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January 6, 2015 By Vandana Trivedi Leave a Comment

5 Lessons learnt from 100 km Trail walk

What has been more precious to me than completing the 100km Oxfam Mumbai Trail walk, 2014, in 37 hours?

In the cool winter evening of 6 ^th December 2014, I along with a team of 3, completed the 4 ^th toughest Oxfam Trailwalk in the world, in 37 Hours. We had embarked on the trail at 6 am on the 5 ^th of December, 2014, and barring 3 hours of sleep between 3.30 am to 6.30 am on Saturday, 6 ^th December, kept trudging along. We trudged along mountains, fields and lakesides, in the blazing afternoon sun, through treacherous climbs and tricky descents.

But that’s not what this piece is all about, this is more about the lessons I learnt while on this mission. These lessons are going to stand by me as I get on to my work, in a competitive, challenging, at times unreasonable and unfair landscape that the Asset Management firm operates in, and I am sure it will resonate with each one of us in our work area.

Past Failures make for uncomfortable memories, but they also energise you to keep trying

I had attempted the trail walk in 2013. The daunting trail took me by surprise; it was less of trail and more of treks. Every little injury and exhaustion seemed to be the perfect excuse to give up and that’s what I did, with just about 30km completed. Even signing up for the 2014 Trail walk was a debate with self, fearing failure, questioning the rationale for putting myself through the gruelling ordeal again. Am glad I overcame those doubts, and triumphed at the end of it.

The Temptation to Quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed

At the end of 33km, my feet had busted, my toes were puffing up, the heat had exhausted me completely, and I declared I wanted to quit. My husband, who was my support crew for the trek, reminded me that it was the same place where I had quit the last year, and prodded me to be better than the last year. I decided to step along, and that was the last time I ever contemplated quitting the trail.

It is good to be adequately resourced, but your hunger to succeed dwarfs all resource constraints

The trail demanded customised gear to navigate the tricky terrain. My kit bag had Merrell trekking shoes and Nike Pegasus shoes as a backup. I couldn’t think of not having the right shoes to support me through the 100 km. It so turned out my toes started blistering and swelling from 30km onwards, and I couldn’t fit into either of my shoes. Out came my bald Reebok floaters to the rescue, with absolutely no grip to speak of, looking like they were ill suited even for concrete road walk, let alone a daunting trek/trail path. With a bit of trepidation, but a burning resolve to hit the final check point, I completed the remaining 70 km in those Reebok floaters. It is something of a historic feat that I completed 70km of the 100 km in a nondescript floater.

You attract your victories, and the Universe conspires to deliver to you what your mind resolves to get

The ghost of the previous year, an exhausted body at 30km, a nagging stomach infection over the last 2 years, just the wrong days of the month biologically, just a month’s practice over the weekends before the event, and yet, once I overcame the ‘WALL’ at 30 km, a calm prescience set over me, that all would be well, that nothing would come in the way between me and the final Check Point, that the body was just a willing ally, taking the mind’s orders to carry on, to shut out the aches, and reach the goal.

The team consists of people of all shapes and sizes, but the team is ONE

As a team of 4, we were all very different. There was a trained mountaineer amongst us, an avid Himalayan explorer, part of the various rescue crews in the Uttarakhand and Kashmir natural disasters. There was a marathoner, with unending energy and enthusiasm, and there were the 2 of us, moms of 2 kids each, fitness conscious women, with the right intent, but maybe not as evolved in fitness as the rest of the two. What could have been a 24 hour effort for the mountaineer or a 30 hour effort for the marathoner, turned out to be a 37 hour effort for our team. A trail of 100 km sheds the façade and brings out the best and worst of each of us, and it is commendable that the team walked as one, alert and sensitive to each of us, and a full team completion of the trail is by itself a commendable feat. Not many full teams complete the trail.

This has been a personality altering, life changing experience for me, and has been a means to prove to myself that someone who had nothing to do with fitness /physical activity as a child can end up being called an Ultra Marathoner if you want it badly enough.

The next Oxfam Trail walker is a year away, ample time for all of us to prepare and conquer, any takers ?

