Tips to improve your health, fitness and sex life

In our previous article, we talked about how an unhealthy diet can negatively affect your sex life. Here, we will tell you all about how you can improve it

- Watch the Fat: The daily fat content of your diet should not be more than 30%. That’s the stipulated guideline for fat content in your diet. If you go over, you risk increasing fat storage in your body, along with cholesterol build up. High cholesterol reduces blood flow to all parts of your including your genitals for sexual arousal.

- Eat lots of fiber: Soluble fiber help to clean cholesterol build up in your arteries. With cleaner arteries, more blood can flow to all parts of your body, including your privates. Common sources of soluble fibre are legumes, oats, rye, barley, broccoli, carrots, onions, potatoes, apples and other fruits, etc. Check her for the whole list of sources.

- Do your Cardio: Cardiovascular exercises like cycling, running keep bad cholesterol down and raises good cholesterol. They also improves blood flow and circulation in your body, again benefiting sex life. Need some help to start running?- Here are tips to start running

So, keep the alcohol under control with these low calorie alcoholic drinks, follow these tips and improve your sex life.

To really lose weight, get on a proper weight loss plan. Or see any of our customized fitness plans, likepersonal training, diabetes management, hypothyroid, pregnancy weight loss, and more..

Airtel Kolkata Marathon 2009 is here!

Finally, the 2009 Airtel Kolkata Marathon is here. It will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2009.

There are 3 events:
1. Men’s Marathon (42.195 km): Here is the Kolkata marathon route map. The event starts at 7 a.m.
2. Women’s Run (10.5 km): Here is the Women’s run route map for Kolkata Marathon. This run starts are 7.10 a.m.
3. SAIL Celebrity Run (4.2 km): Here is the SAIL Celebrity Fun Run route map. This run starts at 7.30 a.m.

From our experience of athletic events, we suggest getting there at least an hour early, since there is chaos with parking, and so many people participating in the event. Check out our experience at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2008. Now the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2009 is coming up.

The total prize money for the 2009 run is INR 1.1 million. The winner of the Men’s Marathon will get INR 320,000. The winner of the Women’s Run will receive INR 110,000. More details on the prize money awards at Kolkata Marathon 2009.

The website claims that over 20,000 participants will be taking part, making it the largest marathon in eastern India. Considering that there isn’t any other metro in eastern India, that’s not a tough feat for Calcutta.

There is no information on how to register and participate in the Kolkata Marathon but they’ve provided their contact information under Contact Them. The title of the website still says Kolkata Marathon 2007. Not even Kolkata Marathon 2008, let alone 2009

We think its odd to have separate runs for men and women? Most of the other marathon events, like the Delhi Marathon, or others in India do not have events that separate men and women. What if there are women who want to run the full marathon? What if there are men who want to run 10.5 km, instead of having to choose between either the full marathon of 42+ km, or the celebrity run of 4.2 km? What do you think?

Regardless, the route for the Airtel Kolkata Marathon 2009 goes through the regal Red Road- it has been the iconic pleasurable driving experience in Calcutta for many years. Running on it would be cool.

Here is a list of winners for Kolkata Marathon 2009, and Women’s Run winners for the Kolkata Marathon 2009.

Need tips to start running? Need tips to prepare for a marathon and nutrition tips during and after a marathon here. And make sure you stretch after your workout

This is the 5th year of the Kolkata Marathon, starting in 2005. Watch out for information on the Airtel Kolkata Marathon 2010!

Click here and enter your email to get marathon updates.

Is walking good for weight loss?

Walking is boring. It takes so long, and we believe that unless you don’t have a physical limitation holding you back from running, you should not be walking. Start running.

There are so many reasons to start running now- we’ve listed a few for you:

Burn calories while you rest: Running raises your metabolic rate, so you burn calories even while you rest. So you burn calories while watching TV, while sleeping, even while taking a shower!

Build great leg muscles: Running can build muscle in your legs- gives you great calves, quads and butt muscles- your way to look good in shorts Also, it increases in your body’s muscle. Muscle burns calories just to maintain itself, so your burn even more calories.

Running can improve posture: When you run correctly, it helps to work the muscles in your lower back and core. As a result, it can improve your general posture, while burning fat. Since many of us have belly fat and fat around the lower back and hips, running can help you lose that also.

