Chicago Marathon and opportunities

[vinodks]

Hey guys,
I am running chicago marathon on 9th Oct and will be there for 3-4 days. I was wondering if any Jat bhai(Jat bahan bhi chalegi:-) can give me accomodation (was hopping to avoid hotel expences) and give company(if possible, not necessay) to hang around during that time....

I was interested in knowing if anybody else is running any Marathon (Marines corps, NY, chicago etc), if you know anyone please forward me the contact. I was also thinking if we could use Marathons to raise funds for charity organizations for Jat like NAJC(North American Jat Charity). Lots of fund gets raised every year through many organizations in these events where around 40000 people run and around million people cheer up; Indian orgn like ASHA also participate.

How does fund raising work?
Basically a group of people who run marathon(main incentive to participate is personal development) run for a orgn and ask everyone around, in friend circle and relatives, to donate for the cause which is so close to their heart that they go through 3 months' hard training to run 26 mile for that orgn. Then they run wearing that orgn's T-shirt and that orgn sponsers the participants taking care of their expences. But this model is for very professional orgns. In our case we can give all money to the charity.
Even if somebody is not running this year(as all the tickets are booked long back) but want to participate in future lets know. This would atleast give profession outlook to orgn like NAJC etc. and encourage youth to participate if not in monetary sense atleast as volunteers......

it was just a thought...
-vinod

[haryanajat]

Hey guys,
I am running chicago marathon on 9th Oct and will be there for 3-4 days. I was wondering if any Jat bhai(Jat bahan bhi chalegi:-) can give me accomodation (was hopping to avoid hotel expences) and give company(if possible, not necessay) to hang around during that time....

I was interested in knowing if anybody else is running any Marathon (Marines corps, NY, chicago etc), if you know anyone please forward me the contact. I was also thinking if we could use Marathons to raise funds for charity organizations for Jat like NAJC(North American Jat Charity). Lots of fund gets raised every year through many organizations in these events where around 40000 people run and around million people cheer up; Indian orgn like ASHA also participate.

How does fund raising work?
Basically a group of people who run marathon(main incentive to participate is personal development) run for a orgn and ask everyone around, in friend circle and relatives, to donate for the cause which is so close to their heart that they go through 3 months' hard training to run 26 mile for that orgn. Then they run wearing that orgn's T-shirt and that orgn sponsers the participants taking care of their expences. But this model is for very professional orgns. In our case we can give all money to the charity.
Even if somebody is not running this year(as all the tickets are booked long back) but want to participate in future lets know. This would atleast give profession outlook to orgn like NAJC etc. and encourage youth to participate if not in monetary sense atleast as volunteers......

it was just a thought...
-vinod
I used to run long distance for my school back in India. I am interested in marathon running. Right now I run around 10 miles about 2-3 times a week at a speed of of about 8 minute a mile. I guess that is not sufficient. What is your average running time per mile? How often do you run? How are you preparing for this? Thanks.

[anujkumar]

Very good idea/post.

Vinod, Do let us know in detail.

Did you get professional training? Previous background.

I think fund raising, like ASHA does, can also work, they generate very large amount of money. I think, if NAJC get involved, couple of thousands dollars would go a long way.

If let's say, you get 5-10 peoples, each Jat would have 10-20 non Jat friends, who can contribute, who otherwise has no possibility of doing so as NAJC can not target Indians here in general.

[gaganjat]

Binod 9 oct ka mera janam din hai bhai, khoob jor ki daud layie.
Ar baat sun doodh ar choorma kha ke jayia, daud laan tahi.
Manne bera hai tu ek din 'Milkha singh' ka record todega.
All the best!

Hey guys,
I am running chicago marathon on 9th Oct and will be there for 3-4 days. I was wondering if any Jat bhai(Jat bahan bhi chalegi:-) can give me accomodation (was hopping to avoid hotel expences) and give company(if possible, not necessay) to hang around during that time....

I was interested in knowing if anybody else is running any Marathon (Marines corps, NY, chicago etc), if you know anyone please forward me the contact. I was also thinking if we could use Marathons to raise funds for charity organizations for Jat like NAJC(North American Jat Charity). Lots of fund gets raised every year through many organizations in these events where around 40000 people run and around million people cheer up; Indian orgn like ASHA also participate.

How does fund raising work?
Basically a group of people who run marathon(main incentive to participate is personal development) run for a orgn and ask everyone around, in friend circle and relatives, to donate for the cause which is so close to their heart that they go through 3 months' hard training to run 26 mile for that orgn. Then they run wearing that orgn's T-shirt and that orgn sponsers the participants taking care of their expences. But this model is for very professional orgns. In our case we can give all money to the charity.
Even if somebody is not running this year(as all the tickets are booked long back) but want to participate in future lets know. This would atleast give profession outlook to orgn like NAJC etc. and encourage youth to participate if not in monetary sense atleast as volunteers......

it was just a thought...
-vinod

[vinodks]

Thanks guys for response.
Gagan bhai, dhanaywad aur pahle se hi janam din mubarak kar deta hoon, us din shayad bhool jaun..

