Books and Memoirs on Running by Indian Authors

The Indian running community is growing strong and with that the need for amateur runners to devour all the literature that is around about running . The information on the internet is a overwhelming and the information can be contradictory between articles. The books that are available be it running information or memoir are usually addressed to the western audience. One may say its science how does it matter weather it was written for an Indian audience or not. Well you are right in parts but parts like nutrition or memoirs it would make sense to have something close to home. When I started looking for Indian authors on running related books I found very few. That got me thinking that I should compile a list for anyone who wants read running related books written by someone in this part of the world. So here is a list of books that I have found, most I have read because the list as you see is short. The cost is for the paperback version of the book and is hyperlinked to the amazon section.

1.       Running and Living: Unleash your Potential by Rahul Salim Verghese

Rahul Verghese the writer was the typical 40-year-old corporate junkie before he ran his first marathon and then quit all to start a business venture that brings his love of running to the real world. The book is part memoir part running information and so can be an entertaining read, especially the description of the runs. 

Book Summary on Amazon: Come, start running — it will change your personal and work life forever. Most of us learn to accept and live with shattered dreams and, sometimes, even no dreams at all. We busy ourselves doing what’s urgent, while leaving out what’s important. But is that living life to the fullest? This book urges us to focus on what's truly vital; having a dream and reaching out for it. The author suggests that one of the simplest ways of transforming your life is

via running! That’s what changed the author’s personal and work life. It can do the same for you. Sounds crazy? Wait, read on . . .This is not a book about becoming a great runner, it is about how you can get more out of life in all its dimensions, and ultimately achieve greater happiness — by running. It draws parallels between running and life, emphasizes crossover learnings and shows how running can transform you as a person, a family member, a team player or leader at work. It also highlights how running can help build up businesses, work teams and social communities. Dreams fuel the human spirit, ignite the passion for great enterprise, flooding everything around with positive energy. So dream your big dream — and run for it.

Cost On Amazon : INR 306

 

2.       Dare to Run by Amit Sheth

The first time I heard Comrades was in this book so it definitely inspired my decision to put it on the bucket list. Whats Amazing about the book is that it is also about failures and how to deal with them like his DNF in Comrades. The story is about an amateur that holds true for anyone who discovers running and comes to love it

Book Summary on Amazon: Dare to run is the inspiring story of Amit and Neepa Sheth, a husband-wife duo who took up running as a sport in their late 30s. In a collection of essays written over five years, Amit, a self-acclaimed couch potato takes us long with him on an incredible journey of determination, discovery, courage, self-awareness and self-belief. He takes us with him from his first, almost fatal, 200-meter jog on a beach in Mumbai, to the finish line of The Ultimate Human Race: the 89 km Comrades Ultra Marathon in South Africa. Along the way, Amit uses a combination of poetry, philosophy and scriptures to explain his unique perspective on life, religion, spirituality and running. This is a book not just about running but about the need to relentlessly follow your dreams and passions, no matter what they may be. It is a book which encourages you to be the best you can be in all walks of life while at the same time maintaining a certain sense of balance and appreciation for the beauty of existence. It encourages you to enjoy the gift of life to its fullest. The essays describe the journey of an ordinary husband-wife team doing extraordinary feasts, while having to balance family, work, training and injuries. This is a book from which a novice runner will draw inspiration and motivation and it also a book in which an elite athlete will recognize his own strengths and weaknesses. It describes how ordinary people push the limits of their ability to achieve their goals, passions and dreams and it will inspire the reader to do the same. It is a book to be read not only by those who run but those who desire to run. It is a book which dares you to run.

Cost on Amazon: INR 349

3.       The running Soul: My Journey From Darkness To Light By Parul Sheth

A very inspiring book on how running lets you overcome personal losses and rejuvenates life. Parul’s story is very inspiring and there are portions in the book that really touch a chord. As a single mom she shows us woman that you could do both be a runner and rock it in life

Book Summary on Amazon: The book is the story of Parul Sheth who started running and used it as a way to get her life back on track. It is the story of a broken woman who, thanks to running, was able to cope with her trauma and evolve into a strong person. Parul’s story, will resonate with a lot of us. We all have our own personal hell from which we are trying to escape. It is for the sari clad lady who dreams to run in track pants on marine drive, for the alcoholic who is trying to quit and adopt a healthier lifestyle. For the woman who is trapped in her roles, but wants to break free and find herself, as well. The workaholic executive who thinks he cannot follow his passion due to lack of time. The road is perilous but with sheer tenacity we can learn to enjoy the journey. Each Hill we climb is making us stronger, taking us higher. With this story I hope to inspire the Non-Runner to start running, the half marathoner to dream bigger and realize that even the impossible is possible, and the marathoner to push his own perceived limits and aim for the much-desired personal best.

