The Writer’s Flight

  A pair of running shoes is the most important piece of gear you’ll need to train for a marathon. The shoe needs to be flexible with a grippy outsole, lightweight and breathable  Credits: Adobe Stock   If you're a new runner or planning to run your first marathon, you may be wondering about how to prepare and where to start. Be aware of certain dos and don’ts before your first 5K   Rakesh Kumar Kashyap from Panchkula started running at the age of 46 to offset his craving for sweets. He preferred to control it by running rather than leaving sweets. With no background in sports or a very active lifestyle, Kashyap started with a few kilometers  per day. Today, he has moved on from marathons to ultra-marathon (an ultramarathon, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of 42 kilometers ) and is just back from the tough Leh marathon. And is already preparing to participate in Sparthalon in Greece, a 246-kilometre ultramarathon race which is t...

A guide to how to pick and how to cook one the world's most popular cuisines Namrata Kohli   Eating an Italian meal is a ritual: a gathering of food and family to celebrate traditions Credits: Adobe Stock Italian food is not just about pizza and pasta. Within Italy, there are diverse styles of cooking - South Italy food is dominated by tomatoes, olive oil and pasta while in North Italy, the most commonly used ingredients are alpine cheese, meat. While pasta, sauces, and cheeses are staples across the country, every region has its own unique ingredients and dishes. It’s a myth that Italian food is all about pizza and pasta, says Amit Rana, GM Holiday Inn New Delhi, Aero city- a hotel which is about to launch an Italian restaurant L’Osteria Bella.  He says another myth is that Italian food is primarily about unhealthy or junk food. Says Rana, “It depends on what you eat. You can have lots of veggies like spinach, beans, peas, even bottle gourd in your main cours...

Indian athletes medal-winning streak is prompting young people to train for competitive events Namrata Kohli   Chennai and Mumbai teams clash in Ultimate Kho Kho match Credits: Ultimate Kho Kho There are sports beyond just cricket. Invest your time and money in alternative Indian Sports if you have the aptitude for them By Namrata Kohli When Neeraj Chopra won Olympic gold, people woke up to the fact there is a sport called Javelin throw also, which can be played professionally at the international level. For the longest time, the spotlight was hogged by cricket and this left other games out in the cold and struggling. But finally, India is looking beyond cricket and expanding its horizons to develop infrastructure, training institutes and create an entire ecosystem for alternative sports. The time is ripe to hone your skills in whichever sport that you have an aptitude for and this need not be just cricket. For those keen on sports as a passion or a profession should get started be...

What was seen as a Dussehra spectacle of victory of good over evil or the coming down of 'towers of corruption' is not so simplistic. It was like  putting Band-Aid on a bullet wound - an attempt  to deal with a serious problem in an inadequate way  addressing only the symptom and not the root cause.  Namrata Kohli delves deeper and finds that the malaise is systemic  Today the Twin Towers were demolished in Noida and many called them the “symbols of corruption”. But why did they come up, in the first place. Builder bashing seems to be the mood of the nation. But as someone who has tracked real estate as a journalist, I can tell you that the builders are most often the most visible and easy scapegoat. The malaise is much deeper.  It is a no brainer that the builder in question violated National building code, did not comply with the minimum distance norms between the towers and worst of all, did not seek the  consent from its buyers on additional constr...

Timepieces costing lakhs of rupees must highlight the owner's taste and personality Namrata Kohli   Your luxury watch must match your personal lifestyle. (Stock photo) "A gentleman’s choice of timepiece says as much about him as does his Saville Row suit," said Ian Fleming, the British writer of the James Bond novels. A Rolex, Omega or Patek Philippe watch on a wrist marks luxury, success and taste. Pop singer Ed Sheeran wears a Hublot Big Bang; actor-singer Selena Gomez has a Rolex Day-Date; and actor Brad Pitt is an ambassador for TAG Heuer Monaco. “It’s the story behind the watch, the movement and complication in the watch and the history behind the model and the manufacturer which drives me towards my watch purchase,” said Vishesh Sahni, founder and CEO of WHITE, a Delhi-based events and brand experience company. Sahni’s favourite watch to wear is Patek Philippe 5060/1A-001 Annual Calendar in steel. “It’s a perfect everyday watch whic...