By Papri Das

The industry was grief stricken last Sunday when Bharti Airtel?s 43-year old chief nodal officer and marathon runner Stephen Menezes met an untimely demise due to heart attack on the tracks while running the Run India Run-Total Sports and Fitness 10K Challenge in Mumbai.

According to a report in The Times Of India, Menezes had been suffering from high blood pressure for the last 10 years, which comes as a surprise since he was a familiar face in similar running events that involves pushing one?s physical limitations.

One can?t deny the growing popularity amongst executives in participating in sports and other physically strenuous activities that test their physical limitations. More and more executives are jumping on to the fitness bandwagon; sometimes spurred by the growing popularity of India?s recently crowned ?Iron Man? - Milind Soman. Doctors and trainers are of the opinion that it is increasingly becoming more about setting records and competing than enjoying the activity. While Menezes? case may be a standalone incident, it is an eye opener for many who push themselves too hard. The scenario begs to raise the serious question: How far is too far?

?On an average, a reasonably fit human being is cable of stretching their physical limitations to a certain extent, but it's a gradual process,? says Whatuwant Solutions founder Bharat Kapadia, who has been participating in marathons quite regularly for eight years now. ?When I started, I hadn?t run even half a kilometer in my life. So when I decided to enter special training at the gym, the idea of running even five kilometers seemed like an achievement. I loved the training and the discipline it brought to my life and since then I have been improving my record by minutes every time,? he says.

Kapadia also points out how our mind plays a powerful role in this. ?There are times when the body is ready for the challenge but the mind isn?t. This can prove detrimental to one?s body as well,? he says. ?Fitness isn?t measured as what one can do, but how easily and quickly one?s body can return to normal after being pushed beyond its comfort zone,? he says, adding that the power of mind is often tested in this regard.

According to Kapadia, the mind often doesn?t differentiate between sweating it out for fun and an actual crisis and this leads to a rise in lactic acid within our systems. ?Stretching after a long run or a stressing game of squash is very essential to bring our body to normal,? he informs.

His last recorded time for completing the 21km half marathon in January 2015 was 2 hours and 12 minutes as opposed to his first ever record of 2 hours 39 minutes. It clearly shows that patience and consistency is the key. Concurring with him is Grey Group India managing director and chairman Sunil Lulla.

?All of us who live life on the edge know fairly well that consistency is the key,? says Lulla, who is an avid Squash player and extensively takes part in several marathons. ?Athletes and professional sportsmen undergo rigorous training to increase their ability to push beyond limits each time. Their records are a result of that training and not a feat achieved in a day. If a regular executive expects the same result, their body will simply not obey, or worse, will break down,? Lulla simply puts.

Lulla stresses that it's extremely important to build up this consistency before every major event that requires you to be at your physical best. ?Well before a week of participating in a marathon, I practice running to get myself in the groove and also follow a strict diet,? Lulla says, adding that it prepares his body for the physical exertion that his body would experience during the marathon. ?These days I have been traveling a lot, which leaves me very less time to practice running and play Squash etc. Therefore, every time I do play, I deliberately cut down on my time so that it doesn?t become sporadic.?

For some it may be a lack of consistency, but there are others who just can't help it and one such person is celebrated TV personality Cyrus Broacha. ?I used to play Rugby earlier and now only lift weights almost obsessively, to the point that my family has given up on me,? says Broacha.

?Some people have this obsessive compulsion to keep at something until they are unable to carry on, and at the cost of sounding victimized, I am one of them,? he adds. Throwing light on the signs to identify that one is obsessed with a certain thing to an alarming level, Broacha says, ?When people are unwilling to adjust their practice times, refuse to take any breaks and often get angry when interrupted, it?s a sign they are obsessive over it.?

When asked how he ensures that he doesn't take his obsession to a point where he may fall sick, he says, ?I spend less time in the gym when I have work so I guess that's one way to keep me off it.?

Lost Boy Production?s Vikas Gupta plays badminton and football quite regularly and believes the importance in maintaining one?s health through extra curricular fitness activities. ?Living a lifestyle where most of our hours go either sitting in front of the computer or consuming fast food, it is essential to engage in some sport. It maintains your health and also keeps your mind fresh,? says Gupta, who strikes a fine balance between work and play.

?I make sure I don't over exert myself at work on the days that I play a sport. Sometimes people work for 16 hours a day and then expect to push themselves for four more hours in after work activities like sports. It is not a healthy practice,? he says, warning executives of their ?wanting everything all at once? attitude even towards sports.

In spite of having erratic work schedules, Gupta maintains his ?me time? on weekends. ?It is hard to schedule your life amidst shootings and other official responsibilities. But I try to have 12 hours a day with some exceptions and on weekends I completely switch off for a couple of hours. It?s usually then that I indulge in sports,? shares the producer.

Often what pushes an otherwise perfectly healthy person over the edge is undiagnosed ailment and latent injuries, which is why both Gupta and Kapadia recommend a general health check up at regular intervals. Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon Dr Tushar R Jimulia has over a score of frequent visitors who regularly take part in extensive sports and athletic activities. ?About a dozen of marathoners and executives who play sports often seek my help before they have a big event coming up. Moreover, two of my orthopedic friends are majorly into trekking and thus keep needing regular checkups before their trips,? says Jimulia, who was earlier with King?s Mill Hospital in Mansfield, UK.

