Yesterday I went for a 10k marathon and I am still in that state of mind which only a marathon runner can understand. This was my second marathon in three months and I already want to go for the next. I am not a pro but I am already in love with running. Energy, motivation, and spirit are so high when you run in a marathon that makes you want for more. It is great to run a marathon but every day is different. It might not be so encouraging to get up early every day when the entire world is still in bed but there is something in ‘Running’ that if you really love it, then it will drag you out of bed and give you momentum.
I learned this about running quite recently and it made me fall in love with it even more. It’s an addiction for me but it was not the case a few years back. I was never athlete types in my school or college days I was rather someone who used to sit with my friends during that games class and prefer to talk about all other stuff. The sport was never my thing and it sort of made me uneasy. Watching from far and cheering for others was different but I playing sports was out of the question.
But things do change and mostly for good. From morning walks I never realized when I went into the running mode and then it became a sort of obsession. Initially, I could hardly run for five minutes forget about five miles. But when that barrier of starting was gone, I became comfortable in running. Slowly I started enjoying it and gradually it became an obsession.
It all started as a routine and now it’s part of my life because it is one thing that gives me a sense of freedom.
Yes, ‘Running is freedom’ for me – Freedom of challenging my body’s limit, freedom for my usually 9-6 stiff muscles to open up and resume their power. It is freedom to breathe that early morning fresh air, freedom to stare the rising sun, freedom to unclutter my mind with the chirping of birds and its freedom to challenge me every day. Freedom to take the route I want, freedom to stop and admire the views and freedom to go at my own pace.
There are five things that my running obsession has taught me about life that even life failed to teach me so far. These are the perks above my freedom that this passion has given me.
Running gives clarity of thoughts.
It gives you time for thinking and at the same time, it clears your mind. It gives you freedom from all worries, from deadlines, from stress and also from health issues. It keeps you in the present and thus gives you time to appreciate your surroundings. It gives a key take away to enjoy life; stay in present, appreciate what you have and don’t worry too much.
Everyone is Winner:
When you are running your biggest opponent is you yourself. You challenge yourself, your pace and become a winner. So, all runners are winners because you don’t compete with others you compete with yourself. That is again such a simple lesson that running can teach us, many of us try to be better than others but truly we should try to be a better person every day from what we were yesterday. Don’t let others pace affect your decisions, instead stay focus and keep moving.
Action matters:
A Runner improves by running, planning does help but it’s more of an action that counts. Many of us keep planning but never act; when action is what can make a difference. So instead of procrastinating gear up and just do it.
Fun:
When you run your energy level increases you become more active. It makes you feel fresh after all that tiredness. Running should be fun and free. While these things are fun, it is best to start out with running in an uncontrolled manner just hitting the road and running for fun. It motivates you to go that extra mile. In life also if you do what you enjoy you will not hesitate to take that extra mile because it won’t feel like a burden it will be your chance to enjoy, do what you love and to explore new opportunities.
Explore things:
Running gives an opportunity to explore new ways, new places, meet new people. It gives a chance to go till your boundaries and expand your edges, and eventually to break those. When you expand your edges you will see new opportunities so why stick to the same routine when we can also explore new things in our life, in our job and can create new opportunities by expanding our edges.
Running is a life in itself and the sense of freedom that it gives is amazing. Let’s embrace this freedom in our life and learn from it. Be a runner in your life and feel the freedom in a broader sense.
