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Fitness and running do not need to be the realm of the unemployed. Those with 9-5 jobs can incorporate running into their daily schedule as well, and several have done so effectively.
Meet Kamakshi Lakshminarayanpuram Krishnakumar, who is the Technical Lead - GMT division at Wipro. Kamakshi has been a runner for a whopping 12 years now.
She spoke to us on how she balances a full-time job with her passion for running and adventure, on eating right and more:
How long have you been a runner?
Since 2003. It began when I won a National Geographic Channel’s reality show, Mission Everest, to climb up to Mt Everest base camp along with the Indian Army team.
They chose 5 people from across the country, and I was the one chosen from South India. We were trained really hard at the Nehru Institute Of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi which helped us trek up the Mount Everest base camp in 20 days. It was a great experience, and during the course a friend introduced me to a group of adventure lovers in Bangalore. That’s how I met my husband and he started training me. He is still my trainer.
How regularly do you train/run?
Before I had a kid I used to run more often in a week. Now I try to run once or twice a week, about 8-10km. Me and my husband go for long runs (over 30kms) over the weekends. We play other sports as well and are part of a team (DoD) for Ultimate Sport. We participate in various tournaments for it. This becomes part of our cross training.
Which are your best runs till date?
Cleveland half marathon – 1:58mins
Ottawa run, Canada – 1:56mins
Singapore Standard Chartered Full Marathon – 4:30mins
I won the Spirit of Wipro half marathon runs in 2013 and 2014 and was at second place for the 2012 one.
It took almost two years of training to complete a full marathon successfully.
Do you have any specific routines that you use, any specific diet, health routines, etc?
Not really. Since I have a 4-year-old daughter, it is difficult to maintain a routine. I eat home-cooked, vegetarian food and nothing specific for running.
What would you recommend to someone looking to move to a fit lifestyle and get into running?
Dedication and discipline are the most important. One should first wake up in the morning, and should start with a walk. You can slowly build up towards running. But it is important to get used to waking up early in the morning.
What gives you the motivation you have to keep going?
I feel good when I run well. Timing doesn’t matter at all. I should feel good at the end of a run. Running and playing gives me a lot of positive attitude and a great amount of energy(physical and mental). In my case, me and my husband have been inspiring each other and that motivates us to do more.
