Running has changed my life, really. Since I never understood running as a method of practice, I never thought that.
Our normal instinct is to flee when physical harm is looming. We either fight or run. It's human nature. Most of us want to flee; I would certainly run if I were attacked by a wild animal. But I have found that when we face emotional obstacles, our fear mechanism kicks in.
My grandmother passed away within the first two weeks of this year, and I broke up with my girlfriend, and I began to hate my job in London because of office politics. Anything against me seemed to be working.
My life felt trapped. So I've decided to run. It was my natural reaction. Everything I wanted was a getaway. I laced my shoes and started running. I felt exhausted and energized at the same time by the time I returned. I knew something I was on to.
Since I was young, I have always exercised. During high school, I played basketball. I have pursued numerous sports in my adult years — I have tried kickboxing, basketball, squash. But I've never been excited about that stuff.
So, when they don't want to get fat, I did what most people do — go to the gym. It's lazy, in a way, to go to the gym. When you are having a talk with a friend or someone you know from the gym, you get in your car and do some mild to moderate exercise. I've been doing this 2 to 3 times a week for the last 10 years.
I might get hyped about running once in a while. I have always preferred to run for the wrong reasons, however. To buy new Nike's and compression clothing, I used running as an excuse. Or I've started to run to lose weight or get healthier.
Often, on Sunday morning, I went for a run to get rid of the alcohol from the previous night out. My running stints were never more than 2-3 weeks long. In running, I'd lose interest. I really didn't comprehend it.
Why is anyone going to go through the agony of running? Particularly when there's bad weather. Who's doing that? I would prefer to go with my friends to the gym, talk, and pick up some weights.
But I learned that pain was precisely the reason I began running again. I was disappointed because my life wasn't what I expected it to be like. I felt like a stranger was being punched on the subway. But instead of being busted by a British police officer, when I arrived home one day after work, I decided to run.
It was a cold day in January, and I ran just 3 miles in a time I'm too ashamed to mention. But my time is not what's important; I finally got it during that sprint.
At the time, my endurance was synonymous with my life. It was bad, but I knew if I kept going, it would be better. I will gradually boost my endurance and be a better runner if I had to struggle against the wind, the rain, the cold and my thoughts of giving up.
My life has changed at the same rate as it has changed my running speed and stamina. But my productivity, mood, imagination, and overall livelihood are most affected by running. Scientific evidence confirms all of this.
Dr. John Ratey wrote a book called Spark, about the effect of exercise on our brain. He 's saying:
In comparison to a regurgitation of the normal responses, cognitive versatility is an essential executive function that represents our capacity to change thinking and generate a steady flow of imaginative thoughts and answers. In intellectually challenging work, the trait correlates with high-performance levels. But if you have a major afternoon brainstorming session planned, it's a good idea to go for a short , intense run during lunchtime.
Any time life was tough, I would give up. I decided that I did not have money when I wanted to travel the world after college, so I told myself I could save money. Years passed and I was terrified to be away from home for a long time, and that round-the-world trip never happened.
Now, my reaction is different when life is tough. I enjoy the pain and struggle rather than shy away from it. This I owe to running.
And the best thing about running is that getting started is quick. You're just going. You're choosing when, where, and how quickly.
Running is, to me, just like life. You don't really want to do it. Summers are better than winters, and when you have new shoes, you feel better. But it is worthwhile. After the suffering, both in life and in running, pleasure comes. I've never stopped running for a day, which is why my life is going forward again. You need to try this too.
