Race Day Preparations

“From the Coach Desk”

Hope all going well in preparation of the #RaceDay #NewDelhiMarathon 

Have a Carb Snack Right now Sat 6:30PM followed by early dinner ( easily digestible pref home cooked food rich in carbohydrates) specially for Full Marathoners (Start time is now 4:30AM )

Have some soup too if possible.

Top up hydration before going to bed and have another 500-1000ml as you get up in the morning.

Have a light breakfast and snack which you normally have before your long runs AVOID ANYTHING NEW on race day.

Have your breakfast meal 2 hrs prior to race. And keep small snack/ fruit / gel for pre race consumption 

You need to reach venue an hour before the start time, don’t start EMPTY. 

( Caution : Don’t Over Do Hydration and Snacking )  

Avoid wearing new shoes and socks on the race day; use the same shoes and socks that you have been using for long runs.

Use Bandaid / Vaseline where you get blisters / chaffing 

Delhi is showing Sunrise around 7:00AM and then Sunny. Temperatures around 16-19 Degree Celsius. So wear running gear sensibly. You might face sun after 12-13km on Rajpath. 

Go through event Booklet and Keep all race stuff like iPod, watch, bib, pins, shoes, clothes, and energy drinks ready by Thursday/Friday. Plan Stay/Travel/Parking and anything which can give last minute panic in advance to stay relaxed on race day.

Visualise yourself on Start line, Running and finishing the race within your target time including Water and Nutrition Breaks when you lie down at night. ( this will energise everything and mentally prepare you for your Race )

—- POST RACE —-

COLLECT YOUR MEDAL 🥇 then 

Hydrated Quickly, perform some cool down and then Have a high protein + carb breakfast ( which is generally served hot in #NDM) that aids in faster recovery and continue training after a day or two post race to remove lactate from sore muscle tissues and stay Healthy and Happy!

See you at the Start LINE!

Hydration Therapy!

Till the time you realise the value of proper nutrition it’s already too late... 

This is the story of almost all amateurs who suddenly follow some social media posts and start running 5-42kms within very short span of time. 

Elites take years to graduate from Half Marathon to Full... It takes much more than just your time...

Will share crucial nutrition information in coming posts but this one if for one major pillar for any endurance athlete... 

Hydration - “Always misunderstood”

There is more water in your body than just in blood. 

Your muscles are 70% Water, stop working when dehydrated. 

Your Lymphatic System has 15 Litres(3 times more than blood) of fluid which does much more work than blood and your body need to replenish 3 litres of lymphatic fluid every night when you sleep and recover. 

Every cell in your body ( this means every system from breathing to building muscle ) works on an electric impulse. If you are dehydrated body starts loosing that electric impulse and transfer of information is compromised from brain to cells ( Vice a Versa ) and anything can go haywire ( depending upon where there is lack of fluid ) 

Pains and aches, Loss of focus, Muscle wasting, Chronic Inflammation, Organ faliure, General fatigue and Lack of recovery are few of them...

What to do? 

Yes 3-4 Litres of Water / day is for Sedentary Population. But athletes need much more than this... 

For every hour of workout you do increase your water/fluid consumption by 2-3 litres depending upon sweat loss and climatic conditions. ( TIP! Take care of hydration and weigh yourself pre and post workout or run. The loss of weight clearly indicates water loss, replenish immediately! ) 

How Much H2O? 

For example

 if I am running outdoors here in Delhi for one hour in 25-30 Degrees I will be drinking 4lt (basic daily need) + 3 litres on that day.

If I am running for 2 hours I will be drinking 4lt (basic daily need )  + 3lt + 3lt

Yes! 

10litres / day of fluid for 2 hrs of outdoor activity.. 

this can prevent you from lots of overuse injuries and helps you to recover faster. 

Spread your total water intake through the day and make sure before going to bed at night you’re well hydrated and drink another 500-1000 ml as you get up! 

That includes Mainly Water, Unsweetened Fresh juices ( vegetables / fruit ), soups, sports drink ( avoid caffeinated drinks and alcohol) & coconut water. 

It’s not possibe to replenish fluids at the rate you are loosing them while running / cycling / swimming. 