Jimulia?s advice to executives is simple: Not to forget that their engagement in these activities is for fun and they can?t compare themselves to the professionals. ?More often these business leaders and executives spend their early twenties and thirties in building their impressive portfolios. By forty when they have some time for themselves, they suddenly jump into extreme fitness regime, forgetting both their age and lack of any proper training over the years,? says Jimulia, assuring that it?s possible to push one?s physical boundaries after proper training within the limitations of age and other health factors.

?A proper health counseling is a must before anyone takes part in a serious sport. Our body is like a car with many gears. If one is to skip the first couple of gears and directly runs at fourth gear, it will naturally cause an accident. Similarly, those who want to participate in marathons must undergo basic training, then start their jogging, and move on to sprinting before building up their body to handle marathons,? signs off Jimulia.

Celebrated for his rich marketing and editorial experience, Bharat Kapadia is regarded of the leading names of the publication industry. Former editor and associate publisher of the Chitralekha Group, Bharat Kapadia firmly advocates 'the power of positive thinking'.

We take Mr. Kapadia on a spiritual quest and what comes across an iron willed person who not only thrives on conflict and competition, but seeks it out! In a t?te-?-t?te with the exec life, this enterprising man from Divya Bhaskar discusses his ideologies on God, religion and devotion.

By Birth?
I'm a Hindu Vaishnav by birth, partisan of Lord Krishna. Other than adorning the traditional necklace 'janoi' during my childhood days, I can't testify as a firm believer of God. By the way, I'm no more wearing the 'janoi'.

Family Values?
My parents were extremely devotional; they conducted pujas and other rituals. My wife, Ronak, belongs to the same school of thought. But I don't subscribe to it. My mother used to narrate the holy books to me when I was a child. Talking about my kids (a daughter and two sons), I try to infuse the philosophies of Subhash Chandra Bose in them. Except naming my kids as per their rashi, I have taught them to act rational and be pragmatic in all walks to life.

My belief?
I'm neither an atheist nor a devotee. Yes, a 'super natural force' does exist but I don't get carried away with that thought. If God does exist, I'm thankful that he has been kind to me so far. I feel the biggest tribute that we can give to our parents is by following their inculcated values and not just by blindly believing in the existence of God. Also, I have adhered to being a pucca vegetarian and teetotaler.

Rituals?
I have never succumbed to any rituals. Even when I was supposed to conduct the shraads on the demise of my parents, I entrusted the deed to the temple through donation. On rare occasions like Diwali, I do participate in the

chopda pujan, where the books of account are worshipped

Divine Visits?
I don't intentionally plan a visit to a temple. But when accompanied by my family on devotional trips and on social occasions, I do give in without reluctance.

Spiritual Guidance?
I haven't investigated any books which explore the being of The All Mighty. With my editorial experience of years, it's ironical but amusing to say, I can write but cannot read! As far as guidance goes, I listen to my heart. I have always believed that God, if there, is within us.

Positive thinking?
The power of positive thinking can change and enrich our life. Being sanguine and zealous in our deeds will, for sure, guarantee success and happiness.

Karmalogy?
Good karma or bad karma?I don't know. What I adhere to: do whatever pleases you.
The power is within us; how you utilize it is subjective.

Relaxing mantra?
No, I don't chant any mantras as such. Music is what works as a stress-buster for me. At present I'm being coached for vocal classical music. So you can say the music mantra works in my case. As far as being fit is concerned, I do workout regularly under a trainer.

Bharat Kapadia, Executive Director, Divya Bhaskar, offers a glimpse of what keeps him occupied in life beyond work, to Richa Dubey.

My nuclear family??
My wife runs a shop at Lifestyle in Juhu Chowpatty, Mumbai. A shop of gift items and artifacts. She is a good painter. All this keeps her pretty occupied. My eldest daughter, Manasi, is a teacher for the disabled. My son Tejas is graduating and plans to study management further. My youngest one Samay is studying in class 8. This is my family and I love to get back to them after work.

My creative instinct?
I contribute ideas to sketch cartoons in Divya bhaskar. I started with this interest just a year ago. So far around 400 of them have already been published.

My fitness routine?
I simply love cricket. Though I don't play it well, I follow it religiously. I love indoor games like chess. Sometimes, with no company around, I play chess myself on computer. For me, it's a great stress buster. I participated in many inter-college tournaments during my college days and won many prizes in school competition.

My talent - unheard and undiscovered?
I like singing a lot and have participated in a few singing competitions also. I do stage performances and sing for many shows. I just finished a performance recently.
I am often questioned about time management but sarcastically reply saying, "Main Samay ka baap hoon". To be very rational, I feel that time is water. If you put your hand in it, it gives you space otherwise it will take its own form. I should have an interest in something for me to hook to it and find time.

My observation and inspiration?
I have met a lot of people and feel that our society is very friendly in general. Hence, there is no question of grudges. Out of all the nice people, a few are very close to my heart, and those are my friends. None of them are from my industry.

I always take inspiration from whoever I meet. The biggest source was my mother, a powerhouse of positive and good qualities. She taught me to look ahead in life. Her fundamental view is that human body parts - eyes, nose, mouth, hands and legs are all made to face the front. Only one part faces back. Therefore, one should never look at the past but keep looking forward for a new beginning.

My joy is to meet new people?
I am not a very holiday person. I do not enjoy sightseeing a lot. For me, more than a tourist destination, what matters are the people around. I am only interested in good company. I have been to New York so many times but I never saw the Statue of Liberty from up close. People say it is so unusual but that is how I am.