Mother of two kids, Vandana Trivedi is a GOQii player and full time professional heading sales at IDFC AMC. 2 years ago she got into the fitness mode and outdoor physical activities and since then has been a regular trekker in the sahyadris

January 2, 2015 By Saaimah Parkar 2 Comments

Nutritional benefits of Indian Gooseberry-‘Amla’

amla

Do you know what is ‘Phyllanthus emblica’? Actually, we all know it by its Indian name ‘Amla’ also called the Indian gooseberry as most of us have eaten it in its various forms of chutney, pickles, jams and the likes. It is most eaten during the winters. Amla is tangy in taste, which is not very appealing; however it has endless benefits, and hence is often referred to as the “Wonder Fruit”.

Amla also known as Amlakka or Amlakkai in Hindi, which means the “sustainers” or the fruit where the “goddess of prosperity presides”

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	184 kJ (44 kcal)
Carbohydrates	10.18 g
Dietary fiber	4.3 g
Fat	0.58 g
Protein	0.88 g
Vitamins
Vitamin A equiv.	(2%)15 μg
Thiamine (B1)	(3%)0.04 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	(3%)0.03 mg
Niacin (B3)	(2%)0.3 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)	(6%)0.286 mg
Vitamin B6	(6%)0.08 mg
Folate (B9)	(2%)6 μg
Vitamin C	(33%)27.7 mg
Vitamin E	(2%)0.37 mg
Trace metals
Calcium	(3%)25 mg
Iron	(2%)0.31 mg
Magnesium	(3%)10 mg
Manganese	(7%)0.144 mg
Phosphorus	(4%)27 mg
Potassium	(4%)198 mg
Sodium	(0%)1 mg
Zinc	(1%)0.12 mg
Other constituents
Water	87.87 g

Some benefits of Amla are listed below:

It is a rich source of Vitamin C
Heals mouth ulcers
Cures sore throat and cold
Reduces constipation when eaten in its whole form
Reduces Arthritis pain
Reduces Sleeping disorders
Improves eyesight
Removes toxins and free radicals.
Regulates pH in the stomach.
Improves metabolism
Boosts Immunity
Improves haemoglobin production and purifies the blood
Reduces blood cholesterol levels
Lowers risk of gall stones
Improves insulin sensitivity
Reduces ill effects of smoking
Delays premature ageing
Reduces wrinkles
Reverses greying hair
Reduces skin pigmentation
Treats hair loss, dandruff and lice

Here are some ways to incorporate Amla in our daily diet

Sprinkle some salt on Amla before you bite into them and believe me it will really cut down the sourness of the Amla and make it easy to eat.

Amla Powder is available in many grocery shops make it really easy to add Amla in our daily diets. You can have Amla Powder in small amount (1 tsp) before each meal to improve digestion.

Amla juice is the most easy and quick way to add Amla in your daily diet.

December 31, 2014 By Parwage Alam 1 Comment

Geriatric Health Maintenance-A Systematic Approach

I recently participated in the 100 km OxfamTrail walk and the one thing that I was overwhelmed about is the number of senior citizens who were participating in this challenge. It’s nice to see senior people fitter than many youngsters. One fine example was that of Milind Soman’s mother who at 76 years old looked fit and completed the 100 km trail walk in 40 hours along with her daughters. That was commendable.

Growing old is great but along with that maintaining your health is equally important. At some point in our life many of us have faced and dealt with an old parent’s illness. And therefore I feel that staying healthy as a senior citizen is very important.

Your mental and physical health plays a crucial role in the latter years of your life. Staying healthy means eating nutritious foods, exercising, and getting regular medical check-ups. Prevention and early detection are the best defense against illness and disease.

As people get older, physiological changes occur in their body as a natural part of aging.Due to aging mostly all organs are affected and some diseases and co morbid conditions become more prominent in the elderly.

Psychological issues can also play a role in physical and mental health of older adults. At senior stage a balanced diet and regular exercise are strongly linked to better health outcomes. Regular medical checkup and important preventive measures at home help to improve the safety and health of seniors.