Taking sips every 10-15min is crucial on the go but Make sure you’re taking care of your hydration needs pre and post training. 

Happy Running! 

#KosmicFitness 

#TrainWithGagan

Training in High Levels of Air Pollution

Generally I can sense it with my nose but for a blog better put figures on wall...

Living in Delhi - NCR sucks in the months of winters...

But I am sure it will continue to happen and people will run their heart out in not so favourable conditions on roads of Delhi-NCR

So if you dare to continue your training and will participate in any sort of physical activity or even breathe in Delhi  “Do it at your own RISK”. 

Here are top 10 guidelines how to keep up your performance in high pollution days. 

1) Wear a Mask every time you step out of your house. We are breathing even when we are not training.

2) If possible invest in an air purifier for your home. Ideally we spend 10-12 hours in our house so breathe better air atleast half the time. 

3) Slash training load to half. Try to use a treadmill in air conditioned environment. Speed training for short duration say 30min twice a week is good to maintain your fitness level and long run say for 60-70min is max you should be doing ( if Running Outdoors, use a mask for easy pace run).

4) At any cost please don’t breathe from your mouth. Reduce the speed if you can’t breathe from your nose. 

5) You may need to clear your nose and throat multiple times in between the run, don’t hesitate just do it. 

6) Do all your recovery / Cross training / Strength training indoors. 

7) Rest and Recovery is very important to give your best on Race Day. Even after all the precautions if you get itchy throat, cold, cough etc.. Stop training and see a doctor. 

8 ) You can refrain from outdoor workouts if conditions are not favourable. If you don’t have access to a Treadmill ; use a jump rope, do burpees or any other plyometric move to train your heart and lungs quickly.

9) Most of our training was already done before these hazardous conditions arise, stay calm and pray for improvement in air quality by race day. 

10) If you have any medial condition or haven’t trained enough don’t try to be a bond and do everything in last few days when climatic conditions are not favourable. 

Race will test your physical and mental abilities. It’s dangerous to start training in these conditions. 

How to counter adverse affects of pollution??

With increasing toxicity in air. We need to cleanse our Bodies at a much higher rate than usual days..

Top 5 Things you need to do on daily basis to protect yourself and your loved ones from the ill affects of poison in the air. 

#1 Have Ginger Honey Lemon Tea ( *Don’t Boil any of the ingredients) 

Crushed Ginger 1 Tbsp , HONEY 1 Tbsp , Lemon 1 , 1 tea bag 

Put everything in hot water (150ml) Let it brew for 5min and drink. 

#2 Burn Camphor in oil diffuser or just smell camphor tied in a cotton cloth (keep it in your pocket )

#3 Have 20-50gms of dark Gur / Jaggery every day 

#4 Multi vitamin and Omega 3 supplement is a must. 

#5 Berries are high in antioxidants so try to have 2-3 spoonfuls every day Goji Berries, Blueberry , cranberries in the picture.

#KosmicFitness #WeCare #FoodThatWorks

Gagan Arora - Lifestyle Coach & Celebrity Trainer.

Founder Kosmic Fitness, Reebok Master Trainer, ACSM Personal Trainer, Bosu International Master Trainer, Barefoot Training Specialist, Animal Flow Instructor (Global Bodyweight Training), REHAB Trainer, Sports Nutrition Specialist, L1 Pranic Healer...

With 20+ years of experience

For positive impact on your life, I teach Wellness.  

Breathing Techniques for Runners

How many of you feel breathless while running?

Increased Heart Rate followed by Elevated  Breath rate is the first response from your body as you start any endurance activity. Inability to tackle this discomfort makes one think that they cant run ever!!!
This post will make you understand the physiological aspect of running on your respiratory system and how breathe properly to cope up with your running speed and distance.
For easy understanding and quick brain response I use 3gear training pattern while training my clients.

