A look at Gurgaon's bossiest athletes: I have a running group in every city I travel to for work, says Bipin Kaul

While most corporate bosses in Gurgaon take up running and other fitness activities late in their lives, it was more like a homecoming for Bipin Kaul. Growing up in Srinagar, he used to be a swimmer and runner in his school days. "I studied in Tyndale Biscoe, where there was a lot of emphasis on sports. At 11, I was able to swim several laps of the pool. Fitness was ingrained in me. But then, coming from a middle-class family, as I grew up and got serious about life and career, swimming peeche chhoot gayi," says the National Head, Acquisition & Trade Relationship-Business Banking & SME, IDFC Bank.

During his initial years in the corporate world, Bipin gained weight due to a sedentary lifestyle. He tells us, "My weight went from 65 to over 110 because there was no physical activity. Then in 2009, I moved from Noida to Gurgaon and every morning, I used to see some or the other running group out in the morning. Encouraged by that, I started running and cycling with a group too. In Gurgaon, the advantage is that there is always someone going for a run and you can simply tag along."




Bipin participated in the Delhi Half Marathon in 2012, but could not regularize his fitness routine, as he was sidelined by a cervical injury that forced him to be confined to the bed for most of 2013. "I re-started in 2014, and that's when I started taking things more seriously. In November, I ran 1,000 km solo to the Wagah Border. The following year, I completed randonneuring (a set of long-distance cycle runs) in France, cycling 1,200 km. And then, earlier this year, I finished my first Ironman event in New Zealand," says Bipin, who is now preparing for the 2018 Ultraman Florida, which is considered the world's toughest endurance race.

Bipin Kaul (BCCL/ Ajay Kumar Gautam)

This has been a particularly good year for him, with him finishing several major endurance events like the 1241km Paris-Brevet-Paris Randonneuring cycling challenge, the 80km Tuffman Shimla race, and the 72km Khardung La Ultra marathon organised at an elevation of 18000 feet. He also finished runner-up in a 3/4th triathlon in Hyderabad this year.

But being in the corporate world, Bipin admits that he has to find the right balance between work and his love for fitness, not that it has been tough though. He says, "When you love doing something, you find time for it. You can't compromise work. I have had days where I have gone for a run in the morning, changed into my work clothes in the gym, and went straight to work or a meeting. Time management is the key."




Talking about how he achieves that balance and manages to find time for running despite constantly travelling for work, he says, "My work requires me to travel and be out on field. I'm a sales guy so I require more planning than most. I plan my entire month in advance, even the cities I travel to. In that month, I decide what runs I will go for, and how much time I will devote to training. When I travel to some other city, I make sure the hotel has a gym and pool. In fact, I have favourite locations too. For instance, if I go to Mumbai, I prefer staying in the Juhu side, because I like running on the beach. Most importantly, I have my fitness groups in every city I travel to, be it Mumbai, Ahmedabad, or anywhere else. So, even if I go there for two days, I have company with whom I can train. I stick to my usual routine that way."




But there is a third aspect to an individual's life as well - the family. The Golf Course Road resident says that by making running a lifestyle activity for the entire family, he has ensured that when he is involved in his passion, his family is not left behind. He elaborates, "When you can't compromise on work and neither on running, it's your family that gets compromised. So, I have taken special care to make sure they aren't ignored. In our family, running is a lifestyle activity. We are active, mobile people. My wife runs too and my older daughter - who is 11 - has also started running now. We all do that together now. Most of my big, important runs - like the Ironman in New Zealand - are family vacations, where we all travel together. It's possible to balance all three aspects of the life - running, work, and family - you just have to find what works for you and have the will to follow through with it."