 weeks would go in getting his body to rigors of running 3 times a week. Once he passed this test, then it would mean scaling up his time on feet till he did a decent mileage, decent enough to see him through his 21K on Jan 15.<br />It did help that he was a regular at the Cardiac Rehab for 3 days and was doing 30 minutes of tread mill on regular basis. But however the first order of day was to see how he does on open grounds. Having known that each sides of the MIG ground is 100 mtrs long and the perimeter is thus 400 mtrs helped. He was started with a few days of walking only. <br />He was feeling that I am making him do lesser than his capabilities, but I also knew that the bio mechanics of running on open ground are different from doing it on a treadmill.<br />Having passed this test he was slowly put on increased combinations of walking / interpersed with running. Different combinations were worked through...one side run / one side walk..then two sides run / one side walk etc..he kept progressing satisfactorily.<br />One of the milestones for him was to run a full round non stop....he was thrilled to being able to run 400 mtrs in one go.<br />His next milestone was to run 2.5 rounds in one go...which happened after a few more weeks....he was thrilled to being able to run 1 km in one go.<br />When he had come to doing a run/walk for more than one hour or so on the grounds..he was taken to do the Kalina loop on open roads..9 kms of run walk. He was maha thrilled.<br />And so on he progressed...when on Saturday the 17th Dec he ran/walked<br />18 kms..everyone in the group cheered him with a standing ovation. He was told that doing 21K on Jan 15th was now a given...but SD was made of more firmer resolve. He wanted to do a 21K run next week.<br />So last Sunday the Dec 25th I got him to do the NCPA / PM Bath, 3 laps of 7 kms each. He adopted a 200 mtrs run / 100 mtrs walk strategy and did it in under 3:30 hours. We started at 6:30 am to simulate the near conditions of the run day. And finished by about 10 am or so...<br />He was thrilled...and now the taper starts for him. Today I met him and he complained of some DOMS...but natural and understandable. I have lent him my foam roller so that he can recover better.<br />Cheers to SD...<br />Venkat<br /><br />The full discussion thread is at...it ofcourse went into all tangents <br />about competitive running v/s recreational running...but a very <br />interesting read nevertheless.<br /><br />http://runnersforlife.com/group/mumabimarathonrunners/forum/topics/sd-does-21Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-19292104515970691172012-01-16T12:02:00.000+05:302012-01-16T14:35:03.986+05:30From 136 kg to 2:17 in the Marathon in 11 months !<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lWCtegxBfLM/TxPoFkdC4lI/AAAAAAAAANg/J5Q3TclSTnA/s1600/IMG00387-20120115-0918.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lWCtegxBfLM/TxPoFkdC4lI/AAAAAAAAANg/J5Q3TclSTnA/s400/IMG00387-20120115-0918.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698153135936299602" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mf7NlXgiYF8/TxPn5cEsOLI/AAAAAAAAANU/yTetP_hboZI/s1600/Me%2Bbefore%2B%2526%2BAfter%255B1%255D.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 336px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mf7NlXgiYF8/TxPn5cEsOLI/AAAAAAAAANU/yTetP_hboZI/s400/Me%2Bbefore%2B%2526%2BAfter%255B1%255D.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698152927528237234" /></a><br />The ninth running of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon was held yesterday, and once again it was a joy to see the city come out and run, in all its vibrant colors. As Medical Director of the race, I am privileged to come across several stories of exceptional grit and determination. I would like to chronicle some of them, with the hope that they will serve to inspire thousands more.<br /><br />I have realized that in endurance events, as in life, all it takes for man to achieve what seems impossible, is to know that it is possible. The 4 minute barrier for running the mile (1.6 km) was considered to be unbreakable for decades, but once Sir Roger Bannister broke it in 1954, it was done several times more, in that year itself. I do hope that some of these tales will make people revise their views of what they consider impossible targets.<br /><br />The first story I would like to share is that of Nithiij Arenja. Before we go any further, I must make a disclaimer that Nithiij is a very close friend, which gives me the advantage of knowing the 'full story'. <br /><br />Nithiij has struggled with his weight, ever since he was a young man studying in England, and at his peak (or should I say at his nadir) topped the scales at a whopping 160 kg. His weight has yo-yo'd over the last 15 years, but has mostly remained in the red zone. In February of 2011, he was 136 kg, when he decided that enough was enough, and he had to turn things around, for his health's sake and for the sake of his young family. <br /><br />He went on a low cal, low fat diet and included a high volume of exercise in his daily routine. He had his 'Polar' wrist watch and heart rate monitor on at all times, which was a surrogate for the amount of calories he burned during the day. His aim was to create a deficit of over 500 cals daily. As expected, in the initial few months the pounds fell rapidly, and that spurred him on to increase his exercise volume even further. The next phase of inspiration to lower the weight even further were the comments and look of awe he got from people he had not met in a while (more than a few of which were young ladies, I might add). While all of this sounds fairly mundane, it's important to know how much good food means to Nithiij. He truly enjoys his food, (whether it's from a roadside dhaba or caviar and foie gras), and an occasional drink or two, or three.