Gear 1 :- Warm up / Easy Long Run 

3:2 Breathing Pattern


Every time you hit the ground with any of your foot count as 1 step. (walk / jog)


Breathe  in for 3 steps  and Breathe out for 2 steps (both from nose)
Easy Aerobic Pace :- In this gear body makes energy majorly by burning fat with little bit of carbohydrates and this only can happen with enough supply of oxygen to the working muscles. That's what we are doing in this gear. Taking in more air with every cycle of 3:2 makes you feel comfortable to sustain this pace for quite a long time without getting tired. This is the best pace to stick around for first 2-3 months for beginners, building a stronger base and get the feeling of accomplishment. (When you get better do try 4:3 pattern as well for easy paced runs)
It also acts as a parameter to go easy for a few weeks. If  you feel a need for breathing from mouth you are running too fast too soon.

Gear 2 :- Intervals / Increasing pace in longer run

Running in faster intervals [e.g. 1(fast) : 2(easy)] or picking up speed in longer run


Inhale for 3 step from nose and exhale for 2 steps from mouth.
Anaerobic Workout : In order to increase your speed you need to work in Slightly Uncomfortable Zone for a specific time frame and then in relaxed easy pace for less / same / more time to recover. Runners generally get fatigued not because lack of O2 but because they cannot expel enough CO2 which is a by product of anaerobic pathway of energy production in our bodies.
For an average amateur runner this session should be anywhere between 20-40min max.
Check Need For Speed for speed training workouts.

Gear 3 :- Sprinting / Hills / Finishing a Race/ Best 5k

Running faster almost all out effort
This is cutting edge performance zone.


As every human is designed differently and can have different physiological adaptations.


I can give you few options for breathing you can try one or all of them in a course and see what fits best for you.
Option 1 : 1 Step Inhale from Nose : 2 Steps exhale from Mouth.


Option 2: 2 Step Inhale from Nose : 3 Steps exhale from Mouth.


Option 3 : 2 Step Inhale from Mouth : 3 Steps exhale from Mouth.
Idea here is to get rid of CO2 as quick as possible also I encourage dropping you jaw and practice Option 3 as it reduces muscle tension and stress on face when you are running for ALL OUT EFFORT.
Next one will be HOW TO BREATHE EFFICIENT.

Gagan Arora

(Celebrity Fitness Expert)

Founder of KOSMIC FITNESS

Master Trainer Reebok Running Squad

REHAB Trainer

A.C.S.M. Personal Trainer

Animal Flow Instructor

Barefoot Training Specialist

with 20 years of experience in Holistic Fitness

Half to Full in 35 Days

Reaping the joys of running

Sharing a Story of Strength, Courage and Determination in Her Words "Ritu Maheshwari" aka Dhakad Chhori!

 

Yoga and walks have always been a part of me along with the effort to lose weight. I was non-athletic but loved meeting and hearing fit people and getting inspired by them. They spoke about marathons, which excited me. With the hope of shedding weight I too wanted to run.
I got my first chance in September 2013, a modest 5 km in Pinkathon which was a tough! I was gasping and panting throughout. For me THIS turned out to be an eye opener; kindling a desire for fitness within. One of my Pinkathon buddies went ahead joined Reebok Running Squad (RRS) and ran her first Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM). I was in total awe of this. Fell in love with the energetic track and carried home a longing to emulate her. 
Soon; I trained by myself and ran my first 10 km in December 2013. It was tough but I RAN and that gave me a high! I was hooked and looked forward for more. The joys of running sure are contagious as my husband; a tennis freak left the courts and joined the track. We decided to run ADHM2014 and joined RRS for training.

RRS Lodhi was a huge class, and it took us a while to get the hang of it. Here, Gagan Sir the master trainer was energetic, knew his job well but there was no rapport between us. We were irregular back benchers. Anyhow we did run our first ADHM, Yay!

The race timings, fitness levels and body weight everything needed to be worked upon which bought us back to RRS with more consistency and regularity. By now we were part of a group and were noticed by the teacher as well. He advised on improvements and we soon progressed for a stronger ADHM 2015.  
We followed his running plans but not the diet routine. Gagan kept insisting for a diet check as the results weren’t showing so he followed us up on our diet logs!  I can never forget how in stern words he said... “Do you understand NO SUGAR?”  
That hit me hard and I just left sugar, thereby conquering my biggest weakness! I also left gluten and soon within months lost a considerable amount of weight. ADHM2015 I knocked off 12 minutes. 

