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“This is not a trail walk… it’s a life’s journey”

 

Walking a 100 Km is no mean task and we at GOQii have been doing this for the last three years.

Every year the excitement for the 100 KM Oxfam trail walk begins 2 months in advance. This year was no different with several teams from GOQii participating with close to 50% being first timers. First timers to the event included both our players as well as GOQii employees.

This adventure trail walk is no run of the mill trail walk, it comes with a purpose. 140 teams in total came together for a good cause-‘Walk for Equality’ and to physically challenge themselves to walk 100 kms within 48 hours on a route that included tar road, mud path, open fields, stones strewn roads and forest routes. Each team had to raise a minimum of Rs 80K for Oxfam.

Considered as the World’s 3 most difficult trail walks, the Mumbai trail walk is held every year amidst the lap of nature in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. It starts from a place called Garudmachi in Tamhinighat and ends in Lonavala.

By now many would have realized that walking isn’t that taxing as much as it is to raise funds. Many come up with interesting and innovative ways to raise funds. Few teams in GOQii also came with innovative ways to raise funds such a selling lunch and snacks to their fellow colleagues at office. While some I know did some odd jobs for their friends in lieu for donation to Walk for Equality.

GOQii collectively with all its teams raised approximately Rs 16 lakh for Oxfam. That’s a great achievement for all of us at GOQii. It is not only about fund raising funds but, also all GOQii teams finished well within 48 hours the required time to complete the 100 km trailwalk.

 

If I have to describe what the trail walk is like, I would say it is a test of your endurance, physical fitness, mental strength, team spirit, leadership skills, crisis management and the power to make the right decisions. It is also a test of one’s own ability and confidence.

Manjot Singh from the business development team at GOQii and who was participating in the 100 km trail walk for the first time this year says, “I feel like a million bucks having completed the 100 km trail walk. I did this purely for myself and to test my own abilities. And, today I feel victorious and above all confident as an individual.”

Similarly, for Maaline D’Souza who is part of GOQii’s customer support team the 100 KM trail walk was a challenge that she took upon herself. She says, “I never thought, I could do it. But, yes with regular practice and the right kind of will power I completed it without much issues”.

She adds, “The 100 km journey cannot be stated as easy. It is a mind game where I truly needed my mind to be constantly pushing me than my body. In short, this was the best achievement of my life. It has made me more confident as a person”.

Clearly, most who I spoke to on the trail on why did they were doing the 100 km trail walk? 2 or 3 motives came out clear. For some veterans on the trail it was to overcome their fear and also a chance to get fit.  For people who were on the heavier side, it was to prove to themselves that they can do it. And, for some others who had already attempted this before once or twice, it was all about improving their timing.  Another observation I made on the trail was that older people pulled the feat much better than the younger individuals. Secondly, Women on the trail were more resilient than men.

For first timers it was a mental battle that they were trying to fight with themselves. For most their bodies are given away but, it was their mental strength that held them through the 100 km pushing them every inch to complete the race.  Some like Parth from the tech team of GOQii it was accountability. Accountability to his friends who had donated for the good cause that he was walking for.

At Check point 7 to 8 when Parth was almost on the verge of giving up due to pain, it’s his friends’ words that rang in his mind and pulled him through and of course the motivation that he got from Vishal Gondal, CEO, GOQii who walked with him a neat 10 km of the total 11.6 km trail. “A lot of my friends donated to the cause because I was walking. How could I let them down? I have to complete,” Parth said while on the trail and continued his journey. Like Vishal always says, “this is not a 100 km trail walk… it’s a life’s journey.”

Check point to 7-8 trail was also a grueling trail in the sun. The trail followed the old bullock cart path that village communities used earlier, up a gradual slope and down across a vast open pasture and scrub land. Some parts of the trail open up to spectacular valley views. And then ultimately getting on to tar road which was hot during the day.

For few other GOQii employees it was a great first time experience where most understood how to work in a team, take collective decisions and above all learn to heave patience.

None of this would have been possible without GOQii’s efficient support team led by Krishna Kumar aka KK who made sure that every participant was comfortable from the time we landed at Garudmachi on Dec 8, 2016.

Dr Ashwin Nanda, from GOQii’s team of doctors says, “It was quite gratifying for me to be of help to all GOQii participants”. It was Dr Nanda’s first trail walk experience. He says his biggest learning was do not ever give up on anyone. Help everyone get through.” For old timers   Sunny Rajani and RutaSatam, being support is always a pleasurable.

But, what had changed this year from last year, Rajani says, “This year we were more organized and prepared for all eventualities if any had to occur.” And honestly, the support crew plays the most important role in this entire 100 km journey.

