He is the perfect role model of an easy, happy runner who balances his high-demanding corporate life and his passion for running with ease. For him, running is a "feel good" factor, and he won't allow any unnecessary competition or the chase of speed to take away the joy of running.
Meet Subhjit Sarkar, a Senior Director with Oracle and a Full Marathoner, enjoying his running and working towards his end goal: being able to run even at the age of 75+!!
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“In 2011, I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, which slowed down my metabolism, and I was not happy with my overall health and physique. So, I decided to take control of the situation and do something about it.
In Chembur, there are beautiful parks full of greenery where I started going for morning walks. There I would observe fairly senior gentlemen jogging away in multiple loops, and that made me wonder, "What's wrong with me? Here are people much more senior than me jogging, and I am simply walking." That pushed me to start running.
I didn't have any goals; I just started casually. In the month of October 2015, I joined Mumbai Road Runners, the largest running group in Mumbai. They have their monthly runs on the first Sunday of the month, starting from Bandra to NCPA. All of Mumbai would come there, and I would meet many runners from different walks of life. Eventually, someone mentioned about Tata Mumbai Marathon. I knew I wasn't ready for a half marathon, so I registered for the Dream Run (a 6 km run at TMM, 2016). I finished it fairly comfortably, and I had tears of joy in my eyes. It was overwhelming to witness the whole country united for running, and I had this immense regret of not introducing this beautiful thing called running early in my life.
Post this, I started running 10k in events. This was the time when running picked up in Mumbai, allowing lots of small clubs to organize events like the 10k Challenge, 21k Challenge, etc. Earlier, we had just a few big names like NEB, Procam, etc., so this helped as I wanted to do 10k on and off, and I would register myself for such events happening more frequently now.
By the end of 2016, I was fairly confident of doing a half marathon. In 2017, I completed 4 half marathons. However, since I was running and training on my own, I was getting into injuries repeatedly. Hence, I started delving deep into this subject, and over time, I learned about the right posture, and the right kind of shoes and techniques, and acquired knowledge about the technical and nutritional aspects of running. When all these aspects are taken care of, running happens effortlessly.
2018-2019 was one of my best periods; you can say it was my golden period in running. I was going strong, my form was good, and I had found my happy pace, which is decent enough but does not make me overly exhausted by the end of the run.
In 2019, by this time, everyone who knew me told me that I was perfectly ready for a full marathon, so I applied for TMM full marathon 2020. I started my training, did a couple of long runs, and by the end of November, I got Dengue, which put me out of action for a month as I was completely drained of energy. I recalibrated my time and efforts and told my friends and coaches that I wouldn't set any specific target but would just aim to finish it. I attempted the full marathon and completed it comfortably. Running a full marathon teaches you so much; it makes you confident in overcoming any challenges you come across.
Then COVID hit all of us. I am not a fan of running inside the home or on the society premises, so I didn't do any of that. Instead, I registered myself on the Cult.fit App and did their curated workouts at home throughout the lockdown.
Once the lockdown was lifted in August 2020, I started running again from September onwards. In October, I got Covid. So, within a year, I had two major illnesses.
Luckily, TMM did not happen in 2021, so I was not under any pressure to prepare myself for any event. In 2021, I had a Covid relapse in March, and in August, I got Chikungunya. It was a series of catastrophes happening to me one after the other. Chikungunya affects your bones, and you get temporary arthritis as all your joints get locked. I was wheelchair-bound, so for 2 months, I was frozen, and I don't know how I got out of it.
I recovered from it and bounced back in 2 months to run Satara in 2021. I ran a couple of half marathons, including Satara and NEB circuit, and a few of the 10k races.
In 2022, I decided to focus big time on my nutrition, and for the very first time, I consulted a sports nutritionist, who is also my running friend. I could see the positive impact as I ran 5 half marathons, including Satara, NEB , and Apla Pune in 2022, and then ran a full marathon in Vasai Virar and TMM 2023.
Post TMM 2023, I aimed to consolidate my aerobic base.
Since 2015, I have climbed up the corporate ladder. I was a manager back then and now I am a Senior Director. Balancing both worlds and giving my best in both is challenging. So, I calculate my time for strength training, tempo runs, and long runs in a way that does not have a negative impact on other aspects of my life. I cannot be over exhausted or burned out that I am unable to give 100% at my work.
This year has been particularly challenging with new responsibilities, but once your routine is set of getting up at 5 am and going for a run or to the gym, nothing changes that. That's the personal commitment you make to yourself, and it feels great.
I run only for myself, and it gives me immense happiness. Thanks to running, even my hypothyroidism is under control. Also, since 2018, I started getting a lot of opportunities to pace and become an ambassador for various events. Post-Covid, I was approached for lots of product endorsements. Currently, I am endorsing 4 products, and others are in the pipeline. These are the perks of hanging around longer, I guess! :D
The love, support, and encouragement I have received from everywhere is heartwarming. When I go for runs now to other cities or events people recognize me, and I see so many strangers waving and cheering for me. It really feels so good.
I don't have any lofty goals for myself; I just want to run long and effortlessly. This year, I am running the Berlin Marathon, and I will become a certified marathon coach by the end of this year. These are the two things I am looking forward to.
My message to all those who are running would be these: -my few takeaways that I learned from running.
Do it for yourself. For your own mental happiness, peace, and health
Always listen to your body. From 10k, suddenly moving to 21k then full marathon, then Ultra, it doesn't happen like that. It has to be a natural progression; let your body adapt.
You don't have to be wealthy to be a good runner. Have a balanced diet, a good home-cooked meal should suffice. Focus on a balanced diet and avoid junk food.
Sleep well. Sleep is the single biggest disease of this generation. Sleep is extremely crucial for a good recovery. Keep your social media scrolling aside and focus on getting a good minimum 7-8 hours of sleep."
Runner - Subhjit Sarkar, Mumbai
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