Ahead of the Nike marathon on May 11, runners and fitness enthusiasts gathered on a Saturday morning to gear up and practise for the run. Coach Urmi Kothari led the warm-up while pacers led the actual run. Four members of team ELLE India signed up for the Nike-organised session and here’s how they felt:
Tatiana Dias, Senior Digital Writer
“Waking up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning seemed like a task the previous night. However, once I got into my workout gear and strapped on the running shoes, I felt like I was ready to go. The ELLE Active session with Nike was an interesting test of my fitness and it was certainly inspiring and motivating to be able to work out amongst people who really constantly push the bar. We started off the warm up with a few yoga poses and stretches–my form was great, but my stamina seemed to have taken a hit. It was only until we got to the intense Tabata workout that I slowly started losing my breath. Urmi, however, didn’t let that happen. Pushing all of us to go the extra mile, she and her trainers ensured that we were working out in the right manner. It was amazing and very inspirational to see so many women from different walks of life come together for the love of fitness. Although the session felt daunting at first, slowly I came to realise that each of these women were at different training journeys at the session, which made me feel at ease. It was comforting to know that although I was starting at a beginner’s level, there was scope for me to reach the potential most of the women around me were at. Once we were warm enough to run, we hit the tracks. As a dancer, I had this false perception that running could get repetitive and boring–but that Saturday I came to realise that if you do it with a couple of friends, it can actually be fun. Seems like being around people who love fitness rubbed off on me too. This ELLE Active session with Nike really prepped me and pepped me up for the run on May 11–and I am super excited for it.”
Manali Shah, Senior Digital Writer
“I walked into my first Nike work out session and was immediately inspired by the fit women I saw around. Everyone had prioritised their health and passion, which created an amazing vibe. While I was familiar with yoga poses, the Tabata exercises conduted by coach Urmi Kothari were absolutely new to me. It basically invovled of 20 seconds of the exercises, followed by a 10 second breather. A few reps down, I struggled to keep up. But what kept me going and pushed me to finish the workout were the pacers who kept motivating us. The peppy music greatly helped too. And post the workout, I actually left heaps better, thanks to the adrenaline rush and stretched muslces. And I found out that post-work out glow is a thing too! The Nike session definitely inspired me to change my sedentary lifestyle and kickstart my fitness journey.”
Rushouti Kanade, Junior Graphics Designer
“My Saturday morning started with something quite unusual. For the first time, I went for the Nike #MakeTheWorldListen workout session. One of the highlights of this pre-event run was losing the fear of wearing a sports bra in public and being comfortable in my own skin and doing whats best for me and my body. Instead of lazing around the whole day, I found myself doing surya namaskars, yoga poses and a quick warm-up for the 3kms run. After months of slouching at my desk and constantly staring at the screen, it felt rejuvenating to be under the morning sun and stretch those tightened muscles. Urmi, who was conducting the session was amazingly helpful. And she is so fit—she’s such an inspiration. The exercise bits that she conducted are something I can do on a daily basis and not feel lethargic by 5pm. Attending the session definitely has me excited for the main event on May 11. I’m looking forward to joining the sisterhood and running without fear!”
Drishti Kapadia, Beauty Writer
“For someone who often claims, ‘My body is not made for running,’ this Nike training session was somewhat of an eye-opener. From planks to squats to crunches, the workout included exercises that seemed to work all our muscles. The best part about the whole experience was the way the trainers took the time to correct postures and techniques and patiently waited till we got it right. After the exercises, came the real challenge. Running. Thanks to the constant motivation that the trainers and the fellow runners gave me, I actually managed to jog and almost completed the run (even though I was last). I went home feeling a sense of satisfaction and a tiny bit of hope that maybe, one day, I could master the whole talk-while-you-jog pace.”
