Scorching heat isn’t slowing down Chennai from running

Even as the temperatures are soaring every passing day, Chennai’s spirit towards remaining fit and healthy seems stronger than ever. While some of us feel too drained by the sun to step even into air-conditioned gyms, spirited runners from the city are hitting the streets with an ambitious challenge — to run for 100 days, covering at least 2 km each day. Known as the ‘100 Days of Running’ challenge, this nation-wide event, which began recently, is urging people to take up the habit of running every day for 100 days. Here are some working individuals and active runners from the city who are putting their running shoes to work this summer — some at an age of even 60.

Running motivates 31-year-old Sridhar Rajmohan, more than hitting the gym. “As a type-1 diabetic, running has been helping me keep my sugar levels under control. I have undertaken the challenge to get back to running during summer months of May and June, when I don’t otherwise run due to the heat. It has also kept me motivated to run every day. An app tracks my run each day, registering the distance covered,” says Sridhar, who works with a manufacturing firm in the city.

Undertaking a 2 km run each day has helped him stay calmer at work and throughout the day, he notes. Sridhar has taken part in the event since 2017 and says his health has improved over time too. It’s not just the young, but also the old who are lacing up their shoes each morning for a good run.

Jaya Krishnamurthy, 48, works at a state-run shipping firm in Chennai, found that she was developing health issues due to lack of physical activity. “I enjoy running and wanted to see if I can take up the challenge, since I have been going on runs with a few fellow runners in the suburbs of Nanganallur, where I reside. Running has improved my physical health, and the medication I had to take for menstrual issues was no longer needed due to regular runs. We even have 60-year-old women running along with us each day, which is inspiring,” shares Jaya.

Thirty-one-year-old techie from the city, Ram Ganesh, says the challenge helps in setting the purpose of getting fit within a stipulated time. “I’ve taken up 100 Days of Running for the past three years and this has the been the fourth year of the challenge. It has helped hugely in getting into the rhythm of running daily. Running is an inexpensive way of getting fit. It also gives a sense of a being with the community when one runs with fellow fitness enthusiasts, which air-conditioned gyms do not give. On the flipside, I found the challenge also adding mental pressure on me when I could not run due to personal commitments. There are also debates by experts that one should not be running continuously all week and must allow the body to rest for at least a day,” he points out.

However, the challenge does not insist that one only runs throughout the period of 100 days, but that one can also walk the minimum distance to keep the streak going on. While the challenge can mean sacrificing on some personal time every day, it allows one to get fitter with the least amount of investment into the workout regime, adds Ram.