Anuj, you are right its very feasible to raise funds but unfortunately this year's tickets for all marathons are sold out so we have to plan it ahead for next year. However if we can get atleast 2-3 people for this year it will be good start.

Jeetendra, your running capacity i.e. 10 mi thrice per week is excellent and I would say you could do very well in marathon after training. In my training right now I am currently running the same distance(5 days a week) with 8mi/hr. But its difficult to keep that speed for whole 26mi stretch. So after 15 mi people generally settle down ~6mi/hr and if one can complete 26mi in 4hrs(avg speed 6.5mi/hr) it is supposed it to be good. If you can complete in 3hrs you qualify for Boston marathon which is the best marathon in US and only good runners go there.
If you don't have a ticket already then you have to wait till next year. All marathons are generally in Sept, Oct and Nov and their tickets sold out in July, august. However you might have some local half-marathons in your region. I am member of http://www.terprunners.com/ club in my campus, there will be local clubs in yr region too. Following pdf manual guide for runners is nice

http://www.terprunners.com/marathon_manual/marathon_manual.pdf

Other links: chicago marathon
http://www.chicagomarathon.com/
other marathons can be looked into by googling their names....

Vinod

[haryanajat]

Thanks guys for response.
Gagan bhai, dhanaywad aur pahle se hi janam din mubarak kar deta hoon, us din shayad bhool jaun..

Anuj, you are right its very feasible to raise funds but unfortunately this year's tickets for all marathons are sold out so we have to plan it ahead for next year. However if we can get atleast 2-3 people for this year it will be good start.

Jeetendra, your running capacity i.e. 10 mi thrice per week is excellent and I would say you could do very well in marathon after training. In my training right now I am currently running the same distance(5 days a week) with 8mi/hr. But its difficult to keep that speed for whole 26mi stretch. So after 15 mi people generally settle down ~6mi/hr and if one can complete 26mi in 4hrs(avg speed 6.5mi/hr) it is supposed it to be good. If you can complete in 3hrs you qualify for Boston marathon which is the best marathon in US and only good runners go there.
If you don't have a ticket already then you have to wait till next year. All marathons are generally in Sept, Oct and Nov and their tickets sold out in July, august. However you might have some local half-marathons in your region. I am member of http://www.terprunners.com/ club in my campus, there will be local clubs in yr region too. Following pdf manual guide for runners is nice

http://www.terprunners.com/marathon_manual/marathon_manual.pdf

Other links: chicago marathon
http://www.chicagomarathon.com/
other marathons can be looked into by googling their names....

Vinod
Dhanyawaaad Sangawan Bhai. I think I will start with half marathons in my area. Right now I run along with my friends father (guy retired at 50!!, was a captain in american army, he too takes part in half marathons). Thanks for the guidance. :)

[ramsarya]

Dear Vinod: It is a good idea to get NAJC involved in one of these races. Before your next race, we should talk abt it.

[itsnavin]

It's a pity that I am in France. I could have participated as well. 3 weeks back, I was ran in half marathan and completed it successfully. Basically I am not a marathan runner but running is my best time pass. I run approx. 10 kms(no miles here) 3-4 times a week...My next aim to complete a full marathan..let's see when.

Navin

[jtsagi]

I have been away for a while but was really excited to see this post from Vinod. Good to know that there are other Jat folks who are measuring the roads up and down like I am....... After all, "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOW! What a run!" :cool:

There is a very articulate website "Runners World" which has all the information about training, race calendars with locations all over US, nutrition, shoe and gear and all the motivation one requires to be a marathon runner. They also provide an online personal trainer who can help beginners get started with a customized workout plan based on an individual's strength and abilities. They also have a magazine if anyone wants to subscribe for that. Here's the link:
http://www.runnersworld.com

The idea about getting NAJC involved is a good one. Maybe Kapoor Singh can shed some more light on that.

I will be running the Philadelphia Marthon later this year. The registration for that is still open incase anyone else wants to get high off running. :D
http://www.philadelphiamarathon.com/

Let me know if you still havent found anyone to give you company during your stay in Chicago and I will make sure that some arrangements are made. Wish you all the best for your run! If nothing else, you will be satisfied that you were atleast able to run a marathon as only a very few people can boast about running a marathon in their entire lifetime.

