She is vivacious, fun-loving, and a foodie, and believes in “Keeping it simple”. Meet Priyanka Bhatt, a Marketing, Sales, and Strategic Partnership professional with Sporting Beyond (a sports marketing company owned by Mr. Ravi Shastri in partnership with Mr. Jaiveer Panwar) and a super awesome Ultra runner. A self-made runner, master of the sea!
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“I have a habit of giving time to myself, but due to work and office commitments, I was not able to do so for the longest time. My body started showing some alarming signs of complications, so I started running as a way to exercise.
Initially, I had no clue about pace, running groups, or running terminologies like cadence. There was an 800-meter track in my building where I started my daily runs, and gradually, I started participating in 10k and 21k events.
It was all about taking one step at a time and not worrying too much about what lies ahead. Eventually, things fell into place. After 6 months, I came across something called 12-hour Ultra.
I asked someone what you do in a 12-hour Ultra, and they explained that it involves running, not necessarily for the full 12 hours. You can take breaks, eat in between, rest, and at the end of 12 hours, depending on the number of loops you have taken, your total distance is measured.
So, I did my first Ultra, completing 66 km in 12 hours, and I fell in love with Ultras. I discovered that endurance is my strength. My focus has always been to enjoy whatever I am doing.
Running has always been a passion, and I intend to keep it that way. With all the stress we have in our corporate lives, I don't want to add stress to my running as well. Hence, no matter what, I prefer to approach my runs in a way that it never becomes a stress factor for me.
I represented Team India at the IAU 24-hour World Ultra Championship in Albi, France in October 2019, clocking an impressive 192.8 km. It was the second-best performance of all time by an Indian female athlete in 24-hour running.
This year, I have qualified again to run in the IAU's 24-hour World Ultra Championships, which will take place in Taipei, Taiwan in December. I completed 24 hours of ultra running in Canberra, Australia in March, covering a distance of 184.57 km to qualify for this event.
Wow, with so much running, how do you plan your day?
Every day, I wake up around 5-5:30 am and work out until 7:30 am. 7:30 am is my weekday deadline to complete my workouts because I need to cook, finish household chores and get ready to go to work, office takes up the next 10-12 hours of my day. In the evening, I have an early dinner so that I can go to bed early. I extend my training sessions over the weekends since I have the whole weekend to myself.
I plan my week based on my office workload. If I know I have a hectic day or week at the office, I adjust my workouts to be light and easy. We only have one body, which we can't split into two 😊
I run four days a week, dedicate two days to strength training, and reserve one day for rest. One day at the gym is focused on lower-body workouts, and the other day is a mix of upper-body exercises and stretching.
My weekly mileage ranges from 90-110 km, but as I near a race, typically 4-5 weeks in advance, my mileage can increase to 120-140 km per week.
Are you a part of any running group or do you have a coach?
No, I am my own coach, and I run by myself. I believe I understand my body better than anyone else. It's not that a coach wouldn't help me. But I am aware of my own limitations with regard to balancing work and my passion. I don’t want to get into performance pressure and push unnecessarily further, resulting in stress and injury in the long run. It doesn’t matter how slow I go or progress in my running, I just want to stay fit, injury free and enjoy every day when I go for a run.
I follow a simple mantra - "Josh rakho but josh main hosh mat kho" (Keep your enthusiasm high but don't lose your senses). I prefer to listen to my body, and if I feel it needs rest, I reduce my runs and take a break. That way, my body recovers faster. I have heard many people say that their coach pushed them too hard, and it didn't work in their favor. In those situations, I think we all know our bodies better, and everyone gains that self-awareness after a few runs. I have made mistakes as well, but that's okay. These are my mistakes and my learnings. I prioritize listening to my body and I have my own way of exercising, training, and managing everything.
No two people are the same, and no two lives are the same. Our schedules differ, and there's no point in adopting someone else's training plan that may not work for me at all. Everybody's morning is different, and work stress varies. I can't compare my life with anyone else's. I can feel inspired and motivated and create my own path, growing at my own pace. I don't have to become like another person. I am in my own frequency and in my own lane. I take inspiration but I am not a blind follower.
Motivating yourself daily to go for runs in itself is a huge challenge. How do you manage motivating yourself on your own, without any groups?
Motivating myself daily is the charm because, in long-distance running, you need to be self-motivated and a believer. After a few hours, you are likely to feel demotivated. Believing in yourself and staying motivated is what will make an ultra-runner go that extra distance.
Various thoughts run through my head when I'm running. Sometimes I'm just singing in my head, or I put on some music, or I talk to myself. I find joy in it. In a 24-hour run, there are moments of crying, cursing, and then bouncing back to happiness. It's all part and parcel of the experience, and I know those feelings will pass.
So far, I have completed 25 Ultras. In a year, my focus is to do a minimum of 2 ultras. Running a half marathon or a full marathon falls under my training plans. If, for a particular weekend, I have to run 40 km, then I would register for a full marathon and consider it part of my training plan. I don't specifically train separately for marathons.
How about your nutrition? Do you have a nutritionist?
No, this also I manage on my own :D
Nutrition-wise, I eat everything. People who know me are amazed at how much I eat. During a run, post-run, pre-run, all the time. I have a special love for French fries. They are the best food, providing fats, carbs, and sodium. 😊
On normal days, I prefer to eat regular home-cooked meals. Dal khichdi or dal rice, veg sabzi, and salads are my go-to meals. I prefer rice over roti. My protein and carbohydrate intake increase when my workout load increases. I also ensure I have enough fat in my body as a long-distance runner, so cutting calories is doesn’t work for me.
On the day I run 50 km, I literally eat a whole pizza as a treat to myself. 😊
All I want to say is to stick to the basics. Don't overcomplicate life with unnecessary things. Someone asked me the other day about my cadence, HR and I thought, who cares about all this during a 24-hour run? I just love to run, enjoy my running and rest all the things on good days falls in place or become a learning lesson for my next run.
Journey so far
It’s been 9 years I have been running. Participating in 25-26 ultra and innumerable HM and FM.
Some of my key events are -
✔️100km IAU World Masters Championship in Berlin in Sep 2022
✔️Khardung-la Challenge 72k (2017)
✔️Malnad ultra 110k (2018)
✔️Run the Rann desert ultra 101k (2017)
✔️Bangalore 24Hr Stadium run 187.2k (national selections) (2021)
✔️4 times completed Mumbai 12 hrs Ultra (year 2015-2018)
✔️Tata Ultra 50km (2020)
✔️Saputara 100km (2022)
Looking forward to my Taiwan even next and hope to bring more laurels for the country 😊"
Runner - Priyanka Bhatt, Mumbai
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