It was a routine in-office medical checkup in 2017 that changed Rupa Das’s life. The doctor told Rupa, senior manager of public relations and communications at CenturyPly, that she had to lose weight or her knees would be in trouble. “I asked if there was a magic solution. She told me to have a fitness drink and Kheera”, says Rupa, who weighed 83 kg at the time. A few months after the check-up, Rupa began to walk a lot, before slowly moving on to running: “I used to be someone who would snooze the alarm at 8am every morning and look for a rickshaw even if I had to go a few meters suddenly. , I got up at 4 am and ran three or four days a week.
Rupa before and after losing 28 kg between 2017 and 2019
By 2019, Rupa had dropped his weight to 55kg and gained a lifelong passion for running in the process. “I used to be lazy, in fact, I still am. I didn’t like sports growing up, but ever since I discovered running, I haven’t been able to stop running,” says Rupa, now 41. “When I started, a lot of people thought I would get tired. and give it to me soon. Some friends and colleagues made fun of me saying, ‘Your ankle definitely looks skinnier now.’ But over time, they realized that he was serious,” smiles Rupa.
‘My son is the biggest supporter of my career’
Rupa with her son Archisman, who is her main motivator when it comes to running.
During the two years that Rupa’s body underwent a drastic makeover, her mother and teenage son were her main sources of support. “My mum made sure everything was ready at home, which meant she could focus on running. As for my son Archisman, she always encouraged me and reminded me to keep pursuing my goals. Even today, he is the biggest supporter of my career and the one who always pushes me to stay in shape”, narrates Rupa.
Rupa did not alter her diet significantly during her weight loss period, but she did remain aware of burning more calories than she consumed. For most of it, she didn’t take any specialized advice or undergo any specific form of strength training: “I just put my foot down and ran.”
Starting with 5K and 10K races, Rupa slowly increased her speed and endurance to attempt 21K marathons. During the week, he would run near his Santoshpur residence and head to the Maidan, Salt Lake Stadium or New Town on weekends. Whether with friends or alone, in the bright sun or in the drizzle, Rupa never compromised on his career. Not even during Covid-19, when the country went into lockdown. “Since I couldn’t run outside, I started spinning on my terrace. Obviously I wasn’t covering the same distance I was used to, but it was necessary to keep my energy levels up,” Rupa says.
“They asked me to stop running to save my knees”
Rupa went to physiotherapy to revive her running hopes after being diagnosed with osteoarthritis
A few months of pacing around her terrace came to a halt in July 2020 when Rupa felt excruciating pain in her knees. She was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and was told by several doctors that she had to “stop running to save my knees in the long run.” But Rupa did not give up and even agreed to go under the knife to keep her alive. Eventually, she met Vikash Kapoor at Medica, who suggested that she start physical therapy. “After hearing my story and how I lost weight running, even my physical therapist wanted me to keep running and decided to make it a reality,” says Rupa.
After months of exercise, strength training and physical therapy, Rupa was able to slip back into her running shoes last year. Currently, she is back to running 10 km regularly and is working on improving his game to reach 21 km again.
“There are meets scheduled in December and February where I intend to sprint,” says Rupa, who has raced all over the country and sees Mumbai as having the most advanced running culture, with Hyderabad being the toughest terrain. “When you go running in Hyderabad, the terrain is what makes it challenging, because of the elevation. But when you have people cheering you on from the sidelines, you never think about giving up,” says Rupa, who is keen to beat her personal best times (69mins for 10km; 2hrs 52mins for 21km) this winter.
‘Kolkata Runners is an attempt to build a running community in Kolkata’
Rupa has also taken it upon himself to make the others run. “Whenever I see someone struggling with weight and fitness issues, I show them my transformation pictures. I can safely say that I have pushed a lot of people to start running,” says Rupa, who has run an Instagram page called Kolkata Runners since 2020. It is a space that started with Rupa trying to break the narrative of “Kolkata being a sleepy city.” and relaxed where you don’t run much”. Today, it has become one of the most followed fitness pages for amateur athletes in Kolkata and constantly features some of the best runners in the city. “Kolkata Runners is an attempt to build a running community in Kolkata and to bring people together to be fitter, healthier and happier,” Rupa believes.
Rupa feels that running should be seen less as a sport and more as a lifestyle choice.
When she’s not running in her comfortably cushioned Brooks shoes or tuning poles for Kolkata Runners, Rupa loves taking pictures and feasting on “endure biryani”, especially the Raan Biryani at Oudh 1590. Like many of her fellow runners featured in Kolkata Runners, Rupa sees running less as a sport and more as a lifestyle choice, something that is necessary to nourish the body And the mind. “People don’t have to race to become pros or even to win tournaments. They should be running to have fun, stay fit, and better understand their bodies.”
In addition to agility and freshness, running also brings perspective. “When you go faster than your surroundings, you learn to see things differently,” says Rupa. That is crucial for progress, for the development of one’s personality, in the long term. Life, after all, is not a sprint, but a marathon.