[poonam]

After all, "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOW! What a run!" :cool:


Terrific Jatin ... :)

All the best to Vinod

[vinodks]

Thanks Jatin, your link was helpful and it was good to know that you are also running. I talked to Kapoor Singh and we can discuss possibility of fund raising. Since there is 6 week gap between Chicago and Philadelphia I might join you in Phily marathon, but am not sure right now.
And yeah, we got arrangement to stay in chicago(with relatives of my friend). chalo will keep in touch..

vinod

[jtsagi]

Sounds like a plan. Running is more meaningful when it supports a cause close to your heart and what could be more meaningful than helping our own community. I am sure we all can figure something out about the fund raising part.

Your running capability of 10 miles per day (8 mile per hour 5 times a week) sounds great. I am doing 40 miles a week at about the same speed as yours. Are you competitive about your running?
I think that I'm competitive with myself. For me it's like, hey, can I do it. And as you said, if you can do the marathon under four hours that'd be great. I just sort of gave myself parameters and most importantly I just told myself to have fun. Run like a horse. Be dumb. Have fun.

What got you started running initially? What was your motivation?
I started running religiously summer of last year when my cousin who's in the US army was visiting me for a week. He runs 6 days a week (that's part of his job) and I kinda tagged along with him and enjoyed it. Since then I have been running. Have already run few 5k, 10k and 15K runs in the local circuit. The motivation for running the marathon came when I read more about Lance Armstrong who had been a triathlete in the earlier stages of his career, his fight with cancer and how he made a remarkable come back. The only tactics I admire are do or die. So, I told myself let's do it. Dammit!

Do you prefer to run solo or with a group?
Depends on whether it's a good day vs. a bad day for me. If I am in the mood to listen to other people bitch about their lives, work, wives etc I run in a group else I prefer it solo. Jokes apart, I think you form some special friendships when you run with people. You stay motivated and feel good about yourself as long as you are not running with Kenyans. I did the mistake of running with a bunch of Kenyans one time. Never again. I had to yell at them, "Are you trying to kill me here or what?"

Do you mix it up? Do you go faster or longer?
I like to run on different terrains sometimes the hills, trails, track, city street, sidewalks, sometimes by the water else it can be very monotonous, boring, hard work. That way it's easier on your knees as well as eyes. I absolutely hate the tracks though because running in circles makes me go bananas.I virtually have never used a treadmill. That would be a last resort(only when it snows but then I prefer indoor tracks). I think it's a completely different experience.
I prefer distance over speed anyday but still you gotta maintain a balance between the two.

What's the best part of the run for you?
The best part is probably the middle--when you're warmed up, feeling good, your mind is doing whatever it's going to do. And it feels normal. That's one of the remarkable things about running--with all that activity, all that expenditure of energy--at certain points it seems like an utterly natural human motion, in the way that walking does. There's a sort of effortlessness to it that is extremely appealing.

What's the greatest thing about running?
One of the great things about running is its simplicity. You don't need a building, you don't need a racket, you don't need anything. All you need is good running shoes. That's it.

Make sure that the marathon is your only girlfriend and give her everything you have.

Waddle on, friends.

[vinodks]

Hey Jatin,
That was awesome, looks like a team is budding up. I share with you your philosophical attitude towards running as summarized in "Run like a horse. Be dumb. Have fun."

What got you started running initially? What was your motivation?
I used to run cross country in college days but it used to be 7-8km. My inspiration for running is my father who fought with his arthritis and now is national champion in veteran race(age 60) 100m & 400m for last 2 years. Still he does 400m within 1:00min which beats me:-(((( Anyway I started for marathon only 2 months back with a friend of mine.

Do you prefer to run solo or with a group?
While running with others I have to match my speed with theirs and I don't like talking but my friend is muter than me so we are fine.

Do you mix it up? Do you go faster or longer?
Yeah, for max output fast in beginning then I settle down to most enjoyable part of running when you are warmed up and feet just don't stop, earth seems come up to receive each foot graciously and then muscle strain and I have to drag foot by foot...and I don't run 10mi per day, that was written by mistake, I run every day but total miles in week are around 28mi right now. I'm beginner.

What's the best part of the run for you?
Same effortless middle part, which, as my yoga teacher says, can be used for meditation too. Prayanam technique like kpalbhati trains you to breath from stomach, running incites the same deep breathing, which opens blocked kundlis(gates of energy) in body:-). Then just don't think anything. Just be.

What's the greatest thing about running?
Straight-forwardness. I like what one of the greatest marathoner, Emil Zatopek said just before starting a marathon "Friends, this is the day we die a little."

Make sure that the marathon is your only girlfriend and give her everything you have. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Dost, I tend to differ here:-))))))) Anyway will talk to you.

Vinod

[anujkadyan]

Wow man impressive.. hats off to u guys :)

Well I was a very good sports person during my school days and used to run a lot..
Nothing compared to you guys..
Have been trying to motivate myself to get back to the same old mode of running everyday. It gives an amazing feeling !!! man I feel like doing it right away :)

And hey Vinod/Anuj I will send u a personal mail. Are u associated with any of the Asha chapters ?