<br /><br />As part of his exercise routine, he started jogging /walking on the treadmill in September 2011, and this proved to be a struggle initially. When there is a 100kg weight pounding on your knees, they will protest and they surely did. However, he did not let this setback pull him down, but on the contrary it spurred him to increase the distance. As he lost further weight, his ambition grew and on more than one occasion I have chided him on getting 'too greedy', and I am happy to say that he has proved me wrong. In November he ran more than 10 km at a stretch for the first time, and in the beginning of December I entered him for the Stan Chart Mumbai half Marathon, without his knowledge (being medical director of the race does have some privileges). I revealed this information to him only in the middle of December, since I was unsure myself of his ability to run 21 km. To complicate matters, he developed a bad flu at the end of the year, and was out of commission for over two weeks. Rather than make him give up the task, as it would do for most of us, it only made him more determined. To make it more meaningful, he decided to run for Indian soldiers who had been paralyzed in the Kargil war (read his appeal below and do suppor the cause).<br /><br />On the eve of the marathon, I had a long chat with him and worked out a 'sensible' strategy, which would have him finish in 2 hr 45 min. Nithiij being Nithiij, wanted to do it in under 2:30, which I felt he was not ready for. Well to cut a long story short, I was on medical duty at Hotel Ambassador, and it was 8:15 am and the early wave of half-marathoners were coming through. Suddenly in the distance, I saw this black and yellow spandex covered thin man running towards me, and I looked at my watch in disbelief. There he was, looking pretty fresh, and kicked about the fact that he had proved me wrong- again. Nithiij finished in an amazing time of 2 hr 17 min, and is an inspiration to me and all those around him. Here is his official race timing and photos. <br /><br />http://www.timingindia.com/raceDetails.php?event=scmm12hm&bib=23845<br /><br />http://www.marathon-photos.com/scripts/event.py?event=Sports%2FCPUK%2F2012%2FMumbai+Marathon&new_search=1&match=23845<br /><br />Oh, I forgot to mention one little detail- he is now 83 kg ! Thats a 53 kg weight loss in 11 months. Nithiij is happy to share his weight loss tips and efforts, should you like him to. He can be contacted at narenja@gmail.com.<br />Read below, his call for support for the soldiers' charity:<br /><br /><br />A CALL FOR SUPPORT, <br /><br /><br />I am going to attempt the 21km Mumbai Half Marathon on the 15th of January and I am making this attempt for a cause I feel strongly for:<br /><br />The paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre in Kirkee, Pune:<br />http://para-rehab.org/..<br /><br /><br />This is a Fauji institution set up for our soldiers medically disabled by spinal cord injuries. Most of them fought for us in Kargil and were badly wounded in war. I wish to highlight their need for financial support and run this 21km for their cause. This is a wonderful institution , please take a minute out and read this article: <br />http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?213641 <br /><br /><br />Contributions can be made by cash/ crossed cheque in the name of "Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre" and I can have them collected and handed over to them after the run on the 16th at the Army Office in Mumbai.<br /><br /><br />Our soldiers deserve a second chance at life- So grateful for your supportDr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-72675930305904924202012-01-12T17:13:00.000+05:302012-01-12T17:30:43.805+05:30The Importance of Pacing and PacersThere are 3 days to go for the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, and most runners are discussing their 'goal' time and how to get there. In my capacity, I am lucky to interact with several runners and I am amazed at their lack of a plan to hit their target time, or a plan which is clearly not going to succeed.<br /><br />The best way to succeed is to have a plan, which takes each km into account. Most runners talk about positive and negative splits- which basically indicates whether your first half is shorter, or longer than the second half of your run. Going by the nature of the Mumbai terrain and weather, I think its very difficult to do a negative split (faster second half) for the full marathon. If you are not used to setting a pacing schedule for yourself, the easiest way would be to try and achieve an 'even' pace throughout the run. <br /><br />Make a simple excel sheet which has the goal times that you need to hit each km marker (or you can split the race into 5 km segments- though you risk losing accuracy by doing that), miniaturize the sheet, and keep a printout in your pocket. Trust me, even if you are good in math, after 25 km in the blazing sun, your mind will not be functioning at its sharpest. Of course, an even easier way is to get yourself a GPS enabled watch, and adjust the 'virtual partner' to your goal time.