A decade ago, Pooja Varma weighed around 80kg and was just entering her 40s. Her husband Sandeep was struggling with weight issues too. With both of them having a family history of cardiovascular related issues, they realised a lifestyle change was necessary. “One day, I saw a colleague buying medicine for his diabetes. I realised if I don’t mind my health, I could also face lifestyle disorders,” said Sandeep, a senior training manager with a French pharma company.
From walking to jogging to running, the Varmas have gone from overweight couple to marathon runners. On Sunday, they aim to inspire others as they don the role of pacers in the inaugural L&T Sea Bridge Marathon, being held in association with The Times of India and MMRDA.
Pooja saw her weight drop to 57kg once she embraced running. The mother of two girls began entering competitions. Running became an addiction which reached a new level last Dec when she took part in the Border 100k, an ultra marathon in Jaisalmer, and is fittingly called ‘The Hell Race’. Pooja completed the gruelling distance in 13:23:21 hours, winning second place in the open women’s category. “I am now into ultra running,” said Pooja, now 50. “Menopausal women gain weight, so those who are into fitness also tend to stop because their motivation goes away. It is a challenge to inspire women of my age.
The couple tackled the high-altitude challenge posed by Ladakh Marathon last Sept. They also took part in last month’s Mumbai Marathon where Pooja clocked her personal best time across the 42k distance – 4 hours, 12 minutes – while 56-year-old Sandeep finished inside the four-hour mark in his first full marathon. “He’s a very good runner, much better than me,” said Pooja. There won’t be any domestic battle on Sunday though. Pooja will pace the 4 hour 45 minute bus in the 42k, with Sandeep heading the 2 hour 30 minute group in the half marathon.
Another participant is Pune-based Michelle Kakade. It was in the holding area of Tata Mumbai Marathon that her life changed forever. As she geared up for the 42km distance, she met a fellow runner with a massive rucksack strapped to her back. Michelle learnt she was running as part of her prep for an ultra run in the Sahara. This set the stage for Michelle’s own first ultramarathon a few months later – Sultan Marathon Des Sables (Marathon of the Sands) – where AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’ filled the air as participants waited for the flag-off. “I went in not knowing what I was getting into,” she said. “But my memory of the challenges was short lived. I had started looking for my next event as soon as I got back home.” Since then, she has conquered the 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series – a challenging series of 250-km foot races across the globe – as well as the Golden Quadrilateral, where she covered a distance of 5,846 km on foot across a 193-day span. “During my run in Orissa, a police officer approached me and my support vehicle. He had come all the way to make sure I was alright,” she recalled. Each race was challenging. “But if I had to pick one, the one in China (Gobi March) took the maximum out of me. The weather conditions were extreme and there was a torrential downpour.” Sunday will bring another feather in the cap for sure.
Although the inaugural edition of the marathon has had to restrict the number of participants to 5,000 due to the speed at which it was put together, L&T chief financial officer R Shankar Raman is confident about its growth in the years to come. “A lot will depend on these initial 5,000 pioneers who are going to run. I am sure they will carry some good tales. There are a lot of running groups which actively interact with each other. This excitement will spread.”
From walking to jogging to running, the Varmas have gone from overweight couple to marathon runners. On Sunday, they aim to inspire others as they don the role of pacers in the inaugural L&T Sea Bridge Marathon, being held in association with The Times of India and MMRDA.
Pooja saw her weight drop to 57kg once she embraced running. The mother of two girls began entering competitions. Running became an addiction which reached a new level last Dec when she took part in the Border 100k, an ultra marathon in Jaisalmer, and is fittingly called ‘The Hell Race’. Pooja completed the gruelling distance in 13:23:21 hours, winning second place in the open women’s category. “I am now into ultra running,” said Pooja, now 50. “Menopausal women gain weight, so those who are into fitness also tend to stop because their motivation goes away. It is a challenge to inspire women of my age.
The couple tackled the high-altitude challenge posed by Ladakh Marathon last Sept. They also took part in last month’s Mumbai Marathon where Pooja clocked her personal best time across the 42k distance – 4 hours, 12 minutes – while 56-year-old Sandeep finished inside the four-hour mark in his first full marathon. “He’s a very good runner, much better than me,” said Pooja. There won’t be any domestic battle on Sunday though. Pooja will pace the 4 hour 45 minute bus in the 42k, with Sandeep heading the 2 hour 30 minute group in the half marathon.
Another participant is Pune-based Michelle Kakade. It was in the holding area of Tata Mumbai Marathon that her life changed forever. As she geared up for the 42km distance, she met a fellow runner with a massive rucksack strapped to her back. Michelle learnt she was running as part of her prep for an ultra run in the Sahara. This set the stage for Michelle’s own first ultramarathon a few months later – Sultan Marathon Des Sables (Marathon of the Sands) – where AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’ filled the air as participants waited for the flag-off. “I went in not knowing what I was getting into,” she said. “But my memory of the challenges was short lived. I had started looking for my next event as soon as I got back home.” Since then, she has conquered the 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series – a challenging series of 250-km foot races across the globe – as well as the Golden Quadrilateral, where she covered a distance of 5,846 km on foot across a 193-day span. “During my run in Orissa, a police officer approached me and my support vehicle. He had come all the way to make sure I was alright,” she recalled. Each race was challenging. “But if I had to pick one, the one in China (Gobi March) took the maximum out of me. The weather conditions were extreme and there was a torrential downpour.” Sunday will bring another feather in the cap for sure.
Although the inaugural edition of the marathon has had to restrict the number of participants to 5,000 due to the speed at which it was put together, L&T chief financial officer R Shankar Raman is confident about its growth in the years to come. “A lot will depend on these initial 5,000 pioneers who are going to run. I am sure they will carry some good tales. There are a lot of running groups which actively interact with each other. This excitement will spread.”