The video opens showing SGT Vikram Mittal in a weight room dressed in his Army Combat Uniform, or ACUs. As he begins to speak, the image fades to a montage showing him in his Army uniform, workout clothing, and a light jacket for running. The image shifts to Vikram standing to the side of the screen next to text that reads “SGT Vikram Mittal: Marathon Runner.”
My name is Sergeant Vikram Mittal with the Army National Guard. I’m on the National Guard Elite Marathon Team.
Vikram speaks while footage of a marathon is shown.
A marathon is 26.2 miles. I normally try to keep between six, six-and-a-half minute mile pace for a full marathon.
Five Army National Guard athletes are shown running on a track.
It also means doing training, almost like 100 miles a week of training. Everything in your body has to mesh together really well…
Vikram is shown working out at various weight stations at a gym.
… so you have to have good core muscles. You have to have a certain amount of arm strength and you definitely have to have a lot of leg strength.
Vikram is shown talking while standing in a weight room.
I do a lot of sit-ups, a lot of push-ups, pull-ups, bench pressing, squats and military lifts. I do yoga, Pilates. I cycle with friends but by and large the biggest thing is just running.
Footage from a marathon is shown.
One other thing that really helps your abs that combines in with running is…
Five Army National Guard athletes are shown running on a track.
…running up hills because when you run up hills, you have to like pull everything in and keep really good form.
The group of athletes is shown stretching next to the track.
I stretch for about ten or fifteen minutes before I go running every morning.
Vikram is shown talking while in a weight room.
So I eat a lot of pasta. It’s normally a very big staple for runners. I eat a lot of turkey for protein. I have a slight addiction to Powerbars. I tend to eat a couple of those every day.
Footage from a running road race is shown.
You have to get over that mental edge. You’ve got to tell yourself you can do it and chances are you probably can. The mental trick is just telling yourself you’re not tired. The wall is around 20 miles when your body basically starts running out of energy.
Vikram is shown talking from the weight room.
You’re running off your pure heart, almost.
The video ends by showing Vikram in a weight room. As he begins to speak his last line, the image fades to a montage – showing him in his Army uniform, workout clothing, and a light jacket for running. The image shifts to Vikram standing to the side of the screen next to text that reads “SGT Vikram Mittal: Marathon Runner.”