Running and cycling has caught the fancy of many people in Goa, especially during the lockdown. The lockdown had forced the closure of several facilities all over the place. Gyms had to shut to adhere to lockdown regulations. Many were forced to look for help in the online world where many physical fitness instructors conducted classes. Others decided to go out running and others went to back to doing what almost everyone did in their childhood cycling. Captain Robert Vaz said the increasing popularity of running could be easily explained. He said “It is very easy to do, it is free of cost and the open roads are ideal for running. Importantly now people are getting more health-conscious. There have been deaths due to obesity and stress. Running is now a pathway to healthy living”. He said he took up running in 2010 when he took his children for the five km run in the inaugural Goa River Marathon. He said “My kids walked the distance and I thought to myself well if my kids can do it so can I and I decided to run with a goal in mind. In the next edition, I ran the half marathon”. He said a majority of the runners in the state took up running after 2010 because of the atmosphere that surrounded the marathon which was similar to the carnival. The culture of fitness has increased over the years and the lockdown has given it a further boost he said. Robert said he considered himself a fun runner who felt it was important to encourage people running even those, he did not know personally because that was the essence of the activity. Now with more people running, he said it was good more people were open to the mantra of fitness through running.
She is a pharmacist by day but is a motivated runner and cyclist early in the morning or late in the evening. Vandana Fernandes runs every alternate day and spends the rest of the days in strength training. She has been running since 2014. She smiled and said it was now quite normal to see a large number of people either running or cycling. She said “I suppose it because the gyms are shut and people want to stay fit. I have now taken up cycling too to remain fit at a certain level. My husband joins me too occasionally. However yes my running take precedence”.
Althea Fernandes was into running from 2012 but has now taken up cycling because as she put it, it exercises a different set of muscles. She has completed two marathons and loves the high she gets from running. The state she said had wonderful areas to run and it would be a pity if it wasn’t used properly.
Blanche Chemudo was a runner whilst at school but then the demands of life as a dentist took her away from that world. Now during the lockdown, she found the time to reconnect with her passion. She said “I run twice a week but cycle the rest of the week. I do around 250 to 350 km a week and usually start cycling at 5.30 in the morning. My decision to go cycling to my office invited a lot of comment but I did not mind it. When it started raining, I had to use the car. I used to go to the gym but when it was shut due to the lockdown, I was encouraged to take up cycling and running by mates. It has been great fun and I intend to follow it now.”
For Manoj Patil it was about reconnecting with values what ought to live one’s life by. A businessman, his life was about waking up early and then going off to work. Tough times made him confront his life decisions and he took up running to improve his health. He has completed marathons and has importantly taken thirty other people from the couch to ten kms. Many of them have moved on to half and full marathons. He said “I am now almost fifty and health takes precedence. This virus has reduced the pace of life and people have more time for themselves”
Running as an activity to increase the immunity to the virus could be a reason for the increase in the popularity of running and cycling. Dr Sandeep Naik who is an avid cyclist said groups had gotten bigger and there were new cyclists joining every other way which was very good because people, he said were now understanding the importance of physical fitness.
One can hope this interest for running and cycling stays with the general populace because a healthy population is a happy and hardworking one.