<br /><br />If your goal is to run at any of the times, that the pacers will be running at, then I strongly recommend running with a pacer. It takes away all the tedious calculation, and all you need to do is stick with the group. You need to choose your pacing group wisely, and I would suggest selecting a group, which is within 5 minutes of your goal time for the half marathon, or 10 min for the full marathon. Any further and you risk 'blowing out' too soon if you are with a faster group, and risk not meeting your goal time if you are with a slower group. <br /><br />Here is a link for the various pacing groups for this Sunday's marathon:<br /><br /> http://www.procamrunning.in/scmm//pacesetter.php#MyAnchor<br /><br />And here are the top 5 reasons why you should run with a Pacer in the SCMM. These reasons have been sent to me by my friend, Mr. Venkat, who is the pacer for the 3 hour bus for the half marathon.<br /><br />1. You are in safe hands.<br /><br />- Pacers know the route well and being accomplished runners know how best to tackle the distance. They are skilled in completing the distance and now running below their race pace have a lot of 'reserve' to do things well. You are in safe hands.<br /><br />2. They do the maths.<br /><br />- Pacing can be quite a complicated affair. And when you are mentally exhausted numbers can befuddle you. Pacers run with a pacing chart / plan / strategy and know their numbers. They can get you there without you having to do the numbers. You mentally run more 'lighter' and enjoy the event.<br /><br />3. Gain tips / advice.<br /><br />- Pacers being experts have quite a bit of knowledge under their belt. <br />When running along they are quite willing to share running tips with you. An interesting conversation all along with the Pacer and with others makes the distance very light work.<br /><br />4. Running in a group can be fun.<br /><br />- You have a choice on race day. Run alone and suffer it out. Or Run along with the pacing group and enjoy the picnic. And Pacers know how to motivate you as the Peddar road flyover comes in or the Sun beats down on you on Marine Drive.<br /><br />5. And lastly - It's free.<br /><br />- That sure is a clincher...running with a Pacer is free...courtesy of the good souls who agree to run slower than their own race pace and Procam the organizers of SCMM<br /><br /><br />HAVE A GREAT RUN.Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-89190753779678222832012-01-10T09:20:00.000+05:302012-01-10T09:50:50.515+05:30THE FINAL COUNTDOWN TO THE MUMBAI MARATHON 2012The Final Countdown Begins- 7 days to go!<br /><br />WHERE SHOULD YOUR TRAINING BE TODAY?<br /><br />Full and Half Marathon:<br />By this point, all the hard work has been done and you should be in ‘taper’ mode. You should have completed at least one long run of 30 km or more. If you have not done that, you should reconsider your decision to run the full marathon, since without adequate preparation, the chances of injuries (even serious ones), increase greatly.<br /><br />During the last week, the hardest thing for those who have trained regularly, is to REDUCE your usually weekly mileage. After all, you have been running 30-50 km per week, and now you have to cut back drastically. I recommend running 2-3 days this week, and the distance should be between 5-8 k, at a relatively relaxed pace (though one of the runs can be at your 'race pace'). <br /><br /><br />GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR ALL:<br /> <br />Irrespective of your age, it would be a good idea to obtain medical clearance from a registered medical practitioner/doctor allowing you to run in the event. <br /><br />Please review the following questions before Race Day:<br /><br /> Has your doctor ever said that you have a heart condition and that you should only do physical activity recommended by a doctor?<br /> Do you feel pain in your chest when you do physical activity?<br /> In the past month, have you had chest pain when you were not doing physical activity?<br /> Do you lose your balance because of dizziness or do you ever lose consciousness?<br /> Do you have a bone or joint problem that could be made worse by a change in your physical activity?<br /> Is your doctor currently prescribing drugs for your blood pressure or heart condition?<br /> Are you pregnant?<br /> Do you have insulin dependent diabetes?<br /> Do you know of any other reason why you should not do physical activity?<br /><br />If you have answered YES to any of the above questions, we strongly recommend that you seek advice from your doctor before you run the race. Do not run if you have been suffering from any sort of virus or fever in the TWO weeks prior to race day. If you feel feverish, or have been vomiting, have had severe diarrhoea or chest pains or generally are feeling unwell, then it is unfair to you and your family to risk serious illness and become a medical emergency. Most medical emergencies during the race occur in people who have not adequately trained or are unwell but do not want to miss the race. <br /><br />Tips for the race and the day before:<br /><br />1. Make sure you get adequate hours of sleep the night before the race. Actually, make sure you sleep very well on Friday night, since its quite likely that the night before a big race you may not sleep too well. <br />2. One the night before race day, have a dinner rich in carbohydrates as that is your main fuel for exercise, but do not overeat !