Run with Fitpage

In this episode of Run with Fitpage, we had the opportunity to host Deena Kastor on the show. Deena, a runner with great energy speaks to our host Vikas Singh all about her running journey, her experiences, and her learnings in this episode.

Deena Kastor is an American long-distance runner. She was a holder of American records in the marathon (2006-2022) and numerous road distances. She won the bronze medal in the women's marathon at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. She is also an eight-time national champion in cross country. In high school, Kastor won three California state cross country titles and two CIF California State Meet titles at 3200 meters while running for Agoura High School in Agoura Hills, California. She also competed in the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships all four years of her prep career and competed in both the North American Youth Maccabi Games and the Pan-American Maccabiah while in high school.

At the University of Arkansas, she was a four-time SEC champion and an eight-time All-American. Post-collegiately, Kastor ran under coaches Joe Vigil and Terrence Mahon. Since 2015, she has been coached by her husband, Andrew Kastor, head of the Mammoth Track Club. Kastor was selected as the top women's marathoner in the world in 2006 by Track and Field News magazine. She was inducted into the New York Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2001, and into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame on April 29, 2007. In 2003 she was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

About the host
Vikas hosts this weekly podcast and enjoys nerding over-exercise physiology, nutrition, and endurance sport in general.  He aims to get people to get out and 'move'.  When he is not working, he is found running, almost always.  He can be found on nearly all social media channels but Instagram is preferred:)

Reach out to Vikas:
Instagram: @vikas_singhh
LinkedIn: Vikas Singh
Twitter: @vikashsingh1010

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In this episode of Run with Fitpage, we had the former editor-in-chief of the PodiumRunner magazine, and the current Senior Running Editor of Outside, Jonathan Beverly. Jonathan is an avid runner with expertise in running shoes — having tried and reviewed almost every shoe model in the world. Our host Vikas discusses with Jonathan all about running shoes, right from minimalistic to super-shoes.

Jonathan Beverly’s passion is to help others experience the joy of training, competing, and being fit and fully alive. The author of Your Best Stride and Run Strong, Stay Hungry, Jonathan served as editor-in-chief of Running Times for 15 years and PodiumRunner for three. A lifelong runner himself, he has coached runners of all levels, from beginners to marathoners, and high school athletes to masters competitors.

To find Jonathan, log on to www.jonathanbeverly.com.
Read all articles by Jonathan here: www.outsideonline.com/byline/jonathan-beverly/

About the host
Vikas hosts this weekly podcast and enjoys nerding over-exercise physiology, nutrition, and endurance sport in general.  He aims to get people to get out and 'move'.  When he is not working, he is found running, almost always.  He can be found on nearly all social media channels but Instagram is preferred:)

Reach out to Vikas:
Instagram: @vikas_singhh
LinkedIn: Vikas Singh
Twitter: @vikashsingh1010

Subscribe To Our Newsletter For Weekly Nuggets of Knowledge!

Mantras on training and living a healthier and fitter life coming from the world's number one can be so simple that they often dodge us. We often wait for a nugget of golden wisdom to catch our attention, which we hope will lead to the transformation we have been waiting for.  

But this time, sharing these simple mantras, we had a strong and passionate voice to encourage you to start and keep going. In this episode of ‘Run with fitpage,’ we had the pleasure of hosting Greg Bennett who has been ranked the world's number one Triathlete in 2002 and 2003, winning the ITU Triathlon World Cup in both years. He is not just a highly decorated athlete, but also an entrepreneur, working on a tech Q&A startup. 

