ET OnlineThis super-mom and top executive started running as a way to spend some quality time with her sister. A few years and countless marathons later, Rupinder Sandhu Anand, Chief Executive Officer, OKI India, can't imagine waking up without a running schedule.
Anand has consistently run marathons across the world, but says there is no feeling as good as going past India Gate and Parliament House. The woman who is responsible for keeping the 135-year-old Japanese technology company's India targets on track says how running has changed her life.
Q. How did you begin running?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: Two daughters and a 'foodie' flaw worked well to add significant bulk to my tall frame. One fine day in September of 2013, my younger sister Neetu came home and announced how a small group of people run in the mornings and that she had enrolled both of us to help us get 'fit'. That's simply how it started!
Initially it was nice spending some sister-time together. Soon, running took over and became a passion - now if I miss a planned run, the day just feels incomplete.
Q. And from sister-time to running the marathons, how did that happen?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: Well, it started with small runs in the neighbourhood and I went on to running five half marathons in the past three years.
My first marathon was in Mumbai in January 2014 followed by Amsterdam in October the same year. The next year, I ran the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM) in January, followed by the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM) in October 2015. This year, I again ran the Mumbai marathon, with my husband making his debuting as well.
Q. What is the difference between running in India and elsewhere?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: India prepares you to run anywhere else in the world. If you can run in the heat and humidity in Mumbai, Delhi or Hyderabad etc., you can perhaps run better, almost anywhere, in the world.
Outdoor running is always interesting in India as the sights and sounds are entertaining. Having said that, the traffic sensitivity to runners on the roads is often missing in India.
Tokyo is my favorite experience for outdoor running. People are very polite and runners happily get the first right! Amsterdam was a lovely experience as well: post-card beautiful, colourful, great weather, and very friendly people cheering from the sides. I got my personal best there. However my favourite is Delhi and the awe I felt running past India Gate, Rajpath and Parliament.
Q. When do you start preparing for a marathon?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: For me, a 12-16-week window is a good one for preparation. While I haven't really been as disciplined about this, am sure I can improve my results if I were. This year, I started doing some serious training eight weeks before the event.
Q. And your schedule and diet?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: I don't change too much in my normal schedule during my training. Strength training i.e. weight training works very well to help improve speed running. So, I build that into my routine. Every week would be a mix of an interval run, weight training, a tempo run and a long run on Sundays.
But yes, late nights are ruled out on Saturdays - my friends don't even bother inviting me any more when I am training! The best part about running is that I can eat or drink whatever I want! So no - I don't change my diet much.
Q. How do you balance your work schedule with running?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: With a busy life of a working mother, the only time I can run is at 5 am during the working week and/or weekends. But I look forward to doing that as running puts a beautiful, energetic start to the day. Even while travelling, I remember to carry my running gear, so it's not really a challenge.
Q. What has been the most challenging race you've run?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: A unique experience was a run in the scenic hill-station of Satara, which included a tough up-hill terrain that nearly had me give up halfway. While I just did a 10K, the impact of the downhill part of this run left me with a bad hamstring injury that lasted a while and left me out of action for months.
Q. According to you, what is the best thing about running?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: I love running because it is the most sociable of sports. Running with groups is more fun and you don't need "equipment". Anyone can do it, there are no barriers to entry, any place is fine, and you just need a pair of shoes! At the same time, it's your own personal space, your thoughts, you run for yourself and you run against yourself. I can just go on and on … but the best thing is that I feel younger and stronger today than I ever did before!
Q. You are a jet-setting executive. How does running help you deal with boardroom blues?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: There is this clear-headed exhaustion that follows a hard run - the body is spent but the mind is miraculously clearer than the foggy-headed state one started in. This is my "meditation" and my stress buster. Amazingly it leaves me totally energised and focused, prepared for the day!
In fact, today the family runs together. Earlier in January this year, my daughters Teesta (11) & Thea (7) ran the 5K along with me at the Run Powai Run in Mumbai. We love this "together" time.
Q. What are the (life) lessons that one can look forward to from running?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: Most often than not, we tell ourselves what we cannot do. Three years ago I couldn't reach 200 metres without feeling exhausted, and now, there are days when I have to hold back, slow down - just so I can pace myself as planned. It really is all about the mind. It starts with a decision and everything else follows - the training, the strategy, the result. Nothing is impossible. Win in your head first - the rest is simple. Really. What common sense brushes off, will overcomes.
Any anecdote from your running experience that you may want to share?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: At ADHM last year, I thought I was totally exhausted and wanted to just quit the race mid-way, when I saw this gentleman - a blade runner running ahead of me, strong, and really very well. I could not complain any more that my feet hurt or my breath was shallow. I learnt - you don't need feet to run. You just need the mind - and you need a decision. Don't stop when you are tired - stop when you are done.