Running suppresses appetite- Researchers found that running for over 60 minutes lowers levels of the hormone, Ghrelin (appetite increasing hormone), and increases levels of the hormone Peptide YY (appetite suppressing hormone). So, you probably won’t be scarfing down a huge meal after a good run!

Look hot: With all the fat you lose, the muscle you build, you only get hotter!

Save time: When you run, you do the same amount of work in lesser time. So, you burn calories faster, and you save time to do anything else that you want.

What are you waiting for? Get tips to run better. Also find out if its better to run on treadmills or outside.

Think you’re too old to run? Did you know exercise helps you live longer- read tips to live longer

Need a place to run in Delhi? Here’s a list- Siri Fort Sports Complex, Jahanpanah City Forest, Lodhi Garden, Hauz Khas Deer Park. These are all in South Delhi and Central Delhi.

Tips to get lean, become slim in 3 days!

Ever wanted to look leaner and fitter instantly- for the beach vacation, the New Year’s eve party, a cousin’s wedding, or the big date! We have tips for you to look thinner, slimmer, leaner and better instantly. No, its not an optical illusion.

If you want to lose weight fast & effectively, try one of our Weight Loss Plans. See our weight loss success stories.

Whether you have 3 days, 7, 10, 14 days, 2 weeks or 1 month, you can use these tips to look thinner for the big day.

Eat less Salt: Go easy on the salty snacks, like namkeen, chips, high sodium pickles, pretzels and processed foods that are high in sodium. Extra salt is added as a preservative in foods. Salt contains sodium and high sodium foods cause water retention in the body. Water retention can make you look bloated. So, skip the chips and go for the fresh food.

Easy on the Carbs: Most diets are high in carbohydrates, sugar and fat. Some amount of carbohydrates and fat are good for the body but at the same time its important to  moderate the consumption of such foods in the diet.  Best way to keep your carbohydrate intake in control is by knowing the difference between good and bad carbs. Most common form of carbohydrates in our diet are wheat, grains, maida, rice etc. Removing carbohydrates  from your diet mostly reduces the water weight, which comes back as soon as you eat regular food again or even drink enough water . That’s a trick used by Atkins and other no-carbohydrate diet plans. Fitho does not recommend no-carb diets, as they can have side-effects like ketosis, bad breath, etc. What you need is a weight loss plan that helps you lose weight and keep it off.

Run: Yes, go for a run. Running helps you burn calories, and suppresses appetite hormones. If you are used to walking then add a little bit of jogging in intervals. Running/jogging helps you burn more calories & tone up faster than walking in the same amount of time!

Do Push-ups/Squats: You dont need a long list of exercises to get started. Push-ups and squats is the secret to the most effective exercise which requires only 15 minutes of your time and the results will make it look like you have been spending serious time in the gym. Both are fantastic exercises to burn fat, tone arms and legs  in no time.

 

Which stretching exercise is best for muscles?

In the first part of this article, we wrote about when you should stretch, how static stretching before a workout can be detrimental, how warming up is good for your workout, and how to warm up effectively.

Instead of static stretching before your workout, try dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretches are specific to the sport or workout. For runners, an ideal warm-up might include squats, lunges and “form drills” like kicking your buttocks with your heels. Athletes who need to move rapidly in different directions, like soccer or basketball players, should do dynamic stretches that involve many parts of the body. “Spider-Man” is a particularly good drill: drop onto all fours and crawl the width of the court, as if you were climbing a wall.

Now, after your workout, you should do static stretching. During your workout, your muscles contract and expand, and go through a lot of rigour. After a strenuous workout, your muscles are sore and devoid of nutrients. Do static stretching now. Stretch each major muscle part of your body (list below). Hold each stretch for 30-60 seconds. The benefit of stretching is that it helps the muscle fibers relax, which in turn helps your body deliver nutrients faster your muscles.  Stretching will help to deliver nutrients faster to your body, and thus help muscle growth. With more muscle, your body will burn more calories at rest, and thus help you lose the fat faster! Stretching post workout also reduces muscle soreness the next morning, seriously!

Below is a list of major muscles in your body, that you must stretch after your workout. In your lower body, stretch your thighs, hamstrings, calves and your glutes. In your upper body, stretch your shoulders, triceps, back, chest, abs and your biceps.

So remember .. stretch after your workout, not before. Spending those 5-10 minutes doing static stretching after your workout is very beneficial!