Regards,
Anuj kadyan

[singhkapoor]

Jatin, Vinod and Anuj(s)

As has already been pointed out by Mr. Arya, NAJC is open to new ideas from young guns like you – Jatin, Vinod, Anuj Kumar, Anuj Kadyan, Raj Rathee, Nitin et al. Any organization would be in the danger of becoming stagnant for the lack of fresh ideas and NAJC is no different. That’s why we are always on the prowl to infuse young blood and vigor in to this movement. Please give us a buzz as soon as a new idea strikes you (even if it’s the middle of the night)….you know what I mean!!

Jatin, we are very happy for you!! It’s great to know that you finally have a girlfriend (marathon). When is the wedding? Jokes apart, it’s good to know that you are inching closer to your goal of running a full marathon.

As I was discussing with Vinod, running a marathon is a huge accomplishment; it takes a ton of grit, determination, and intrepidity. Although, I never trained for or ran a marathon I can attest to this fact based on my experiences from training for 400 meters hurdles races at the international level. Running is definitely not for the chickenhearted. You guys are troopers.

We wish you guys 26 miles 385 yards of good luck. You know the reason for that extra mileage in a modern marathon….remember the original race run from Marathon to Athens by the Greek foot-soldier was 24.8 miles.

Best Wishes

[gaganjat]

Do you prefer to run solo or with a group?
I did the mistake of running with a bunch of Kenyans one time. Never again. I had to yell at them, "Are you trying to kill me here or what?"



I asked my Kenyan friends about that ,they are all from Narobi.

They told me that kenya has lot of tribes and there is a particular tribe which live on hills. The hill tribe is the one who are into marathon and running.

The reason is: on hills oxygen is less than plains and the people living on hills can retain their breath and work with low oxygen longer than other people. (its natural in them)

They dont have snowfall on hills and they dont have 5 seasons in Kenya. The temperature stays between 25-32 degrees.

[jtsagi]

What got you started running initially? What was your motivation?
I used to run cross country in college days but it used to be 7-8km. My inspiration for running is my father who fought with his arthritis and now is national champion in veteran race(age 60) 100m & 400m for last 2 years. Still he does 400m within 1:00min which beats me:-(((( Anyway I started for marathon only 2 months back with a friend of mine.



Your father should be a source of inspiration for lot of other folks as well! Running 400m within a minute at his age is really commendable.


Make sure that the marathon is your only girlfriend and give her everything you have. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Dost, I tend to differ here:-))))))) Anyway will talk to you.

Vinod

This was only meant for the day and time slot that you were going to run the marathon. Make sure you take a real one along with you (preferably a cheer leader) who would be waiting for you waiving her pom-poms. ;)

[bab_shinoo]

Hello all,
Its great to see so many people interested in Marothons and long distance running. I am not a great althlete,but surviving my way. Started taking interest in long distance a few months back. But I am no way close to the numbers and speed you all are talking abt ...I barly manage 4 miles at a go.
I have been advised by some people to work on my breathing technique while I jog ...If anyone has any suggestion, it will be great.
Babita

[gaganjat]

No need to work on breathing technique.
Dont keep your mouth open while running (keep it as a back up)
dont try to hold or realease breadth, let it go natural.
Dont even think about breadth.


Hello all,
Its great to see so many people interested in Marothons and long distance running. I am not a great althlete,but surviving my way. Started taking interest in long distance a few months back. But I am no way close to the numbers and speed you all are talking abt ...I barly manage 4 miles at a go.
I have been advised by some people to work on my breathing technique while I jog ...If anyone has any suggestion, it will be great.
Babita

[itsnavin]

No need to work on breathing technique.
Dont keep your mouth open while running (keep it as a back up)
dont try to hold or realease breadth, let it go natural.
Dont even think about breadth.
Exactly the same thing what I insist on! These french men are crazy runners and they run long distances as well. But I noticed that most of them run with their mouths open and they breathe from mouth(in & out). I asked many why they do so. Their answer is simple, it helps them run faster. I don't know how? It's really strange for me as I never breathe from mouth while running. Whenever I breathe from from mouth, it's gets dry very quickly and you feel tired.

Moreover, you cannot hold your breath while running ...u may faint someday if u try to do so.

[gaganjat]

Naveen, when we keep our mouth open we breath more oxgyen as we also breath in from nose.
But its good to do that in the last phase.

[itsnavin]

Naveen, when we keep our mouth open we breath more oxgyen as we also breath in from nose.
But its good to do that in the last phase.
Yes..u r right...but one can't run complete marathan while breathing from mouth...
Here it's really amazing..I think they always breathe from mouth...

[jitender_singh]

Hi Navin,

But Is it also applicable to short running e.g. 100m,200m...

