Siddhartha was born in Salt Lake city in Kolkata in the year 1987. He attended Haryana Vidya Mandir for his schooling.
He was a chubby kid. His father would take him on 3K morning walks, enticing him with the reward of Jalebi and Frooti upon completion. He also enjoyed swimming occasionally.
His father works as a doctor while mother is a housewife. Sidd became more interested in photography after observing his uncle, who is a photographer.
When he entered 11th grade, he weighed 84 KG. To manage his weight, he enrolled in a gym, but had difficulty walking on a treadmill even for 10 minutes.
He pursued engineering in Computer Science from West Bengal University of Technology. His focus was on participating in Tech Fest and Cultural Fest events during college, with exercise taking a back seat.
At the insistence of his family, he altered his eating habits in his third year of engineering. He began walking 14 KM journey back home from college. After 8 months, he shed 12 KG, bringing his weight down to 72 KG.
He started working at TCS Trivandrum in 2009, marking his first time away from home. Within the initial 3 months, he lost 6 KG.
A few months later, he moved to Mumbai and his weight came back to the mid seventies.
His coworker was a fitness enthusiast. Together, they would ascend 11 floors to access the office gym, followed by a 45-minute run on the treadmill.
Thanks to his uncle, Sidd developed an interest for photography since childhood. He used to run to a new location in Mumbai, capture photos, and then hurry back home.
He traveled to the United Kingdom for an official visit. In 2013, he took part in the Sainsbury Charity Run and successfully finished his first official 5K run. The food, medal, and certificate made his debut run truly delightful.
After that, he signed up for a few 10K races. He considered those ones to be more of fun runs and collecting the medals as a memento felt priceless.
In 2014, he crossed paths with Pratik, who had a passion for running and hiking. Pratik extended an invitation to participate in a half marathon, prompting him to dedicate the following months to training for the upcoming race.
On the race day, he left pune at 12 AM to reach Thane for the 21K run. He drove and took his friends along with him to reach the venue. After a 30 minute short nap in the car, he went ahead for the race starting at 6 AM. Though it was manageable till the 15th kilometer, he struggled to complete the remaining distance.
Over the following six years, he participated in one or two half marathons annually.
In 2020, he had to resort to medication as his blood pressure level went up. With minimal workouts during the COVID lockdown, his weight significantly increased.
In Dec 2020, he managed to run TCS 10K in 58 min in spite of weighing 92 KG.
His uncle used to capture marathon events. Sidd stumbled upon the Kolkata Running Group through his uncle’s Facebook profile. He became a member of the group to prepare for future events, where Girish played a crucial role.
In Mar 2022, Sidd attempted his first full marathon. Despite hitting a wall at the 32 KM mark and feeling bloated from overhydration, he remained resolute to complete the race. Eventually he crossed the finish line after a grueling 5:02 HR.
He continued to struggle with his health and developed various health ailments related to kidney and cholesterol due to which he had to start medication.
But he found solace in running. In Aug 2022, he ran a HM in 1:54 HR.
He came across Runners 360 running group while browsing the internet. He contacted Shreyas Karnad to train for the upcoming Tata Mumbai Marathon 2023. He joined the group in Oct 2022 and started training under Coach Deepa Nayak.
Since then, he has shown significant progress in his running, achieving personal best timings as shown below.
10K – 39:57 MIN
Half Marathon – 1:27 HR
Full Marathon – 3:45 HR
Ultra Marathon (50K) – 4:34 HR
He has managed to reverse his Cholesterol and Kidney issues due to his exercise regimen and better eating habits. The blood pressure is also within the normal range. His journey exemplifies how maintaining an active lifestyle can significantly aid in reversing pre-existing health conditions.
Gold Dust
- Having mastered the art of running half marathons and full marathons, Sidd wants to test his mettle by running ultras.
- Message to upcoming runners: Consistency is key. By maintaining a regular routine, you will garner attention from people and receive valuable support from them to enhance your running performance.
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