Stretch After Exercise, not Before- Why

When you look around the gym or the running track, you see people performing stretches before a workout. Why? Because traditionally, we were taught stretching is key before a workout. But recent research disagrees with the old adage of static stretching before a workout. It is now believed that static stretching before a workout besides being a waste of time, is also detrimental to performance.

In a recent study conducted by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, athletes generated less force from their leg muscles after static stretching than they did after not stretching at all. In another study, it was found that stretching decreases muscle strength by as much as 30%!

[ Note: Fitho always stressed the benefit of stretching post workout, like in this article on tips to run ]

To prepare your muscles for a workout, its important to do two things- loosen muscles and tendons to increase range of motion and to physically warm up. A warm up increases body heat and blood flow. Warm muscles use your muscle fuel more effectively and can withstand better loads.

To raise body temperature, begin with some aerobic activity, like light jogging. That’s why your tennis coach made you run around the court before training.

Just don’t run too much, so you’re too tired for the real workout! (click here for running tips)

Check out our next article to know more how what stretches to do before, after your workout!

Running burns calories while you rest

Wonder if you should start running? The New Scientist magazine reported that a Yale University study showed that endurance athletes, such as long-distance runners, burn up extra calories even when at rest- while your reading a book, watching TV, sleep or just hanging with friends.

Mitochondria is the part of a cell which convert sugar and fat into ATP molecules, which transport energy within cells. The study showed that the mitochondria in the cells of men who run (treadmills or outside) for four or more hours each week, use 54% more fuel than the mitrochondria of non-runners.

When the mitrochondria uses sugar and fat, this helps to clear out cellular fats that may contribute to insulin resistance. This research suggests that, even when at rest, running plays an important role in helping to protect against type 2 diabetes, as well as helping to burn fat.

4 hours a week is not that much. Break it into 6 days- that’s 40 minutes a day, with rest on one day of the week So, get those running shoes out and start running. We’ve got all the tips to start running.

Lose flabby arms, get toned arms

One of the biggest myths is fat loss, is spot reduction- the ability to reduce fat in only certain areas of the body. This myth is only propagated by advertisements of shady gyms and health equipment manufacturers promising ‘spot reductions’.

If you lose fat, you lose fat from all over your body. Of course, depending on your body type, you might have a tendency to gain fat in certain areas, like the belly, or the hips.

A sign of fitness for both men and women is defined arms. Getting that rounded shoulder muscle to show, and possibly that tricep muscle to pop- that’s money!

Since spot reduction of fat on the arms isn’t possible, to really get those sexy arms to show, you need to use a two pronged approach. First, build some muscle (yes, for women too!) and secondly, lose fat.

To build muscle, do some basic movements like pushups, pullups, and tricep movements should do the job. the pushups and pull ups will work other surrounding muscles also. Since more muscle is utilized, it will produce more growth hormone in your body, which will lead to better growth of muscle on your arms.

To lose fat, do some cardio- run, cycle, swim. Playing an intense sport like squash, basketball, rowing can help you build muscle and lose fat, along with having some serious fun! All this, while revealing those sculpted arms.

Running Events in India

Marathons are now held all over India. Ranging from 5-10 k runs, we have plenty of marathons and even ultra marathons in India- We have large running events in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune and Auroville.

Delhi has in Airtel Delhi Half Marathon. In 2008, it was held on Nov 9. There are 5 events-the half marathon, the dream run, the senior citizens event, the veterans run and the wheelchair event. Here are the top runners at Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2008, and our marathon experience at the event.

Mumbai has the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. Here is a info of Mumbai Marathon 2009 event- held on Jan 2009. Participants include many celebrities.

Chennai also has a running culture. Check out more on the Chennai Marathon

Hyderabad has its share of running culture with 10k mini marathon and half marathon events. More at Hyderabad10K website

Bangalore has an ultra marathon (52 km)! Its the only one that we know of in India. They’ve already done 2 ultra marathons in 2007 and 2008.

Pune has its Pune International Marathon

Kolkata has the Airtel Kolkata Marathon. They have 3 events- Marathon (42 km), Ladies Run (10.2 km) and a Fun Run (4.2 km). Here are routes for 2007- Marathon, Ladies Run, SAIL Celebrity Fun Run. Results for Kolkata Marathon winners. Apparently, there was one in 2008, but no central website for it. Here is a link to Indian Express article.

Auroville started its marathon in 2008. Check out the Auroville Marathon site here.

