It’s amazing how a casual conversation over dinner inspired Hyderabad-based Rachel Chatterjee to start running marathons at the age of 55. Eleven years later, she continues to run full and half marathons across the country. “We were having dinner one day and my daughter’s friend told me how his mother would run marathons. I was perplexed and asked how she does it. So he told me that I just have to go online, check the schedules and register. That’s when it all started,” Rachel says.
A retired IAS officer, Rachel feels discipline is the most important criterion for any athlete. “But when you run a marathon, it’s not easy to keep up the discipline. It’s important to be prepared before you run and stick to your schedule,” she says.
For a full marathon, she prepares around six months in advance. Muscles have to be trained before the race. “Initially, I run for 10-12 km every day, and once a week I run 20 km. On days when you’re not running, it’s important to do other exercises to strengthen your core muscles. It’s very important to contain the release of lactic acids from your body,” says Rachel, who is, at present, the chairperson of the Andhra Pradesh Red Cross Society.
Exercise apart, Rachel puts equal emphasis on a healthy diet. “You must eat carbs and proteins. Your body requires lots of proteins to help build the muscles. It’s also important to load up on carbs just before the race since it stays in your body longer.”
At the age of 66, people find it daunting to even walk to the supermarket by themselves, let alone running a full marathon. For Rachel, however, fitness was always of high priority. “I come from a family of fitness enthusiasts so fitness has always been a part of my life some way or the other. However, my decision to start running was taken much later, post-retirement. But I’ve never faced any joint pains or physical problems while running. In fact, when I’m not running, I face some discomfort,” she says.
Rachel is now gearing up for the Masters Athletic Championship at Allahabad, which will take place from March 24-27. “It’s a tournament for older athletes and I will be taking part in the 10 and 20 km categories. Apart from this, I will also run the Delhi half marathon in November.”