23-year-old ultra marathoner Kieren D’souza talks to Shalini Saksena about how he took up running as a sport and the importance of recovery for a marathon runner
For all those who are passionate about running and take marathons seriously, here’s a piece of advice — there is a technique, style and way of running. If you don’t get this right you run the risk of serious injury to yourself.
“A person who runs marathons on a regular basis should have the basics correct. Though running is probably the cheapest sport today — it doesn’t require expensive gear expect proper running shoes nor does one a fancy running track. Until you take up the sport professionally. Then one needs a team which includes a nutritionist, a trainer and a physio,” he says.
Also, there are some dos and don’t for marathoners. One must give the body recovery time after each run. Also, during training, one should not under go it or over it. “In both scenarios one is doing body damage that may be difficult to recover from,” Kieren D’souza, the ultra marathoner who is the first Indian to complete the Spartathlon tells you.
The event is an annual run in Greece, between Athens and Sparta that is 246.6 km long run and considered to the the world’s world’s toughest race. He ranked at 86 among 370 people who were part of the race. D’souza completed the distance in 33 hours, 2 minutes and 25 seconds.
He tells you that this distance needs to be covered in 36 hours. “Of course they are pit stops at a specified distance where racers can stop for a nap or a quick bite to eat. But the race itself is so challenging that one hardly manages to take more than a couple of breaks,” D’souza tells you who took up running as a sport when he was in college in Bengaluru.
D’souza used to play basketball and other sports in school. To keep in shape he used to run. But when he went to college in Bengaluru he found sports facility lacking. So he took up running as a sport.
To begin with, his parents were a little scpetical since they were unsure of what D’souza was doing and if there was any scope and fame in this sport. But he made his parents proud. Since he has been a part of many marathons world over including the one that was flagged off in the Capital today — Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2016.
He tells you that at the event he will tell people about the importance of recovery and answer any queries that people may have.
“It is importance to remember that those who run long marathons should not run for more than two in a year.
Any long distance run requires a lot of training. Once the race is over, the body needs to rest and recover. There is a lot of strain on the body and mind. Recovery is the most essential part for marathon runners,” D’souza says.
Hence, his association with brand Volini which has become a world class recovery partner as such events. A recovery zone is set up with more than 150-200 recovery experts including sports scientists, injury management specialists, doctors and physios.
Though he has reached a stage where he can pick and choose where he runs, he makes sure that the ultra marathons are not more than 400 km in a year. The smaller ones like the half marathons, he tries to incorporate as part of his training.
His advice for all those who want to take up running as a sport — one must start as early as possible. “Children in the age group of 8-12 are always running around, playing. This is the perfect age to take up the sport. However, one should know the right technique of how to run,” he says.