‘I have a Daily Investment Plan’

When did you start running? What inspired you to run? 

I have been running for over 30 years now. Coming from a fauji (Army) background (my dad was a fighter pilot), focus on sports and keeping physically fit has been an integral part of my life. The inspiration to run comes from a sense of competitiveness and a desire to push limits, both mentally and physically. 

How does running help you in your professional life? 

Running helps you push physical and mental barriers. It is highly competitive and brings about the best in an individual. These traits are most useful while building and running a business, especially in a tough environment. Running a business and playing a sport are very similar. Both are demanding, they test your limits and require team work. 

How do you balance your fitness regime and work? 

Fitness and running are as important as work. I have always made time for working out even if it is as less as 20 minutes. Running at night is helpful as I can come back from office and hit the tracks. I also play over the weekends. My favourite sport is badminton which is a tough sport to play (singles). A pair of running shoes are always part of my travel kit. In essence, running and keeping fit is an investment that one has to make and the benefits are seen over time. 

Your most memorable running moment 

There have been many beautiful running moments but the one that I found to be most memorable is the run around the Emperor’s Palace in Tokyo. It’s a fantastic and serene 6 km circular road around the Emperor’s Palace. It has a beautiful lake and trees around which the run becomes a calm and serene affair. I have also loved running at Hyde Park in London. Running in New York Central Park is another wonderful experience. In India, my favourite running track is Landour, Mussoorie. 

Narrate your last running experience

While I have run the Standard Chartered Marathon for every year from its inception, of late I have shifted focus from running to sprinting. I am very excited with high speed sprints and hence I have shifted to 100 meter sprints. Also, I have started running 1 km in less than four minutes. In other words, I have graduated from marathons to high speed sprints.  

Do you run alone or in a group ? 

I have always run alone. It’s that time where I connect with myself. I like the solitude and peace while running. Helps me clear the cob webs in my head. 

What are the similarities between running and investments? 

I have been running for 30 years and investing in SIPs for 25 years. You can see that both are decadal investments and have matured over time. They require tremendous patience and sometimes results are not immediately visible but sticking to the process matters the most. Results are guaranteed. Just like we have SIPs in investments, I have something called DIPs - Daily Investment Plans (Invest in your physical wellbeing daily). 

What about your advice to someone who wants to start running for fitness ? 

My single biggest piece of advice for anyone is that the toughest part is wearing your running shoes. Just wear your running shoes and let them take you for a fun ride. Enjoy the ride.