Regards
Jitender

Yes..u r right...but one can't run complete marathan while breathing from mouth...
Here it's really amazing..I think they always breathe from mouth...

[jtsagi]

Jatin, Vinod and Anuj(s)

As has already been pointed out by Mr. Arya, NAJC is open to new ideas from young guns like you – Jatin, Vinod, Anuj Kumar, Anuj Kadyan, Raj Rathee, Nitin et al. Any organization would be in the danger of becoming stagnant for the lack of fresh ideas and NAJC is no different. That’s why we are always on the prowl to infuse young blood and vigor in to this movement. Please give us a buzz as soon as a new idea strikes you (even if it’s the middle of the night)….you know what I mean!!

Jatin, we are very happy for you!! It’s great to know that you finally have a girlfriend (marathon). When is the wedding? Jokes apart, it’s good to know that you are inching closer to your goal of running a full marathon.

As I was discussing with Vinod, running a marathon is a huge accomplishment; it takes a ton of grit, determination, and intrepidity. Although, I never trained for or ran a marathon I can attest to this fact based on my experiences from training for 400 meters hurdles races at the international level. Running is definitely not for the chickenhearted. You guys are troopers.

We wish you guys 26 miles 385 yards of good luck. You know the reason for that extra mileage in a modern marathon….remember the original race run from Marathon to Athens by the Greek foot-soldier was 24.8 miles.

Best Wishes

Kapoor: Thanks for the encouragement!

I didnt know the reason about the extra mileage in modern marathon. Here's what I found:
"It was 1908 and London was hosting the Olympic Games. The organisers were faced with a dilemma. The Royal Box lay just 385 yards beyond the 26 mile finish line. So, not wishing to offend members of the Royal Family, the marathon distance was extended to 26 miles 385 yards to allow the finish line to fall infront of the Royal Box! Ever since this momentous change, the marathon has been run to precisely 26.2 miles."

The length of a marathon was not originally standardized, since all that was important was that all athletes competed on the same course. The exact length of an Olympic marathon varied depending on the route established for each venue. The first and third Olympic marathons were 40 km.

The 1908 Olympic marathon in London was originally set to start at Windsor Castle and end at Olympic Stadium, but the race organizers chose to have the runners finish in front of the Royal Box. This made the distance 42.195 km. Of the 6 Olympic games between 1900 and 1920, there were 6 different distances, including 2 new distances after the British games in 1908.

A fixed distance of 42.195 km was adopted in 1921 by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) as the official marathon distance.

There's an ancient Greek legend about the first marathon. It has a sad ending. The Persians attack Greece at a town not-so-coincidentally named Marathon. The Athenians make a surprising showing and completely rout their enemies, and they're so happy that they order one of their soldiers to run the 26 miles to Athens to report the victory. He does, but he dies from exhaustion.

Granted, hand-to-hand combat with Persian soldiers isn't the recommended form of crosstraining for a marathon. Yet try to ignore the irony: a guy runs so far that it kills him, and they turn it into a sport.

Oh yeah! About the wedding part. I have decided about getting married in December in the wedding capital of the world (Las Vegas)if I survive the marathon. Dying from exhaustion really isnt an option anymore. ;) I just need to decide the year and whom to marry. LOL

[jtsagi]

I asked my Kenyan friends about that ,they are all from Narobi.

They told me that kenya has lot of tribes and there is a particular tribe which live on hills. The hill tribe is the one who are into marathon and running.

The reason is: on hills oxygen is less than plains and the people living on hills can retain their breath and work with low oxygen longer than other people. (its natural in them)

They dont have snowfall on hills and they dont have 5 seasons in Kenya. The temperature stays between 25-32 degrees.

Gagan: You are right about the climatic conditions and them being able to hold retain their breath and work with low oxygen longer than other people as its natural in them. The African approach to training differs from the American-European method in a number of ways, including intensity (Africans usually train more intensely but with less mileage), the amount of hill training (there's no comparison here; the Africans are almost always working on hills), periodisation (Africans vary their training more - favouring big upswings and then gentle troughs; in fact, many Africans take a month or two away from running while their American and European peers continue to plug away without a break), and diet (Africans eat more carbohydrate, less protein, and less fat). Africans also benefit from a decade-long 'base' period - just running back and forth to junior school at moderate speeds - before they take up serious running. Again, the Kenyan difference might simply be due to prior lifestyle factors such as diet, altitude, daily activity, etc. The bottom line is that you can't look at Kenyan world-beating performances and say 'Aha! It's genetic!'

[jtsagi]

Exactly the same thing what I insist on! These french men are crazy runners and they run long distances as well. But I noticed that most of them run with their mouths open and they breathe from mouth(in & out). I asked many why they do so. Their answer is simple, it helps them run faster. I don't know how? It's really strange for me as I never breathe from mouth while running. Whenever I breathe from from mouth, it's gets dry very quickly and you feel tired.