<br />3. Have a light snack before leaving home. Arrive at the start point well before the start time to avoid last minute anxiety and chaos.<br />4. During the race, run at your own pace. Avoid getting carried away by those around and running at their pace.<br />5. Consume water or any other oral rehydration fluid at regular intervals. Ideally, you should know your ‘sweat rate’ and consume fluid in proportion to it.<br />6. If you experience any chest discomfort, unusual shortness of breath, nausea or giddiness during the race, stop and take rest for a few minutes. Seek medical help if the discomfort persists more than a few minutes.<br />7. Write down your emergency contact number, and any significant medical history at the back of your running bib<br />8. There are several medical aid stations along the way, as well as at the finish line. Do seek help the moment you begin to face a problem, rather than wait till the last minute.<br />9. Have a wonderful race !Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-39983985796413625232011-12-31T14:45:00.000+05:302011-12-31T14:47:40.765+05:30NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FOR YOUR HEARTNEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FOR YOUR HEART:<br /><br />As the old cliché goes; time flies by, and a new year is upon us already. At the start of the year, most of us indulge in another cliché, which is making up New Year resolutions. Most of these have do with eating healthier and starting an exercise program. Usually, somewhere between a Sangeet and a wedding reception in late January, these resolutions are relegated to the dustbin, much like that old stationary cycle you bought five years ago in a fit of enthusiasm, and is now used as a clothes hanger ! <br /><br />However, man is an eternal optimist and we never give up. So, here is a set of 8 resolutions you can follow (or try to follow) for 2012. I have kept them deliberately simple, and eminently achievable. Have a fantastic year and let me know how many of these you plan to follow. <br /><br /><br />RESOLUTION NO 1: I WILL KNOW MY NUMBERS.<br /><br />The first step towards better heart-health is to know where you stand currently. For that it is very important for you to know your health numbers. For heart disease prevention, the most important numbers to know, and their normal values are:<br /><br />Blood Pressure: Normal blood pressure should be less than 120 / 80 mmHg. <br /><br />Blood cholesterol: Your cholesterol profile should be done after a 12 hour fast and the values should be:<br /><br />Total cholesterol Less than 200 mg/dl<br /><br />Triglycerides Less than 150 mg/dl<br /><br />LDL cholesterol Less than 100 mg/dl <br /><br />HDL cholesterol More than 40 mg/dl. <br /><br /><br />Blood sugar: Uncontrolled blood sugar leads to diabetes, which is a very important risk factor for heart disease. Your normal fasting blood sugar should be between 70 –100 mg/dl. <br /><br /><br />RESOLUTION NO. 2: I WILL NOT SMOKE<br /><br />A smoker’s risk of having a heart attack is more than twice that of a nonsmoker. Smoking speeds up the development of plaque in the arteries. It also reduces the level of the good cholesterol (known as HDL), and increases the stickiness of blood cells causing blood clots inside the arteries. If you smoke currently, strongly consider quitting- its not cool anymore!<br /><br /><br />RESOLUTION NO 3: I WILL TAKE 10,000 STEPS DAILY <br /><br />Exercise helps protect against heart disease and several forms of cancer. But besides regular exercise every extra step you take during the day builds up your ‘health balance’, and helps prevent disease. Try and factor in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (such as walking) in your daily life.<br /><br /><br /><br />RESOLUTION NO 4: I WONT LET THE WEIGHING SCALE RULE ME! <br /><br />Its important to maintain a healthy weight, according to your height, but its more important to eat a healthful diet and exercise regularly. Studies have shown that exercise programs and healthy eating lead to improved health parameters, even in the absence of weight loss. However, these studies should not be seen to be a license to be overweight, but to serve as encouragement to those making a change in their lifestyle, which might not necessarily be reflected on the weighing scale.<br /><br />RESOLUTION NO. 5: I WILL NOT CRASH DIET<br />If your BMI is more than 25 kg/m2, it is important for you to lose weight, but it needs to be done through a combination of a sensible diet and exercise. Crash dieting and starvation may help you to lose weight quickly but that weight will come back on very rapidly, besides this being dangerous for health. You should adjust your exercise and caloric intake, such that you lose about 1-3 kg per month, not more. Under no circumstances should you reduce your caloric intake to less than 1000 calories per day.