On Running
"You never know your limits until you push yourself to them"
Last night my friend reminded me "You were going to post a blog every month, what happened to it?" Today after hitting my new maximum pace, I am here to write 'on running'.
It's really difficult to remember when I actually started running. As a 10-year-old the maximum distance I could hit was 200 meters at a great pace. As an 11-year-old, I absolutely hated running. At 600 meters I used to get blackouts. The thought of running even just 1 kilometre used to be one of my worst nightmares, and the idea of running 10 kilometres was out of my sight.
It was the CoVid time when I ordered a new pair of running shoes and just went to a nearby park and started running. That was the beginning, which came to an end really soon. After diligently playing football, I discovered my untapped potential and stamina, realizing that I was no longer experiencing blackouts. However, my football sessions abruptly ended with the arrival of the second wave of Covid. Once again, I found myself with only a pair of shoes and an occasional visit to the nearby park.
One day, while browsing an online book platform, I slipped upon a discussion among readers about the renowned author Haruki Murakami and his captivating novels. Typically, I have a preference for reading books in their original language, as I highly value the beauty of the language itself rather than solely focusing on the story. However, my curiosity about this author prompted me to delve into his works, eventually leading me to select one of his great writings, "Kafka on the Shore. The protagonist character "Kafka" had a good daily routine, no matter the situation, Kafka always adhered to it. Mostly, the character of an artist or the state of his mind gets reflected in his work. That led me to my favourite hobby of actually reading about the author and in no time after completing "Kafka On the Shore" I was onto "On the Running - By Haruki Murakami", which inspired me for long-running. For the author long-running was 8 KM at an insane pace in his 70s, and my long-running was 3 Km max at the tortoise pace with many stops. This was "The beginning"!
Running distances of 10 kilometres or less are generally considered "short distances." However, for me personally, this distance seemed like a considerable challenge and was perceived as a "long distance." I wasn't as consistent as the characters in Murakami's novel, but, I was trying to run twice or thrice a week, at least. Little, but regular.
During the transition to working from home, my running schedule was gradually reduced to just three times a month. Eventually, when I decided to join a gym, my running routine came to a complete halt. However, upon moving to Bengaluru, I stumbled upon the "TCS-10K marathon" and without any hesitation, I registered for it instantly, without giving it a second thought.
First things first, scrolled through many shoes and finally made a purchase a week later. That's me an absolute shoe lover like many runners.
After getting the shoes delivered, I read many articles "On running" and then after a week, I forced myself 'to run'! Just to realize, running for 200 meters felt like running 2 Kilometers. And Bengaluru's cuisines already had shown their magical effects on my body XD. I went with the goal of 5 Kilometers and finished 1 Kilometer with four not-so-short breaks.
It was then that I realized if I wanted to avoid finishing a 10K in two hours, I needed to practice diligently. Daily I did set up alarms at 5AM, 6AM, and 7AM and finally used to wake up at 8AM. Living on the fourth floor meant that even if I woke up at 7 AM, I would only catch a glimpse of the midday sunshine, which often became an excuse to skip my run. Because one of the excuses you can give for "not running" is the weather, I used it as much as I could. XD
Eventually, I managed to adjust to waking up at 7 AM. I used to head towards a nearby garden, and am grateful to Bengaluru's giant trees which provides ample shade even during afternoon runs. I frequently witness people on the roads, but that's not my thing...yet.
Running with the music on always helped me in distracting myself from the distance I covered, the distance left to cover and the pace of running. It became my sole running hack, enabling me to disconnect from such thoughts.
Running united me with many good people and with countless beautiful mornings that would have otherwise been spent asleep. I pushed my limits to a great extent. I was compelled to revise my diet and undergo medical tests. Healthy choices automatically improved decisions and mental clarity.
One of the crucial lessons I learned from running is that when willpower falters, your well-established system kicks into action. Even on the days when I lacked the desire to wake up early and go for a run, the commitment I made by registering for an event compelled me to follow through. Perhaps I pushed myself more than I ever thought possible. I completed my run at an average pace, feeling accomplished.
It's really difficult to remember when I actually started running. As a 10-year-old the maximum distance I could hit was 200 meters at a great pace. As an 11-year-old, I absolutely hated running. At 600 meters I used to get blackouts. The thought of running even just 1 kilometre used to be one of my worst nightmares, and the idea of running 10 kilometres was out of my sight.