This conversation between Vikas and Greg focuses on highlighting features and habits that enable high performance, be it sports or in any other aspect of life. Both speakers are passionate about asking questions to some of the top athletes, gold medalists, and celebrated researchers and doctors, and in this episode, they bring you the best from the world of these high performers. Here Greg touches upon the following topics:

• Greg’s journey of being the world's best Triathlete 
• The charm of running and triathlon communities
• How it is not just about working hard
• Owning sleep and recovery
• Understanding your needs and practicing gratitude
• Dealing with setbacks and things that are out of control
• The power of showing up every day and staying consistent 

Greg has had a reputation for training spectacularly hard (there was a time when he would train until he peed blood), but as Greg reconsidered his training strategy, which was more in tune with being healthier, he started making small changes that had big impacts.

He cannot stress enough, but Greg puts immense value on getting enough sleep and focusing on proper recovery. He advocates surrounding yourself with people who are pushing you towards your cause; who have positive narratives about what you are striving to do.

Greg's story is about reaching many destinations by improving the quality of the journey. Some of the training principles Greg has to share here have also helped his friends…and in the case of Simon Whitfield, they sought Olympic gold during the Sydney 2000 Olympics. This episode is nothing short of gold, you don’t want to miss it.   

To know more about Greg,
Instagram: @thegregbennettshow
Twitter: GregBennettShow

About the host
Vikas hosts this weekly podcast and enjoys nerding over-exercise physiology, nutrition, and endurance sport in general.  He aims to get people to get out and 'move'.  When he is not working, he is found running, almost always.  He can be found on nearly all social media channels but Instagram is preferred:)

Reach out to Vikas:
Instagram: @vikas_singhh
LinkedIn: Vikas Singh
Twitter: @vikashsingh1010

Subscribe To Our Newsletter For Weekly Nuggets of Knowledge!

Participating in an international running event is perhaps the best holiday a running enthusiast could imagine. For most Indian runners who travel to other countries to run in an event, it is an opportunity to renew their enthusiasm for running and does so in cultures that are new and refreshing in every sense.

In this episode of ‘Run with fitpage’ joining Vikas is Gauri Jayaram who is the founder and CEO of Active Holiday Company. As the name implies, Active Holiday blends your desire to run in some of the most celebrated running events in the world with a desire to have a vacation of a lifetime. In this episode, Vikas and Gauri dive into talking about the charm of running the world majors (there are six), and also the challenges of participating in these running events. Often the first step of participating in these events can be a challenge, especially with how difficult it can be to participate through the ballot, and Gauri shares how Active Holiday Company becomes instrumental in navigating this challenge as an official tour operator for such running events.

This conversation is likely to instill a seed in you to participate in running events outside India and give you solid answers to some of the questions that surround you in planning to run in world majors. Vikas and Gauri explore topics like:

• Various ways in which International runners can participate in World Majors
• Starting a world-major journey for runners
• Profiling world majors for Indian runners
• How official tour operators are positioned in helping you participate
• Experience running some of the most celebrated marathon events
• Perfect place to start your first International run
• Some fun and insightful experiences Gauri has had over the years traveling with and for runners

There are only a few ways in which you can participate in world major marathons–commonly known as world majors. It can be done through the ballot, where you drop your name and leave the rest to faith. If you are an elite runner, you just need to enroll. If you wish your participation to help a cause, your charity can be your entry. The last is participating through an official tour operator who holds a certain number of tickets.

In this conversation, Gauri shares her story of how she started Active Holiday Company and how it became a tour operator. For runners, the camaraderie and lasting relationships that get built in traveling to other countries for races is something that goes beyond simply running a world major. Gauri has been a witness to many remarkable experiences and cultures runners often enjoy during their travels, and she gives voice to all of them in this episode.

About the host
Vikas hosts this weekly podcast and enjoys nerding over-exercise physiology, nutrition, and endurance sport in general.  He aims to get people to get out and 'move'.  When he is not working, he is found running, almost always.  He can be found on nearly all social media channels but Instagram is preferred:)

Reach out to Vikas:
Instagram: @vikas_singhh
LinkedIn: Vikas Singh
Twitter: @vikashsingh1010

Subscribe To Our Newsletter For Weekly Nuggets of Knowledge!