ALSO READ: Special coverage: India Inc Women Bosses Who Run
Anand has consistently run marathons across the world, but says there is no feeling as good as going past India Gate and Parliament House. The woman who is responsible for keeping the 135-year-old Japanese technology company's India targets on track says how running has changed her life.
Q. How did you begin running?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: Two daughters and a 'foodie' flaw worked well to add significant bulk to my tall frame. One fine day in September of 2013, my younger sister Neetu came home and announced how a small group of people run in the mornings and that she had enrolled both of us to help us get 'fit'. That's simply how it started!
Initially it was nice spending some sister-time together. Soon, running took over and became a passion - now if I miss a planned run, the day just feels incomplete.
Q. And from sister-time to running the marathons, how did that happen?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: Well, it started with small runs in the neighbourhood and I went on to running five half marathons in the past three years.
My first marathon was in Mumbai in January 2014 followed by Amsterdam in October the same year. The next year, I ran the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM) in January, followed by the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM) in October 2015. This year, I again ran the Mumbai marathon, with my husband making his debuting as well.
Q. What is the difference between running in India and elsewhere?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: India prepares you to run anywhere else in the world. If you can run in the heat and humidity in Mumbai, Delhi or Hyderabad etc., you can perhaps run better, almost anywhere, in the world.
Outdoor running is always interesting in India as the sights and sounds are entertaining. Having said that, the traffic sensitivity to runners on the roads is often missing in India.
Tokyo is my favorite experience for outdoor running. People are very polite and runners happily get the first right! Amsterdam was a lovely experience as well: post-card beautiful, colourful, great weather, and very friendly people cheering from the sides. I got my personal best there. However my favourite is Delhi and the awe I felt running past India Gate, Rajpath and Parliament.
Q. When do you start preparing for a marathon?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: For me, a 12-16-week window is a good one for preparation. While I haven't really been as disciplined about this, am sure I can improve my results if I were. This year, I started doing some serious training eight weeks before the event.
Q. And your schedule and diet?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: I don't change too much in my normal schedule during my training. Strength training i.e. weight training works very well to help improve speed running. So, I build that into my routine. Every week would be a mix of an interval run, weight training, a tempo run and a long run on Sundays.
But yes, late nights are ruled out on Saturdays - my friends don't even bother inviting me any more when I am training! The best part about running is that I can eat or drink whatever I want! So no - I don't change my diet much.
Q. How do you balance your work schedule with running?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: With a busy life of a working mother, the only time I can run is at 5 am during the working week and/or weekends. But I look forward to doing that as running puts a beautiful, energetic start to the day. Even while travelling, I remember to carry my running gear, so it's not really a challenge.
Q. What has been the most challenging race you've run?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: A unique experience was a run in the scenic hill-station of Satara, which included a tough up-hill terrain that nearly had me give up halfway. While I just did a 10K, the impact of the downhill part of this run left me with a bad hamstring injury that lasted a while and left me out of action for months.
Q. According to you, what is the best thing about running?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: I love running because it is the most sociable of sports. Running with groups is more fun and you don't need "equipment". Anyone can do it, there are no barriers to entry, any place is fine, and you just need a pair of shoes! At the same time, it's your own personal space, your thoughts, you run for yourself and you run against yourself. I can just go on and on … but the best thing is that I feel younger and stronger today than I ever did before!
Q. You are a jet-setting executive. How does running help you deal with boardroom blues?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: There is this clear-headed exhaustion that follows a hard run - the body is spent but the mind is miraculously clearer than the foggy-headed state one started in. This is my "meditation" and my stress buster. Amazingly it leaves me totally energised and focused, prepared for the day!
In fact, today the family runs together. Earlier in January this year, my daughters Teesta (11) & Thea (7) ran the 5K along with me at the Run Powai Run in Mumbai. We love this "together" time.
Q. What are the (life) lessons that one can look forward to from running?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: Most often than not, we tell ourselves what we cannot do. Three years ago I couldn't reach 200 metres without feeling exhausted, and now, there are days when I have to hold back, slow down - just so I can pace myself as planned. It really is all about the mind. It starts with a decision and everything else follows - the training, the strategy, the result. Nothing is impossible. Win in your head first - the rest is simple. Really. What common sense brushes off, will overcomes.
Any anecdote from your running experience that you may want to share?
Rupinder Sandhu Anand: At ADHM last year, I thought I was totally exhausted and wanted to just quit the race mid-way, when I saw this gentleman - a blade runner running ahead of me, strong, and really very well. I could not complain any more that my feet hurt or my breath was shallow. I learnt - you don't need feet to run. You just need the mind - and you need a decision. Don't stop when you are tired - stop when you are done.
ALSO READ: Special coverage: India Inc Women Bosses Who Run
( Originally published on Nov 15, 2016 )
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