 All this gave a huge sense of accomplishment, immense feel good factor and brought more discipline and focus within. I also realized that running was making me a happier and calmer person. There was clarity in thoughts which brought in more commitment. Comfort food cravings were all forgotten and were replaced by bottles of water. This was a huge victory and I felt TRANSFORMED.

For the first time ever my efforts were showing results and I decided to take up fitness seriously. I trained hard for the upcoming Standard Charted Mumbai Marathon 2016 and achieved a PB! This was a runner’s high which boosted my confidence big time and brought forth few strengths which I never knew I had.

September 2016 was a turning point in my equation with Gagan. I chose to run the Ladakh HM with my best friend, Gagan and few RRS runners. In Ladakh, his holistic training through the week long acclimatization period helped all of us cross one of the toughest finish line with a smile. To me Gagan always was as an intimidating no-nonsense person. Here I saw him as an attentive commander in chief with a spiritual bend that practiced his preaching. He was a master of his subject and extremely devoted to his work. He was caring,understood our fears for the frightening track and patiently sorted them. I felt he was the fitness mentor I was looking for and I could TRUST and adhere to his teachings.

With no second thoughts and a renewed sense of commitment I resumed my training and for the first time I ran with joy ; ADHM 2016 I didn’t stop, didn’t walk and easily mowed down 16 minutes from my previous record. My next goal was42km for January 2018 but Gagan’s words irked me... don’t attempt 42 till you do a 21k in 2hrs! Where running brings up your strengths it brings forth your fears too; speed psyched me up fearing injuries and imbalance; I was happy to run miles but would escape the speedy tempos. Still I WANTED to run 42km. 

 After SCMM 2017 I came back and asked Gagan for an year long training plan for 42 km. AND within few minutes a crazy decision was taken...I was running the Full marathon in the next 35 days; NDM 2017! He wanted me to experience this mileage on home ground first. It was a straight plan, focus on Sunday long runs, gym, yoga, massage, right eating and recovering. Nothing to be missed! The days were crazy like a roller coaster ride and they flew by. I did have my emotional ups and downs but the overwhelming support of my husband, friends and family held me tight. Gagan’s cheering and motivating messages after long runs were invigorating. 

The challenging plan could only be embraced with the solid support system I am blessed with. They patiently stood up ALL THE TIME pacing, cheering and this kept it going. I understood the importance of fueling and hydration during the run, also the need for rest and recover.The Race day saw me standing confidently on the start line and finishing it too with the backing of my running buddies within the target time. 

YES!!! Did something that was never done before; running a full marathon in 35 days. True, the powers of a human mind can achieve any goal provided you have a belief in yourself.

Running is my passion, my stress buster. It’s happiness at your feet.  It has made me aware of so many of my abilities and fears; helping me to accept them and work on them. It feels good to hear that I am a source of inspiration to many. It has added a feather in my cap. The moral of this story is that while there is no short cut to success surrendering to your mentor is half the battle won. 

Race Specific Training

With so many events every weekend people just sign up for a race without even thinking, forget about training...

"Inviting Injuries"

If you have signed up for a race do practice accordingly.

Training Points to remember :-

Distance:- 5k or 42k
Any distance has different demands on the body. Food / hydration / clothing all need to be sorted before you show up for a race. Also a brief idea of elevation on the race route will help you to train accordingly and include inclines / declines in your practice runs.

Surface :- Natural Trail / Mud / Tarmac / Grass / Synthetic.
All surfaces have different Ground Reaction forces so maximum training should happen on surface on which you are about to race. Also you might need to change your footwear according to the training surface.

Time of the day :- As race organizers get creative they plan race start time different times of the day ie. Morning, Late morning, Evening and even Night.
You need to do a few practice runs at that time of the day as your body will behave differently than your daily morning run when you run in the evening after all day's stress and food.

- Gagan Arora
ACSM Personal Trainer

Need For Speed!

Speed Improvement workouts for Long Distance Runners 

Once you have completed your first race, one pledges not to run again ever :) or immediately sets a target for his / her next race. In both the cases the experience of your current race matters...

If you haven't trained enough and you have showed up for a race you have won half battle, but training for a marathon or half marathon is very important to get a positive experience out of the race. Actually magic lies in the training itself whether its weight loss, building self confidence, building muscle mass and bone strength and most importantly connecting with your own body.