In the 103rd episode of Run with Fitpage, we had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Wouter Hoogkamer. In this episode, Vikas and Dr. Hoogkamer talk about running economy, uphill and downhill biomechanics, and running shoes.

Dr. Wouter Hoogkamer is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Applied Life Sciences, Center for Personalized Health Monitoring, University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research interest lies around a comprehensive approach to studying human locomotion, integrating neurophysiology, biomechanics, and energetics. His work covers the entire health spectrum, from the neuromechanics of split-belt walking in individuals with neurological disease to the biomechanics and energetics of elite marathon runners. The focus is specifically on how surface and footwear properties can be used and optimized to improve gait rehabilitation and sports performance.

Dr. Hoogkamer's current research revolves around
– Running footwear
– Wearable-based running performance modeling
– Footwear interventions in clinical populations (post-stroke, Parkinson's disease)

Follow Dr. Wouter's work on www.wouterhoogkamer.com

Vikas hosts this weekly podcast and enjoys nerding over-exercise physiology, nutrition, and endurance sport in general.  He aims to get people to get out and 'move'.  When he is not working, he is found running, almost always.  He can be found on nearly all social media channels but Instagram is preferred:)

Reach out to Vikas:
Instagram: @vikas_singhh
LinkedIn: Vikas Singh
Twitter: @vikashsingh1010

Subscribe To Our Newsletter For Weekly Nuggets of Knowledge!

In this episode of Run with Fitpage, we have the race director of India's largest race, the Tata Mumbai Marathon - Hugh Jones. Vikas and Hugh discuss all about Hugh's running journey and TMM 2023, along with some important pieces of advice for the runners from Hugh.

Hugh Jones is a retired British long-distance runner. He was born in London and attended Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, where he began competing in long-distance running both for the school and for Ranelagh Harriers, and the University of Liverpool. In 1982 Jones became the first Welshman to win the London Marathon, finishing in a time of 2:09:24. Two years later he finished 12th in the men's marathon of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles with a time of 2:13:57. In 1983 he finished a close second to Joseph Nzau in the Chicago Marathon. In 1983 Hugh Jones won the Stockholm Marathon with a time of 2:11:37, for twenty years the course record. He won it again in 1992 (2:15:58) was second in 1993 (2:17:29) and seventh in 1994 (2:18:20). His personal best is 2:09:24, set in London 1982.

Jones became the Secretary of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) in July 1996, succeeding Andy Galloway. Jones currently holds this position as well as the editorship of AIMS' Distance Running magazine which he started in 2000. Jones was president of the Road Runners Club from 2007 to 2011.

Vikas hosts this weekly podcast and enjoys nerding over-exercise physiology, nutrition, and endurance sport in general.  He aims to get people to get out and 'move'.  When he is not working, he is found running, almost always.  He can be found on nearly all social media channels but Instagram is preferred:)

Reach out to Vikas:
Instagram: @vikas_singhh
LinkedIn: Vikas Singh
Twitter: @vikashsingh1010

Subscribe To Our Newsletter For Weekly Nuggets of Knowledge!

In this episode of Run with Fitpage, our host Vikas Singh talks to Sumedh Borkar, and answers all the questions from a beginner's point of view, with regard to how to run your first 5k.

Study - The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network over 32 Years: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa066082

Vikas hosts this weekly podcast and enjoys nerding over-exercise physiology, nutrition, and endurance sport in general.  He aims to get people to get out and 'move'.  When he is not working, he is found running, almost always.  He can be found on nearly all social media channels but Instagram is preferred:)

Reach out to Vikas:
Instagram: @vikas_singhh
LinkedIn: Vikas Singh
Twitter: @vikashsingh1010

Subscribe To Our Newsletter For Weekly Nuggets of Knowledge!

We are at episode 100, indeed a special moment for us. Thanks to all our old and new listeners for believing in what we are doing through our podcast. While Run with Fitpage started with a long-term perspective, we chose to grow step by step, episode by episode, week by week.

