Mumbai Marathon: Why you should consider your choice to run carefully

Move over yoga Running is increasingly capturing the fascination of healthconscious Indians of all ages The 2004 Mumbai marathon which was Indias first major running event sparked a boom spawning nearly 150 running events across the country Today India boasts of at least six worldclass marathons which are held in Delhi Chennai Kolkata Bengaluru and Hyderabad apart from Mumbai Between 2009 and 2014 the number of marathon runners in India increased by a whopping 15478 per cent according to RunRepeat an international platform for runnersDr P Gadge and Dr T UpasaniAt this point it is increasingly clear mdash everyone from newbies eager to improve their fitness to semiprofessional athletes who put in diligent hours of training every week is either running or wants to run a marathon Hovering over these promising numbers however is a dark cloud of marathonlinked deaths that are widely reported but poorly understood A study called Cardiac Arrests During LongDistance Running Races published by The New England Journal of Medicine states the risk of having a heart attack in a marathon as 101 per 100000 participants and the risk of death as 063 per 100000 participants This means that large marathons can anticipate one heart attack for every 99000 runners and one death for every 158000 runners These numbers can be concerning for runners regardless of their level of experience since many of these deaths have been linked with otherwise healthy and fit individuals However to minimise your risk of marathonrelated injury or illness medical experts recommend that you pay attention to the following guidelines and make an informed decision about your participationSuchita VaradkarCaution is keyDr Rushikesh Patil consultant interventional cardiologist at Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital explains Attempting to run a marathon without adequate training can increase your risk of future disease Endurance events such as marathons have been shown to increase inflammation biomarkers in the bloodstream for prolonged periods of time after participation A study has shown that untrained individuals can suffer from serious myocardial damage related to the heart muscle if they engage in exertion beyond their physical conditioning Dehydration is another concern for untrained runners since a lack of training will increase the risk of overheating and heatstrokes heat injury and rhabdomyolysis mdash the death of muscle fibres and the release of their contents into the bloodstream This can lead to serious complications such as renal failure Illtrained runners can suffer stress fractures shin splints and muscular strains he addsHuzefa LokhandwalaRunning a marathon is akin to playing a highintensity sport If you are aiming to run one you must plan and train like an athlete says fitness coach Huzefa Lokhandwala Do your homework and investigate factors such as the duration of the race the time the route and elevations if any This will give you a clear image of what you are getting intoNikhil KapoorBefore you begin running or marathon training diabetologist Dr Pradeep Gadge recommends that you undergo a complete medical checkup by a sports medicine physician or your primary care physician Share your marathon training plans with your doctor and take all necessary tests before you put on your running shoes Focus on your nutrition sleep and the right equipment Be aware that running can expose latent injuries from previous sports activities If you have any such injuries discuss these with your doctor You should also assess and correct your posture as a first step towards training he advisesRunning mindfullyDr Tejas Upasani orthopaedic and joint replacement surgeon suggests taking it slow when you begin and improving intensity as your body begins to respond to the exercise If you cant run jog or cycle for 30 minutes mdash which is a baseline to measure your preparedness for marathon running Begin by running for as much time as you can Take short breaks when you tire and then continue Gradually increase the duration of your runs he saysDr Upasani lists things to bear in mind when you hit the tarmac For instance make sure you take very small sips of water while running Do not combine your runs with weight training at the very outset Begin with a cardiac exercise regime and couple this with stretching exercises before running and cooldown exercises post your runs Practise yogic breathing exercises such as kapaalbaati and anilomvilom which will help you control your breathing while running and increase your lung power He adds Gradually add calf and thigh musclestrengthening exercises to your routine Also focus on strengthening your lower backRun like a proVeteran marathoner and founder of the Bandrabased running group Front Runners Suchita Varadkar shares important guidelinesgt Shoes Invest in a good pair of running shoes Consult a physiotherapist to analyse your running gait and check for muscular imbalances or tightness Shoes should be halfaninch larger than the size you wear as longdistance running may cause your feet to swell up Always tie an easytorelease double knot to avoid tripping and use the heel lock on these shoes to avoid blackened toenails and blistersgt Wear the right gear Moisturewicking apparel is suitable Apply petroleum jelly to areas where you suffer chaffing due to frictiongt Distance not pace Increase the distance of your runs by a maximum of 10 per cent every weekgt Join a running group This will keep you motivated and your schedule structured and scientificgt Stay energised Eat a fruit before your run if your training is scheduled for 90 minutes or less As your durations get longer you may need a heavier prerun snack Proper hydration and electrolytes refuelling before during and post your runs are importantgt Weekly rest day This is essential to help your body to recoverSlow and steady wins the raceEntrepreneur and ironman triathlete Nikhil Kapoor explainsI have been running since I was in college In 2012 I came across a group of newbie runners who were preparing for a marathon I decided to join them for a few runs and I gradually became addicted I have realised that training for a marathon must be structured and scientific since running can be an injuryprone sport I suffered my first overuse injury the IT band or the runners knee after I ran my first 24 km upon my friends urging mdash my original plan was to run 18 km As I touched 21 km I developed pain in my left knee and began to limp It took me two months to return to running This taught me the importance of physiotherapy to strengthen my vulnerable muscle groups and to pay more attention to warmups and cooldowns I also suffered from shooting pain in the arches of my feet which I countered by wearing insoles and doing exercises to strengthen my archCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news current affairs from Mumbai local news crime news and breaking headlines hereDownload the new midday Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest 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