Hachette India

Run! The Ultimate Mind-Body Fitness Guide

Ayesha Billimoria

‘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 medallist, 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!

Ayesha Billimoria

Ayesha Billimoria is a three-time national champion (2001–2003) in 200 metres. She has represented the state of Maharashtra for 17 consecutive years, and has held several national and state titles, along with being named the ‘Fastest Girl in India’ in her teens.

She works as an athletics coach and movement specialist in Mumbai, and believes that all training is a process of education, awareness and experience. Her own experience of becoming a ‘leader’ makes her ‘Fitgirl India’, as she is known today.

In 2016, Ayesha started her own social enterprise by the name of Project Fitgirl, which aims at educating young children in government schools in urban as well as rural Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in sports, movement and life. A former captain of the Adidas Runners Mumbai crew, Ayesha is a beacon for young boys and girls to become independent and confident leaders in their respective fields. She hopes to continue her drive to make people across the country more aware about the gift of running and how it can be life-changing.

A TEDx speaker, keynote speaker at the World Zoroastrian Congress, vocal proponent of gender equality, and an environmental warrior, Ayesha is also a motivational speaker, upholding co-existence as the way to a peaceful and happy life.

Ayesha has trained under world-class coaches in London, Africa, Germany and Australia. This book is a result of the wisdom that she has earned, and the lifestyle and passion that she has pursued for 22 long years.