Moreover, you cannot hold your breath while running ...u may faint someday if u try to do so.

Bhai tum log to isne "rocket science" bane ke chodoge. You can only breathe from two places (nose or mouth). Some people might have different views on that as well. Please dont hesitate to share. LOL All you need to run is a good pair of running shoes (mind you not sneakers they will work for the chickenhearted) and the will to get your ass off the couch. Breathing skills will come naturally to you the same way they do when you are born. Cheers.

[itsnavin]

Hi Navin,

But Is it also applicable to short running e.g. 100m,200m...

Regards
Jitender
Yes Jitender, It depends...if u r going a sprint of 200m, try to breathe from mouth as it gives u more oxygen...hence more energy to complete the race quickly. I am not a small distance runner. When I go for running, I complete atleast 6-7kms. In that case, I am bound to breathe from nose.

There is another good point that I learnt from Yoga. If you breathe from mouth, there is a good possibility that breathe goes to ur stomach which is not desired and thought to be unhealthy as well. Normally while breathing, air should go to ur chest not the stomach.

I hope there are more reasons as well.

[anujkadyan]

Navin and others.. u guys are inspiring us man.. reading these posts I want to press Ctrl + Alt + Del on my PC and run home and don my jogging shoes.. which right serve the purpose of casual shoes..and go run like crazy..
well will let u guys know the day I do it :)

[jitender_singh]

Hi Navin,

I am doing sprint only especially 100 m and I Breathe from nose at the start and when about to reach target I breathe from mouth.

I am also doing few asan from yoga , it helps me a lot.It develops lot of stamina.

Regards
Jitender

Yes Jitender, It depends...if u r going a sprint of 200m, try to breathe from mouth as it gives u more oxygen...hence more energy to complete the race quickly. I am not a small distance runner. When I go for running, I complete atleast 6-7kms. In that case, I am bound to breathe from nose.

There is another good point that I learnt from Yoga. If you breathe from mouth, there is a good possibility that breathe goes to ur stomach which is not desired and thought to be unhealthy as well. Normally while breathing, air should go to ur chest not the stomach.

I hope there are more reasons as well.

[itsnavin]

Hi Jitender
Good to know about another sprinter here on Jatland. Yoga has helped me a lot. I do only Pranayam and it really helps. I do it almost every morning.

Navin

[singhkapoor]

Guys

I have no idea what Yoga teaches but I can't even imagine NOT breathing from the mouth while running. That's the NATURAL way to breathe during any sporting activity; sans yoga - I guess.

Breathing from only the nose will not only deprive your heart of the much-needed oxygen but also tighten your jaw and neck/shoulder muscles, which is a big NO-NO in any sporting activity. If you look closely enough at any Olympic champion's picture (100 mts to marathon) you will notice that their jaw appears to be falling down. Of course the picture would not tell the true story if it has been taken during the last few maters of a race when most athletes are grimacing (but their mouth would still be open).

All you guys, who have been running with your mouths shut till now, next time PLEASE keep it open (it should come naturally); you will experience nothing less than an epiphany. You don't know what you are missing!! To me, anyone who runs with a shut mouth is an absolutely novice runner.

But, all these years' running with a shut mouth may have been a blessing in disguise for you guys (mouth-shut types) because unknowingly you have been training your heart under a lot tougher conditions which most Olympians achieve either through training at higher altitude or (/and) by living/sleeping in specially designed oxygen depleted rooms.

When we used to go X-country running outside the school boundary (MNSS Rai), the most common advice from desi "taus" on the road used to be - "arre chore, muh band kar kae bhaaj". But, they didn't know any better.

Happy Running!!!

[itsnavin]

Guys

I have no idea what Yoga teaches but I can't even imagine NOT breathing from the mouth while running. That's the NATURAL way to breathe during any sporting activity; sans yoga - I guess.

Breathing from only the nose will not only deprive your heart of the much-needed oxygen but also tighten your jaw and neck/shoulder muscles, which is a big NO-NO in any sporting activity. If you look closely enough at any Olympic champion's picture (100 mts to marathon) you will notice that their jaw appears to be falling down. Of course the picture would not tell the true story if it has been taken during the last few maters of a race when most athletes are grimacing (but their mouth would still be open).

All you guys, who have been running with your mouths shut till now, next time PLEASE keep it open (it should come naturally); you will experience nothing less than an epiphany. You don't know what you are missing!! To me, anyone who runs with a shut mouth is an absolutely novice runner.

But, all these years' running with a shut mouth may have been a blessing in disguise for you guys (mouth-shut types) because unknowingly you have been training your heart under a lot tougher conditions which most Olympians achieve either through training at higher altitude or (/and) by living/sleeping in specially designed oxygen depleted rooms.

