This Chennai boy spent New Year Eve with Milind Soman and a long run

Most of our New Year Eve plans would typically involve unwinding with friends and family in the comfort of our homes. But this 19-year-old Chennai boy, Jai Aswani, rang in 2022 with a 110km-run with actor and fitness extraordinaire Milind Soman. Jai was part of Milind’s Last Long Run of 2021, along with eight runners from different cities, who finished the two-day run between Lathi and Sam in Rajasthan on December 30 and 31.
“When you start the new year doing something you love, it is one of the greatest experiences,” smiles the college student from the city, who was also the youngest runner in the group. He adds, “Milind’s wife, Ankita Konwar was also part of the run.”
Jai, who is also a Pinkathon ambassador, met Milind for the first time at the 2015 Pinkathon event. “Milind is the reason I am into fitness. When I first met him, he asked me if I ran and I said no. He then told me to give it a try. I joined a running group shortly after and I haven’t stopped since,” says Jai, who was also part of the actor’s Last Long Run last year, which was between Guwahati and Cherrapunji.
This year’s run in Rajasthan was smoother compared to last year’s feat, Jai says. “The route this time was flat and narrow, so we finished it without any hassles. But last year, the route had a lot of inclines and we had to run upwards,” he says, recalling a turning point in the journey. “At one point during the 2020 run, I had almost given up. But Milind came to me and told me to never give up. He encouraged me to reach the target even by gradually walking instead of running. But he insisted that I finish,” he says.
However, this year’s run had its fair share of challenges, too. Apart from a bee sting and a few blisters on his feet, Jai also faced an issue with his running shoes. “Every time I run, I carry two shoes with me. But I had a huge learning experience this time around. The second pair of shoes I carried with me were hardly used for five days. So, those shoes hurt my feet. This made me realise the importance of shoes and why it’s significant to carry shoes and clothes that have been used for at least a few months,” the runner adds.
His training for the run included strength training, cardio and cross-fitness for six days a week, along with dietary modifications. “I was injured in a road accident in November and was on mandatory bed-rest for three weeks. So, I had just about a month to bounce back and lose the weight I had gained. And thankfully I was able to do that with a structured fitness regime,” Jai adds.
While they clocked 62km on the first day, they finished 48km on the next day, with short breaks in between. “We ran between 7.30am and 5.30pm on both these days and began New Year’s Eve by celebrating our finish line with some good dinner and music. I hope I finish every year like this with a run,” he adds.