RunYogi Diaries Podcast

In conversation with Jeev Singh of London. Jeev is a successful tech executive in the banking Industry in London. His journey to well-being through running which led to highly conscious living is fascinating. As a deep thinker, the insights in the conversation were pure gold.   He can be followed on his Instagram handle @desi.runner 0:00 Intro and Background 5:38 Flashback, to where it a...

In conversation with Coach Pramod, the chief coach of Jayanagar Jaguars( JJ), one of Bangalore's oldest running groups, that's grown into a premier coaching organization. Pramod, a multi-faceted individual with interests in theater, technology, and fitness, has trained over 7000 people to pursue their fitness and endurance goals.   A sprinter himself during his growing-up years, Pramod h...

In conversation with Dipa Patel, who had to fight the cultural and gender baggage growing up in America, to pursue her passion of log distance bicycling and eventually become an Ironman triathlete.   Her story is inspiring to many women of South Asian descent who may find themselves in similar circumstances and are held back either through limiting self-beliefs or lack of representation....

Vishal's story underscores the fact that you will never know unless you try. For someone who started running at age 38 with absolutely no prior running history,, to have gotten fast enough to qualify for the Boston marathon is an incredibly inspiring tale. You will love this conversation. 0:00 Intro and background 4:02 Flashback, to where it all started 6:09 Scaling from half marathons to full 8:1...

In conversation with Satish Gogineni, the Hyderabad-born mountaineer, who climbed not one but two mountains in a single day. Satish summited Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse — the first and fourth highest peaks in the world – within 20 hours of each other, in one single expedition. This makes him the fastest Indian to achieve the double summit, a feat less than 100 climbers in the world have managed...

In conversation with Shajan Samuel, who takes us behind the scenes on his formidable journey of personal transformation through fitness.   Once overweight and feeling lost, Samuel used running to find purpose and meaning in his life. But in the beginning, it wasn't easy, after discovering that even running 100 meters was a herculean task, he went on a quest to transform himself physicall...

In conversation with Arnab Banerjee, Seattle-based ultra runner and alpine-style mountaineer who was originally in episode 75 of the podcast.  He is back on the seat to talk about his latest adventure, the Bigfoot 200 miler foot race in the beautiful Cascade mountains of Washington, that had a 40% DNF this year. Bigfoot 200 is a tough point-to-point 200-mile race that needs guts, intense trai...

In conversation with Madhu Nagaraja, an incredible athlete who found his way back to his passion perchance amidst a personal breakdown. Sometimes, bad things happen for the good.    Here is Nagaraja's incredible Open Water Swimming Career summary   Open Water Swimming Career He is a Patron of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame . He serves as a Marathon Swimming Mentor...

In conversation with Tarun Chandrasekhar on his journey to Ironman as a Type 1 Diabetes situation. Tarun and Polly ( episode 102) are a Husband and wife duo who have managed to lead an active lifestyle as a family.  We get behind the scenes on Tarun's side of the story. This episode is so much fun and full of great learnings. Chapter timelines 0:00 Intro and background 4:17 Flashback, how it...

In conversation with the incredible Dr. Polly Niravath, who has had an amazing journey of marathons and triathlons for over a decade. We get behind the scenes on how she did it all, despite having a busy schedule as a doctor, parent, and homemaker. 0:00 Intro and background 2:53 Flashback, why and how it all started 4:45 How exercise can help fight cancer 8:13 How long from couch to 5k 10:19 Early...

#mountaineering #denali   In conversation with ultra-endurance athlete and mountaineer, Saurabh Bhasin on how to prepare for something as challenging as climbing Mt. Denali. We get behind the scenes on how he did it.  Also, check out episode #61 if you are interested in Saurabh's journey in ultra-endurance including 140.6 triathlons and ultras. Chapter timelines 0:00 Intro and backg...

In conversation with Badhri Chakravarty who started running after he turned 50, and has not looked back. He started his running journey from scratch and discovered he is good at it. He shows us that it's never late to discover something about yourself.  From getting faster to finishing all the 50 states, he is on a path to 100 marathons. We get behind the scenes on his fun and inspiring journ...

In conversation with Gauri Jog on her journey of running from ticking off a bucket list to doing an Iron distance Triathlon in a matter of just 4 years.  She started running with Team Asha in 2016 and participated in two races that year, the San Francisco Half Marathon and Portland Full Marathon. In 2017,  she coordinated the running program and was the fundraising coordinator for team A...

In conversation with Santhosh Padmanabhan, a man on a mission of using running as a tool for empowerment for adults and children alike.  He founded Runner's High ( https://runnershigh.in) as a social enterprise and not as a non-profit or just a profiteering business. They have volunteers from the community coming forward to support all initiatives and currently have served over 10,000 runners...

Motorsport racing is an endurance sport The sport demands mental and physical fitness at the highest levels, especially if you are behind the wheel.   An emerging sport in India,  it's a pleasure to be in conversation with this young man pursuing his passion.  In conversation with the 16-year-old Rishon who has been racing since 2017. In just 5 years his accomplishments have been ve...

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 h...

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 beh...

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.  &nbs...

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-marath...

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...

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 frustra...

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 D...

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...

#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...