<br /><br />RESOLUTION NO. 6: I WILL EAT HEALTHY<br />This is an important follow-up to resolution number five. Contrary to popular opinion it is not difficult to eat healthy. It is a misconception that healthy eating means giving up ‘all the good things’ and eating an oil-free diet. You should include oil in your diet, but make sure its in limited quantity- about half a kg per person per month. Fruits and vegetables should form the major part of your diet. If you are non-vegetarian you need to reduce your intake of red meat (once in 2-3 weeks), but chicken and fish are fine to consume on a regular basis. <br /><br />RESOLUTION NO. 7: I WILL TAKE MY PILL….<br /><br />With appropriate lifestyle modification, you should be able to control most of your risk factors. But at some point, you may need to take medications. If you need medicine, do not stay avoid it because of the over-hyped and unjustified fear of side-effects or ‘being on medicine for life’. You should discuss the risk to benefit ratio of any medicine with your doctor and make the decision<br />RESOLUTION NO. 9: I WILL GET A HEALTH CHECK<br /><br />We all feel that it will ‘never happen to me’, but heart disease is an equal opportunity killer. Unfortunately most of the risk factors for heart disease are silent- they give you no warning of their presence. You should get your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and weight checked on a regular basis. Ideally these tests should start at the age of 15, and then repeated periodically. After all, the disease process begins in adolescence. If you have crossed 40, its also a good idea undergo a stress test.<br /><br />RESOLUTION NO. 8: I WILL ENJOY THE NEW YEAR<br />For good health, it is extremely important not to get ‘stressed out’ over small matters. Stress has several negative effects on our body, and should be kept under control. While, some stress is important it is vital to not allow it to completely take over our lives. So, as you start the year and try and implement all your resolutions make sure you make some time for relaxation and fun.Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-16908111868649917142011-12-23T10:24:00.000+05:302011-12-26T15:51:36.270+05:30HOW TO RUN A HALF MARATHON IN UNDER 1 HOUR 45 MIN<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jul0xojZpFA/TvQ1cP3snbI/AAAAAAAAAMY/RKdjwRxcbXg/s1600/YourPhoto%255B11%255D.jpeg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 288px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689230988688530866" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jul0xojZpFA/TvQ1cP3snbI/AAAAAAAAAMY/RKdjwRxcbXg/s400/YourPhoto%255B11%255D.jpeg" /></a> ENDURANCE TRAINING IS ALL ABOUT SETTING GOALS:<br /><br /><br />At this point in time, the value of exercise for health and well-being has been proven beyond a shadow of doubt. Besides, all the great health benefits, the most important benefit is that it 'makes you feel good'. However, even the most avid exercisers often get jaded at some point in time and a feeling of boredom or 'sameness' sets in.<br />In my personal experience, the best way to avoid this is to set up a medium term goal, create a plan to achieve it, and then stick to it diligently. You will be surprised, by your own capability. Here is my account of setting a goal, and the journey to achieve it.<br /><br />SETTING THE GOAL:<br /><br />I have been a regular runner, since the past 15 years, but have been dogged with injuries over the past 5 years, which have prevented me from running the distances I want to run. I ran the 2009 Mumbai half marathon, in 2 hrs 6 min (though, this was without adequate preparation), and then again in 2010, this time in 1 hr 54 min, with reasonable preparation. My injury resurfaced its ugly head mid-way through training for the 2011 run, and I did not participate. So, post-marathon in mid-Jan, I was wallowing in self-pity, and decided that the only way to escape it was to set up some goals, which were difficult to achieve. I set 2 targets, and in typical mid-life crisis style, decided to achieve them before I turned 40, which if you must ask, was in November 2011. The first was to cycle non-stop from Mumbai to Pune, and the second was to run a sub 1hr 45 min half marathon. I am happy to tell you, that the cycle ride was achieved on April 4, and here is an account of the same, for those of who you want to be further bored......<br /><br />http://www.cyclists.in/profiles/blogs/mumbai-to-pune-for-charity<br /><br />For a few months I was content with that achievement, when it suddenly hit me, that there was one more target to hit. I finally 'woke up' in mid-August, and realized that I was way behind where I ought to be if I needed to do a sub 1:45 before November. At that point in time, I was running 6-8 k on the treadmill, at a speed of 10.7-11 k/h. I consider a speed of 11 km/hr (5 min 30 sec per km) to be my 'comfort z0ne' running pace, which I can sustain for a length of time. Therefore an average speed of 12.1 k/h, for the half marathon, seemed almost to be a fool-hardy dream. I distinctly remember a conversation I had at the Qi gym, one sunday in August, with Cyrus Mehta, a friend of mine who had run 1:40 in the 2010 Delhi half marathon. He convinced me that the weather in Delhi is fantastic in November and the flat course, helps to knock off more than 5 min of one's Mumbai marathon time. Considering I had done a 1:54 in Mumbai, that meant, I could easily run 1:49 in Delhi, and would need to just shave off 4 min more, to achieve my goal. Somewhere, deep down I knew that this was overly simplistic, but that day I decided that my goal would be achieved in the Airtel Delhi half marathon on November 27, and I made Cyrus promise that he would be my pacesetter. To make matters interesting, I promptly went and contracted the flu, which put me off exercise for the next 10 days, and when I finally got around to my first long run (anything over 10 k, by my definition) outdoors, it was on Sep 17- a 12 k on Marine Drive at an average speed of 11.1 k/h. Here is the garmin link for the same.