Mumbai Marathon 2025: How this cancer survivor embraced running for fitness

Back in the rsquo80s being a runner wasnrsquot the social flex it is today There were no smartwatches to track your running speed or heart rate and no running groups to motivate and keep you from giving up One thing that has always been part and parcel of running though are the happy hormones says Ashok Joshi who ldquopicked up the habit casuallyrdquo over three decades agoThe 72year0ld is currently prepping for the Mumbai Marathon slated for January 19 This will be his 14th time running in the gruelling race which he has been participating in since 2009 He lets it slip that the only year he missed it was in 2019 when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer ldquoI would run the 15 minutes it would take from my to the hospital where I would receive radiation treatment and then run back homerdquo says Joshi ldquoOf course I never told the doctors that I was doing thatrdquo he adds with a chuckleHis confession might raise a few eyebrows but Joshi insists that runningmdashand the fitness it broughtmdash was one of the weapons in his arsenal that helped him beat the dreaded Big C diagnosisFortunately the cancer had been detected early and Joshi had a clean bill of health otherwise with none of the health conditions that often plague senior citizens ldquoI donrsquot have diabetes blood pressure problems or anything reallyrdquo says the longtime runner from PuneldquoI think running is one of the reasons that I was maybe more resilient in battling cancer with no comorbidities to complicate the recovery processrdquo he addsWhen Joshirsquos began running in the late rsquo80s it was purely motivated by the desire to remain fit ldquoI am a retired Reserve Bank Of India employee so you can only imagine how sedentary my lifestyle was I began running as a way to keep myself fit which honestly is still the aimrdquo he saysHis journey as a marathoner though picked up pace only after retirement in 2004 ldquoEarlier I was unable to follow through on training as regularly as I wanted because of workrdquo says Joshi ldquoI became a regular only postretirementrdquo Joshi radiates an oldschool sense of dedication and persistence with regards to his running To this day maintaining his fitness level takes precedence over the bragging rights of completing any marathon This is evident from what his weekly fitness regimen looks likeThroughout the year he spaces out his runs over three days a week over the course of which he aims to run for a minimum total of 30 km Three other days involve an hourandahalf of strength training One day is entirely dedicated to resting ldquoThe reason many people get injured is because they merely run without any strength training Also itrsquos an open secret that we runners tend to overdo it at times It takes time to learn to listen and understand your body on how much you need to push it and when to step backrdquo he explainsAnd what about all the newfangled gadgets and apps that younger runners rely on Joshi is all for them if they help you maintain the habit ldquoTools are great but itrsquos the will to make running a part of your life that counts the most Join a running group or use tracking appsmdashitrsquos just a part of the running habit not the beall and endall of itrdquo he addsIn the runup to the Mumbai Marathon Joshi usually does two long runsmdasha 30km session in November and December each He then tapers off to his usual weekly routine two weeks ahead of the big race ldquoYou donrsquot do anything too intense in the few weeks before the marathon because you train throughout the year for itrdquo is Joshirsquos advice to new runnersHis two sons are into fitness as well but have not taken to running like him Joshi doesnrsquot seem to mind ldquoThey have a good healthy lifestyle and are gymmers that is what mattersrdquo he says Joshi is however trying to convert his wife to a runner ldquoI have just been able to get her to do small 15minute runs so far Letrsquos see if she wants to stick to it or notrdquo he laughsWell Mr Joshi we wish you luck with the marathon and hope you never run short of this enthusiasm