In conversation with Bipul Talukdar, an accomplished ultra runner that is the only South Asian to have completed the triple crown of 200 miler foot races. He did this in 2021, in addition to his Cocodona 240 finish that made it a total of four 200 miler races in the same year.  His running journey started in 2011, with TeamAsha,  Silicon Valley Running Program that trains adults to run half marathons to raise funds for underprivileged children’s education in India.  We get to the backstory of this amazing endurance journey, the how and the why of it.   

Bipul can be followed on his Instagram handle @talespinboy

Chapter timelines

0:00 Intro

4:25 Flashback on where it all started

8:09 Starting with marathons and scaling to ultra

12:28 Changes in lifestyle due to running

14:29 Who inspired the scale

18:16 The alternative to High volume training

30:37 Effect of training on mental health

34:38 Four 200 hundred miler year

36:01 How does a Virtual Tahoe 200-mile race work

44:23 The first two hundred miler experience

49:41 How to avoid blisters

55:58 The Big Foot 200 experience

58:03 Can a trail runner take in the scenery

1:02:58 What is mental strength

1:06 The Moab 240

1:10 How the body adapts

1:13:31 Spiritual dimension of ultra running

1:17 What next

1:26:08 The last word

Ram started his running a decade back. Starting with a local marathon, he scaled his journey to running marathons across the country and internationally. His pivotal moment came when he decided to give triathlons a try. Like all adult-onset swimmers, he overcame his trepidation for water and mastered the pool and open water. His first Ironman was in April 2022 in Woodlands, Texas.  We get behind the scenes on his incredible fitness journey that lead to the first Ironman finish.

0:00 Intro and background

4:11 Flashback, where it all started

7:52 The first marathon

13:05 Scaling

15:01 Learning from early mistakes in training

20:36 Dealing with Injury

22:37 Pivoting into ultras and triathlons

25:13 Mastering swimming

30:35 Is endurance sport purely physical

32:02 Overcoming the swim handicap

34:00 How to train for a Triathlon

40:00 What next on the horizon

41:51 The Fun Q&A round

47:14 Wrap up message

In conversation with Nattu Natraj, the first known person of Indian origin to do Badwater 135, a tough grueling ultra foot race. The Badwater marathon is 135 miles of hell in 140F temperatures. From Death Valley to Mt. Whitney. It gets so hot that shoes melt on asphalt. Therefore, the runners often seek solace on the white strips on the side of the road, where it is relatively less hot.   To prep for Badwater, Nattu completed the Marathon Des Sables. Marathon des Sables, or MdS, (French for Marathon of the Sands, also known as Sahara Marathon)[1] is a six-day, 251 km (156 mi)[2] ultramarathon, which is approximately the distance of six regular marathons. This multi-day race is held every year in southern Morocco, in the Sahara Desert. It has been regarded as the toughest foot race on Earth.  Additionally, Nattu has completed over 150 ultras including the Western States 100 and Hurt 100. Nattu and his wife Karen Bonnett Natraj ( Episode 92) are active members of the ultra community inspiring many to lead a healthy lifestyle.

0:00 Intro and background

6:22 Flashback to where it all started

11:23 Choosing the Badwater 135 as a goal

13:08 Doing the Marathon des Sables to qualify for Badwater

17:03 The beginners mistake at Marathon des sables

23:54 How to train for Marathon des sables

28:35 Prepping and Running the Badwater 135

33:12 How do grueling ultras change you

38:38 Motivations change with age

41:00 The western states

44:33 Finishing the most challenging Ultra, The Hurt 100

47:03 Food choices in ultra

52:30 The top 3 tips

54:24 What’s next in the horizon

57:36 The Fun Q&A round

Mohan is a technology executive for a day job and an accomplished marathon runner. What started as a casual hobby back in 2010 with a 5k in February of that year, grew quickly into a running adventure that continued until Covid put the brakes on it in February 2020.   He ran my very first full marathon in October 2010 in Chicago and has run 110 full marathons, 1 Ultra, and 54 half-marathons to date. What started as a weight loss journey turned into a passion. Mohan has completed a full marathon in all the 50 States plus DC. He has run on the 7 continents including  Antarctica and has also run a  marathon at the North Pole. He has also completed the World Marathon Majors (Chicago, Boston, New York, London, Berlin, and Tokyo).

Chapter timelines

0:00 Intro and background

3:16 Flashback, to how it all began

9:42 Getting bitten by the running bug

10:18 The First 5k to a full marathon

16:04 The first marathon

18:00 Training by instinct

23:42 How did the marathon bug happen

31:35 Gamefiy the running journey

34:12 Managing high volumes of running

38:58 How did running change over time

41:48 A common-sense approach to running a LOT

43:39 The importance of stretch and massage

46:21 Managing family commitments

47:54 The top memorable marathons

51:56 What next on the horizon

52:22 Food choices and preference

53:27 Fun Q&A round

57:41 Final wrap up message

Karen Bonnett Natraj is a long-distance athlete, and a Life Coach, focusing on Mental Fitness and Performance.    While her journey started with cycling in the 1990s when she joined some family members for the MS 150 ride, she went on to "Randonneuring" 1200k rides and later pivoted into the world of ultra running and Ironman. There has been no looking back since she started, as she scaled her performances and qualified for the Boston marathon and the coveted Western States 100. Her 2017 near-miss finish at the Western States has well written about, and we get to get behind the scenes on that epic race.

