This episode is brought to you by Findbetter.ai. Find better is a social networking app for cycling & running enthusiasts to discover and shop together.

This episode is brought to you by www.thebikeaffair.com

If you are in search of a one-stop destination that caters to all your cycling needs, our today's sponsor, The Bike Affair, is the perfect place to check out! With over 14 years of experience, The Bike Affair has established itself as a trusted source offering honest advice and exceptional service. They are offering a special treat for the listeners of this podcast. You can enjoy a 10% discount on your first order by using the code 'BIKEYVENKY' on their website.  Visit their bike store in Hyderabad or shop online by using the link www.thebikeaffair.com  

Today's guest Praveen Prabhakaran is a custom frame builder from Pune. I have seen a few of the frames he built and they are works of art.

In this episode we talk about how he got into frame building as well as what are the highs and lows involved in the process. We talked about how one can go about ordering a frame from him, what can be expected in terms of attention to detail etc as well as what are the budgets for various types of bike frames he works on. He is the only bike frame builder I know and it was pretty exciting to talk about bikes with him. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

0:00:00 Intro

0:05:10 Relationship with sports growing up

0:08:00 Love with frame building, how it started

0:16:10 Building zigs etc out of necessity

0:20:20 The love for mountain biking

0:23:30 Psynyde Bikes to Intent Bikes

0:28:10 Process of getting a bike built from him

0:30:30 How hard was the decision to go full time into frame building

0:35:00 Challenges and joys of being a frame builder

0:38:00 Budget for custom frame building from Intent bikes

0:41:00 Firsts in India, Special projects etc

0:45:00 Closing comments

Praveen can be reached at:

https://www.facebook.com/monztrluvr

https://instagram.com/intent_bikes

About the Podcast

The working athlete podcast is a podcast with and for working athletes from all walks of life and various sports. The goal is to provide inspiration, training tips, mental hacks, time management and life-style advice through conversations with some of the best in sport, from athletes to coaches. If you think you can benefit from this, please consider subscribing so that you don't miss the weekly episodes in future.

Who is a working athlete? Someone working fulltime/part-time, entrepreneur or anyone who has to work to make ends meet and doesn't let being busy to stop him/her from pursuing an active lifestyle is a working athlete. I consider stay at home moms/dads who pursue a sport, as working athletes because homemaking is a full-time job.

If you like this, share with friends who could be interested.

For the visually inclined, a video version of the podcast can be found here: YouTube

Other Places you'll find the podcast on:

Anchor | RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google podcasts | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | Breaker 

This episode is brought to you by Findbetter.ai. Find better is a social networking app for cycling & running enthusiasts to discover and shop together.

This episode is brought to you by www.thebikeaffair.com

If you are in search of a one-stop destination that caters to all your cycling needs, our today's sponsor, The Bike Affair, is the perfect place to check out! With over 14 years of experience, The Bike Affair has established itself as a trusted source offering honest advice and exceptional service. They are offering a special treat for the listeners of this podcast. You can enjoy a 10% discount on your first order by using the code 'BIKEYVENKY' on their website.  Visit their bike store in Hyderabad or shop online by using the link www.thebikeaffair.com  

Today's guest Deepa Nayak is a Boston qualified runner, ACE certified strength and conditioning instructor and a running coach.

In this episode we talk about her running journey of going from 4:17mins to 3:18mins for a Marathon. We talk about her experience at 3 world majors including running Boston and London marathons two weeks back to back. We also talk about her strength and conditioning routine, her race day nutrition and her journey as a coach. Deepa's inherent humbleness and honesty shines through in this conversation with her. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.

0:00:00 Intro

0:04:10 Relationship with sports growing up

0:13:20 start of her running journey

0:16:50 Her first marathon experience

0:21:20 Learnings from first marathon

0:25:30 Her training through the pandemic

0:28:10 ACE certification

0:30:00 Her world majors, Berlin marathon, Boston marathon and London marathon

0:56:55 Strength and conditioning

1:02:00 Her nutrition principles

1:08:00 Tips for Working Athletes  

About the Podcast

The working athlete podcast is a podcast with and for working athletes from all walks of life and various sports. The goal is to provide inspiration, training tips, mental hacks, time management and life-style advice through conversations with some of the best in sport, from athletes to coaches. If you think you can benefit from this, please consider subscribing so that you don't miss the weekly episodes in future.

Who is a working athlete? Someone working fulltime/part-time, entrepreneur or anyone who has to work to make ends meet and doesn't let being busy to stop him/her from pursuing an active lifestyle is a working athlete. I consider stay at home moms/dads who pursue a sport, as working athletes because homemaking is a full-time job.

If you like this, share with friends who could be interested.

