Running

Newton D’souza: Sportsman, sporting guy and more than just a running enthusiast

How would you define yourself?

A fun loving , Positive, full of energy person who believes that Life is very short and we have to make the most of it.

When did you start running? What was your first race? How many races have you completed so far? Can you break it down by distances?

I used to run during school days in races however lost touch after that when life’s hectic schedule took over . The Weighing scale touched 100 kgs in 2007 and that’s when I realised, I need to start running again.

The SCMM Dream Run in Jan 2008 followed by the HM in 2009

1 full marathon, 12 Half marathons, one 25K run ( BNP endurathon) and approx.. 17 nos 10K runs

Which race in your opinion is the toughest course?

Amongst the ones I have run.. It is BNP Endurathon because of the Steep climbs it has.

Have you ever not completed a race? When and why?

Never… Crammed once but completed within qualifying time

Have you run races injured or sick? What’s your advice to runners concerning it?

Ran one race in 2011 where I had just recovered 2 weeks prior to the race from having water deposited in my lungs and mild fever .

My advice, is know your body really well and then take a decision. Run that race for Fun and ignore the timing part if injured or sick.

Have you ever been a pacer? When, where? Would you like to do it more often?

Yes.. At Aarey Half Marathon in 2010. Was a 2hr 30 mins pacer.   Yes , would love to as its an amazing experience…

What, in your opinion, is an accessory every runner must have?

A Simple Stop Watch

You’ve always been a sportsperson from a young age. What sports were you into when you were much younger? Could you list your medals and/or awards?

Football , Hockey, Cricket, Athletics  &, Langdi (Guess this game developed my strong legs for running).. on a lighter note.

It’s all during school Days ( 100 M , 200 M , 400M , 800 M ( won 3rd place at State level in junior category) )

Is it true that even if you’ve not been active physically for a time, the base you’ve built when active stands you in good stead when you resume? I’ve read articles that say so. What’s been your personal experience?

Yes its true and I am a prime example. From being an active sports person during younger days to a fat obese man in the thirties to a Sub 2 hrs  half marathon runner in the 40’s)

At one time, you were considering doing the triathlon. What prevented  you?

Still not confident about completing the swimming part of it as well as .. don’t have the time to practise for it.

Do you draw any lessons from running that you incorporate into your personal and professional life? What are they?

Yes.. Personal life is nothing but a marathon race. You do not have to win the race or be a top category runner to be a marathoner… Which many strive for and get disappointed with life because they hav’nt achieved it. You have to only complete the race  and enjoy it and  keep striving to getting your personal timing/ Life better.

You travel quite often for work. How do you fit in running into your busy schedule?

Yes I Do..    Somehow try to manage it when ever I have the time. To be honest, I haven’t been practising much for the last 2 years due to travel and work.

Where do you train? How often?

Mostly at the Air India ground in kalina and at times on Juhu beach or Bandra Mount Marys ( for hill runs)

On an average .. twice a week

Any last words for the readers?

Birds were meant to fly, Fish were meant to swim and Human’s were to Run.   It  comes Naturally.

Newton D’souza is a friend first. He’s also Senior Management level at Tech Mahindra Business Service Group a  Reputed ITes & BPO company. His running motto is: I don’t have a Runners Body but this Body can and will always Run.

Email: ndsouza946@gmail.com

Disclosure: The interview was conducted via email. The answers are published as-is.

Joan Rivers: Running

“The first time I see a jogger smiling, I’ll consider it.”
—Joan Rivers.

Race: Jesse Owens, racism and Nazism

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

Directed by Stephen Hopkins

Cast: Stephan James as Jesse Owens, Jason Sudeikis as Larry Snyder, Shanice Banton as Ruth Solomon-Owens, Jeremy Irons as Avery Brundage, William Hurt as Jeremiah Mahoney, Carice van Houten as Leni Riefenstahl, Amanda Crew as Peggy, Jeremy Ferdman as Marty Glickman, Barnaby Metschurat as Joseph Goebbels, David Kross as Carl “Luz” Long, Glynn Turman as Harry Davis, Jonathan Aris as Arthur Lill, Shamier Anderson as Eulace Peacock, Tony Curran as Lawson Robertson, Nicholas Woodeson as Fred Rubien, Giacomo Gianniotti as Sam Stoller, Eli Goree as Dave Albritton, Anthony Sherwood as Rev. Ernest Hall, Jon McLaren as Trent, Tim McInnerny as General Charles, Vlasta Vrána as St. John, Adrian Zwicker as Adolf Hitler.