<br /><br /><a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/117155258">http://connect.garmin.com/activity/117155258</a><br /><br />To be honest, I was quite happy with that run, though it seemed a lifetime away from my intended goal in exactly two months. I set a schedule for myself, which included 3 runs a week (due to my injury, I am not able to run on consecutive days). The first run was on a mon or tues evening, which was a tempo run of 6 k, the second run was interval training on a treadmill, starting with intervals of 400 m and 800 m (totally six in all), and the third was the long run, which I did with Cyrus and Shabbir Eran, on Sat morning. Every Saturday, we increased the long run distance by 2 km, and on Oct 8, I did an 18 k run, at an average of 10.9 k/h. Post-run, I was not sure whether to be happy or dejected. On the one hand, 10.9 k/h (5 min 31 sec/km), seemed a far cry from running 12.1 k/h, but at the same time, I had given it my best effort, as was evident from my heart rate data. My average heart rate for the run was a staggering 177 beats/min - 98% of my age predicted max of 180 beats/min, which is insane. Quite frankly, I would not advise anyone to run beyond 90% for a consistent length of time, and here I was doing it for 1 hour and 39 min ! At best, that showed that I really had given it all, and at worst it showed that I was being pretty silly. However, this did drive home the point of the capability of the human body. In my opinion, most runners training in large groups in Mumbai are grossly underperforming, in spite of putting in a ton of effort, and I believe the missing piece is BELIEF. If you dont think its possible to run faster, you never will ! Here is the garmin account of that run, with the heart rate data.<br /><br /><a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/119794815">http://connect.garmin.com/activity/119794815</a><br /><br />On Oct 15, I did my first practice half marathon, which is 21.1 km- dont forget that 0.1 km, at the end. It can make all the difference to your calculations, when trying to run a precise time. I did that in 1h 50 min at an average speed of 11.5 k/h, and wasnt feeling 'dead' at the end of it. Thats the first time, that I truly believed that a sub 1:45 time was possible.<br /><br />By this time, I had shifted my tempo runs outdoors and increased the distance to 8 km- however, I was just about managing to hit 12 k/h, (and was totally pooped by the end of the run) and I had to continue at that pace for 13 more km! The interval training had increased to two sets of 400 m/800m/1600 m, with a rest of 400 m between each interval. I was running these on the treadmill at a speed of 16,15, and 14 k/hour , and the rest period was at 10 k/h. On Nov 5, and 12, I ran two more practice half marathons and finished in 1:48 and 1:47. To an extent, I felt I now had it under control, since almost everyone I spoke to seemed to suggest that it would be possible to shave off at least 2 min in Delhi. One week before the final run, I ran a 16 k at a speed of 12.1 k/h and felt elated, since this is the first time I had completed a long run, at that speed.<br /><br />D-DAY : November 27, 2011<br /><br />On the morning of race day, November 27, everything was perfect. I remember having a conversation with my friend Amit Sheth, at the start line. We were praising the perfect weather conditions and the organisation (and the fact that we were amongst the lucky few starting with the elite runners, though we were far from 'elite'), and then came to the conclusion that if we did not achieve our individual goals, we had no one to blame but ourselves. As the starting gun went off, I thought, 'this is it'- this is what the last two months have boiled down to, and as runners often do I started a conversation in my head, which was more reflective. I was very pleased with the journey I had undertaken, and was proud of the fact, that in the last 8 weeks I had not missed a single scheduled run. One part of my brain was saying that today's timing did not matter, as I had given my best, and as has been famously said by Baron De Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics, "the most important thing is not winning, but taking part." The other part was telling me that thats the excuse of losers, as echoed by the American sporting culture and the words of the legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi, " winning isnt everything; its the ONLY thing."