The Why - Part 2

Apr 21, 2020

Dear Runner,

It’s nearly a month since this newsletter was born! Being in the midst of a ‘black swan’ event over this period, made us at Team Weekly Carb-Loading, wonder about black swan events in our personal lives.

Can one particular event have such a deep impact on our life, that it changes for the better (or worse)? Is life itself a series of black swan events, each one helping it self-correct to a new normal?

This week, Benny dives into his past, to take us through such an event in his life, the outcome of which had a profound impact on his health, habits and overall mindset.

This post can also be found on our website. If you missed Part 1 of this two-part post, it can be read here.

“A little background - I was always a chubby kid growing up, overweight through school and all of my teenage years, even though I was active and played hockey and basketball.

I realized much later in life, in my late 20’s, that simply ‘being active’ and a bit of sports here and there is not enough, without the right eating, drinking and sleeping habits to complement it. As they say, hindsight is 20-20. These stats are an apt description of those days:

Age: 24-28 | Height: 6’0 | Weight: 96 kgs (over-weight by ~20-22 kgs) |

Eating Habits : Unhealthy & poor | Lifestyle: Sloth | Self Confidence: Low

The cost of good habits is paid in the present, the cost of bad habits is paid in the future - James Clear

2012 through 2016 were the lowest years of my life - lost my job, fatigued physically and mentally, and completely ignored my health and fitness. In 2017, I reached a point wherein i would do anything to lose weight.

In the spur of the moment, I signed up for a 10 km run in the vicinity, and stepped out for my first training run at Shivaji Park.

Having played sports through school, running would be simple, right? T-shirt and shorts, a pair of shoes and you’re off! Well, that first run lasted just 0.5 km, before I had to stop, catch my breath, have a drink of water and walk.

Don’t give up before the miracle happens - Fannie Flagg

I kept at it though, day after day, run after run, slowly increasing the distance, making changes in the food I ate, how much I ate and when I ate.

The daily training made me realize I actually enjoyed running! That feeling of being on the road, able to cover any (initially short) distance in any direction, the mind at ease, and the post run exhilaration!

My aim and focus shifted from losing weight to running and how to get better at it - build stamina, gain strength, increase distance, go up in pace.

I gained something that I loved (running) and simultaneously lost weight, increased my fitness levels, and set healthy habits, all the while feeling better than I’ve ever felt before.

Your outcomes are a lagging indicator of your habits - James Clear

So here we are in 2020, three years, five half marathons and three marathons after signing up for that random but ‘pivotal’ 10 km run.

Age: 31 | Height: 6’0 | Weight: 73 kgs

Eating Habits: Healthy | Lifestyle: Active | Self Confidence: Much much higher

One life-changing Black Swan event? Several months of disciplined changes towards a new normal? Leading indicator of future outcomes? I don’t really know.”

-Benny

We want to hear about your black swan event! Write in to us (in reply) or drop us a comment below!

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Race Calendar

Another race announced! IDBI Federal Life Insurance confirmed dates for the Mumbai Half Marathon - 6th September, 2020. Something to look forward to and train for, post the Covid-19 crisis.

As before, they have 3 categories (21K, 10K, 5K) with an early bird registration till 30th April offering discounts and a personalized running T-shirt.

This is one race we’ve run and would definitely recommend, for those looking for a personal best time. The course is flat, the event is well organized, and hey, you may just get a glimpse of Sachin Tendulkar, if you’re lucky!

Could this be your black swan?