Last but not the least, in the Great Tibetian Marathon. This marathon every year in the summer, on the plateau of Leh Ladakh. With the low oxygen levels, we rate this as the toughest marathon in India, and the coolest marathon in India, in more ways than one Running in the Himalayas would be such a unique experience!

Kudos to all these people making efforts to growing a running culture to India! Are there any others that we’ve missed? Any runs in your city? Please comment to let us know and we’ll add it to the list.

For the running uninitiated, here is a distance definition of various runs:
Marathon- Its a total distance of 26.2 miles (approx 42 kms)
Half Marathon- Very intuitively, it is 13.1 milees (approx 21 kms)
Ultra Marathon- Anything covering a distance of more than a marathon is an ultra marathon.

For tips to start running, or to run better, check out our series of articles on running tips

Better to run on treadmills or outside? Part 2

So, here’s the second part of the series, where we compare exercising on machines, or out in the open. In Treadmills vs Outside Running Part 1, we considered 3 points between treadmills and running outside. At the end of the 3 points, treadmills were winning 2:1 against running outside. Let’s continue to find out, which is better?

4. Speed Change-Sprints/Intervals: Sprints and Interval Training are the fastest way to burn fat, but intervals on the treadmills can be painful, since you have to keep pressing those buttons at the end of every interval, to change your speed. Its kind of annoying than just using your legs to slow down, where you would actually use more muscle in running on the ground, to increase or decrease your speed. In fact using your legs to increase or decrease your speed actually helps to work more muscle. Its even more annoying to simulate sprints on a treadmill. So, this one goes to running outside. We’re even, at 2:2

5. Environment/Access to Space: This one is a toss up. If you live in a nice clean area, with lots of parking or running space, its great to run outside. But treadmills are great if you live in a polluted location, a dirty area, unfriendly weather like rain, snow or heat; or just don’t have running space!

6. Impact on joints: Depending on what kind of ground you run on, the impact varies. Running on a soft surface reduces impact on your joints, whereas pounding your joints on the concrete sidewalks increases that impact. Most gym treadmills have impact factors that are somewhere in the middle- not as reduced as soft surfaces, and not as hard as concrete. So, this factor is also a draw between machines and the real thing. (A great zero impact cardiovascular exercise is swimming)

Similar factors would affect whether you want to use the cycling machines in the gym, or cycle outside, or deciding between a stair climber machine or actually running on stairs, or between a rowing machine and rowing in a lake. Because of equipment expense and access to water bodies, actually rowing is a tough one, but its a fantastic workout.

We’re partial to running outside, since we like to feel our shoes on the ground. But neither won this battle. It really comes down to what the situation is.

But the answer to the ultimate cardio question – Is is better to run on a treadmill or to run outside, on the ground? , is ultimate one -It depends

Better to run on treadmills, or outside- Part 1

Is it better to run on a treadmill or outside, on the ground? We’ve got an answer to the eternal cardio question.

Can a machine really simulate the motion, and exertion of the real movement? Or to take it further- can it be better that the real movement? So, lets compare running on treadmills and running on the ground, out in the open. There are a lot of factors that need to considered. For each factor, we’ll find out is machine better or vice versa. So, lets find out:

1. Speed control: Controlling your speed is key to running consistently for a distance or time. For starting runners, this is a tough one. When you’re new to running, controlling your speed is difficult. Most people run in short bursts, so keeping a consistent speed can be challenging. With a treadmill, you can set the speed and let things roll. So, treadmills help you develop speed control. Thats one up for the treadmill.

2. Real motion: I’ve yet to come across a treadmill that feels the same as running outside. They might be close, but running out in the open is an experience that is hard to simulate- the exertion, the feel of the ground, and the exact muscle work. To simulate the exertion of running on ground, its recommended to keep the treadmill at a 1% incline. So, this factor one goes to running outside. Between the treadmill and running outside, we’re at 1:1

3. Simulating new geography: If you live in a flat area, and want to train for hills, the best way is to run on a treadmill at a hill incline. Or vice versa, if you’re in a hilly area, its hard to simulate flat runs. So, treadmills wins this factor hands down. Running incline is challenging, so at the same speed, you burn more calories.

So currently, treadmills are winning the competition and 2 points, against 1 for running outside. In Part 2 of treadmill vs outside running this, we’ll analyze some more factors to decide the winner.

In the mean time, we’ve got running tips to get started for you.