When we used to go X-country running outside the school boundary (MNSS Rai), the most common advice from desi "taus" on the road used to be - "arre chore, muh band kar kae bhaaj". But, they didn't know any better.

Happy Running!!!

Kapoor Singh ji,
You are somewhat right with what you said here. You are right that most of the runner in Olympics run with open mouth but you are not sure that they breathe in and out from mouth. I am sure most of the time they breathe-in from nose and breathe out from mouth. Moreover, during some stretchs they breathe in and out from mouths to increase their speed. They do this as they are running in a big competitions. I also do it several times to increase my running speed but otherwise when I am not running on high speeds, I stick to breathing in and out from nose. No problems with neck or back experienced so far. I think it depends on how u practice and how hard you practice.

And I am sure that if a guy can run non-stop for 25kms in 2 hours while breathing from nose, you won't rate him as a novice runner. Would you?

Navin

[singhkapoor]

Dear Navin

I am NOT asserting that YOU are a novice runner; it’s just that I can’t imagine/picture an experienced runner running with his/her mouth shut. If you are doing 25K in two hours with your mouth shut for most part of the race, you have a very strong heart. Congratulations!! I could never run 25K, let alone in 2 hrs.

I trained as a track athlete for over 20 years and read a lot of literature on running during that period. In the mid-nineties, as member of India’s track & Field team, I practiced with nation’s top athletes, trained under the watchful eyes of national/international coaches at national camps organized at NIS Patiala/Bangalore by Athletic Federation of India; I NEVER came across a runner who did not breathe from the mouth.

The only way professional runners breathe is: inhale from both i.e. the mouth & the nose and exhale from both. This includes races from sprints to marathons, champions from junior state competitions to world championships, runners from Kenya to Europe to India, during parts of a race from start to middle to finish…..PERIOD. There is absolutely no conscious/deliberate effort to breathe from either the mouth or the nose. Just keep your mouth open and let your natural instinct take over.

By the tightening/stiffening of neck & shoulder muscles, I meant during a race; it does not mean you will have some kind of medical problem. Due to breaking down of glucose, lactic acid builds up naturally in your muscles during a race, which stiffens them so; you do not want to compound the problem by stiffening up the muscles by deliberately keeping your mouth shut.

Happy Running!!

[itsnavin]

You are right and don't feel offended. It's a just a discussion and a way to minimize misconceptions who so ever have these. I respect ur comments and side by side I expressed mine. May be I am wrong but I am doing this till now.

Let's put it that way I'll try to practice with my mouth open partially and try to breathe from nose and mouth from now onwards. Let's see how I go along with this. I'll let u know the results soon. I am going to run 25K again on Sunday...will try to do with new methods. I hope it helps me positively.

Also, it might seem strange to you but it's true that I finish 25K in 2 hours...and that too non-stop. It's like that!!

[anujkadyan]

Wow navin thats amzing yaar !!1

Tum saare manne lage se bhajwa ke e manoge manne bhi :)

[raj_rathee]

Wow navin thats amzing yaar !!1

Tum saare manne lage se bhajwa ke e manoge manne bhi :)

He he he...That is what I was thinking too ! I have started feeling damn
quilty...not that that has ever worked in the past :D ...but still..I am like
Wow !!! these guys are pretty damn good...last time I ran cross-country
was when I was 12 and the teacher in school forced us to.

[vinodks]

I agree with Kapoorji that one should do what is most comfortable while running. I think keeping both nose and mouth open is most efficient way of breathing without being conscious of it. And thats was I heard from our coach in college.
Regarding Navin's point that breathing from stomach is wrong way of breathing in Yoga, I disagree with it. I have been doing kapaalbhaati and other prayanaam techniques for 1 year and I have verified it from more than one teacher. This is what my guru Narayananji said;

Imagine your stomach and chest as a bottle with throat as bottle neck. You can inhale maximum amount of air only if bottle is full. When you breath in, first bottle's bottom is filled and then it starts up. In long deep breaths one has to inhale while expanding atomach and then fill lungs. Same way when you exhale one has to first empty stomach(if you empty bottle by turning upside down, its bottom empites first) and then lungs. I observed same technique in some yoga workshop too. I agree that, in yoga breathing from nose is emphasized but same doesn't hold for running.

No offences but I guess there was some misunderstanding, so navin, you can ask your guru again. Also notice, when a child is born he/she breaths from stomach and as we grow breathing from lungs develop. Lung breathing is shallow breathing. And thats what you do when you are stresses, stress hampers breathing and air goes just till lungs. When one is stressed deep breathing from stomach can relieve it.

BTW, runners have less rate of breathing than common people. And other interesting point; most of animal with low rate of breathing like elephant live longer than faster breathing(panting) animals like cats and dogs but it doesn't prove anything, it was just an observation.
Finally, breath in most convenient way while running according to you. There are always exceptions.

