A Mixed bag of thoughts: Mr. Kaushik Panchal - Full Marathon Trainer, Motivator and Runner

When I was a teenager, there was this long phase during which I used to exercise at home. I experimented with running on the streets, but the early morning waking up to avoid the heat that is inevitable as soon as the sun is up and the being chased by street dogs quickly dampened my motivation. However, I did have the exercise bug. I used to work out with the girls who lived next door and watch video cassettes and channels that showed aerobics and cardio workouts. Since I was like this so early in life, it's not a wonder that I still work out or that I've done so many different physical activities throughout the years, like half marathons and learning different kinds of dances, gone on vacations where walking was the focus etc. Every once in a while, when I think of my retirement, like many of us expats, I have these sweet ideas of going back to Mumbai older and doing things that matter. One of this has persistently been motivating people around me to be out and about, walking, running and getting healthier. I recently spoke to someone who is doing just that, so in some ways he's living the dream life in my stead. Let me tell you more about him.

In 2002 at 32

Mr. Kaushik Panchal is a resident of Borivali, the area where I grew up. He was living the normal life of going to his workshop and factory, running his business and getting back home at the end of the day. He had a successful financial situation for an Engineer living in Mumbai. But when he started having back issues and other ailments on nearing his thirties, he realised that money was not the only wealth one possesses. He knew that he was spending too much money on medicines and only his doctor was benefitting from his lifestyle which lacked any notion of health consciousness in it.

In the year 2003, he visited one of his family members in Toronto, Canada. He spent 40 days there trying to find ideas to grow his business. However, Canada taught him something he hadn't known till then. Ordinary people there were taking care of their bodies at any age. Everywhere in the city, people his age were out running in parks and streets during their lunch breaks and when offices closed. He says that this was an eye-opener for him. He realised that he owed it to his children to stay in good health and vowed to lead a healthy life from then onwards.

Visit to Canada in 2003, he was 80kgs and 65kgs in 2010

Once he came back to India, he entered the gym in Goregaon Sports club for the first time. Despite having a life membership at the club, he had never used the club facilities for anything except socializing at the end of a working day with clients over a drink or a meal. Now, he stepped on the treadmill and started his new life. He started losing weight and feeling better.

Within the year, he had heard about the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon that was to be held in Jan 2004 and enrolled himself for it. He did the Dream run which is 7 kms that year but decided he could definitely better himself from then on. He started training and running the 21kms every year onwards bringing down his medical bills and improving his health. He stopped indulging in his favourite snack till then, the Mumbai Vada Pav, ( a spiced and fried potato burger of sorts which is served in a bread with green chillies and spicy garlic chutney). He started focusing on his diet.

Until the age of 42, he only did the 21km run. In 2010, he participated in a Nike Club session that focused on Full marathons. There he met Mr. Daniel Vaz- Head Coach of the Nike Club (article on Daniel linked at bottom if interested), who was giving this free training session. He learnt the science behind marathon training.

First Full marathon, 42kms completed in Mumbai

He signed up to train with Daniel for 6 years. Kaushik proudly calls himself Daniel's favourite student because he knows that he followed everything that Daniel taught him to the T. This training gave him a deep understanding of all the aspects of the workouts and diet needed to have an optimal run when he attempted the 42kms. This didn't take too long. After 7 years of running the half marathons, at the age of 42 (nice coincidence isn't it!?), Kaushik ran his first full marathon in 4h 47min. He was elated and proud of his achievement.

Receiving Marathon Trainer certificate from Mr. Daniel Vaz

Class of 2015 ACSM Marathon Trainers

After running two or three full marathons, he realised that his real joy was not getting a better speed at a full marathon, but getting other people moving and across the finish line. All the years of participation had shown him that his city was full of people who were out there trying to be the best versions of themselves on race day. He enjoyed interacting with these people who were not in the first lot of fast runners but maybe doing their first attempt at an official race. He found happiness getting people to continue when it was hard and helping them to take the next step. Hence, he started pacing the 21kms runs at 2h30 pace to be able to help motivate others to cross the finish line.

2015, first batch of Runner's Academy

That's when he decided to start Runner's Academy in 2015. He got certified with the American College of Sports Medicine , A.C.S.M and his pleasure was doubled when he realised that Daniel Vaz would be his trainer once again. Kaushik decided that he would focus on people in his local area to be able to make real change in the long run. Mumbai being extremely crowded, it made sense to not dissipate and have to travel long distances to meet his clients. He started his first centre at Borivali National Park (B.N.P). The runners in Borivali were quick to take advantage of a trained marathoner and he saw his business grow multifold. He now has 5 different centres and he works with six different trainers who are experts in their fields. Each of the trainers have a certification from the A.C.S.M and have completed a full marathon themselves. They take care of the different centres whether in Chikoowadi, the Borivali National Park (B.N.P), Kandivli East Thakur Village (two sessions) , Kandivli East Lokhandwala. The sessions run from 6:15 - 7:15 in the morning. In the Thakur village centre (Kandivli East), Kaushik realised that he had a huge demand from housewives who wanted a slot a bit later after finishing all their morning chores and sending their kids off to school. So, he even has a 7:30 - 8:30 session there. He tries to be physically at one centre per week, i.e Monday to Friday and thus cannot think of expanding at the moment.

Team RA coaches, 2016

He estimates 86+ runners have completed the full marathon from his academies and has touched at least a thousand lives since he started the centres. He trained Varun Sawant, an autistic 18 year old, who recently at 24 years of age has run the Boston Marathon representing India at such a prestigious event. Training Varun opened a new dimension to Kaushik's vision where he actually saw the difference it made to Varun and his family. Since then several of Varun's friends have asked to be trained similarly. Running is definitely medicine for so many kinds of people, says Kaushik. He organises a run called Edurun to raise money for the education of underprivileged children, where he gets people from the different strata - privileged and those who are not to run together. The money raised is donated to the NGO that handles the education for those children.

3 Yrs of Edurun

Organised Edurun for underpriviledged children

Kaushik also travels alongside his runners on 'Running vacations' across India where they go in groups and travel India to sight see and run. He has done 2-3 outstation trips each year for 20 years. That's a lot of motivation and running, if you ask me. Today Kaushik is only a sleeping partner in his workshop and factory business because he has switched his main focus from 'Manufacturing' to 'Wellness'. Bursting with new ideas, he really makes me hopeful for the people he touches through his group.

Participated in Leh Ladakh marathon for 3 times with team RA

The trainers who work with Kaushik are

Strength and Conditioning -Yogesh and Ruby Kanchghar.

Marathon training - Ajit Dedhia, Bindu Panchal, Vishal Chaturvedi and Ketan Apte.

Together they represent a new era in India, where health is a priority for everyone. The workouts are designed by Kaushik and the coaches execute the same across the different centres.

Team RA - Kaushik and the coaches

Their tag line -Get your health on track

Team RA

Torch Bearer at Satara Hill Marathon in 2017, with highest number of outstation participants at 120

Proud member of the Mumbai Marathon Legend Club, awarded to finishers of 10 Full Mumbai Marathons.
Each runner in this Club has his/her chosen number dedicated to them for every MM.