To really lose weight, get on a proper weight loss plan. Or see any of our customized fitness plans, like personal training, diabetes management, hypothyroid, pregnancy weight loss, and more..

Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2008 Results- Why East African athletes dominate

This year Ethiopian runners won the event, for both men and women. The top 10 finishers for both men and women were dominated by international runners from Kenya and Ethiopia. Wonder why they produce the best long distance runners in the world? Read on to find out.

Overall Men:
1. Deriba Merga (ETH) 59:15 (new event record)
2. Wilson Kipsang (Ken) 59:16
3. Wilson Chebet (KEN) 59:34
4. Regassa Tilahun (Jr/ETH) 1:00:28
5. Tadesse Tola (ETH) 1:00:45
6. Dieudonne Disi (RWA) 1:00:47
7. Kiplimo Kimutai (KEN) 1:00:58
8. Joseph Maregu (KEN) 1:01:03
9. Eshetu Wondimu (ETH) 1:01:04
10. William Chebon Chebor (KEN) 1:01:17

Overall Women:
1. Asefelech Mergia (ETH) 1:08:17
2. Genet Getanah (ETH) 1:08:18
3. Peninah Arusei (KEN) 1:08:20
4. Atsede Habtamu (ETH) 1:09:37
5. Ashim Kasim (ETH) 1:10:19
6. Tiki Gelana (ETH) 1:10:22
7. Pauline Njeri (KEN) 1:10:23
8. Mare Dibaba (ETH) 1:10:28
9. Pauline Wangui (KEN) 1:10:36
10. Tigist Tufa (ETH) 1:10:41

Best Indians runners:

Men:
1. Sandeep Kumar 1:04:48
2. Kashinath Aswale 1:04:52
3. Deep Chand 1:04:56
4. Irrappa Akki 1:05:07
5. Surendra Singh 1:05:28
6. Lengoi Binning 1:05:28

Women:
1. Kavita Raut 1:17: 12
2. Preethi L Rao 1:17:20
3. Sudha Singh 1:17:39
4. Vivek Suba 1:18:02
5. Kiran Tiwari 1:21:51
6. Manjusha C. A. 1:23:21

Here’s the IAAF report on the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2008 event.

World over, Kenyan runners have dominated the long distance running scene. Wonder why? There are a number of theories on this. The vast majority of Kenya’s brightest running stars were born and raised at high altitude. Running at higher elevations builds greater lung capacity, because athletes grow accustomed to the thinner air. Many of the finest runners, for example, hail from the hilly region surrounding Eldoret, about 7,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level. This area also possesses a fairly mild climate that allows for year-round running. If altitude alone determined distance-running success, of course, then Nepalese marathoners would dominate. So, perhaps a more important factor is the nation’s running culture, particularly among the Kalenjin tribe. Though Kalenjins represent just 12 percent of Kenya’s population, they comprise about three-quarters of the nation’s elite runners.

Besides the culture of this particular tribe, there is another factor- there are two kinds of muscle fibers in the body- fast twitch and slow twitch. Fast twitch muscles are the ones that are used for short bursts of powerful movements. Slow twitch muscles are the ones that are used for exertion over long sustained time periods. East Africans are born with a 70-75 percent of slow twitch muscle fibers.

At the end of the day, victory goes beyond your genes. Its a lot of hard work and training that goes into it. But when you reach the level of elite athletes, genetic differences can give you the edge.

Either way, we need to find those genes that can help Indians excel in sport

Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2008- Event, Experience and Learnings

We took part in the Great Delhi Run in the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2008 on Sunday, Nov 9, 2008 in New Delhi. Was that an experience!

We’ve participated in multiple runs and athletic events across the world. If we were to sum up our experience at this event, it was less of an athletic event, and more of a branding event for Airtel. To let it lose, it was a sham of an athletic event. Lets see why:

Advertising, everywhere: Since they advertised so aggressively for it, they were probably trying to recover some money- in the process, the event was overloaded with corporate advertisement. There were people carrying huge Airtel hoardings, blocking the whole route, so if you were behind them, there was no way to cross them. DHL was advertising some ‘jumbo box‘ of there’s, so they had a bunch of people taking up the route again. Here’s a photo.

Like this, there were multiple companies trying to advertise- huge hoardings, noisy slogans, very intrusive and in your face advertising. Another photo – you tell me if that looks like an athletic event. So, if you were at the event for anything besides a leisurely walk, it was a disaster. We were planning to run in the Great Delhi Run, and it was a frustrating experience.