<br /><br />By the time this great mental debate was over, I was happy to note that 5 k had gone by, and I was clipping along nicely at 12.2 k/hr, and was feeling pretty good. The only downer was that I had lost both my running companions. A pacesetter is also known as a 'rabbit' in running parlance, and Cyrus took that literally, and ran off like a hare, and the only time I caught glimpses of him, was in portions of the course where he was on the other side of the road (he completed the run in a fantastic time of 1 hour 39 min). Along the way, I met up with a Mumbai runner, Varun Joshi, whose goal was to do a sub 1:45 as well, so we stuck together. The distance flew by pretty comfortably and at the 14 k mark we were cruising at an average speed of 12.3 k/h. It took all my self control to push back the greed and temptation of turning it up a notch, and potentially running much faster or 'blowing up' too early. Luckily I remained sensible and was thrilled to finish in 1:43:50. Here is the garmin account of the run:<br /><br /><a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/131446981">http://connect.garmin.com/activity/131446981</a><br /><br /><br />The purpose of writing this account is not self-glorification, but to highlight the fact that 'stretch' targets are extremely achiveable, but the key is to hit the milestones along the way. All too often we are caught up in our own excuses, which always seem 'genuine' to us, but at the end of the day, besides illness and injury, there is really no valid excuse, least of all the most commonly used one, "i have no time".<br /><br /><br /><br />So, whats your goal going to be for the next 6 months? Please share it on this site- mine is to do a 250 km non-stop bike ride.Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-61587781719912057872011-12-22T16:19:00.000+05:302011-12-22T16:50:46.525+05:304 WEEK-ENDS TO GO FOR THE 2012 MUMBAI MARATHON !WHERE SHOULD YOUR TRAINING BE TODAY?<br /><br /><strong>Full Marathon</strong>:<br /><br />If you have registered for the full marathon, at this point in your training, you should be getting ready for your BIG long run, on this weekend- December 25 (unless you did it last week-end). This run should be anywhere between 30-35 km, though the ideal distance is 32 Km (20 miles), especially for those attempting it for the first time. Make sure you are adequately hydrated during the run, and you consume some carbohydrates during the run to replenish your glycogen stores of energy.<br />A sample training plan for the next two weeks could be as follows. This is just a suggestion, and you are free to follow the plan that best suits you- but make sure you DO have a plan. Below is a sample schedule for the next 2 weeks.<br /><br /> M T W T F S SUN<br /><br /> R 5 12 X R 6 32<br /><br /> R 5 12 X R 6 22<br /><br />Distance in Kilometers, R-Rest, X=Cross Train eg. Cycling, swimming. Cross-training can be replaced by a day of rest or stretching/strengthening. <br /><br /><strong>THE TAPER STARTS:</strong><br /><br />The last 3 weeks, leading up to the marathon is the ‘taper period’ where mileage is greatly reduced. Many runners like to train up to race day and feel insecure about cutting back on the mileage, but that leads to a drop in peak performance on race day.<br />Research shows that levels of muscle glycogen, enzymes, antioxidants, and hormones--all depleted by high mileage--return to optimal ranges during a taper. The muscle damage that occurs during sustained training is also repaired. Also, performance is actually improved in athletes who taper versus those who don’t. All the hard work has now been done, and this is the time to conserve your energy and recover from any injury, such that your best performance is on race day !<br /><br /><strong>Half Marathon</strong>:<br /><br />A sample training plan for the next two weeks could be as follows. This is just a suggestion, and you are free to follow the plan that best suits you. Please note that this is a plan for those running the half marathon for the FIRST TIME. If you have run it several times before, it might be a good idea to throw in some speed work for the next couple of weeks, to try and improve your race time. Include a tempo run or interval training in one of your mid-week runs. A tempo run is a 30-40 minute run, during which you run at a faster pace than normal, and push yourself out of your normal ‘comfort zone’ of running. In interval training, you run intervals of 400 or 800 meters at close to all-out pace, and in between each interval you either walk or jog slowly for 400 m to recover. Start with 3-4 intervals.Below is a sample schedule for the next 2 weeks.<br /><br /><br />M T W T F S S<br />R 7 5 X R 5 16<br /><br />R 7 5 X R 5 18<br /><br />Distance in Kilometers, R-Rest, X - Cross Training, eg cycling, swimming<br /><br /><br /><strong>Dream Run:</strong><br /><br />Those participating in the Dream Run, should have already started their training by now, especially if it’s their first attempt. It’s always nice to ‘run’ the distance, rather than walk it, unless there is an injury or any other condition, in which running is not recommended. Below is a sample schedule for the next couple of weeks. There is a lot of variation in the ability of those participating in the dream run, since some are accomplished runners looking to better their time, while others just want to walk and complete the distance. During training, you need to adjust your run / walk breaks based on your ability.