Member Profile: Maiju Kutty, 52

Maiju came to Brian’s training after years of running and preparing for marathons on his own. In addition to finding a close-knit community and a training methodology supported by science and sustainable results, he values the framework for consistency that he knows will support his health in the long-term, despite the very real challenges of being diabetic. Here’s Maiju, in his own words:

I’ve been doing marathons and long-distance running for the past 20 years. In the beginning, there was no discipline to my running. I’d been training myself using Google, YouTube and all that, but around 2018 I realized I needed someone to actually talk to me. So I joined Brian’s training. 

I often say it’s a bit like a leap of faith: you’ve got to trust what he’s saying because you may not always understand it. For example, his Hard-Easy System: if you go to almost any endurance training, they tell you to start running. But what Brian does is take a step back. He wants us to understand the science behind what we’re doing. It’s not just going out every day and running hard. And that’s what I like about Brian’s system, he tries to make you understand why. Sometimes it might look a little weird. For example, if he starts out by telling you to run slow, this is counter-intuitive for most people, because they want to run fast. But I learned that it’s not about running fast, it’s about running right. 

Especially when you do a marathon or long run, the emphasis shouldn’t just be on finishing, but also not getting injured. Brian tries to instill in us that it’s not about what place you came in, but whether you can continue to enjoy running without having to stop because of injury or unpleasant experiences. He has a method to how he does things that may seem unconventional, but at the end of the day it leads to results.

It’s not just the physical part but also the mental part. Having that mentoring is really essential. You can take a motivational class, be good for a week, and then go back to old habits. But having someone mentor you week after week, you’re able to sustain the change. Brian is a great sounding board. He really tries to understand the individual where they are and help them address their particular challenges.

 The training has been very helpful in developing a discipline and understanding the mechanics behind the running, but also having fun. A workout doesn’t have to be torture. There are people of all ages in the program, and that’s helped in exchanging ideas, sharing knowledge. So it’s not just about running, but also being able to learn about other life skills, whether they be personal management or nutrition. It’s about becoming a well-rounded individual. The program really feels like a community, where you are able to gel with each other, understand each other’s problems, and understand how to work as a team.

I’ve totally done 12 full marathons, maybe 7 or 8 half-marathons, 20 or so Great Aloha Runs. After training with Brian I haven’t gotten any injuries. I may have done faster marathons before, but a month after the marathon I’d still have leg pain because I overdid it. And I realize now that it’s not about how you did the marathon, but how you led up to it, how you finished it, how you feel on a daily basis.

For me what’s really important is that I’ve found a program that’s sustainable. I started running partly because I’ve been a diabetic for the past 20 years, so I realized that I needed to stay active. As you get older with diabetes, your body doesn’t store glycogen the way it’s supposed to, and that’s something I value about Brian’s training: I know I can remain consistent with it. Sometimes diabetics think they can’t run, but I would like other diabetics to know that they can train and even run marathons with this condition. I’m 52 now, but I want to still be running at 75. I don’t have to beat someone, I don’t have to race anyone anymore. The goal is to be healthy and active and able to do what I want in life.