On Saturday, Gurindervir Singh ran at the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi as if his life depended on it. Within moments, he became the fastest man in India, setting a 100m national record of 10.09 seconds by beating the previous 10.15 seconds record of Animesh Kujur. Watching him run was a flashback to the days when legendary sprinter Milkha Singh used to light up a track. They called him the Flying Sikh then — they might be calling Gurindervir that now.
But behind the result and the accolades is years of grind, blood and sweat. Because to be the fastest man in India, you must be doing something out of the ordinary. “It is the little wins that win you the big moments. Tell yourself to wake up at a certain time — and do it. Tell yourself to not eat junk — and do it. Tell yourself to eat healthy — do it. It’s the small wins that make the big difference,” says Gurindervir. Here is what it takes to be the fastest man in India.
Discipline matters
Gurindervir calls his routine “a loop” and the precision in it leaves little room for error. “Before the sun sets, I already know what time I am waking up the next day. If I have to be awake at 5.30am, it has to be that time — not 5.31,” he says, adding, “Monday is sprint training with gym work, which lasts four to five hours. Some days are morning gym sessions followed by tempo runs for two and a half hours. After training, I eat lunch, take a one-hour nap, wake up, tidy my room, read a book, have dinner and get on a call with my family. By 10pm, I’m asleep. The next day, it’s the same.”
The power of Manifestation
The moment Gurindervir broke the record, he tore off his race bib and later turned it around. On it, in his own handwriting, were the words: ‘Task is not finished yet. 10.10. Wait, I am still standing’. Written the night before the race, Gurindervir manifested history in the making. And then went out and did one better. “I wanted to write down my goal and the reason I took it out was to show that I had visualised this moment,” he says. “Gurbani (sacred hymns from Sri Guru Granth Sahib) and my thoughts guide me… If in my head I can see myself achieving something, I get the power to go out and do it,” he adds.
Maa ke haath ka khana and all that he sacrificed
“There are days when I just want to relish Maa’s baingan ka bharta, aloo gajar matar and malai mushroom. Sometimes, I crave pizzas and burgers too. I want to eat my heart out, but I can’t. That’s the life I’ve chosen,” says Gurindervir, adding, “Food fuels my performance and every meal has a purpose. Breakfast is light — oats, fruits, egg whites, juice, sometimes idlis or dosa. The rest of the day follows the same nutrition intake. I start with salad to fill my stomach, then protein and carbs. If my stomach is full, great, but if still hungry, fruit is all I eat after that.”
What’s with Watching Thrillers Before Races
I watch such movies especially before a race, as they distract me but also put me in that mindset filled with adrenaline,” says Gurindervir, adding, “When we race, there is mystery and suspense. No matter how much you train, you can never predict the result.
For the sprinter, that’s the key to a strong and focused mindset, says his coach, Sarabjit Singh. “It’s the strength of Gurindervir’s mind that has taken him to where he is,” adds Singh.
