Interview with Lisa Haydon: "Running gives me a high like no other"

Lisa Haydon (in blue) at the Habitat Centre, post-run

On the occasion of PUMA’s Ignite Your City Marathon in Delhi, Sportskeeda caught up with actress Lisa Haydon, PUMA brand ambassador and running enthusiast.

Q. When and how did you cultivate an interest in running?

I think it happened very naturally and organically. The only park available in Mumbai, across the road from my house, was a jogging park called Tata Gardens, and I used to go there in the evenings after I’d finished studying, and do 10 rounds. I used to compete with myself – can I do 15 rounds, can I do 20 rounds, and there was a feeling I got from running. I guess all kids have their own ways of letting off steam, and running was my way of letting off steam.

It’s a passive-aggressive exercise, where you’re completely exhausted and satisfied at the end of it. I could space out, listen to music as well; you can think about things, organize your thoughts – an all-round therapeutic thing.

I started to become more and more serious. Then I met Milind Soman on an assignment, and he told me he’d run from Delhi to Mumbai. I was like ‘Wow!’ It takes a lot of discipline, and I really admire that kind of discipline in people.

I thought that if I can have that kind of discipline in my life, it will reflect in many other areas of my life too, and that’s why I took up marathon running.

Q. So you’d describe it as a liberating exercise?

Completely, 100%. There’s a feeling I get from running. It’s like my high. Some people like to drink, some like to smoke (laughs). I drink coffee and I run!

Q. What’s your fitness regime like? How often do you run?

It’s been a lot more unstable in the last year and a half, I have to confess. But running for me is the easiest thing to do when I’m travelling. I have a Pilates teacher in Mumbai and sometimes I do yoga as well. Every hotel you go to usually has a treadmill, so it’s the easiest form of exercise to move with, or if you’re in a safe city and know enough people, road running is guaranteed as well.

If I’m exercising on a regular basis, I will get 3-4 runs a week, and I will do two Pilates classes. Could be yoga, could be Pilates, and some light weightlifting in the gym.

Q. Does this run in the family?

Hmm, could be. My dad runs 10 km a day. Actually I have to give credit to him for being a strong influence in my running life. Even now, when we’re on holidays, we go running together. He runs a bit slower than me though! My older sister runs, my younger sister, my brother ... they all run. But no one ever got as into it as I did. I took it to the limit.

Haydon has been an active member of the running community for a long time

Q. So you’ve spoken about running the Mumbai Marathon. Have you participated in it in the past?

I have, I’ve run it twice. The first marathon I ran was the Mumbai Marathon 2013. I trained in 2012. I went for the full 42. Milind was the final influence really, and after hearing that he ran 60 km a day, I couldn’t possibly do 21. 21’s a great achievement as well.

But I was like, who wants to run a half-marathon! I finished pretty well, but I was going for under four hours and I finished in 4:06. So hopefully in the next one, I’ll get better timing.

Q. How do you think running can have an impact on the people of India? Because we are, frankly, not a very fit country physically...

You know we’re not, good you said that, because genetically we tend to eat three carbs per meal. And we’re not into sports, beside cricket – we’re now getting into football – but that’s changing, very much changing and I was saying just this morning that the sport people are getting into is running.

If you get up at 5 AM and go for a run, in the last year and a half I’ve seen the running groups grow; during marathon season the streets are packed.

You’re dodging runners the whole time on Peddar Road Hill. I even run into people who follow me on Twitter. The ratio of people that are starting to run is increasing and increasing. My trainer doesn’t have time to train me now, because his group has grown so big!

The easiest thing, the most natural thing your body can do, is put one foot in front of the other. It’s inexpensive because you don’t need to join a gym. People are realizing that now and getting into it.

Q. Any tips you can give? To someone like (gulp) myself for example, who hates getting out of bed that early?

(with an appraising look) Do you exercise?

(ruefully) Minimally.

Do you like music?

Yes.

So I always say that the best way to exercise is to think that you’re going to listen to music for half an hour, and space out! Think about something, fantasy, think you’re getting something constructive done, so you’re mentally preoccupied, and then the point will come where you realize your high is coming from the physical activity, not necessarily the music.

Wear clothes you like if you’re a lazy person, don’t think of it as exercise, and eventually the exercise will become the focus.

Today’s marathon – people just coming up and joining the run, no one paid to run, PUMA driving around in jeeps giving everyone water and Gatorade and bananas, and breakfast at the end.

I think that’s the way that it should be. It should be an initiative and a passion, with people telling their friends that the PUMA marathon is happening – and they give you free breakfast! (laughs)

Q. Where can we see you next in a run?

Probably in the morning, just running at the racecourse. I don’t always run for an event – I’m keen to do 21 km now. I had dengue last year in November and that threw off my running training till Feb. I think I’m ready now to do a half, so I think it’s about picking a city where it’s convenient.

I’m going to Europe. I hear they have great marathons in Rome, and France, and in Greece, where they had the original marathon. I’ll be there for my birthday. As of now, I haven’t got a professional run. I don’t run to compete. Running is a pleasure; there’s no agenda to it. The event just adds to the magic.