Cost on Amazon: INR184

4.       Miles to Run Before I Sleep by Sumedha Mahajan

Book Summary on Amazon: Miles to Run Before I Sleep is the true story of Sumedha Mahajan, a married, working woman who undertook an extraordinary journey. At an age when most women worry about household finances and the responsibilities starting a family, she wanted to break the mold and follow her dreams. Sumedha was born with asthma and the hospital was her second home throughout her childhood. She started running to keep herself fit and to prevent asthma attacks, but it developed into a way of life. Then, in April 2012, she took up the challenge of running 1,500 kilometers from Delhi to Mumbai in thirty days. When the run began, it was purely a physical challenge which she had set for herself but, as it progressed, it became a mental struggle that took Sumedha to her very limits and as she made her triumphant way to the finish line, she overcame not just her physical shortcomings, but also the extreme prejudice of people who were convinced that she would fail miserably. An account of a grueling adventure and a rousing story about finding oneself, Miles to Run Before I Sleep both inspires and delights.

Cost on Amazon: INR 193

5.       Run To Realize by Abhishek Mishra

This book I haven’t read and is on my list of next to read however Abhishek Misra is a very known face in the Indian running circuit so I wouldn’t doubt the wisdom that the book will provide

Book Summary on Amazon: What would drive a young man to quit a life of apparent comfort and recalibrate his threshold of pain by taking up a sport that entails hours of swimming, more hours of cycling and run a double marathon? In recreating his journey from engineering and management studies to the endurance sport, including arguably the world’s toughest one-day event Ironman and the challenging Ultraman in Florida, via plush offices of a multinational corporation in Gurugram, Abhishek Mishra shares many invaluable life lessons that he learnt along the way. He tells his compellingly earthy story of aligning heart, mind, body and soul in the pursuit of a dream. And he does it in such a way that everyone can relate to and employ in their own professional and personal lives.

Cost on Amazon: INR 299

6.       Made in India: A Memoir By Milind Suman and Rupa Pai

This was a recent read and I loved it only in parts. The book starts with his first TMM run hen the Ernst while Standard Charted Mumbai Marathon and in portions goes back to a break down of that run across the various portions of the book. I just wish that there was more about his Iron man journey or Barefoot running escapades. There was too much modeling for me and I really didn’t enjoy those portions but that’s a personal opinion.

Book Summary on Amazon: There's more to Milind Soman than meets the eye (although, as his legions of female fans will agree, what meets the eye is pretty delish).Combining in himself the passion of an entrepreneur, the mind of a nerd, the discipline of an athlete, the curiosity of an explorer, the heart of a patriot and the soul of a philosopher, Milind has made the stunning-and apparently seamless- transition from champion swimmer to supermodel to actor to extreme sportsperson to women's fitness activist, enabler and proselytizer, all in one lifetime. How does he do it? What makes him tick? On the twenty-fifth anniversary of 'Made in India', the breakout pop music video of the 1990s that captured the apna-time-aagaya zeitgeist of post-liberalization India and made him the nation's darling across genders and generations, Milind talks about his fascinating life-controversies, relationships, the breaking of vicious habits like smoking, alcohol, rage, and more-in a freewheeling, bare-all (easy, ladies-we're talking soul-wise!) memoir. Co-authored with bestselling author Roopa Pai, MADE IN INDIA is a rare glimpse into the mind and heart of a very unusual man that will leave you thoughtful, awed and inspired.

Cost on Amazon: INR 403

7.       Master your Run by Pramod Deshpande

This book was found on the usual search results for Indian authors on running and I haven’t read it. I am assuming that it will have some extremely helpful because its written by coach Pramod Deshpande a Dronacharya Awardee. The reviews on Goodreads also are extremely welcoming so I would think it will a book worth reading. Its suprising that it isnt a well known book.

