 For all three of us, running has very different meanings individually. The mountains were brutal, the landscape was beautiful, and I guess as a team we really enjoyed running there. It's more than a race. We all are full-time professionals. For me personally it is meditative. I find it very calming and peaceful and it has brought good discipline into my life. We are here with some special guests this morning. Three Indians who finished the ultra-race in Brazil. A 217-kilometer race. That's not a joke actually. And Mandip, Praveen and Munish. Welcome guys, welcome back. And just share your experience. How was the adventure there in Brazil? Thank you, Leslie. Thank you for the compliment. And Brazil 135 was an awesome race. We had good time there. The mountains were brutal. The landscape was beautiful. And I guess as a team we really enjoyed running there. The elevation, it was too steep. The downhill, the uphill. The quads were totally broken during that run. But somehow we managed to finish that strongly within the time of the bad water cut-off. So we are happy with that. And regarding the people, they are very, very supportive there. And very happy and cheerful. So we loved that country totally there. We all are full-time professionals. So we just want to have a good time. So we actually, apart from running, we also spend a very good time in each of us. And it's a life-time experience for all of us. Before getting into the bigger part of why Brazil and all that, I would like to introduce another special guest here, Dr. Rajat Sohan, who is a sports medicine specialist, but who is also an avid runner, a doctor of pain he calls himself. But yeah, he's also one of the foremost race organizers, ultra-race organizers in the country, in the world, in fact, La Alfa, which is, say, 333. And this year it's going to be 555 kilometer race in Ladakh. Welcome, Dr. Thank you, sir. Thank you. So I was just wondering about running in general and about after getting introduced to these guys, I was just wondering how ultra-running has caught up in India because earlier we used to have a running culture where we do it for exercise, for warm-up, or whatever. But off late, that marathon movement has happened and that has transformed itself into ultra-running movement in the country. So something on those. So it was 10 years ago when, or 12, 12, 13 years ago, when I moved to India. And what is interesting is hardly anyone was running those races, you know, like a Delhi half or a Bombay full. It was funny that Procam had approached me, I was in London, and they wanted me to be the elite runner. You're silly, stupid, because, you know, my times weren't great. Okay, that's 13, 14 years ago. And today it's very beautiful. It's brilliant to see so many people actually doing it, whether it's a short distance or a long distance like an ultra. I've been putting this ultra for the last 10 years now, 10th year this year. For the first seven years, there were hardly any Indians, even if there were, I would disqualify them for whatever reason. It's great now that you're getting people to the finish line. I think we've really moved on as a society as far as running goes. I think it shows something about the culture and the society actually. That's a great sign actually, and that takes us back to the Brazil adventurers because I just had this doubt when I heard about, when you mentioned about their achievement, that why Brazil? And where are you running towards? That's the general philosophical question that I had. So why Brazil? Because we had, in 2018, we did ultra 333 kilometers and we were looking for our next challenge. So we shortlisted bad water and rode to bad water lead through Brazil. Although we were pretty sure with 333 finishing, we would be able to get into bad water but we didn't want to take chance. So we approached Doc and he recommended us to Brazil 135 and where this running would take us, I guess, for all three of us running has very different meanings individually. But then we find it very, for me personally it is meditative. I find it very calming and peaceful and it has brought good discipline into my life. I saw this, I've dreamt about this five years back. I've read an article about the bad water. It is the world's toughest race and all. So I started dreaming from the head time itself that someday I'll be into this race. So Brazil 135 was the short, not the short short chance but it gives us the preference to get into the bad water and hopefully we'll be there. About running, yes, we do have different meanings for that. It has changed me as a person and there's a saying that once when you get something from the God above, you must give it back to the society. So that is my principle for running. I want to help people to take up the fitness on. The doctor also does that a lot. So I really admire you as well. That is why it doesn't let us stop also. As I told you earlier that we are full-time professionals. So we hardly get any time to have a good time with each of us. So for us, especially these ultra running is like spending very good time with my friends. Ultra running is about challenging yourself. So what we are doing is we are just challenging our limits. We did it in La Altra and we have more inspiration like now we have started to go for the international runs as well. So as already told by both my friends that we are targeting bad water this year. So one of the main reasons of doing La Altra, Brazil 135 was to do bad water only. That is the important point here doc again. That these three represent our perfect ambassadors for the running movement that is happening in India. Basically they are not elite athletes that way. Or they were not athletes who were for instance started as a 10-year-old and then continued their career and then translated that into marathons and ultra marathons. But they started 5-6 years back getting seriously into running and so what does it take for India to get moving or our citizens to actually get into such a lifestyle. Not necessarily aim for the toughest race in the world but generally to keep moving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. So I think that as you said the best brand ambassadors for movement these guys because they only picked it up now and fair enough in school someone was active and all that that's all good. But like most of us had that 15-year gap to see careers in professional life and all point really is getting back to what you were and doing more and more. If it's only about health in my opinion even 10k is not important. Even 30 minutes is important if you just move around doing that. But I think sometimes we need brand ambassadors, those people and that's what they've done beautifully well. As I said 10 years versus today in India there's already a movement I think it's too slow though and more and more such stories need to be coming out that you know we are capable average guy is capable of more. I would guess 5 years ago when they read about you know whether ours you know like Laltra or Badwater it was only a dream. But they've taken those steps they've taken those steps one by one most of us don't do things because we think it's too far or it's too much. I think it's baby steps, each step counts. I think that's a bigger learning for the society that any of us can and it doesn't have to be the top. How does it matter, just move. So I think that's the bigger one here. And how important are these events that it's a general question like you guys started for various reasons for instance fitness or keep one's fit and then suddenly realize the way of running and then started pushing yourself. So how important are these events how important are targets to keep running keep one's self motivated. Leslie I would say these events they act as a validation of the process, the discipline, the good lifestyle which we go through. Because nobody talks about the hours we put into running or whatever we do. See