As health needs change with age, one thing remains the same: healthy living (healthy lifestyle), one of the best way to avoid disease (related to Skin, Bones, joints, and muscles, mobility and balance, body shape, face, teeth and gums, Hair and nail, memory, immunity, hearing, vision and sleep).

Living a longer, healthier life can be made easier with these simple steps.

Healthy Eating Habits: Always try to have natural foods, avoid the artificial source and opt for fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fiber-rich foods—bean, spinach, and romaine lettuce, for example—lean cuts of meat, fresh fish, and poultry instead. Processed food usually filled with unhealthy things like high-fructose corn syrup that leads to overconsumption. Secondly, contains lot of artificial Ingredients. Most processed foods are Low in Nutrients.

It requires less energy and time to digest processed foods. Processed foods contain MSG (Monosodium glutamate – to enhance flavor), it also contains lots of sodium and typically all the wrong heart-clogging oils. Therefore it is always good to go with natural food available, if possible go with homemade food.

Activities:Physical activity is vital for developing the strong bones and muscles. This would help in avoiding falls or accidental injuries. Exercise is add on as part of overall healthy lifestyle and to avoid obesity, which is the root cause of other diseases. So if you have not started your activity, please get and include some physical activities into your routine before it gets too late.

Stop Smoking, tobacco:Dump the cigarette/tobacco habit before this dumps you. And stay away from those who do smoke, as second-hand smoking is more dangerous than direct smoking.

Meditation: I personally believe in meditation, as it really help to avoid stress because like obesity – stress is also a main cause of 70% diseases. So Meditation really helps you in terms of Psychological&Physiological. To get more information about Meditation you can also check my blog at:

https://goqii.com/blog/myths-and-health-benefits-of-meditation/

So what are you waiting for get up and change your lifestyle from sedentary to Active and live healthy long life.

December 22, 2014 By Anusha Subramanian 1 Comment

‘Never Say Quit’ -Experience and lessons from 100 km trail walk

The morning of 5^th December, 2014, 04:30 am at Garudmachi, amidst the lap of nature in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra was nothing less than being vibrant. The silence of the night was broken with the chattering of the trail walkers getting ready of their big walk and a band playing on one side.

I was excited just by the thought of participating in the Oxfam-GOQii 100 km trail walker for the first time. I knew of it as an adventure race but it had another challenging task of raising funds- a minimum of Rs 50,000. Last year, I tried to put a team together but was unable to do so. People did not want to even attempt because of having to collect funds. I found that silly but could not do much.

This year when Vishal Gondal asked me to be part of his GOQii team and yours truly readily agreed. As a team ‘Force of Good’ comprising of Vishal Gondal, Harpreet Gondal, Vandana Trivedi and myself had pledged Rs 100,000 for Oxfam Fund raising and have managed to raise 80% and the balance will be raised in few days as we still have time.

Oxfam’s Mumbai Trail Walker is the world’s 3 most difficult and beautiful trek I was told. This trail walker in the Sahayadri hills was nothing but pure trekking. For mountaineers and trekker this would be a known playing field but for many out there it was an absolute blind trap. The 100 km trail walker in my sense is a test of your endurance, physical fitness, mental strength, team spirit, leadership skills, crisis management and the power to make the right decisions.

For me personally this was the first time that I was going to walk 100 km in the Sahyadri hills at a stretch. I am a regular walker in the Sahyadri and the Himalayas but yet this was not going to be easy. My focus was on finishing with in the said time frame along with my team while at the same time enjoying the walk with them. Timing was not so much of a concern initially.

Just as we were about to start, we noticed the Indian Army’s Maratha Regiment guys. They were participating for the first time and aimed to finish the trail walk in within 14 hours. We were glad to photograph ourselves with these Army men.

We started the walk at 6 am on 5^th Dec from Garudmachi-High Places Management Development Centre. To get to our first check point we had to walk 10.5 km and the trail passed through tar, mud , an uphill trek path ending at Tamhini main school.

The trail was entirely a trek trail in the Sahyadri hills with lots of up hills, dry open field and forest walks and few tar road walks. The morning walk to CP1 (check point) was pleasant but by 11 am the mercury was rising making it difficult for many to walk and slowing down their pace. This was also the trail while many got cramps on the way due to dehydration.