Chapter timelines

0:00 Intro and background

3:02 Flashback of where it all started

6:12 Starting the long-distance bicycling journey

8:00 Randonneuring The 1200k rides

13:07 Fueling for the ultra-long rides

14:59 How did running enter life

17:46 Start of the ultra journey

18:34 Meeting Natu

22:23 Becoming an Iron Man

25:21 Dealing with lack of motivation

27:53 Doing back to back 100 milers

28:30 Strategy for recovery

31:27 What is eat clean

35:12 A new view on wellness and coaching

40:57 Western states 2017 a victory of mindset

49:30 What next on the horizon

56:32 The last word

In conversation with Sapna Agarwal, an advocate for women's health and fitness. Her mission of spreading awareness about important natural cycles,  unique to women is invaluable. The infradian rhythm is a 28-day cycle that regulates the menstrual cycle.  " Women are not little men", she quips, and rightly so. The fitness protocols that exist today exclude these factors leading to frustration and long-term health impacts. This is a must-listen if you are curious about how one can align natural rhythms to generate the best health outcomes.

Chapter timelines

0:00 Intro and background

3:00 Flashback, how it all started

6:52 Adaptation, getting fit by cleaning home

8:43 Everything is not honky dory after losing weight

9:50 The self-sabotage phase

10:56 The ownership to change course

13:10 The daily struggle of creating change

18:34 Starting of the running journey

20:02 Discovering speed

22:12 The price of the obsessive runner

24:11 The start of an underlying illness

27:15 The impact of external stress on running

29:39 Leaky Gut syndrome

30:14 Letting the mind do the talking

33:21 The value of functional medicine

35:19 Empathizing one choice

38:01 Body Image and Mental health

40:34 What is Infradian Rhythm

46:13 Lifestyle aligned to a woman’s needs

47:26 Top 3 tips for women’s fitness planning

55:05 The importance of progesterone cycle

1:01:12 Why women should do strength training

1:08:31 What next in the journey

1:11:50 Fun Q&A round

1:17:08 Parting message

Sidharth Routray is the first known Ironman from the state of Odia in India and he takes pride in being a trendsetter. Odia and its people are one of the most beautiful and culturally rich regions in India.  He is also an avid mountaineer who has done peaks like Mt. Aconcagua, Mt. Denali, Mt. Orizaba, Mt El Plomo, and over 200 others. He is a proud former student of the prestigious National Defence Academy of Dehradun. Currently working as Head of Digital Marketing in San Jose, the Silicon Valley of USA.  We get behind the scenes on his amazing journey of personal loss and revival, and how endurance sport has enriched his life.

0:00 Intro and background

3:21 Who is a Payika

6:41 Flashback, early days of endurance /mountaineering

9:05 How to determine location w/o GPS

9:56 The organic farming journey

10:42 Life in LA mountaineering restart

12:12 The Bicycling bug

14:21 Hitting refresh

16:34 Balancing family

18:38 The Triathalon journey

21:58 Breaststroke in the half iron

25:32 Training for full Iron man and time management

29:09 Discipline is not a bad word

32:35 Role of spirituality in endurance

35:15 Summiting the highest peak in South America

40:02 3 weeks to an Ultraman

47:56 Overcoming lows

52:33 What next in the journey

54:08 The fun Q&A round

1:04:07 The last word

In conversation with Neuroscientist, Shrinath Kadamangudi, we explore where the physical stops and the metaphysical begins. Is the human experience merely physical, or is there something more? What is a personal will, and what is the self? A conversation of the brain is incomplete without dwelling on the metaphysical.

In conversation with Neuroscientist, Shrinath Kadamangudi, who for the last 8+years has been dwelling into the science of the brain. He went on to complete a B.S. in Neuroscience from UT Dallas and an MPhil in Neuroscience from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Shrinath is currently in the MD-PhD dual degree program at the University of Texas Medical Branch. He just finished his pre-clinical training and has recently commenced his Ph.D. in Neuroscience under the mentorship of Dr. Giulio Taglialatela, Director of the Mitchell Center of Neurodegenerative Disease Research, exploring therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s and age-related dementias. Shrinath is an avid fan of philosophy and metaphysics as well and is curious to explore the divergence and intersection of the brain and the spirit.

0:00 Intro and background

3:55 Why the pursuit of NeuroScience

6:29 What is NeuroScience

10:02 What is mapping

14:01 What is the time element in brain function

18:27 Why do we remember only somethings

21:57 Can bain frequencies communicate across bodies

23:20 What is Love

27:46 The main parts of the brain

31:32 The evolutionary organization of the brain

39:15 How to keep Brain healthy

44:51 Impact of stress on brain health

49:29 Why do Neurons die

#diet #nutrition #indian 

In the house today is Sarika Shah a registered dietitian and nutritionist who inspires everyone to live their best and especially working with South Asians in America. Her mission of keeping ethnic food central to the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle through science is commendable.   We get into a 101 on nutritional science so you can make informed decisions around what you eat  

You can contact Sarika at https://www.thenourishedrd.com

Chapter timelines

0:00 INTRO AND BACKGROUND

2:24 CHOOSING TO BECOME A DIETICIAN

7:56 NUTRITION 101 THE BUILDING BLOCKS

9:30 MACRONUTRIENTS

18:19 IS THE QUALITY OF PROTEINS IMPORTANT

25:40 THE IMPORTANCE OF FATS

30:42 THE DOWNSIDE OF FRYING

32:29 MICRONUTRIENTS

40:07 BUY CERTIFIED VITAMINS

41:46 IMPORTANCE OF PROBIOTICS

45:21 IS AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE PROBIOTIC

46:20 WHY CHOOSE A NUTRITIONAL COACH

48:31 THE SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

50:44 WRAP UP AND THE LAST WORD