Forget gymming. Cyclist Venkateswara Rao Navanasi {aka Venky} is a man who can inspire you to take up cycling as a legit option towards achieving your fitness and weight-loss goals.
Before And After: How Running And Cycling Helped This Bangalorean Achieve His Fitness Goals
Ten-Second Takeaway
Cycle Of Life
Everyone has a turning point in life where they decide that it’s time to buckle up. For Venky, it was his 31st birthday. Weighing 92 kilos, he knew that by being fit, all his all too frequent bronchitis attacks and weight problems will sort themselves out. The first step towards his fitness goal was to try and play badminton in his apartment complex. The first couple of days were hard on him, but it motivated him to further push himself. He took up running as a part of cross-training to ensure increased stamina. And as the time went on, he incorporated jogging and yoga to his routine. All this cross-training along with moderating his diet to eating as much as his body only needed, he started noticing changes. In about 8 months, Venky had lost about 16 kilos and looking leaner, fitter, and healthier like never before. It was on his first child’s birthday that he gifted himself a cycle to ensure that he keeps the flab off and continue to stay active and fit.
Cycle, Venky, Cycle
After moving to Bangalore in late 2010, Venky continued his cycling escapades with his daily commute to the office. Even though it his daily commute to work {8km one way} was helping him stay in decent shape and his weight more or less constant, it wasn’t enough. He needed a spark and he found it through his acceptance to Tour Of Nilgiris, one of the largest cycling events in India. From dedicating a couple of hours on weekdays to riding during rain or shine, Venky not only achieved his fitness goals but also finished overall 9th in the Tour.
The Man Behind The Cycle
On days when he’s not training or cycling, he’s either getting his cycles serviced and keeping them running well at Crankmeister Bicycle Works or indulging in an occasional biryani binge or his love for the barbeque at Barbecue Nation. But on most days, it is simple home cooked food that keeps him going. He’s also an avid blogger and you can find his cycling stories here. Oh, and lest we forget, he also coaches people in cycling to get stronger and faster though proper structured training. You can reach out to him through his Facebook page here.
The Road Ahead
Venky has been cycling close to 10 years now and he’s an experienced cyclist and well-known in the Bangalore cycling circuit through events such as Bangalore Amateur Racing {BAR}. He’s currently training for Tour Of Friendship, a five stage race organised in Thailand from April 29 to May 4. He’ll be participating in the race along with a few of his teammates at Spectrum Racing, a amateur cycling team.