In this episode, our host Vikas Singh talks about setting goals. Goal-setting is an art, it requires a system, requires discipline. You will learn that how setting too big or too small goals may lead to failure of execution, and how to systematically plan and execute your fitness goals for 2023!

Vikas hosts this weekly podcast and enjoys nerding over-exercise physiology, nutrition, and endurance sport in general.  He aims to get people to get out and 'move'.  When he is not working, he is found running, almost always.  He can be found on nearly all social media channels but Instagram is preferred:)

Reach out to Vikas:
Instagram: @vikas_singhh
LinkedIn: Vikas Singh
Twitter: @vikashsingh1010

Subscribe To Our Newsletter For Weekly Nuggets of Knowledge!

In the 99th episode of Run with Fitpage, we had a world record holder, Karl Meltzer, a.k.a., "Speedgoat Karl". Karl currently holds the record for most 100-mile trail race wins on earth: 38. Vikas and Karl discuss transitioning from marathon or half marathon distances to the longer ones, the ultramarathons.

Karl is an ultrarunner and ultrarunning coach based in Sandy, Utah. Meltzer has won more 100-mile ultramarathons than any other ultramarathoner and has held speed records at major U.S. trails, including the Appalachian Trail and the Pony Express Trail. Meltzer's trail runs have been featured in news outlets from Ultrarunning.com to NBC Sports. Meltzer has been a professional ultramarathoner since 1999, and a coach since 2007. While many ultramarathoners tend to be vegetarian, vegan, and anti-alcohol or caffeine, Meltzer has been seen with bacon, Red Bull, and microbrews.

On September 18, 2016, Meltzer set an Appalachian Trail record by completing the 2,190 miles over 14 states in 45 days 22 hours, and 38 minutes. This achievement was featured in a 2017 documentary movie "Made To Be Broken". Meltzer's record was eclipsed in September 2017 by Joe McConaughy in a self-supported run. The current A.T. fastest known time was by Belgian runner Karel Sabbe, who completed the trail in 41 days, 7 hours, and 39 minutes on August 29, 2018. Meltzer is the current Race Director for the Speedgoat 50K at Snowbird Ski Resort.

To train with Karl, visit www.karlmeltzer.com.

Vikas hosts this weekly podcast and enjoys nerding over-exercise physiology, nutrition, and endurance sport in general.  He aims to get people to get out and 'move'.  When he is not working, he is found running, almost always.  He can be found on nearly all social media channels but Instagram is preferred:)

Reach out to Vikas:
Instagram: @vikas_singhh
LinkedIn: Vikas Singh
Twitter: @vikashsingh1010

Subscribe To Our Newsletter For Weekly Nuggets of Knowledge!

In the 98th episode of Run with Fitpage, we had the Founder of Citius Mag - Chris Chavez. If you have been into the endurance space, without a doubt you must have come across Chris' content. Vikas and Chris take us into a light-hearted conversation, with lots of stories to tell.

Chavez started covering track and field at the age of 18 when he held up a camera in front of athletes at the 2012 Adidas Grand Prix and started asking Oscar Pistorius questions about preparation for the 2012 Olympics. A few years later, Chavez would be sitting down one-on-one with the likes of Usain Bolt and many other of the world's best athletes.

To know more about Chris, reach him at:
Instagram: @chris_j_chavez
Twitter: @ChrisChavez
Website: citiusmag.com

Vikas hosts this weekly podcast and enjoys nerding over-exercise physiology, nutrition, and endurance sport in general.  He aims to get people to get out and 'move'.  When he is not working, he is found running, almost always.  He can be found on nearly all social media channels but Instagram is preferred:)

Reach out to Vikas:
Instagram: @vikas_singhh
LinkedIn: Vikas Singh
Twitter: @vikashsingh1010

Subscribe To Our Newsletter For Weekly Nuggets of Knowledge!