Race is a movie about Olympic races and racism. Set in the 1930s when segregation existed in the United States,  it recounts Jesse Owens’ journey towards becoming arguably the greatest athlete of the 20th century.

The biopic begins with young Jesse being accepted to Ohio State  University. Coach Larry Snyder’s goal is to ensure his qualification to the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Jesse Owens (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Snyder initially comes across as someone who sees Jesse as an ends to relive his own shattered dreams of Olympic glory. His character warms up helping Jesse with a stipend to send home to his girlfriend Ruth and baby daughter. Snyder advises Jesse when he suffers heartbreak at his dilemma about whether he should continue with his new love interest—city girl Peggy— or try and win back his childhood sweetheart, Ruth.

Snyder is the unwitting witness to the continuation of the cleansing policy against Jews instituted by the German dictator when he visits Berlin downtown to pick up shoes made by Adi Dasler, the founder of Adidas. Owens thus becomes the first African-American endorser for a shoe company.

Training at the Ohio State University, Jesse learns to stay crouched and bent into an explosive start to reduce wind resistance.  This is enforced by the use of hurdles that he would dash into if he were upright too soon into his stride. Jesse and his fellow runners are taught how smaller strides don’t necessarily mean that they’re moving slow as long as their leg turnover is substantially higher than normal.

Jesse (actually pronounced Jay Cee) is no paragon of virtue, although a speed demon on the track. He is a young man who succumbs to temptation and bright lights  when away from his girlfriend Ruth. He realizes his folly and asks Ruth to marry him which she does.  Ruth,  however,  is no shrinking violet, sending her beau a breach of promise notice on learning of his dalliance with Peggy.

Avery Brundage makes the case for American athletes participating at the Berlin Games. His proposition is passed by a narrow margin by the US Olympic Committee. The reigning president of the Amateur Athletic Union, Jeremiah T Mahoney, resigns in protest. His conscience wouldn’t allow him to support American participation in the Games.

Jesse is forced to make a choice. Should he run at the Berlin Games and  be perceived as supporting Hitler’s policies towards Jews and Negroes or stay home and forgo his chance for glory?

There follows a telling scene where Jesse has a showdown with Snyder about the issue. Snyder snaps at Jesse saying that he doesn’t care what the African – Americans have to say about his participation in the Games; both Jesse and he have worked too hard to just throw it away. Jesse responds that he doesn’t have to because African-Americans aren’t his people.

Jesse finally decides to take part; his teammate Eulace Peacock who suffers a hamstring pull before the Games convinces him that participating is the best way to prove that Hitler is wrong— no one would remember him as the athlete who walked away. He’d certainly be recalled as the Olympian who won gold at Hitler’s games.

On arriving in Berlin, Germany, Jesse and his African-American teammates are surprised that the athletes’ mess and rooms at the Games are not segregated.

Owens—wearing a jersey numbered 733—wins the 100 metres quite easily. He is, however, snubbed by Adolf Hitler who leaves the stadium without shaking his hand. Olympic Committee officials had insisted that the Fuhrer personally greet every victor. The dictator chooses instead to wish German athletes only.

(Though not depicted in the biopic, Owens said at the time:

“Hitler had a certain time to come to the stadium and a certain time to leave. It happened he had to leave before the victory ceremony after the 100 meters. But before he left I was on my way to a broadcast and passed near his box. He waved at me and I waved back. I think it was bad taste to criticize the ‘man of the hour’ in another country.”

Owens would later say:

“Some people say Hitler snubbed me. But I tell you, Hitler did not snub me. I am not knocking the President. Remember, I am not a politician, but remember that the President did not send me a message of congratulations because people said, he was too busy.”

And later:

“Hitler didn’t snub me – it was our president who snubbed me. The president didn’t even send me a telegram.”

