Real runners, real people: consultant, nomad, foodie Ankush Sharma

Ankush Sharma (C) at the Shriram Properties Bengaluru Marathon last year

Sportskeeda chronicles runners from everyday walks of life – among them is Ankush Sharma, a consultant with Wipro. He speaks to us on what motivates him to run.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a fun loving, adventurous person and I can define myself with just 5 things that I live for: Traveling, Sports, music, driving and of course, non veg food!

While I work for Wipro as a Consultant, I have travelled to many fascinating places like Gokarna, Kodaikanal, McLeodGanj, Srinagar, Manali - Rohtang Pass, Ooty, Munnar, Goa, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kathmandu and this is just to name a few. I enjoy football and cricket the most and a bit of basketball and tennis as well.

I love listening to music to soothe myself after a long hard day and long drives allow me to clear out my thoughts. Last but not the least, non veg food is an absolute must for me for every meal. I enjoy everything in non veg be it meat, eggs or fish! It also gives me a chance to have adequate protein intake for my regime.

How long have you been a runner?

My first timed run was the Spirit of Wipro 2012 half marathon. Although that was the first attempt at competitive running, I had started training well in prior to the marathon. I have been a competitive and regular runner for over 3 years now.

What first drew you to running?

I began running while working towards my MBA. To keep fit amidst the hectic schedules, I started running inside the campus in the mornings. It was very soothing to run through the beautiful roads inside the campus that goes through a dense jungle. I think that was the time I felt connected to the beauty of nature and the enjoyed the amazing feeling of being able to breathe in fresh air while running.

How regularly do you train/run, and what is your training regime like?

If you want to run regularly and effectively, it is of utmost importance to have a well-planned fitness routine in place. I train four days a week. My routine is balanced and spread over different activities that include: two days of gym, Saturday mornings are spent stretching and exercising with the Wipro Running Club and long runs on Sunday with the same set of runners. Since running is the most soothing activity for me, I dedicate two days entirely on running Which are your best runs till date? The Wipro Chennai Full Marathon – 42.195 Km in 4 hrs 58 mins, Spirit of Wipro 2014 – 1 hr 48 mins for the half marathon

How did running change/benefit you?

It has made me stronger, fitter and I have also been fortunate to make some very good friends. Running regularly not only makes you feel better about yourself but it has a very strong impact on one’s lifestyle. It is all about feeling fit at all times and running does that excellently. What is your favorite running memory? And what gives you the motivation you have to keep going?

Running in the rains in the IIT campus Chennai will always be the fondest memory to me. I used to follow my running schedule despite rains and I absolutely loved it. The running trail was of about five kilometers inside the campus; hence it did not have to be a timed run. It was more of a leisurely exploration of nature inside the campus.

I try to match up to the fitness standards of my younger brother who is an officer in the Indian Army. Fitness just makes me feel more confident I suppose, hence it just cannot be ignored no matter how busy life gets.

What advice would you give to the first-time runners?

Take it easy and don’t overdo it. Results always take time, patience, perseverance and practice to come to you. Additionally, if there are three things where one should invest in monetary terms, they are Shoes& I have a personal experience of overcoming a persistent knee problem by changing my shoes so it will be my advice to first time runners to understand the shoe type that best fits a person and then get into it with balanced enthusiasm. There is no point if one loses all energy on the first day of training for a long run.