The clarity of thought and confidence in expression echo her strong personality. Even when she claims she is just another person running on the road, the assured tone in her voice is unmistakable. “It was not always like this,” says Vijayalakshmi Swaminathan, when this aspect of her personality comes up for discussion during a conversation on fitness.
“It is typical for us Indian women to think that at 35+, it is okay to be on the heavier side. I was obese, an unfit 95kg. I was also low on self-esteem and the taunting did not help either. More than a decade and a half after I gave up Bharatanatyam dancing, I took recourse to a gym, went on a diet and tried several other things to lose weight but nothing worked,” recalls the 47-year-old.
“I would look at myself in the mirror and cry.”
The silence that follows that statement is not easily broken. The owner of furniture chain in Chennai is, by her own admission, a closed person but get her talking about running, the words flow with passion. Known as Viji, especially in the running community, she took the running route to not only shed 30kg but also regain self-esteem and inspire scores of women to embrace running.
Setting small, achievable goals
Sometime in December 2011, she went on a walk with her husband Satyamurthy Swaminathan, a runner. “After that, I did everything myself. I did not have a coach or a trainer. I started running in residential colonies to avoid regular runners from seeing me. At first, I ran from one lamp post to another. Then I would run to a third lamp post. Thus, began my journey in running,” she recalls.
Viji Swaminathan says she then jogged 10 minutes and stepped up to half an hour without stopping to rest or walk. She was soon able to run from Elliot’s Beach near her Beasant Nagar home to Aavin Circle in Adyar – a 3km stretch that she loves the most. A few months later, in May 2012, she ran her first 10k in Bangalore.
That August, she completed the Hyderabad Half Marathon in two hours 47 minutes 54 seconds.
Inspiration begins at home
The ones who were the quickest to draw inspiration from her transformation were her daughters Keerthana and Krithika. “From finding it tough to get off the bed in the morning to including running in their daily routine, the girls have benefitted immensely. They are now podium finishers, being mentored by splendid runners,” Viji says.
“Now, I run a group called Unleash Your Inner Strength, aimed to make people realise that running is a natural activity and that somehow, along the way, we contrive to lose touch with it. If I can inspire more people to take up running, I will have done my bit. It is good that there is pressure on me to set the right example,” she says.
Running brings recognition
There has been another positive spin-off of her efforts besides shedding weight. She has been picked among a handful of women to feature in a soon-to-be-released documentary, Run Sister Run. “It is vindication that I have done something massive – losing 30kg just by running. Till that happened, I was just another person running on the road,” she says.
“I enjoy the responsibility that the focus on me brings along. If there is something that she misses now, it is the chance to run alone. “But there are other benefits of running in a group like the opportunity to bond with other runners, exchange notes,” Viji says.
Running tones up face and body
She says she found running very meditative, especially when one runs longer distances and alone at that. “I realise that women can get more beautiful if they run since it helps them tone up their faces and bodies. Youngsters can get more disciplined, letting their bodies get quality rest. I can tell you because I have seen the change in Keerthana and Krithika,” she says.
Viji signs off with a trademark line. “Indeed, if a girl next door like Viji can do it, anyone can!”
This piece was written for zevenworld.com in May 2016