It was the CoVid time when I ordered a new pair of running shoes and just went to a nearby park and started running. That was the beginning, which came to an end really soon. After diligently playing football, I discovered my untapped potential and stamina, realizing that I was no longer experiencing blackouts. However, my football sessions abruptly ended with the arrival of the second wave of Covid. Once again, I found myself with only a pair of shoes and an occasional visit to the nearby park.
The Best thing about running is:
- You don't have to be dependent on other people
- You don't always need a partner
- It's not so expensive hobby to have
One day, while browsing an online book platform, I slipped upon a discussion among readers about the renowned author Haruki Murakami and his captivating novels. Typically, I have a preference for reading books in their original language, as I highly value the beauty of the language itself rather than solely focusing on the story. However, my curiosity about this author prompted me to delve into his works, eventually leading me to select one of his great writings, "Kafka on the Shore. The protagonist character "Kafka" had a good daily routine, no matter the situation, Kafka always adhered to it. Mostly, the character of an artist or the state of his mind gets reflected in his work. That led me to my favourite hobby of actually reading about the author and in no time after completing "Kafka On the Shore" I was onto "On the Running - By Haruki Murakami", which inspired me for long-running. For the author long-running was 8 KM at an insane pace in his 70s, and my long-running was 3 Km max at the tortoise pace with many stops. This was "The beginning"!
Running distances of 10 kilometres or less are generally considered "short distances." However, for me personally, this distance seemed like a considerable challenge and was perceived as a "long distance." I wasn't as consistent as the characters in Murakami's novel, but, I was trying to run twice or thrice a week, at least. Little, but regular.
During the transition to working from home, my running schedule was gradually reduced to just three times a month. Eventually, when I decided to join a gym, my running routine came to a complete halt. However, upon moving to Bengaluru, I stumbled upon the "TCS-10K marathon" and without any hesitation, I registered for it instantly, without giving it a second thought.
🏃🏻♀️ TCS 10K Marathon 🏃🏻♀️
After registering for the TCS-10K marathon, I vividly recall turning to my friend and expressing my uncertainty, saying, "I've registered, but I'm not entirely sure I'll be able to finish it." While I enjoyed running for leisure and the satisfaction of breaking a sweat, the idea of participating in a 10K or even a 5K event had never crossed my mind before.Growth never happens in comfort
New beginnings need New Shoes 👟
First things first, scrolled through many shoes and finally made a purchase a week later. That's me an absolute shoe lover like many runners.
After getting the shoes delivered, I read many articles "On running" and then after a week, I forced myself 'to run'! Just to realize, running for 200 meters felt like running 2 Kilometers. And Bengaluru's cuisines already had shown their magical effects on my body XD. I went with the goal of 5 Kilometers and finished 1 Kilometer with four not-so-short breaks.
It was then that I realized if I wanted to avoid finishing a 10K in two hours, I needed to practice diligently. Daily I did set up alarms at 5AM, 6AM, and 7AM and finally used to wake up at 8AM. Living on the fourth floor meant that even if I woke up at 7 AM, I would only catch a glimpse of the midday sunshine, which often became an excuse to skip my run. Because one of the excuses you can give for "not running" is the weather, I used it as much as I could. XD
Eventually, I managed to adjust to waking up at 7 AM. I used to head towards a nearby garden, and am grateful to Bengaluru's giant trees which provides ample shade even during afternoon runs. I frequently witness people on the roads, but that's not my thing...yet.
Running with the music on always helped me in distracting myself from the distance I covered, the distance left to cover and the pace of running. It became my sole running hack, enabling me to disconnect from such thoughts.
Running united me with many good people and with countless beautiful mornings that would have otherwise been spent asleep. I pushed my limits to a great extent. I was compelled to revise my diet and undergo medical tests. Healthy choices automatically improved decisions and mental clarity.
One of the crucial lessons I learned from running is that when willpower falters, your well-established system kicks into action. Even on the days when I lacked the desire to wake up early and go for a run, the commitment I made by registering for an event compelled me to follow through. Perhaps I pushed myself more than I ever thought possible. I completed my run at an average pace, feeling accomplished.
Running is not about competition, but about pushing your own mindset and being on track for one more minute when you want to give up badly. It's not about completing X KM of distance or running till the finish line, the running is itself the destination.
I am thankful to all the beautiful people who knowingly-unknowingly helped me with my run.❤️
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