How to Run, musings.
I usually don’t do much planning before the start of a morning or evening run. However, I make sure the right music album or audiobook is selected, that the earbuds and phone can hold enough charge. Some people believe that those running with music don’t really have what it takes. Anyway, I don’t belong to that school of thought. My aim is usually to complete the distance set on my Nike run club app.
3, 2, 1, Go as indicated by the app, I start my run. Sometimes, I have a mental picture of a predefined route, at other times, I just take unfamiliar ones. Before 5 minutes elapse, I expect my app to announce my pace, usually pegged at 4.5 minutes per km. I try to maintain the pace for the next 10 to 15 minutes, after which my pace starts to drop. This is usually the knee region or my breath asking me to slow down. In running, I have come to learn that the focus shouldn’t be on the distance intended to cover, but on taking that next step. It will even serve you better, to entirely forget about the miles uncovered. Just take that next step, it is what counts the most.
There are various stages of response from the body that I experience while running. The first is the thrill of running, that adrenaline rush. This usually spans for the first 20 minutes of the entire distance. It can be likened to starting anything in life. Overcoming that inertia that has held you back and finally starting. There is a feeling that comes with that, however, it takes more to keep it going.
Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. -Tyson
It takes a defiant attitude to keep the engine revving, despite all odds stacked against you. Rather than stopping, which my body usually suggests, I slow down a bit. The next stage is more like my body entering an auto-pilot mode. I just run, not feeling much of the aches, because I have shifted my mind to just taking the next step and not worrying about the distance ahead. Same can be related to real-life scenarios when they play out. Not worrying too much about certain things and just trusting the process can go a long way in getting you so far.
Finally, at some point, pain sets in again. But this time, I have covered most of the intended running distance. Nevertheless, I try to run an extra mile because in life, to be really exceptional, you need to go an extra mile.