Altitude Quest, on the trail support crew were a boon in disguise. The AQ team was there to provide massages and taping of the feet when required after a tired trail walk. .

Last but not the least kudos to three of our GOQii teams led by players performed wonderfully. ‘Go Spirited’- the team that comprised of all four women players- Bela Gupta, Anitha Rao, SuranjanaKumaresh and ReenaKansal was not only the fastest woman’s team completing 100 km in 34 hours but also the fastest veteran’s team. The two other GOQii teams that made it to top 10 was AnuragBiesn’sGOQii-Veer tum Badhechalo who completed in 24 hours and GOQii Alpha led by Kamal Karnatak with a completion time of 28 hours.

 

That’s GOQii #betheforce…..

Route Snapshot:

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

 

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My First 100 km- The lessons I learnt

ranveer-trailwalk

A week ago, 100km was just a number in my head. A number that I had to overcome in 48 hours but a number that I WOULD overcome. I am a power lifter who enjoys the process of bodybuilding. I lift heavy barbells and dumbbells and I enjoy every bit of the big muscles I’ve created over the years.

I’d never taken part in marathons leave alone endurance walks. Hell, I never even took part in any 100m+ races in school.  I’m a fitness blogger and I believe that fitness should not be limited to a single domain. What I believe is that the ultimate goal of fitness is becoming ‘THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF’. And, if your endurance stats don’t match up to your strength levels, you are stopping yourself from reaching that ultimate goal.

So with no prior endurance training experience, I readily agreed to challenge myself and signed up for the Oxfam 100km trail walk.

A bit of a pre story – I didn’t practice much for the trail walk. Endurance training is known to deplete your muscles in terms of size. My muscles are my brand and I couldn’t let go of them. So I chose a midway path and decided to go for 10-15km jogs every week. These jogs may or may not have helped me, I don’t know for sure. 

In saying that, I do not recommend that you don’t practice for the walk. I have been a strength and fitness coach for 4-5 years. My body has reached a level of fitness where I was capable of executing the walk without much hassle. But, it may not be the same case for everyone.

After I completed the walk, I realized that practice IS crucial for an average person. Especially those for whom fitness isn’t the central theme of their life. Make sure you go for a few practice walks if you don’t want to end up injuring yourself!

ranveer-blisters

Coming to what I learnt. The lessons – 

Firstly, you need to understand the MAGNITUDE of a 100km. Most people who live in cities aren’t even used to walking 1km at a stretch.

The day before the walk, I had a word with a 53 year old lady who was participating with me. She told me that this was her 3rd trail walk and the biggest advice she gave me was “DO NOT GIVE UP”. I was told that the trail walk is entirely a mind game. And, as we progressed, I came to learn that exactly.

This was psychologically THE MOST testing activity I’ve ever done in my life. Most participants’  bodies break down at the 30 km mark. This largely happens due to non-practice and not realizing how your body reacts to an extreme strenuous activity.

Post 30km most end up having knee issues, ankle pain and blisters on their feet. Irrespective of your fitness levels, the game is to constantly fight off the pain you’re feeling, and move FORWARD. As I continued my walk, I realized that I’d never done something so grueling in my life.

There were some stretches in the trail walk that were SO intense, that I was almost sleepwalking. My mind had switched off entirely, it was the middle of the night, my hands were numb and frozen. But, my legs kept moving forward. My legs were the only entities active in my entire body.

And this was just ONE of the many testing moments.

Every trail had its own challenges. There was a trail that was an entirely upward climb. There was a trail conquered in lava-esque afternoon heat. There was a trail conquered on an open, ice-cold tar-road in the middle of the night. But, more than anything there were countless instances of pain and challenge. I can’t stress on how big the psychological aspect of the walk is. Training from an endurance standpoint will only get you so far. The real test was conquering the pain, the heat, the cold and your dead lower body.

What I honestly believe as a weight training coach is that weights do not only help you look good. Barbells and dumbbells are making you a STRONGER HUMAN BEING. Your muscles, your nervous system AND your grit is getting worked with every set you perform in the gym. My concern before the walk was “would I be too stiff or too bulky to complete the race.”

But, if anything, I believe that weight training played a role in helping me overcome the pain barrier. And, when we’re talking about a 100km trail walk, pain is your biggest enemy. There were countless fellow walkers with me who had to take breaks, had to rest at check points and had to get physiotherapy done on themselves. Of course I had instances like this. But, my instances were relatively fewer than my fellow conquerors.

This is where I feel like my elevated strength levels paid off. Despite not practicing much from an endurance standpoint, I was able to complete the entire walk in 36 hours. 12 short of the time limit. A great achievement for my first trail walk. But, this achievement was nowhere close to the REAL prize.