it is not about that day or an event. Finally that day is a celebration of what we have been doing for past six months or eight months. So what we feel is it is discipline the spirit to get up and get moving every day which is important. And these events just act as a validation. I totally agree with the Mandip here. It is just to check whatever we've been doing for the fitness and all and we've been running from since long. So all that the events are just the check to see if we are going in the right direction or not. That's for me. It's a very valid point that you said that target or a goal setting which you do it's very important for any activity that you or any passion you for which you are doing. For running also we used to keep our targets like this year we have to do LALTRA then we used to plan our things with that. We are all professional so we need to plan our activities our day-to-day activities as well like for office going we have families as well we all need to plan all those things. So goal setting is very important for any of the things which you want to pursue. Like for the LALTRA also we plan lot of things that we will start we will do or running from this to this time and you know in that way you prepare for any of the event as well. So goal setting is one of the aspects that I also agree that it's the important thing for any of the activity which we have to do. It's actually both ways for me. On one hand I put these I criticize myself a lot as much as I put these events together in bigger scheme of things they don't matter. So the point is for myself the last race I ran was in 2007 and I don't race anymore. But the point is it doesn't mean that I don't run and it's not about I'm left on fitness and all that stuff so that's not actually right. I think as we evolve it doesn't matter anymore but the point is initially when you get got started that middle matters that sheet of paper matters that someone else clapping for you matters that time but eventually over time how does any of it matter like how much you run or not run so it's a I think it's a path that you've taken it's a journey and we all start evolving with it most organizers don't run themselves. They have no idea about running most of the times that's a sad part though. I think it's important but not. It's like one of those things is very important but yet it doesn't matter. It's kind of that. When you started off did you imagine that you would be doing such distance as I said? Never. Never. See as he said goals are goals probably were half marathon then it became full marathon then we fell in love with Ladakh. 2015 I did my first marathon in Ladakh he did Khardungla, Munish was in a farm plant posted in a far flung plant of NTPC so he didn't do any running at all 2016 both of us did Khardungla again. 2017 Munish joined us in Delhi and then we did 111 so up till 2016 when we finished Khardungla challenge we used to look up to LALTRA and say one day boss Karenge. That was the only cut off dream we had then dreams are dynamic right? They keep on changing those so about LALTRA when I did my first Khardungla challenge in 2015 I was going crossing that office of LALTRA and the kilometers which were written for that race was 111, 222 kilometers in 333 and I was wondering who were these crazy guys who can do such distances I did not even dream of this race at that time and I wanted to meet those people who are those people who are doing such races so that's the kind of picture we used to have about LALTRA and it is like that. When we finalized for signed up for 333 lot of running friends from running fraternity called us and said are you guys crazy? So we had no answers we just had to prove it to them that we can do it. That's exactly my question actually in a way I understand the Nirvana part of it you were talking about Nirvana in a way that you run and you run towards something and after a point it doesn't matter distances don't matter, medals don't matter fine but as humans we also have a physical limit so now we are pushing it to 555 in Ladakh so we are still crazy so why do we do it why is that urge inside humans and it's beyond validation after a point what is exactly happening physiologically mentally philosophically also at this juncture in human evolution we don't have to prove our physicality or our physical prowess by running 555 kilometers to me it's actually getting to know yourself so someone could know themselves in like a 10 kilometer run some of us like to do the silly stuff like how much are we capable of when I run I'm connecting with myself the best again this run started a lot because of people telling me it can't be done so it started from there 555 is not really for the reason that we started the 223 let's start pushing the limits 555 is more for celebration it's the 10th year we've been doing something which was called impossible and everyone proved these three average so called average guys proved it's so possible by anyone it's celebrating that part it's not about anything else really not trying to know no more need to prove what are we capable of doing it's total celebration part I like playing around with numbers that's right that 555 we have an extra day so it's not 5 days only it's 5 days and a half day that cut off for this good point you're saying see humans are adventurers by our DNAs we like pushing we like to see what is on the other side that is a very big one so those guys who've been at it like to push it that's about it really for me and what about you guys what will keep you going now that you're will you be doing 555 for instance honestly we are not ready this year doctor can think of crazy numbers but we have to be sane at some point in time right it takes a lot of preparation honestly so this year it's not on our radar but then you never know next year we may be there as of now no and your next aim as far as running event is concerned black water right now as we have said we are targeting bad water if we get through the application we will qualify for that we get the invite then we will go for bad water as we will change our plan and look for some other race would that be keeping it's around the same time July I think July is the time so but yeah definitely we will look for some bigger distance or not sure that's again something that I add how many races can these guys afford to run without physically I say see that's very interesting point because what's actually happening is I get in the clinic so 10 years ago I used to say the best business to do in running world is make people run have a clinic next to them and because they have to get hurt they will even get hurt that's classically what is happening right now because people are running more than 20 events in a year it's a recipe for disaster even the very best people who are doing shorter distances like a half marathon they train for three to four events only in a year my recommendation whether to them or whoever else out there please don't train for more than three or four but do them well train well do them well and even if you want to do more events train them take them like a training run so I'm not saying only limit to three take part in 10 I'm okay but then plan it very well so I would say like such events train well three four you've done very well you know no more than that please because then just wearing it out totally then those injuries come along then exactly so that brings us back to the idea of running whether it's these guys whether it's you whether it's us also that enjoy running and take it as as an outing as a training run and don't exert yourself so much that you break down and you end up not doing anything something that you love to do so on that note I would thank you guys for being here in the morning and all the best for the application to black water all the bad water sorry doesn't learn black water and also on I mean for the races that you plan to attend fine guys