Magic of Olympics - The Last Dance

No better time to write this post as Paris Olympics starts today. It is still the most magical event for me which I have watched over years and this year it is not going to be any different. Sports in one's life plays a much bigger role than education or military service and unfortunately not enough attention is given to it across world.

This video of French Paralympian, Kevin Priette, went viral, He been paraplegic since an accident at age 11. He carried the Olympic Torch through Paris wearing the Atalante X exoskeleton made by French medical robotics company Wandercraft. The exoskeleton uses AI to balance itself, allowing those who were previously unable to walk to walk while keeping their upper body free to do things like carry the Olympic Torch through the streets of Paris.

This is pinnacle of human spirit and engineering and what lies ahead is two weeks of peak human performance. We celebrate the determination and dedication of this athletes in every Olympics.

You can watch this incredible video here https://x.com/LMPvideosoff/status/1815793901787103580

A key race which I would be watching is the The Last dance of two legendary long distance runner Kipchoge and Bekele who would be participating in possibly the final olympics of their career. Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya would be attempting to win the third gold medal in the iconic endurance event. Kenenisa Bekele from Ethiopia who has never won a medal in the endurance event will try to change this record. Their rivalry stretches all the way back to their first meeting in a final, also in Paris, at the 2003 World Championships

This is possibly one of the most anticipated and a mouth watering event of this Olympics for me. It is on Saturday 10 Aug at 11:30 AM IST.

Over the years my favourite events have changed from 'field hockey' to 'track and field'

to 'marathons'. Coming to Why Marathon - it is the only event which challenges humans to go beyond their physiological limits. It is one of the primary reason why I am attracted to marathon and why I have taken it up on my chin.

For long distance runners , the biggest challenge is how to avoid hitting the wall as they say ,in running circles. What it means is, it's a point in race where our body simply runs out of energy. We produce energy via carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Carbohydrate is the body’s preferred fuel source during running.This is broken down into glucose and stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles.When your body runs out of glycogen, it has to utilise other fuel sources, such as fats and proteins. It is not as effective and that is where lies the challenge of endurance event.

Our bodies store about 1,800 to 2,000 calories worth of glycogen . On average, we use about 100 calories per 1.6 km when running, At around 29 to 32 Km is when your body is 'running on empty', if we haven't fuelled during the race.

To overcome this, you need a fuelling strategy. Bu remember this event is not just about fuelling but also about hydration , nutrition, strength, pacing and mental strategy and this is what attracts most runners. It does test you in areas which you one can never imagine.

This also explains why less than 1% of world's population runs a marathon.

Fingers crossed for 10th August race. My heart wants Kipchoge to win this race.

Which is your favourite sporting event ?