For the visually inclined, a video version of the podcast can be found here: YouTube

Other Places you'll find the podcast on:

Anchor | RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google podcasts | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | Breaker 

A bit about myself:

I'm Venkat/Venkateswara Rao in my work avatar, working as a Chief Data Analyst in the IT industry in Bangalore. I'm Venky/Bikeyvenky for my friends in the cycling community.

All through my life I struggled with weight and health issues. After multiple failed attempts through the life to get fit and healthy, in 2008, I managed to lose 16kgs. My motivation was to be able to take care of my unborn son with the thought that "if I'm not able to take care of myself, how am I going to take care of my family?". When my son was 6 months old, having lost 16kgs, I picked up a bike to keep that weight off and stay fit. That became a passion and lost more weight and became better at it. I continue to train myself not just to stay fit but also race competitively in races in and outside the country. I also have been coaching a few riders to get stronger and faster at cycling since 2016.

This episode is brought to you by Findbetter.ai. Find better is a social networking app for cycling & running enthusiasts to discover and shop together.

This episode is brought to you by www.thebikeaffair.com

If you are in search of a one-stop destination that caters to all your cycling needs, our today's sponsor, The Bike Affair, is the perfect place to check out! With over 14 years of experience, The Bike Affair has established itself as a trusted source offering honest advice and exceptional service. They are offering a special treat for the listeners of this podcast. You can enjoy a 10% discount on your first order by using the code 'BIKEYVENKY' on their website.  Visit their bike store in Hyderabad or shop online by using the link www.thebikeaffair.com  

Today's guest Tim Tim Sharma is a runner, cyclist, triathlete, S&C and Yoga instructor and a coach. This is Tim Tim's second time on the podcast. The first time she was on the podcast in episode #111, we talked about her journey so far with regards to running and cycling. We talked about her come back to podiums after dealing with debilitating injuries. If you have not heard that episode, I'd highly recommend it.

In this episode we talk about her triathlon journey including her win at the Goa Ironman 70.3 last year and her future goals in triathlon. We also talk about her strength and conditioning routine, the importance of nutrition towards achieving one's athletic goals and her coaching philosophy in guiding her trainees. As always, her energy makes it so much fun to talk to her. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.

0:00:00 Intro

0:06:00 Her training for Goa Ironman 70.3

0:22:15 Winning performance at Goa Ironman 70.3

0:41:15 Short distance triathlon vs Mid distance 70.3 for her

0:44:15 Strength and conditioning for athletic performance

0:54:55 Her weekly training schedule

0:59:15 Her coaching philosophy,

1:02:15 Her nutrition principles

1:04:20 Closing remarks   

About the Podcast

The working athlete podcast is a podcast with and for working athletes from all walks of life and various sports. The goal is to provide inspiration, training tips, mental hacks, time management and life-style advice through conversations with some of the best in sport, from athletes to coaches. If you think you can benefit from this, please consider subscribing so that you don't miss the weekly episodes in future.

Who is a working athlete? Someone working fulltime/part-time, entrepreneur or anyone who has to work to make ends meet and doesn't let being busy to stop him/her from pursuing an active lifestyle is a working athlete. I consider stay at home moms/dads who pursue a sport, as working athletes because homemaking is a full-time job.

If you like this, share with friends who could be interested.

For the visually inclined, a video version of the podcast can be found here: YouTube

Other Places you'll find the podcast on:

Anchor | RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google podcasts | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | Breaker 

This episode is brought to you by Findbetter.ai. Find better is a social networking app for cycling & running enthusiasts to discover and shop together.

This episode is brought to you by www.thebikeaffair.com

If you are in search of a one-stop destination that caters to all your cycling needs, our today's sponsor, The Bike Affair, is the perfect place to check out! With over 14 years of experience, The Bike Affair has established itself as a trusted source offering honest advice and exceptional service. They are offering a special treat for the listeners of this podcast. You can enjoy a 10% discount on your first order by using the code 'BIKEYVENKY' on their website.  Visit their bike store in Hyderabad or shop online by using the link www.thebikeaffair.com  

Today's guest Chenthil Mohan is a photographer friend of mine who is amazing behind a camera. He became a cyclist and a runner as he fell in love with sport while shooting sport as a freelance photographer. On our last episode with him on this podcast in episode #36, we talked about his journey from a corporate job to becoming a full time photographer.

In this episode we talk about how his perspective about work, life and sport has changed post pandemic. We talk about how pursuing perfection can be a paralyzing trait to have as a photographer or as a sportsman. It need not be pursuing heroic feats of endurance or as Che puts it, Stupid feats of endurance or nothing. It need not be 100% or nothing. We talk about finding peace with just doing the work and not being too judgmental about it. Che always brings a refreshing perspective to things and this conversation was no different. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

0:00:00 Intro

0:04:16 Work and shooting sports

0:07:20 change of perspective from Covid , taking ego buster jobs, living for today

0:11:30 Getting mentally fit, doing more than thinking

0:14:10 80 percent is better than 100 percent, better than 0%

0:16:20 New avenues of work in sports photography

0:19:30 No heroic feats of endurance, cutting out intensity,

0:23:00 focus on strength and conditioning, RPE, Mobility

0:31:30 Crazy feats of endurance, sustainability,

0:36:30 Answering the why, how it helps, therapy, sleep

0:41:00 What next for him, shooting Olympics?