Event Organization: The organization was bad. First, we could not locate the starting area. Then, there weren’t enough organizers to answer questions, or enough directions pointing you to the Start. Once you cross the start line, there were thousands of people taking part so it took a while to start running. We got to the event at 9.20 a.m for a 9.30 start time. We could only cross the start line at 9.58 a.m! The passage ways were so narrow for the number of people participating, that there was no chance of moving fast.

Volunteers: The volunteers for the event were trying to cheer on, but some of them were so enthusiastic in their cheering, that they were on the running route, which was anyway crowded with participants and advertisers!

Distance Markers: The distance markers were not visible with the crowd. In fact, even after running it, we’re not sure of the distance we ran. We estimate it at 6-6.5 km.

More Issues: Then there were water stops, handing out water bottles. Some of them were so enthusiastic, that they were in the middle of the track. The streets were strewn with plastic bottles. To clean them up, poor kids were running across the track while the event was on. Then, there were cops in the middle of the route trying to keep it secure, but also coming in the way of runners. So, it was less of a run, and more of an obstacle course.

Post Run Issues: Post the run, the food lines were incredibly long, so many people left without getting any food after the run. We couldn’t find any buses to take you back to the parking lots, so we had to cab it.

The only upside was that there were people on the side who had come to watch and cheer people on!

Learnings from the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon event:

If you plan to participate in the Delhi Half Marathon event in 2009, please learn from our experience and take this tips:

- Get there at least 1.5 hours before time, to ensure you have time to park, commute to the event, find the start line, and get there early enough, so you’re not stuck behind the advertisers, and slogan shouters. Since you will get there early, carry some food and drink with you, to ensure you have enough energy and are properly hydrated. Click here for more running tips.

- Take part in the half marathon instead of the Dream Run (or the Great Delhi Run), if you want to really participate and be able to run.

And last but not the least, don’t have any expectations from the event.

Running in your city

Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2009 Information

The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon – Race day is January 18, 2009.
Race information about events and prizes are below:

There are five events:

Marathon –
Distance: 42.195 km; Age eligibility: born on or before 17.01.1991
Registration Fees: Rs 300 for Indian citizens. Marathon Route is here

Half Marathon –
Distance: 21.09 km; Age eligibility: born on or before 17.01.1991
Registration Fees: Rs 300 for Indian citizens. Half marathon Route is here

Dream Run –
Distance: 6 km; Age eligibility: born on or before 17.01.1997
Registration Fees: Rs 300 for Indian citizens. Dream Run Route is here.

Senior Citizens Run –
Distance: 4.3 km; Age eligibility: born on or before 17.01.1949
Registration Fees: Rs 200 for Indian citizens. Route is here.

Wheelchair Event –
Distance: 2.5 km; Age eligibility: born on or before 17.01.1997
Registration Fees: Rs 200 for Indian citizens. Route is here.

Unfortunately, registration started on July 2, 2008 and ended on August 30, 2008

Route Information: [update] This information was recently updated. Please look above for the links to route maps for all events of the Mumbai Marathon 2009.  Its surprising that even though registrations have closed, the routes have not been published. Very similar to the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2008, where the routes were published 24 days before the run

Need motivation to participate? Total prize money is a respectable USD $250,000 (considering the exchange rate of 50 INR, I’d say its good enough to make me run)

For the full Mumbai marathon 2009, prize categories include Top 13 overall runners- men and women, Top 5 Indian runners- men and women, Top 3 veteran finisheers- men and women, Top 2 Sr. Veterans and top 2 Super Sr. Veterans. For the half marathon, its the top 5 male and female overall finishers, Top 3 veteran finisheers- men and women, Top 2 Sr. Veterans and top 2 Super Sr. Veterans.

If the money doesn’t matter, then you get serious bragging rights! And you get your photo splashed all over the newspaper.

For some motivation, check out our previous post. I’m yet to run a full marathon, but I definitely have it on my to do list.

Running is one of the best ways to burn fat and lose those love handles and that belly fat. It helped me show that elusive six pack! Besides this, running has a lot of physical benefits.

For tips on running better, here they are: Tips to Run Better Part 1, Tips to Run Better Part 2, Tips to Run Better Part 3.

To get more info on the StanChart Mumbai Marathon 2009, check this out.

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