We all know that running is good for you, so I am not going to talk about the physical health benefits of it. We know it’s good for your heart, and we know it’s good for your stamina, but the mental health aspects are phenomenal, and that’s the detail a lot of people don’t understand. Before I go further into this blog, I would like to tell you all that I am no health expert; you should always seek advice from a medical practitioner or personal trainer etc. I am going to tell you what it does for me and how it makes me feel, and if you feel inspired to run a little or a lot due to my words, then awesome.
There are times when I'm running that I honestly feel like I could fly, and there are times when I feel sick, achy, tired and in pain. I love them both in very different ways. Embracing both the fleet-footed moments and the lead filled feet moments are part and parcel of that feeling of freedom that I will be talking about. For me, it was like learning to meditate. I know a lot of you are currently sat there reading this and saying ‘running is nothing like meditation, it's all pain and hard work’, and you would be right. I like to lose myself in those painful moments, focusing on just getting one foot in front of the other till they won’t work anymore (I haven’t found my limit yet, so I will be running farther and farther till I find that point of collapse). In my head, taking it one step at a time is similar to focusing on your breathing in meditation. You concentrate so much on those steps that everything else seems to melt away. It takes practice, but once you get it, you will travel further than you ever have before and will be able to continue to push your limits far beyond what you thought you were capable of. So much of running is in your mind, especially long distance.
Running Alone
As much as I love running with others, I relish the opportunity to do a long run alone. You would think it gets lonely, pounding your feet through the trails and dirt for hours with no conversation or social interaction, but it's far from that. Running solo gives you the opportunity for so much. I got the idea for this blog while running; I thought up most of my novel while running, I have had photoshoot ideas while running. It has given me much precious time to allow my brain to reflect and be creative. Not only is the productive aspect a bonus, but it gives me a piece of mind, and some moments of ‘silence.’ Not silence like being dead quiet, but silence like being away from the noise of life, social media, other people, and stress. I never listen to music while I run; I want to take everything in and be present in the moment. That is quite rare in my regular life (although I am getting better at it). I can admit to having always struggled to switch off from thinking about my future, what I can do next to get more business, or if and why people are not hiring me etc. I never have those worries when I'm running. I simply focus on that extra few feet in front of me, the way my body is feeling, and the rhythm of my breath, and drive myself forward for as long as I can. Even when I am in pain, I don’t have time to think about life stress, I am too busy contemplating how I am going to reach the finish, to busy focusing on keeping my legs steady. It is hard, but it is empowering.
Running with Others
I don’t do this as much, but during races, I am very thankful for the company. Long, painful races are challenging, but having someone to talk to and give you those morale boosts when you need them is priceless. Sometimes your brain will try and tell you that it hurts too much, and you should stop. This is good; your brain is trying to protect you much like your mother would when she told you to be careful on your skateboard or not to stay out late. However, much like your mother (sorry mum), she doesn’t always think about what you stand to gain by taking risks or pushing yourself, she only wants you to be safe, but safe doesn’t always achieve much. Having someone running with you can help deter your ‘mummy brain’ from stopping you. Running will hurt, it's supposed to hurt, it’s called pushing yourself (Cliché alert) and change in your life begins once you push yourself out of your comfort zone.
I guess the last part about running with others I love is how fun it is. I get to run with my pal Jon a lot. He is that crazy northern man I referred to in my last blog about running. He keeps me amused throughout these long hauls, by being funny, his incredible ability to have deep conversations about shallow subjects and his ‘it’ll be fine’ attitude. Get yourself a Jon (No I'm not in love with him, even if it sounds like I am. I like to mention him because he hates it).
So what does all this have to do with freedom you may ask?
For a start it’s the little differences – Walking up three flights of stairs at work time and time again is easy now, yet I still see many people who are considerably younger than me huffing and puffing as they reach the summit. I get to run/walk in beautiful locations, running takes me outside and into nature, which makes me feel free. Walking anywhere is no big deal, so if my car breaks down five miles from home, that’s fine. I know I can run it easily and get back — that feeling of being fit. There is nothing like it, and that feeling shifts over too many of other things I do like gym, surfing, basketball, in fact, it has improved my game on all fronts. That freedom of movement and the ability to just go on and on feels great and is life changing.
Freedom from judgement – This is more for the running alone part. Running trails means that you don’t get the hustle and bustle of regular life. You bump into hikers, dog walkers, cyclists etc. they are all out there to keep fit or to appreciate nature and won’t judge you. It is rare to run a trail and find rude people en route. No one is there to judge you when you are running.
Freedom from the chaos of life – For those moments, be them minutes, hours or sometimes even days of running, you can switch off from the constant barrage of life. Not using a phone is liberating (although I always carry one in case of injury), no social media, and no work or money worries is heavenly. It removes doubt from your mind and boosts your endorphins, which make you happy.
The ability to deal with pain – It sounds odd, but having the ability to deal with pain, not critical pain or injury pain, but leg ache and mental strain, can build your strength of mind and enable you to deal with much more. You will also see how hard work can take you to new and exciting places in life in many more ways than just where your feet are carrying you.
If you put all these pieces together and get running today, it will hurt, it will be hard, but it will be wonderful. So grab a friend or yourself and get out there. Pick a trail and put one foot in front of the other and see where it takes you. You will regret it the first few times, but once you get used to it, you will be glad you did.
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