Hope
Dear reader,
Welcome to Weekly Carb-Loading! Your Sunday morning dose of running and fitness inspiration.
We believe every run has a story, and we’re bringing these stories to you, with runner profiles, home workouts, weekly challenges and a whole lot more!
All this with one simple aim - to inspire all of our readers to exercise on a regular basis! A healthier world, one step at a time.
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Last week, we started with a history lesson. This week, we start with a quote.
“Hope is not blind optimism. It’s not ignoring the enormity of the task ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. It’s not sitting on the sidelines or shirking from a fight.
Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it, and to work for it, and to fight for it.”
- Barack Obama, January 2008
The path to fitness, is built on hope.
It’s not easy. It can’t be achieved in a day.
At the outset, it seems like a long and arduous journey, to be traversed across many weeks and months before we see any tangible results. For some of us, it may be several years in the making.
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A small but significant hope, at the start.
A spark, just enough to light the tinder. A moment we may not even remember over the years, when we first took the plunge. The first time ever that we set an alarm to wake up an hour earlier than usual, or said no to that slice of cake.
A small start, but a start nonetheless, towards a daily physical activity and a path to positive outcomes in diet, weight and lifestyle. A leap of faith.
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A steady unwavering hope, it is not.
Sometimes strong, fed by the momentum of workouts on several consecutive days, body feeling good, a few visible results starting to emerge, confidence at a high.
Sometimes flagging, after an exhausting day of work, lazily tucked under the blankets on a cold winter morning, or giving in to the cravings of dessert.
Through all the early mornings at the gym, on the road, or on the yoga mat at home. Every time we wake up with a purpose and choose (yes, choose) to step out of bed, on the path to fitness, knowing there isn’t a finish line.
Hope, is what sustains us and keeps us going.
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A lifebuoy called hope, in the darkest of days, and on the toughest of climbs.
The most important role that hope plays, among its various acts. Not as a spark, nor through the journey, or in a race, but at a few key moments in life, with no finish in sight.
When the chips are down, when the motivation is low and the body is sapped. When we do all we can, but the results go against us. When forces outside our control play spoilsport with the world.
Hope, is what pushes us to put one step in front of the other, and keep moving forward.
Hope, pulls us through.
Today, we wake up with hope.
Hope, to someday walk, run and play our favorite sport again, without having to worry about social distancing.
Hope, to someday eat, drink and celebrate special occasions with our family and friends, and not remotely on video calls.
This hope is not blind optimism signalling victory over a virus, and resuming everyday life as it were, before the pandemic struck.
This is a hope, that something better awaits us, if we have the courage to reach for it, and work for it, and fight for it.
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Like the path to fitness, it won’t be easy. It won’t be achieved in a day.
It’s been a long and drawn out effort so far, and maybe a few more months before we see results. The worst may be yet to come. The pandemic may be around for a while.
We do know however, how its spread can be slowed. We only need to maintain our daily discipline, all the things we have been doing right so far. One step at a time, one day at a time. Its all about setting the alarm, and choosing to step out of bed.
This journey too, may not have a tangible finish line. But what we do have, is hope. A small hope, burning bright. That if we do all that which is in our control, things will eventually peak, and turn around.
A hope, which sustains us and keeps us going. A hope which pulls us through.
Beginner Workouts - Stair Climb
If you are new to workouts, and wondering how to get started, we have you covered! This section gets you started on the road to becoming a healthier and fitter version of yourself!
Over the last few weeks, we covered Warming Up, Stretching, Going for a Walk and Cardio (In case you haven’t kept up, worry not! Just head to our Archives to catch up)
This week - we start with Stair Climbing!
Stair climbing is a unique form of exercise that has a powerful and positive impact on our health over time.
Officially a 'vigorous' form of exercise, stair climbing burns more calories per minute than jogging, and is very good for breaking out a sweat during the lock down, when you can’t head out of your building.
Climbing stairs provides your entire lower body with an effective workout, including major muscles such as glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves.
It is a lower impact workout than running, however one needs to be careful while descending, to prevent knee injuries.
This week why not start with a simple walk up the stairs in your building, apartment complex or society. Walk up and down a couple of floors and notice the changes in your heart rate and breathing. Accordingly, while not being out of breath, you may increase the intensity and number of steps or floors climbed.
If you feel up for it, jog up a flight or two of stairs and intersperse it with walking. As your stamina builds, you will be able to jog up multiple floors before needing a break.
Tip: If you have an HR strap or a Smart watch which measures your heartbeat, you can record your activity, track your HR and how many calories you burnt!
General Instructions: Please wear sturdy shoes and loose, comfortable clothing. Hydrate well during the workout. If you experience unusual pain in any part of your body, stop immediately and seek medical advise from your doctor. Please be careful while descending to prevent tripping over yourself, or hurting your knees.
Elevated Side Plank Challenge - Results
This week, we held the Elevated Side Plank Challenge for our readers! A tough one, regardless of fitness levels.
Among the numerous entries we got, many more used the left side than the right. Our more photogenic side maybe ;)
What was impressive was that almost everyone held the plank for over a minute!
Here’s the top three! Kudos to everyone who put in the effort and held it together!
Akshay Datar [2 mins 06 secs]
Sridhar R [2 mins]
Gautam Chanchlani [1 min 31 secs]
Stay tuned for more challenges. We will definitely do this again soon! Meanwhile, happy planking, and cheers to ever-stronger abs and core.
What We’re Listening To
Wake Me Up - Avicii via Youtube
This unforgettable tune and blasting beats have kept us company through numerous long runs.
A magical combination of country melody and EDM, ‘Wake Me Up’ originally released in 2013, and rose to the top of dance charts and summer anthems worldwide.
Produced by one of the foremost DJs of our time, the track made a resurgence at almost all EDM and dance festivals in 2018, as a tribute after his untimely demise. RIP DJ Avicii, you will be missed.
Have You Felt This Too
100% magical, this feeling!
Fun Feature
Running is ‘Simple and Inexpensive’, they say! :D
Last week, we turned three (months) old! Woohoo! To read all of our previous weekly posts, runner profiles and challenges, you can head to our Archive!
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This was our third post on Covid-19. We wrote about the pandemic in March, titled ‘The Start Line’, and in May, titled ‘The Halfway Mark’. Do catch up with them in the links above.
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We’re also live on Twitter with small servings of carbs throughout the week.
Until next week, stay healthy, stay fit, and stay safe!
- Team WCL <3
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Very nicely written. Also, the songs you write about always will go to the long run play list! Keep inspiring!
I have had the 'getting lost in thought' experience multiple times. It's a wondery experience. It shows how effortless running actually is and that the pain and suffering and majorly mental. 😊