0:45:10 Closing remarks   

About the Podcast

The working athlete podcast is a podcast with and for working athletes from all walks of life and various sports. The goal is to provide inspiration, training tips, mental hacks, time management and life-style advice through conversations with some of the best in sport, from athletes to coaches. If you think you can benefit from this, please consider subscribing so that you don't miss the weekly episodes in future.

Who is a working athlete? Someone working fulltime/part-time, entrepreneur or anyone who has to work to make ends meet and doesn't let being busy to stop him/her from pursuing an active lifestyle is a working athlete. I consider stay at home moms/dads who pursue a sport, as working athletes because homemaking is a full-time job.

If you like this, share with friends who could be interested.

For the visually inclined, a video version of the podcast can be found here: YouTube

Other Places you'll find the podcast on:

Anchor | RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google podcasts | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | Breaker 

A bit about myself:

I'm Venkat/Venkateswara Rao in my work avatar, working as a Chief Data Analyst in the IT industry in Bangalore. I'm Venky/Bikeyvenky for my friends in the cycling community.

With 'The Working Athlete Podcast', I have a bit of a selfish motive. That is, it will provide me an opportunity for me to meet and talk to many people from all walks of life across different sports to learn how they manage an active lifestyle while doing well at work. I hope to share those learnings with all of you. That way, it will help both you and me to keep learning and keep growing.

This episode is brought to you by Findbetter.ai. Find better is a social networking app for cycling & running enthusiasts to discover and shop together.

For today's guest Chetan Shah, life has thrown many challenges. In 2009 he had a tumor removed from his brain which resulted in hearing loss in one ear and loss of a balancing nerve. In 2011 he had to undergo a knee replacement surgery. In 2013, he had to undergo full bypass surgery for his heart because of 5 blocked arteries. Despite all these challenges, the fighter that he is, Chetan decided to fight for his life and turned his life around. In the following 10 years, till date, he has ridden about 1lakh 30 thousand km. Rain or shine he rides 6 days a week even in the toughest of climatic conditions of Mumbai Monsoons.

In this episode we talk about his inspirational journey. We talk about the lifestyle choices that he made that helped turn his life around. We talk about the many self supported bike tours he has done around the world. And we also talk about Tour of Nilgiris where I first met him. It was an inspiring conversation with an inspiring individual. I hope you'll enjoy as much as I did.

0:00:00 Intro

0:05:10 Sports background, Cricket life

0:10:50 Heart bypass surgery and dealing with it

0:21:00 Initial days of cycling after the bypass surgery

0:30:00 Lifestyle changes that helped him stay consistent

0:34:00 Cycling tours all around the world

0:49:30 Tour of Nilgiris experience

0:53:30 His tips for working athletes

0:55:10 Closing remarks

About the Podcast

The working athlete podcast is a podcast with and for working athletes from all walks of life and various sports. The goal is to provide inspiration, training tips, mental hacks, time management and life-style advice through conversations with some of the best in sport, from athletes to coaches. If you think you can benefit from this, please consider subscribing so that you don't miss the weekly episodes in future.

Who is a working athlete? Someone working fulltime/part-time, entrepreneur or anyone who has to work to make ends meet and doesn't let being busy to stop him/her from pursuing an active lifestyle is a working athlete. I consider stay at home moms/dads who pursue a sport, as working athletes because homemaking is a full-time job.

If you like this, share with friends who could be interested.

For the visually inclined, a video version of the podcast can be found here: YouTube

Other Places you'll find the podcast on:

Anchor | RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google podcasts | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | Breaker 

A bit about myself:

I'm Venkat/Venkateswara Rao in my work avatar, working as a Chief Data Analyst in the IT industry in Bangalore. I'm Venky/Bikeyvenky for my friends in the cycling community.

All through my life I struggled with weight and health issues. After multiple failed attempts through the life to get fit and healthy, in 2008, I managed to lose 16kgs. My motivation was to be able to take care of my unborn son with the thought that "if I'm not able to take care of myself, how am I going to take care of my family?". When my son was 6 months old, having lost 16kgs, I picked up a bike to keep that weight off and stay fit. That became a passion and lost more weight and became better at it. I continue to train myself not just to stay fit but also race competitively in races in and outside the country. I also have been coaching a few riders to get stronger and faster at cycling since 2016.