)

Luz Long, Jesse’s rival in the broad jump, is an epitome of sportsmanship. He helps Jesse qualify by placing a towel before the takeoff line. His portrayal reminds us that not all Germans acquiesced to Hitler’s policy against the Jews and his notions of Aryan supremacy.  Luz discloses to Owens—post the broad jump event—that he  refused the company of a young woman sent to his room to entertain him during the games suspecting that her only wish was to impregnate herself with a specimen of Teutonic manhood. Luz lost his life during the Second World War.  (Being sent to the warfront was usually a punishment posting for Germans opposed to the Nazi regime.)

Jesse wins the broad jump final quite handily. He follows suit in the 200 metres.

It’s not entirely a victory for American ideals against Nazi ideology . Jesse’s Jewish teammates, Marty Glickman and Sam Stollerare, are cut from the 4*100 relay, a concession made to Goebbel on behalf of the Fuhrer.

Owens returns home a triumphant American hero only to take the service elevator to his own felicitation dinner.

An interesting sidelight in the movie is the depiction of Leni Riefenstahl, the German film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, photographer, actress, dancer, and propagandist for the Nazis. Riefenstahl is invited by Joseph Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda, to film the Games. Her film Olympia was highly successful and included shots of all competitors. Reifenstahl—in the movie—ignores Goebbels to film the famous montage of Owens.

Carl Lewis would go on to emulate Owens at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics , a games hit by a retaliatory boycott by the Soviets for the 1980 shunning by the Americans.

Owens—-unsuccessfully— tried to convince then President Jimmy Carter against it because he felt that the Olympic ideal was a time-out from war and above politics.

Owens remained married to Ruth until his death in 1980 of lung cancer. He was a chain smoker for 35 years.

Kashmir’s first half marathon only a partial success: Eve-teasing, protests mar event

The route was scenic looping from University of Kashmir’s Hazratbal campus along the banks of the Dal Lake via Foreshore Road-Cheshmashai and back.

Houseboats are floating luxury hotels predominantly seen in Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir. They offer a wide variety of services besides the luxurious lodging and catering. See more pics at Flicker for Kashmir; Flickr Pool and Kashmir set at Flickr (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Kashmir’s first international half marathon had everything going for it.

Themed ‘I am the change’  and organized by BIG 92.7 FM, it aimed to promote a happy and healthy lifestyle in J&K. It also sought locals’ assistance in tackling social causes like saving Dal Lake, fighting drug abuse, keeping the city clean, promoting traffic awareness and respect for senior citizens and women.

The ‘CCDU Big Kashmir Marathon’ was held in two categories: the main event, a 21K run and a fun event, a 5K dream run.

The event was supported by the J&K Sports Development Association (JKSDA).

Former chief minister, Omar Abdullah, tweeted his support and promised to participate.

It was not to be.

Protests that began during the 5K run marred the 21K award ceremony.

Pro-Pakistan flags and slogans were raised.

Stones and bottles were pelted at the dais.

Abdullah subsequently tweeted:

The police later lathicharged and fired teargas shells at the protesters.

That was not all.

A ‘traditional’  Indian malady manifested itself.

Obscene and lewd comments were passed at women runners. Some women were molested en route and at the University.

12 miscreants were apprehended by the police.

While the context may not be the same, the incidents only serve to highlight the problems of eve-teasing and molestation that Indian women face in running under the public gaze.

More recently in July this year, in India’s most women friendly city—Mumbai, three boys on a motorbike hit a professional woman runner with a belt on Marine Drive.

The woman said:

“This has been going on for a couple of years. If you are a girl walking, they whack you on your butt or they yell and stare. I’ve been hit twice – once on my back, and another time on my hips. The most recent incident was last week when they hit me with a soft belt.”

Prakash Jain, president of the Marine Drive Senior Citizen’s Association, said:

“Bad elements cause trouble on the road. They leave me alone because of my age but target women. They snatch valuables like chains or rings.”

Rajiv Bhatia, who runs a water sports company, is another victim of these bike gangs.

He said:

“Four bikes came and one guy swung a stick at me. They were shouting, ‘Bhaag raha hai, hero hai. (You’re running, are you a hero?)”

Do we want women runners to gravitate towards women-only events like the DNA Run?

Are running events suburban trains with segregated compartments for women or public buses with reserved seats for women? Should event organizers consider separate lanes for women runners? Is that really the way to go?

Leave our runners alone.