For me the trail personally was an easy going trail but, I had decided to walk with my team come what may. We had planned it well. We walked at a pace that was easy for all. Our aim was to finish the trail walker without any injuries and we managed that well. We rested well, ate well, slept well and thoroughly enjoyed our walk. Along the way, I also helped several people with first aid as I always carry a first aid kit with me and also gave few people tips on how to walk. Being a trekker and mountaineer it comes naturally to me to be able to help people and ease their stress.

My team and I slowly and steadily managed the walk from CP to CP through the various different types of straight trails, uphills, downhills and sultry hot weather sweating away but yet focused on our 100 km mission. Our target was to get to CP6 (62.5 kms) by 3-3.30 am. We reached CP4 at around 10 pm and we decided to have dinner and leave for CP5 immediately. We started off for CP4 at around 12 am and in the next one and half hour we were at CP5.

The other thing that kept us going was our 20 member support crew that used to eagerly wait for us at each CP. They would bring us food, water, electrolyte drinks also helped us with taping our feet, some stretching and they did it all so tirelessly.

As the walk started we were surrounded by an eerie silence of the night and had our headlamps and the bright sky full of stars and the moonlight for company. The night trail took us through a mud path, trek path and Tar road ending at Luthravan. I set the pace for my team and they just followed me. What really got us through so fast were the reflector markings on the trail which were absolutely perfect.

Walking in the dark proved fruitful as most of your fears are suppressed and all your focusing is on the walk unlike, unlike in the daylight where you end up being a bit over cautious. Thereafter our target to reach CP6 was in 2.30 hours and cover 12.5 km.

The route to CP6 once again began on a tar road. For 7 km we walked on the tar road under the bright moonlight and did not have to use our headlamps. Then it took us through a trek path and last few Kms again on Tar road we did manage to reach in 2: 15 hours. We had completed 62 kms on the first day. By 4 am the team had crashed. We had decided to get at least 3 hours of good sleep and start in the morning by 7 am.

Next morning at CP6 we met lot of our other team mates which was wonderful and motivating as well. By this time many had given up due to injuries or some did not have the sheer strength to continue or feel the urge to move forward.

Among our GOQIi teams few members had retired due to injury. In all we were 16 teams a total of 64 of us were walking the trail. Teams that continued their aim was to finish the trail walk within the given 48 hours. And am I glad to say that out of 16 GOQii teams 11 teams were complete teams of 4. Of the 64 participants 57 completed the entire trail and only 7 individuals retired. Of these 57, 85% were first timers including me.

One of the GOQii teams- SNOWLEOPARD led by Kuntal Joisher, a mountaineer who is aiming to be on the top of the world ( Mt Everest) the coming Summer of 2015 and Luke Coutinho, GOQii’s master coach completed the feat in 26 hours and were ranked among the top 10 teams. The other Ace team lead by KK ( Krishna Kumar) also a mountaineer completed the trail as a team in 31 hours despite one member of their team injured.

The second day walk was good trails. It was to a large extent easy on all of us. So we were able to make up on our timings. Just as we were feeling the fatigue, Vishal came up with this wonderful on the spot poetry – while we were walking from CP7 to CP8-

The poetry was something like this –

My wounds are competing for my attention

My body has given an SOS to My Brain

But mind is on a trail walk, having fun with my mates

And, tells my wounds and my Brian there is no ‘Pain without Gain’

So keep walking till the end

And the poetry was enough for us to keep moving with a smile on our faces. Finally ‘Force of Good’ completed the trail walk in 37:35 hours.

All in all, it was a fantastic experience. One met so many strangers on the way who were on the same path to accomplish this treacherous feat that we had undertaken. Many strangers became friends. I realised the trail walk was just not another just endurance event but actually imparts many a life’s crucial lessons.

Among a discerning few, the desire to enjoy the experience and deepen the bonds within team members was prominent, completion time being only a by-product. So some of you train for the Bangalore trail walk, the one learning that I take back from my experience is Stay strong and ‘Never say Quit’.

Route Snapshot:

Over all 100 km within 48 hours that included tar road, mud path, open fields, stones strewn roads and forest routes.