<br /><br />M T W T F S SUN<br /><br />R 2 4 X R 5 45 min run/walk<br /><br />R 2 4 X R 5 45 min run/walk<br /><br /><br />Distance in Kilometers, R-Rest, X Train- Cross Training, eg cycling, swimming<br /><br /><strong>HYDRATION:</strong><br /><br />Adequate hydration is extremely important for optimal sports performance. High temperatures and humidity increase, the risk of dehydration, especially when exercising outdoors.<br /> <br />What is dehydration?<br />Dehydration is the lack of adequate body fluids for the body to carry on normal functions at an optimal level. This lack could be due to fluid loss, inadequate intake, or a combination of both. Fluid losses up to 5% are considered mild; up to 10% are considered moderate; and up to 15% are considered severe. Severe dehydration can result in cardiovascular collapse and death if not treated quickly.<br /><br /><br /><br />Prevention.<br /><br /> The environmental conditions that lead to dehydration and heat illness are out of your control, but there are many things that you can do to help prevent getting sick.<br /><br />1) Adequate nutrition before an event.<br />Consume a nutritionally balanced diet and drink adequate fluids during the 24-h period before an event, especially during the period that includes the meal prior to exercise, to promote proper hydration before exercise or competition.<br /> <br />2) 200-500 ml fluid before exercise<br />It is recommended that you drink about 200-500 ml of fluid about 2 h before exercise to promote adequate hydration and allow time for excretion of excess ingested water. <br /><br />3) Fluids during exercise <br />During exercise, athletes should start drinking early and at regular intervals in an attempt to consume fluids at a rate sufficient to replace all the water lost through sweating (i.e., body weight loss). A good rule of thumb is to consume about 150-250 ml of fluid for every 15 minutes of exercise. In the recent past there have been many reported cases of hyponatremia (low salt in the blood) due to over-hydration. Therefore, it is better to tailor fluid replacement according to your sweat rate. <br /><br />CALCULATE YOUR SWEAT RATE:<br /><br />To find out how much fluid you lose, the best method is to weigh yourself before and after a run, lasting an hour (weigh yourself at home, with no clothes on). The amount of weight lost, in grams, is the amount of fluid you lose in an hour of running, and that is the amount you need to replenish. For example, if you lost 900 grams of weight, that’s equivalent to 900 ml of fluid (assuming you did not ingest anything during the run). Once you know your hourly sweat rate, you can divide that amount by four and consume that much fluid, every 15 minutes. It is recommended that ingested fluids be cooler than ambient temperature. <br />4) Add sugar and salt for long exercise<br /> Addition of proper amounts of carbohydrates (sugars) and/or electrolytes (salt) to a fluid replacement solution is recommended for exercise events of duration greater than 1 hour. During exercise lasting less than 1 hour, there is little evidence of physiological or physical performance differences between consuming a carbohydrate-electrolyte drink and plain water. <br /> <br />Choice of fluid <br /><br />For exercise lasting less than 1 hour, water alone is adequate. During intense exercise lasting longer than 1 h, it is recommended that carbohydrates be ingested at a rate of 30-60 grams per hour to maintain oxidation of carbohydrates and delay fatigue. This rate of carbohydrate intake can be achieved without compromising fluid delivery by drinking 600-1200 ml per hour of solutions containing 4%-8% carbohydrates.<br /> Inclusion of sodium (a pinch of common salt) in the rehydration solution ingested during exercise lasting longer than 1 hour is recommended since it may be advantageous in enhancing palatability, promoting fluid retention, and possibly preventing hyponatremia (low salt) in certain individuals who drink excessive quantities of fluid.<br />On race day, for the half and full marathon, there will be energy drinks available which contain the precise amount of carbohydrate and electrolyte replacement needed. <br />Run safe and strong !<br /><br />Dr. Aashish Contractor<br />Medical Director, Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon.<br />Head of Dept: Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation<br />Asian Heart Institute, MumbaiDr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-934124240308274693.post-86768153428391957152011-12-22T10:59:00.000+05:302011-12-22T11:05:25.248+05:30Welcome NoteI have finally made my foray into the world of blogging, rather late in the day, I must add. As the title suggests, I intend to blog on health subjects, with an emphasis on cardiac health and exercise. I will be putting up my own articles, as well as links to the latest research around the world on the subject. Oftentimes, the research can be confusing, or worse still, have a bias towards promoting a commercial product. <br />Through the blog, I hope to distill this information and leave the reader with a simple 'take-home' message.<br />Happy reading, and please do send me your feedback.<br />Dr. Aashish Contractor.Dr. Aashish Contractorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16085324069174515687noreply@blogger.com2