Book Summary on Amazon: This book addresses many of your questions and self-doubts, If you are worried about the craziness of a runner in your family. If you are a non-runner, thinking of pursuing running. If you are an experienced runner, looking for clearing your doubts or looking for some change in strategy. Or, if you are just a bystander trying to make sense of the Running craze around you!

Cost on Amazon: INR 200

8.       Run! :The Ultimate Mind, Body, Fitness Guide by Ayesha Billimoria and Dhvani Solani

A great book to read if you are new to running and need an overall guide to help you in the journey.

Book Summary on Amazon: 'RUNNING IS ABOUT FEELING TRULY, UNBELIEVABLY AND FULLY ALIVE!-

As anyone who has tried it will know, running is much more than just putting on your sneakers and hitting the pavement. In Run!, track-and-field athlete, two-time national gold medalist, and athletics coach and trainer Ayesha Billimoria shares her wisdom on this fun-for-all fitness activity acquired through years of rigorous training in India and abroad.

She is a champion athlete not just because she has learnt to master her body but also because she has learnt to train her mind. In this book, Ayesha gives you invaluable tips on, among other things:

* regular strength training and alignment principles - or your 'prehab- routine;

* warm-ups, warm-downs and correct running techniques, with detailed instructions and photos on requisite exercises;

* the importance of picking the correct gear, from clothes to shoes;

* the nutrition you need before you set off and after you-re done running;

* breathing techniques to train your lungs, build your stamina and optimize your run;

* and, most importantly, how to train your mind to help you run better, faster and longer.

Complete with practical sample workouts for beginner-, intermediate- and advanced-level runners, an FAQ section that will clear all your doubts, and first-hand accounts of people whose lives have been transformed by this activity, Run! is the one book you will need to get you going. So, run with it!

Cost on Amazon: INR 302

9.       The Race of My Life: An Autobiography

The book that inspired the movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag had to be part of this list. It’s a great autobiography of one the greatest runners that India as produced, his athletic prowess’s known by all.

Book Summary on Amazon: Milkha Singh has led a life dominated by running, running, running. From a boy who narrowly escaped death during Partition (Most of his family was not so lucky), to a juvenile delinquent who stole and outran the police, to a young Army recruit who ran his very first race to win special privileges for himself (A daily glass of milk). After that first race, Milkha Singh became an athlete by default and what followed was the stuff legends are made of. In this remarkably candid autobiography, Milkha Singh shares the amazing highs of winning India's first ever gold in athletics at the Commonwealth Games, the unbridled joy of being hailed as the 'Flying Sikh' in Pakistan, as well as the shattering low of failure at the Olympics. Simple yet ambitious, famous yet grounded, Milkha Singh was a man who defined his own destiny and remained committed to running and yet, remarkably for a man whose life was dominated by sports, he continues to remain disillusioned with the way sports is run. Powerful and gripping, the Race of My Life documents the journey of an impoverished refugee who rose to become one of the most towering figures in Indian sports.

Cost on Amazon:INR 205

10.   A Gift of Passion: Wrapped in Run Hemant Kumar Pate

I chanced on this book on my numerous Amazon searches for Indian authors and runs so till I read I wouldn’t be able to give a perspective on it. I did find a review of the book at https://nidhiriwrites.wordpress.com/2019/07/21/a-gift-of-passion/

Book Summary on Amazon: The book is written on the background of the author's own experiences in the different stages of life. The childhood passions of the author, which were very natural, were suppressed due to various factors influencing the growth of the individual in the author during the formative years in school and colleges. The social environment, the expectations from the family and friends & the economic conditions played its role in the drift away from the natural passions such as sports and writing. The small incidents in the later stage of life were the catalytic triggers in the mind of the author that helped the author realize the hypocrisy of happiness he was experiencing till he reached the age of 50+ years. Such realization with a strong introspection led the author to break away from the monotony of hypocritical happiness and made him re-live his life following his passions in search of real happiness. In the process of this life changing experiences, the author became a long distance runner having run 30 organized long runs &also authored this book. Now, the author is "New Person" gifted by his passions. As a protagonist, the author explains the entire journey through dream of running an Ultra Marathon and fondly hopes this could be a life changing experience to anybody who is sincere to his/her passion.

Cost on Amazon: INR 199

This is definitely a short list and were stumbled upon during numerous google searches. If there are any that you have read and need to be added to this list, please feel free to leave the name in the comment. If anyone is looking for a detailed review on any of the books do let me know in the comments too. Happy reading