Chauhan who lives in the Satellite area, near the ISKCON temple in Ahmedabad, now has a group of running buddies in the Gujarat city. He said, “Besides all the physical benefits of fitness that running has brought about in my life, I have running friends too. Even in the US, I have a running group
Randhir Chauhan smiles through the miles (right) Ace the race says Randhir Chauhan
Randhir Chauhan, 80, is the oldest runner in the 42.2 km full marathon category of the Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM) to be run on Sunday, January 19. Chauhan, who splits his time between Ahmedabad and the US, is in Mumbai, living in Borivli ahead of his Sunday run. He said with a laugh, “I will be 81 in April. I am running a distance which is just a little over half my age. This will be my ninth attempt at the full marathon in Mumbai. I have crossed the finish line all eight times. Last year, I was unable to compete as I had undergone a surgery. This year, I anticipate that the surgery may affect timing. I aim to finish in seven hours. The run starts at 5 am and the cut-off is 12.30 pm… I will finish within that.”
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The former real estate professional who lived in New York and New Jersey (US) for five decades and now divides his time between the two ‘As’—America and Ahmedabad—said, “I started running marathons at 67. I had gained substantial weight at a point in life and I started weaving my weight loss journey into my busy daily life. For instance, I would jog behind my work chair if confined to the desk for long hours. I lost 20 kg. I then discovered open, outdoor running. My feet hitting the ground as I ran, the rustle of leaves and sight of trees as in the US especially, my heart pumping to meet the challenge, my lungs equal to what I undertake thanks to the practice I was doing. It was all pure joy… running became the song of my soul (or sole) you could say.”
The upside
Chauhan who lives in the Satellite area, near the ISKCON temple in Ahmedabad, now has a group of running buddies in the Gujarat city. He said, “Besides all the physical benefits of fitness that running has brought about in my life, I have running friends too. Even in the US, I have a running group. This is also one of the upsides of regular running.”
While the running bug bit him as soon as he started, Chauhan said, “Doing long distance, running marathons is part of my father’s sporting legacy. My father Amubhai Chauhan was Morbi cricket captain and played with Vinu Mankad at a young age. He was also a racehorse trainer in Mumbai. I have run on all kinds of routes, a trail in the jungle, the Kutch rann, along lakes, rivers, the oceanfront, in cities and villages. I have run from Amritsar to Chandigarh (200 km) in three days doing 70 km each day.”
Formula for success
Chauhan said as a big city Ahmedabad is challenging to run, too. “It has traffic and pollution is high… maybe not Mumbai standards but it is there. I call it acclimatising for the big day,” he said half in jest. Chauhan stated that he is extremely disciplined. “I train at least two hours a day, upping the ante closer to race days, and then tapering. I am also mindful of what I eat. I just cut down on fried food and sweets. I will tell people in Gujju style that my formula for food and fitness is: DBRS—Dal bhaat (dal and rice) roti-shaak (rotis and veges). Keep it simple. Do not make running or life too complicated. Eat healthy, get exercise, sleep enough and keep stress at bay.”
An inspiration
Chauhan, who is in Mumbai with his wife, added, “I do not think too much about being the oldest in a race or whatever. Just start running and get on with the job of reaching the finish line. I have so many persons across the age spectrum who tell me that I am an inspiration. You inspire us they say, but they do not run at all! They just say all this!” The 80-year-old believes age is just another page in the book of life.
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