Today we are talking about second counterparts who want to increase their race day performance and build up speed to hit their personal best in upcoming race. It’s really important to listen to your body while doing any kind of workout and respect the fatigue level which is an indication to stop or reduce the workout intensity or just take more rest.

What you should do??

1. Intervals or Fartlek training: Generally the focus is always on mileage for long distance runners which enhances the cardio respiratory performance / stamina to run longer but comes at a cost of speed. In order to run at a faster pace incorporate interval training once / twice a week starting with (1min fast run: 1min easy jog) x 6-8reps. Playing with time you can slowly reach up to (4min fast: 1min easy) x 6-8 repeats within 4-6 weeks. Idea here is to run faster. If you are unable to keep up the pace reduce the speed interval time / increase the rest interval or reduce number of reps but stick to your speed. This training will slowly push the anaerobic threshold and you will be running comfortably at a better pace. During speed intervals you can attempt to spell out your full name you should be able to call out 6-8 alphabets without chopping your breath that’s the intensity check; anything more than that you are running too easy...

2. Tempo Runs: Between Intervals and longer runs I suggest at least one day of tempo run per week. As the name suggests you work on a running tempo (steps per minute) and slightly harder than your race pace (if your HM race pace is 6min/km in your last race within an year your starting tempo runs should be @ 5:30-5:45min / km). Ideally one should aim for 180-200 steps per minute during tempo runs. If you are not using a gadget to count your cadence Just count the number your right foot strikes the ground in a minute and multiply it by 2 that’s your tempo. You can definitely take short walking breaks initially after a kilometer or two say for 30-45sec but idea is to do tempo runs up to 10-14km for Half Marathons and 25-30km for full marathon preparation. Gradually increase the mileage for tempo runs as it drains you faster than your slow long runs.

3. Hill Repeats and Sprints: Sprinters should not train for longer distances but distance runners should include sprints and hill repeats to maintain muscle mass, strength and power which are very much required to get a strong finish to every race. You can incorporate Hills or Sprints once a week in your training regime it can be clubbed with strength training days. Sample Hill Training (50meters uphill run:  50 meters downhill jog) x 4-6 repeats. Sample Sprint Training (200mt Sprint: 60 sec rest/walk) x 4-6 repeats. You can start with these distances then gradually increase the reps / distance (Max 200mt for hills and 800mt for sprints workout) anything more than that will change the energy demands and may not deliver desired outcome.

"Garbage Reps" - If you are unable to keep up with the intensity (here the speed) in any of the above workouts and just trying to push the wall at the cost of speed you are attempting garbage reps, better to recover properly before each attempt to maintain the desired pace/speed for the workout.

4. Strength Train: - Running is not the only training to run faster. Strength train at least twice a week to maintain muscle mass, improve posture and rectify muscle imbalances. Basic strength training includes Glute Bridges, Bird Dog, Planks, Squats, Split Squats, Pushups, Pull ups / Pull Downs & Box Jumps. 2-3 sets lasting 30-60 seconds / 12-15 reps are good to build up power and strength in entire body. Do these exercises on a single day twice a week.

Once you have the foundation of cardio respiratory endurance these workouts can show up results in 4 -6 weeks time and you can improve your race day performance.

All workouts should start with 5-10 min warm-up drills like heel walk, toe walk, high knee walk / jog, butt kicks, walking lunges, skipping, jumping jacks etc.

Recovery is an important variable to achieve your best on race day. Use a foam roller to release tight spots in your calves / thighs and back followed by complete stretch out for entire body Calves, thighs, Hip, chest, back, neck and shoulders post workout.

Go for a deep tissue massage once a week to stay relaxed and injury free.

As mentioned earlier listen to your body and fine tune this or any workout to get optimal benefits.

If you have any special medical condition like but not limited to CVD, asthma, diabetes, musculoskeletal injuries please consult your doctor / physical therapist / coach / trainer before starting or modifying your training plan.

Cheers!!!

Gagan Arora

Founder: Kosmic Fitness

 #WorkoutThatWorks

Master Trainer Reebok Running Squad

Making Ordinary people run marathons since 2008