Adding color to my runs: The Navrun 2019 experience
Navratri was fun this year.
I am not a religious person who believes in fasts. Nor was I ever accustomed to going for Garbha/Dandiya nights. Hence when Mumbai road runners (MRR) came out with this unique concept of Navrun, it felt like a breath of fresh air.
Navrun is an event where participants can either run 9 km for those 9 days or do any form of workout, wearing the color pertaining to that particular day. Since fitness is my religion, I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Navratri. I had been participating in Navrun since 2015 and this was my 5th year.
The excitement before Navrun reminded me of the similar feeling I used to get as a little girl during Diwali. I remember how I used to eagerly look forward to showing off my new attire in front of all my family members. The little girl resurfaced again this year as I was waiting to show off my different color tees to my runner family.
The color that I wear usually tends to reflect on my state of mind which in turn was the determinant factor of my workouts.
Day 1: Orange is a combination of energy from red and happiness from yellow. This is a color that symbolized warmth, heat and enthusiasm. Being the first day and raring to go, the fire in me propelled a rather vigorous workout. There was a competition organized by my gym called the Dri Tri. It gave a feeling of what it was like to do a triathlon without getting wet and hence the name Dry (dri) tri.
It comprised of
1000 m rowing
20 pushups
20 squat jumps
30 jumps over the bench
40 step ups
20 burpees
20 plank jacks
2.5 km tempo.
While the workout was tiring, it left me energized and enthusiastic especially when I received the finishers medal at the end.
Day 2: White is a special color as it signifies the meaning of my name (Sweth). It’s a shade that symbolizes purity, peace and simplicity. For me, the simplest things tend to give me immense joy.
I ended up doing a 15-km run at Brisbane which was situated to the south of San Francisco city, California. Running in a beautiful location with views of the bay was blissful. When you run with a peaceful mind and no expectations, good things eventually come to you. Ended up coming 2ndin my age category. It was a surprise and I decided to take it as a gift from the Goddess.
Day 3: Red is a shade that is associated with aggression. This fiery color tends to evoke intense emotions and a sort of internal rage. Wearing this color gives me a feeling that I can tackle the bull by its horns. It’s essential to tone down the fire of aggression which can otherwise lead to a burn out. There is nothing more powerful than water to ease those flames of fire.
Ended up swimming 1.5 km in my red swim attire which left me feeling refreshed and cool.
Day 4: Royal blue is the color of the ocean and the sky. Blue is also associated with stability and depth which leaves a positive impact on mind and body.
I ended up doing speed intervals starting with a 10-minute warm up. I did a repetition of 800 m about 4 times (800 m x 4) which was followed by a 10-minute cool down.
It was superseded by strength training which provides the stability for a fit mind and body and eventually keeps the blues away.
It was 2 sets of
Push ups
Lat pull down
Rows
Chest press
Tricep dips
Day 5: yellow-the color of sunshine. It depicts freshness, happiness and positivity.
California being blessed with sunny weather throughout the year gives me an opportunity to bask in the outdoors. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the color of sunshine than doing a 20-mile (32 km) bike ride on inclines.
Biking induces that positive feeling. I experience a feeling of freedom whenever I whizz past the highways with the breeze blowing on my face.
Day 6: Green is the shade of harmony and balance. When it comes to the fitness, I strongly believe that the core is the harmonizer between the mind and the body. When the core is strong, the mind and the body automatically become strong enough to achieve any feat.
It was a 9-km run followed by core exercises in the gym.
2 sets of
scissors
flutter kicks
power sit ups
bicycle crunches
side plank
ball plank
alternate toe touches.
Day 7: Grey: It’s the color associated with moodiness and at times depression. Grey is also a color that represents intellect aka grey matter.
In order to have a fit physique, it’s equally important to have an able mind. There is no better workout routine for the mind other than meditation and yoga. Ended up doing leg strengthening exercises followed by 20 minutes yoga amidst greenery to wash the dreariness of the shades of grey.
50 jumping jacks
2 sets of
squats
lunges
step ups
leg press
leg curls
calf raises
Day 8: Purple is the colour of royalty, luxury, magic and mystery.
I was supposed to do an Olympic distance triathlon on this day. It's called the mermaid series. I personally have fond memories of this particular event as it was my first Olympic distance triathlon back in 2017. Unfortunately, I ended up getting my period on race day morning. It was tough for me to swim with heavy cramping that I usually get on the first day.
With a heavy heart, I decided to skip the event. Later in the evening, I went for a hike in the woods nearby. Nature has a wonderful way of healing the troubled mind. The one hour hike did wonders for me and I felt a lot better.
It sure was a luxury to be amidst nature and get a breath of fresh air. The mystery of the woods never ceases to amaze me. There is magic in these trails and leads to a sort of self-discovery in the process.
Day 9: Peacock green is a mysterious colour and I couldn’t exactly put my finger to it. Fortunately I had an event T shirt that I obtained from Mumbai a while back. Since I began the Navrun journey with crossfit, I decided to end it with the same, emphasizing the fact that life comes a full circle. Green is associated with stability and endurance.
It was
3 km HIIT
2 km rowing
90 squat jumps
25 goblet squats
24 bent over dumbbell rows
25 triceps dips
20 leg raises
24 bicycle crunches
24 toe reaches
20 hip bridges.
Even if I felt as proud as a peacock, such a strenuous workout humbled me and made me attain the balance in my emotions.
Navrun isn’t just an event. It’s a journey which brought many runners across the world together. In a way, it was a garbha night for runners at least in a virtual manner. Encouragement and motivation was certainly in the air. Participants appreciated and applauded one another for the effort put in whenever the workouts and photos were uploaded. Such words carry tend to give one more energy than probably a bottle of Gatorade.
I could not do the workout on the tenth day which was dedicated to the armed forces as work and fatigue caught up with me. I had been working out for 12 days without a break which included these 9 days. Nevertheless, this Navratri had been a memorable one as it added variety and a little ‘color’ to my workouts for those 9 days. (Pun intended).
Thank you Bijay Nair and MRR for this beautiful concept!
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