The trail walk showed me a new form of fitness. Yes, the endurance training is something new, from a physical perspective. Endurance walks like these make your mind and focus ROCK SOLID. 100km is not a number for me anymore. It’s a trophy.

When you actually overcome ONE HUNDRED kilometers, it is indeed a ‘Big Deal’. Your feet will be blistered up, your knees will be jammed solid, and your ankles will feel like they’re 150 years old, but your mind – Your mind will feel like its limits have been expanded.

The only way to expand your limits is to push yourself to their edges. And that was what this trail walk was for me. It was a test, a foe and most of all a teacher. Remember your biggest challenges are your biggest gurus. In my entire fitness-life, there hasn’t been a challenge of this magnitude. There hasn’t been an experience that has toughened me up so much.

This is the beauty of fitness. I am one step closer to being the BEST VERSION OF MYSELF – thank you for the opportunity GOQii and Oxfam India.

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Joy of giving

 

joy-of-giving

Have you ever realized how elated you get when you give? Giving is indeed one of the best investments an individual can make towards achieving genuine happiness. True giving comes from the heart, with no expectation of reciprocation. It is manifested with kindness and generosity and there is no substitute for this ‘Good Karma’. It just makes you feel good.

This month we celebrate the festival of giving also popularly known as the “Joy of Giving” festival.  The festival begins on Oct 2nd– the birthday of our father of our nation MK Gandhi and continues till the 8th of October. Being the season of giving, I call upon one and all to share love and spread happiness in the lives of those who are far away from these pleasures. Let’s share our happiness with those lesser privileged people who ask nothing but love.

There are various ways in which you can participate in this festival. You can participate by sharing your Old clothes with people who require the most. GOQii has partnered with Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust for this drive.

With this drive we would be helping RNCT to distribute usable garments to the poorest of the poor of all ages. To ensure that it reaches out to more and more needy people, RNCT will further distribute the collection to grass root organizations and institutions working with the underprivileged group of society across the country.

How do we participate in this drive?

-Communicate the ‘Joy of Giving’ message in your office, society, family and friends 

-Inform us if you are interested to organize this collection drive in your office or society

-If you have a collection that weighs more than 20 kg, a pick-up will be organized for the donation material

-Your garments will then be sorted as per age and gender, repaired if required, ironed, folded and packed

-The sorted collection will be sent to orphanages, Old age homes, institutions working with street children or tribal or women’s help centres

Let the goodness begin 🙂

To know more about the drive mail us your queries at ruta@goqii.com

It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put in to giving ~ Mother Teresa 

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The Foods all Nutritionists agree are ‘Good For You’.

344361-vegetables

We all love reading about the latest trending super food. Whether its Acai berry, Maca powder, or cacao nibs…we wanna know what’s going to up our metabolism or give us that boost of energy we are absolutely itching to have again.

Well folks…let the drum roll begin. Because the REAL super food category of the hour is not some fancy-named upgraded coffee bean or a concoction of some super vitamin made in a lab somewhere.

It is…..

Plants. Specifically fruits and vegetables (Background applause!!!)

Wait….how come you’re leaving? Wait! No…seriously! they are SUPER good for you!

I know, I know. It’s WAY snazzier to imagine that the secret ingredient is some hidden oil or seed or fruit buried at the bottom of Indiana Jones’ cavern. We want the food to be a singular holy grail. But, that is just not the way of it.

No – I’m afraid your mother, and her mother before her and HER mother before HER knew what they were talking about when they said simply “eat your vegetables.”

We have the evidence to prove it. Here are just a FEW examples of the tangible benefits researchers have uncovered about eating more vegetables.

  1. Those who eat more fruits and vegetables (at least 8 servings per day) are 30 percent less likely to have heart disease. (https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-and-fruits/)
  2. Those who eat more fruits and vegetables (specifically 8 servings or more) report greater levels of happiness and emotional satisfaction. http://sciencenewsjournal.com/eat-fruit-veggies-happy/
  3. Eating fruits and vegetables is associated with better weight loss and management outcomes:https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/pdf/rtp_practitioner_10_07.pdf
  4. Eating a high concentration of fruits and vegetables are associated with a reduced risk of cancer:http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/diet-and-cancer/how-healthy-eating-prevents-cancer
  5. Those who eat as few as five servings of fruits and vegetables every day tend to live longer. http://nutritionfacts.org/2015/09/17/how-much-longer-do-fruit-and-vegetable-eaters-live/
  6. Eating fruits and vegetables can even improve your sex life:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/knowmore-tv/8-ways-eating-fruit-juice_b_9872488.html

So if you’re looking for the newest, latest and greatest super-food, you really need no look toward the dark corners of the Bermuda triangle. It’s right in front of you at your local farmer’s market.

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