ADIDAS Runners Captain Bangalore ANKITA GAUR tells MUSBA HASHMI her experience of participating in marathons during pregnancy, how safe it is and her association with Hi-Energy Challenge
What do you expect from a five-month pregnant lady? Definitely not running marathons. Meet Ankita Gaur, a Bengaluru-based engineer, who is redefining the terms of pregnancy.
From running a 10K marathon in December last year to now becoming a part of ADIDAS Hi-Energy Challenge with a seven-month pregnancy, running comes naturally to Gaur. “Running is not a big deal. It comes naturally to everyone, one just have to explore it,” she says.
Not that Gaur was always interested in running. Swimming was her first love. “My sister and I were always encouraged by our parents to take part in sports. I was initially into swimming. My sister was district level athlete, but I was never into running. It happened nine years back when my friend, who is now my husband, introduced me to long-distance running. He used to guide me as I was clueless about the sport. I was into a corporate job and hence, wanted to live a healthy life without having to invest too much time or money. That is when I thought of taking running seriously because it involved no expensive equipments and was easy. And like I mentioned before, it comes naturally to everyone. If you can walk, you can run too,” she says.
It was in 2014 when Gaur ran her first race in Bangalore and finished podium that triggered her love for running. “It was like a motivation for me. I have been running since then and there’s no looking back,” she says.
Running during pregnancy, contrary to the popular beliefs, she says, is healthy. “If you have been a runner all your life, then running during pregnancy is healthy for you. I have been seeing my friends abroad who were runners and delivered healthy children. So, before participating in TCS World 10K Bengaluru, I took my doctor’s advice and she said if I am doing something for 10 years, I shouldn’t stop it because it is like a part of my life. All one has to do is to cut it down or bring it down to a point where you are comfortable with it. A lot of doctors now suggest that pregnant women should do yoga or some kind of exercise because it is healthy for the child,” Gaur tells you.
She adds that the only thing one has to keep in mind is to not be competitive. “I told myself don’t see it as a competition instead see it as a part of your daily routine. I was a marathon runner so I can easily run 42 km, but now keeping in mind my body, I have cut it short to 5 km. Also, I take breaks in between and start walking to not push myself beyond a certain point,” she tells you.
It took Rai some time to convince her family and friends that running won’t cause her any harm. “My mother was apprehensive about it initially and told me that it was not a good option. My in-laws were also not sure about it. There were people on social media who asked me why I am not resting it out. But I explained to them that it was safe and I have been doing it under my doctor’s supervision. It took some time to finally make them understand that it was safe and was a part of my fitness routine. But the good thing was I got so many messages from women who were inspired and they told me that they will try to be fit as well,” she tells you.
Ask Gaur, how she tide over days when she doesn’t want to run even a single mile and she is quick to answer — my friends convince me to come. “There are days when I just don’t have the motivation to go for a run, but here comes the role of my friends from the running club. They insist that I should join them for a while and once I do, I start enjoying it. Also, when you make friends you start looking forward to meeting them. That also helps,” Gaur, who is given the title of ADIDAS Runners Captain, explains.
She tells you that they were the first people to start a run club in Bangalore in 2015. “It was not ADIDAS Runners back then. We just started a club where people would join us for a run and slowly the community grew. In 2016, I was officially given the title of Captain,” she tells you.
The Hi-Energy Challenge, she says, is about a virtual run where runners from all around the world can join and participate. “The challenge is on till February 13, 2021. It requires people to walk or run for 120 minutes over the course of 14 days. If you are successfully completing this, then for every minute you run, ADIDAS India will donate Rs 1 product to Indian Track Foundation which will further help the young amateur athletes. This is our way of helping the talent of India in achieving their goals and making the country proud,” Gaur, who has also participated in over five international marathons such as Berlin (three times), Boston and New York, tells you. For the remaining days of her pregnancy, Gaur plans to cut the distance to less than 5 km and focus more on walking instead of running and testing her will power.
