I was born and raised in Brookline, MA and went to Brookline High School where I was captain of the Brookline High School swim team and crew team. After graduating from BHS, I went to the University of Massachusetts Amherst where I majored in Economics and International Relations. During this college career I continued to row on the crew team for four years, earning the title of captain. After finishing school I entered into a management training program at Zurich North America, an commercial insurance company with its headquarters in Schaumburg, IL. After completing a year and half training program traveling around the country, I came back to Boston where I continued to work at Zurich as a Risk Engineer for two years. Finally I decided that I wanted to get my law degree, and am currently in my third and final year at Boston University School of Law. Upon graduation I will be moving to Austin, TX to clerk for a judge at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
 
From a young age I have always been involved in sports- this is where my passion lies and what has always interested me. As a kid my mother encouraged me to be active take advantage of the great opportunities which I had, both for my health and because she did not feel that she had these opportunities growing up as a girl in India. As a child I participated in soccer and swimming, as well as played the trumpet and sang in the school chorus. As I grew up I began to focus on swimming, and added on crew as I got into high school. My passion for the sports led me to coach a high school crew team in Malden, MA for two years, as well as the Brookline High School swim team for 1 year, both after returning to Boston from my stint in Illinois.

The beginning of my motivation to train for a marathon came while I was working in IL. After college I began working, eating out more often, and exercising less than I had previously, causing me to gain weight. Further, like many Indian men, I began to have a high cholesterol level at a young age, which worried me. I decided that I needed to get back in shape after trying to run a 5km road race in Chicago and not being able to complete it without walking; though I had not enjoyed running in the past it was the easiest form of cardiovascular exercise while working and traveling, so I began running as much as I can. This running helped me to lose weight, drop my cholesterol levels, and feel better about myself overall. Upon moving back to Boston I was watching the Boston marathon, and saw a lot of people running the marathon that were not in as good shape as I was. It had always been a dream of mine to one day participate in the Boston marathon, so when my roomate (also a runner) asked if I wanted to do a marathon, I instantly agreed. It would be a great challenge for me, and would be something to train for to keep me motivated. In the summer and fall of 2006 I trained for and ran my first marathon in Chicago. My new goal became to qualify for the Boston marathon, so the next year I ran the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington D.C, and then the Philadelphia Marathon in the fall of 2008. I finally qualified for Boston at the Philadelphia race, and had the opportunity to run Boston in April of 2009. It was one of the most fun races of my life as the fans were great, and I got to see all of my friends and family cheering for me along the race course. Running through my hometown of Brookline was my favorite part.

The training for the marathon consisted of an 18-week program during which I would run five times per week. One day a week I would do interval training around a track (running fast intervals with easy jogging in between), one day running at my goal marathon pace, one long run on weekends, and two easy/recovery days. The mileage would increase for two weeks in a row, and then would drop slightly for the third week in order to allow my body some recovery time. I kept building the distances that I ran until my long run was up to 22 miles. There are many marathon training programs available on-line which is where I got my training program (Hal Higdon's marathon training).

Completing a marathon is one of the most exhilirating feelings I have ever had. Your body and mind are so exhausted, and while I look forward to the end of the race, I really try to take in all of the sights and sounds of the race as I'm running it. It is such a happy feeling to be completed with a marathon, and there is a great sense of comraderie with the other runners and all of the fans cheering. It's a great feeling of pride and relief that you completed this goal.

Anyone can train for a marathon. The easiest way to train is to join a marathon training group, of which there are many. Also, start off slow and follow a training program diligently. Having a base of being able to run 4-5 miles without stopping is very helpful, however i have seen people with less of a cardiovascular base than that train for and complete marathons. Almost anyone can do it if they are willing to put in the time and be dedicated about their training. For anyone who is training for a marathon, the most important things are to follow good nutritional guidelines, build up your mileage slowly, and get a good pair of running shoes!!

My marathon schedule for the next year is not yet decided. I trained for my first triathlon over this past summer and really enjoyed that, so I may do a few more of those. However, I am spending the spring semester abroad in the Netherlands, so I may try to do a marathon in Europe in either Rome, Paris, or Rotterdam. When I move to Texas I will likely run in the Austin marathon in February 2011. It will be a great way to stay in shape, and get to know my new home city!

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