Vinod

[itsnavin]

Thanks for ur suggestions Vinod. Let me correct my statements about pranayam. My statements aren't true for all pranayam but the one is frequently do. As you mentioned Kapaalbhaati, I do it almost daily. I agree that one has to inhale in stomach as well but the other one Bhastrika pranayam that I do, one has to be very strict about not filing air in stomach. My tutor says that in all pranayams one can fill air in stomach but in some cases, it may be unhealthy. That's why I mentioned.

About the running issue, I started running about 8 years back. During school days it was only restricted when I played cricket. When I started running, I was never coached by specialist except some advice from Mr. Poonia in Jaipur. I read about it on the net and increased my knowledge. Moreover, when I started I wasn't running very long...only 4-5 kms. You know how difficult it can be if you run 4-5kms in a city like Delhi. You can be choked in the end. During those days, most of the time I breathed from nose as I never felt the need to breathe from my mouth. May be it wasn't a long disctance. I continued with the same after I came to France. Here I started running long distances and more frequently as well but in the same style. Here the terrain was bit difficult in the beginning but air was good for long distance runs. I continued with my same breathing style. I think I never felt the need of changing it. Now, you can imagine why I insisted on the breathing from nose. But both urs and Kapoor Singh's points are well taken.

Anyway, yesterday I had a good run of 25kms...completed succesfully in 2hr 10mins and Kapoor Singh should feel happy that I tried his suggestions as well...not 100% but many times during the run...But I noticed that opening mouth while running was not natural for me. I had to ask myself that I should open the mouth and breathe from mouth as well. Also in the begining, it was a bit tiring and my throat went dry very quickly but later on I got into more rthym. Thanks for all ur suggestions.

Navin

[itsnavin]

Wow navin thats amzing yaar !!1

Tum saare manne lage se bhajwa ke e manoge manne bhi :)
Bhai Anuj
Buss kheech de meter ne! sochey matt na...
manney jab running start kari thee...to nyo-e hoya thaa...buss jootey peher ke tadke-tadak bhaaj liya...thodi hana daud ke lagya ke thaam jaa par manney soch rakhi thee ke ek particular time se pehle rukna koni...chahey main giy kyon na padoon...aur abhi bhee aisa hee karta hun main...

i think your will power must be stronger than ur body while running...

Batana kadh shuru kar raha hai!

[vinodks]

Thanks for ur suggestions Vinod. Let me correct my statements about pranayam. My statements aren't true for all pranayam but the one is frequently do. As you mentioned Kapaalbhaati, I do it almost daily. I agree that one has to inhale in stomach as well but the other one Bhastrika pranayam that I do, one has to be very strict about not filing air in stomach. My tutor says that in all pranayams one can fill air in stomach but in some cases, it may be unhealthy. That's why I mentioned.
Navin

Interesting! I will inquire more about Bhastrika. Ok good luck in running!

Vinod

[jtsagi]

Hey Vinod! Sorry for my disappearance as I am in the middle of a transition phase right now. Every day seems to be like a roller coaster ride. Cant wait for this month to get over........Anyways, how's your conditioning going for the marathon. Have you reached the 20 mile mark yet (at a stretch)? Stay in touch.

[vinodks]

Jatin dost, I have a sad news. In one of dance performance I hurt my knee badly and my training got disrupted for 3 weeks. I took x-ray last week, looks like a muscle got streched too much. I will start running today, my going to chicago looks cloudy but if I can get good run for 15 days I can try to finish marathon but sadly it wouldn't be good performance...
If I don;t run chicago, I will join you in Philly....

vinod

[jtsagi]

Jatin dost, I have a sad news. In one of dance performance I hurt my knee badly and my training got disrupted for 3 weeks. I took x-ray last week, looks like a muscle got streched too much. I will start running today, my going to chicago looks cloudy but if I can get good run for 15 days I can try to finish marathon but sadly it wouldn't be good performance...
If I don;t run chicago, I will join you in Philly....

vinod

Sorry to hear about your injury. Staying healthy until the marathon is one of my biggest concerns as well. You can join me for Philly Marathon. Let's keep our fingers crossed. (No more dancing puhlzzz .... :) ).

[dreamz0802]

hey VINOD M a little bit late to respond but you know that my wishes would also last long (as I wished late) but dude GOOD ON YOU for your marathon and a kinda suggestion

"nyoon kati GHAUDEY ki tariiyan aankh meench K ney kheench diye meter, kati laanda sa la diye jab race khatam haun ho jya na te teri pindi jhang dyan K hum sarey mil K"

DARIYE MANYA HUM SAREY TERI GALLYAN HAAN

CHEERS N hope u will be fine soon and do very well in marathon. WE all jatlanders wish you best out of you.

CHEERS

I can try to finish marathon but sadly it wouldn't be good performance...
If I don;t run chicago, I will join you in Philly....

vinod