If we were to describe India’s campaign at the Paris Olympics 2024 in just one word, it would be "near-miss." India came agonizingly close to winning several medals—sometimes by just a few points, a few centimeters, or a single match. Here is my view on India's scorecard at Paris including all the near-missed.
Lakshya Sen's loss at the Paris Olympics was heartbreaking for Indian sports fans. However, what hurt me the most was the post-match media message from Prakash Padukone. I felt it was inappropriate on several counts. After considerable internal deliberation, I penned this open letter to Padukone Sir to express my thoughts.
Running is steadily becoming one of India's favorite sports. Even with 0.2% of the population participating in the running events, India has nearly 2.5Mn runners. India is a giant just warming up. In this article, I explore the spectacular Running Revolution shaping up in India.
With the Paris Olympics just around the corner, anticipation is high. India is fielding a strong squad of over 100 athletes in Paris. Will India be able to beat its own record of seven medals? Will we be able to reach double digits in the medal tally? Will we win more than one gold? The questions are endless. Here is my list of the top medal prospsects for India!
Runners (especially the beginners) have a genuine curiosity about knowing how long an average runner takes to finish a particular distance. It is quite natural for all of us to set some goal at the beginning of a journey, and the most obvious target to aim for is to get better than average. This inspired me to undertake a bit of secondary research and document the average finish times for a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and full marathon.
As a runner, if you could pick just one pair of running shoes for all types of runs—easy runs, speed workouts, and races—look no further than the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3. My review of Saucony Endorphin Speed 3.
Runners mostly focus on data, metrics, and statistics - the likes of mileage, pace, heart rate, heart rate zones, thresholds etc. However, the machine that powers our runs is biological—our hearts, lungs, brains, muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments. It doesn’t rely on data but rather on something more organic: the concept of effort of the run. In this article, I write about the importance of understanding the 'feel' of the run, how to master it, and the benefits emerging from that.
Running smartwatches have become an essential part of a runner's life. These watches are not cheap, making it an important decision for runners across all proficiency levels—from beginners to pros—about which watch to buy. Here is a simple guide to help you choose the right sports watch for you.
All the major running shoe brands have numerous series of running shoes, and truth be told, they do a shoddy job of telling the runner, which shoes are for what purpose. As runners, we continue to scratch our heads and spend endless hours researching the right shoe model for our needs. Here is my attempt to classify various running shoe models from the top six brands – Nike, Adidas, Puma, Saucony, Brooks, and Asics, into daily trainers, speed workout shoes, and racers.
Roger Bannister made history as the first human to break the 4-minute mile barrier, achieving a remarkable time of 3:59.4 that stunned the world and shattered the belief in what was once considered impossible. On May 6, 2024, the world celebrated the 70th anniversary of this extraordinary feat. Here is my reflection on this historic run, accompanied by a captivating video featuring Bannister's own voiceover.
On The Run with Aashu 