Lockdown no hurdle for Pune athlete Priyanka Chavarkar whose daily runs on terrace bring her closer to the finish line

Her workout includes skipping, squats, lunges, core workout and other functional strength exercises

Running is the one thing which Priyanka Chavarkar cannot miss- lockdown or not. The 22-year-old, whose pet events are steeplechase and running, does all her drills on the terrace at her home in Ambegaon Budruk near Taljai.

The 22-year-old, whose pet events are steeplechase and running, does all her drills on the terrace at her home in Ambegaon Budruk near Taljai. (HT/PHOTO)

Chavarkar delivered memorable performances in 2019 as she emerged as the top runner in the 10km event at the Pune International Marathon and Bhakti Shakti Nigdi Marathon. Chavarkar, whose best timing is 38 minutes15 seconds in 10km run, has also participated in the Skechers Performance Los Angeles Full Marathon in March last year where she was placed 24th with the timing of 3 hours 43 minutes and 2 seconds in the age group of 20-24 years.

Chavarkar has also won a bronze medal in the National Cross Country in Warangal, Telengana and another bronze medal in the 3000m steeplechase event during the Maharashtra State Athletics Championship. She trains under two-time Shiv Chhatrapati award winning coach Bhaskar Bhosale and practices on regular days at the Baburao Sanas Ground.

Morning session

My day starts at 5.30am and my routine is to follow my workout schedule. I start my workout with a 20-25 minutes run on the terrace. After that I skip, do squats, lunges, core workout and other functional strength exercises. These workouts focus on a single muscle each day.

Afternoon session

After my workout, usually in the afternoons, I love to spend time with my family. I like to help my mother in the kitchen and as I am a foodie, I like to cook too. I play with my dog, listen to good energetic music and watch videos to learn new techniques of running.

My event is 3000m steeplechase and marathon running, so my favourite player is Emma Coburn from the United States, who I follow. There are many things to learn while watching Coburn perform in steeplechase events. She is one of the best in the world.

Evening session

On normal days, I practice twice and generally go out for running, but because of the lockdown, I prefer to stay at home and do stretching and yoga sessions on the terrace which helps me increase my concentration. Sometimes, my mother joins me. Then, I spend my evening, tending to the plants in our garden.

Gym – not an issue

Life without gym is not an issue for me as with body weight exercises, I maintain my fitness at home.

Hobbies

Swimming, trekking and watching videos online. I really miss going to the swimming poll since the summer season is here.