Finish slow and easy

When Stephen Menezes, a 43-year-old runner and employee with Airtel, Mumbai, collapsed and succumbed to a heart attack after the ‘Run, India, Run-10K challenge’ in Borivali West, the news shocked the running community.

Stephen died on a Sunday, the 19th day in July, 2015. He was survived by his wife, Evona, and three children, Laurel, Audrey and Catriel. The eldest is fifteen.

My reaction to the report in the papers the following day was on the lines, “If this could happen to a seasoned runner like Menezes, this could happen to me or anyone else for that matter. This is terrible news both for runners and his family.”

(It is never easy to be calm or unemotional about people or events in which you are emotionally vested. Silence then does its turn.)

Stephen was a runner over the past five years. He was also a swimmer.

An investigating official said:

“Menezes had a blood pressure problem for the past 10 years.”

A neighbour said:

“He had run the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, the Vasai-Virar Marathon as well as the Mayor’s Marathon. Some of these were 21km long. He used to even go swimming and jogging to stay fit. We cannot accept that he is no more.”

Sandeep Figer, a friend, said:

“Menezes was a strict disciplinarian. He was particular about his health and diet.”

Neil Bronel, another friend, blamed the organisers for the delayed response.

“I am really sorry and disappointed to say it was one of the worst running events ever. The water stations were way too far. We faced the worst of the situation when one of us collapsed and there was nothing that could be done. No ambulance or medical aid was in place, which is a basic need for every run. One of our co-runners and a good family friend is no more with us due to the delay in medical help. We had to arrange to ferry him to the hospital ourselves.”

Maitri Porecha, reporting for DNA India, wrote:

“While permissions from the roads department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the traffic police have to be obtained for a marathon, there is no rule that prescribes the local health department has to be consulted.

Experts say basic medication like Sorbitrate, a nitro-glycerine tablet that immediately expands blood vessels, should be mandatory in the first-aid kit, and it should be within easy reach of a patient during marathons.

Ambulances equipped with para-medical staff trained in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and equipment like Atrial Electronic Difibrillator (AED) should also be there.

In Italy, every marathon runner has to submit his/her latest electro cardiogram (ECG) report before attempting the run. In the US, event organisers have to be affiliated with the local Athletic Federation. The federation ensures certain level of quality, checks and balances.”

Venkat Raman, a senior city-based marathoner, said:

“In India, none of this is followed. Local groups should screen all runners for fitness and cardiac risk profiles before enrolling them. Organisers should keep everything ready so that there is no risk to life. Every organiser should be conscious of the fact that they are playing with the runners’ lives.”

At this year’s Mumbai marathon, almost 4000 participants needed medical attention.

A participant in the Mumbai marathon 2011 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

That’s 10% of the total runners participating.

Most of the patients were dehydrated.

Dr. Vijay D’silva said:

“Oral dehydration, treatment for cramps, physiotherapy and nausea were the most-attended problems. Thirty runners were treated for intravenous rehydration therapy. The number of dehydrated runners has increased since last year.

Younger runners, too, faced problems this time. People are unaware of what goes on inside their body. We recommend a medical check-up and conditional training before running to all participants. A large number of people are over-confident and adventurous. They refrain from seeing a doctor before running. That is unadvisable.”

52-year-old Kirit Ganatra suffered a heart attack and after being resuscitated on the spot was rushed to Bombay Hospital.

Another runner, 27-year-old Ashish Malkar, suffered convulsions near the finish line and hit his head on the pavement. He was an epileptic.

Dr Ramakant Panda, Asian Heart Institute, said:

“If a person undertakes arduous activities like continuous running for hours, he can injure himself. Also, runners get excited as the finishing line nears and the level of excitement heightens suddenly, causing injuries.”

Bipasha Basu as Brand ambassadors of Mumbai marathon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Inexperienced runners tend to finish races on a high note sprinting the last few hundred metres. As a runner, I would not advise this for the longer races (21K or more) especially if you are not accustomed to doing it in training.

Running for a cause in the “Mumbai Marathon-2009” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A mild speeding up may be fine but not an outright sprint because the cardiovascular system is overloaded with the stress of the past  one-and-a-half to three hours. It is best to maintain your pace and finish calm and cool. The extra seconds you gain on your finishing time or the photo-op are surely not worth the additional risk.

“The Model” in the “Mumbai Marathon-2009” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)