With 'The Working Athlete Podcast', I have a bit of a selfish motive. That is, it will provide me an opportunity for me to meet and talk to many people from all walks of life across different sports to learn how they manage an active lifestyle while doing well at work. I hope to share those learnings with all of you. That way, it will help both you and me to keep learning and keep growing.

This episode is brought to you by Findbetter.ai. Find better is a social networking app for cycling & running enthusiasts to discover and shop together. For a cycling enthusiast like me it is a treasure trove to find all sorts of bikes and accessories both used and brand new. I tend to get a lot of DMs asking for where to find a bike on a budget etc. Nowadays I tend to direct them to the Findbetter app. It is completely free to use and is available both on Google Play and the AppStore. Download and you can follow me on the app. I'm there as bikeyvenky on the app. Enjoy the podcast!

Jai Armugam is an Ultra cyclist from Dubai. His passion for cycling was born during the peak of COVID Pandemic back in April 2020 and it kept growing. I first met him during the Tour of Nilgiris in 2022 and was struk by his earnest enthusiasm for cycling. After crashing badly on the last day of TFN with in a few weeks he went on to complete his first Ultra event which was the Race Around Rwanda.

In this episode we talk about his experiences in Tour of Nilgiris as well as his experience riding the 1000km self supported gravel event Race Around Rwanda. It was facinating to listen to his experiences especially from the self supported adventure in Rwanda. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

0:00:00 Intro

0:04:10 How he got into cycling

0:08:45 Racing in Dubai and Cycling infrastructure in Dubai

0:12:12 Tour of Nilgiris experience

0:41:30 Race Around Rwanda Experience

0:48:00 Nutrition for Race Around Rwanda

1:05:00 His next ultra event

1:10:10 Closing remarks

About the podcast:

The working athlete podcast is a podcast with and for working athletes from all walks of life and various sports. The goal is to provide inspiration, training tips, mental hacks, time management and life-style advice through conversations with some of the best in sport, from athletes to coaches. If you think you can benefit from this, please consider subscribing and hitting the bell icon so that you don't miss the weekly episodes in future.

Who is a working athlete? Someone working fulltime/part-time, entrepreneur or anyone who has to work to make ends meet and doesn't let being busy to stop him/her from pursuing an active lifestyle is a working athlete. I consider stay at home moms/dads who pursue a sport, as working athletes because homemaking is a full-time job.

If you like this, please hit the like button and share with friends who could be interested.

This episode is brought to you by Findbetter.ai. Find better is a social networking app for cycling & running enthusiasts to discover and shop together. For a cycling enthusiast like me it is a treasure trove to find all sorts of bikes and accessories both used and brand new. I tend to get a lot of DMs asking for where to find a bike on a budget etc. Nowadays I tend to direct them to the Findbetter app. It is completely free to use and is available both on Google Play and the AppStore. Download and you can follow me on the app. I'm there as bikeyvenky on the app. Enjoy the podcast!

Today's guest Drabir Alam is a cyclist from Bangladesh. He is an amateur rider who is part of Team BDC. He is a winner of multiple medals at Bangladesh Nationals. He also represented Bangladesh at the UCI World Championships in 2022 in Australia with the sole goal of putting the Bangladesh map in the list of countries taking part. I have interviewed him twice before on this podcast. If you have not heard them, you might want to check out episode #65 and episode #103 where we talk about his transformation journey and his experience at the world championships repectively. He was in Bangalore for a couple of days on work and I couldn't pass up on a chance to sit down for a chat with him again.

In this episode we talk about the growth of cycling in Bangladesh. We talk about riding and training through the month of Ramadan while fasting. We also revisit his experience at the world championships and talk about his triathlon goals. It was a lovely conversation which I hope you'll enjoy as much as I did.

0:00:00 Intro

0:04:33 Talking about Bangladesh cycling nationals

0:12:25 Pacing for ITT and TTT at the nationals

0:16:17 Riding and training through Ramadan month of fasting

0:22:31 Discussing about healthy diet

0:25:30 How cycling helped in his professional life

0:36:27 World championships 2022 experience

0:51:53 Tour of Friendship, Thailand

0:57:10 Closing remarks

About the Podcast

The working athlete podcast is a podcast with and for working athletes from all walks of life and various sports. The goal is to provide inspiration, training tips, mental hacks, time management and life-style advice through conversations with some of the best in sport, from athletes to coaches. If you think you can benefit from this, please consider subscribing so that you don't miss the weekly episodes in future.

Who is a working athlete? Someone working fulltime/part-time, entrepreneur or anyone who has to work to make ends meet and doesn't let being busy to stop him/her from pursuing an active lifestyle is a working athlete. I consider stay at home moms/dads who pursue a sport, as working athletes because homemaking is a full-time job.

If you like this, share with friends who could be interested.

For the visually inclined, a video version of the podcast can be found here: YouTube

Other Places you'll find the podcast on:

Anchor | RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google podcasts | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | Breaker