Running Is A Great Activity to Forget About The Worries
I am not a running professional, I have no advice, only a bit of experience.
The morning was overcast but warm. The summer decided to stay with us for a bit longer. Boats on the river, runners and walkers next to it.
The dog is in front of me with a stick in his jaws. He always wins the race. It amazes me how much energy and stamina he has. Running is an interesting exercise, simple but demanding. Physical demand is one thing, mental demand is a totally different story.
Running is an exercise that is cheap to maintain. Sports shoes, shorts and a T-shirt. If the weather is cold, then add a hoody.
I run in places where there are fewer or no cars. I don’t overdo it. I find my pace by increasing or decreasing the speed. When I establish it, I stay on it. I breathe in through the nose, breathe out through the mouth.
I remember my first run, it crashed me. I died after a mile.
While I run my mind plays tricks on me — “Why are you doing this? Why are you torturing yourself” — it asks me. I found a trick how to avoid unnecessary chatter, I run for 10 minutes then I stop for 30 seconds or a minute and then I start to run again. For some reason, this trick stops my mind from the chatter.
I run without headphones. I used to run with them but the music or podcasts distracted me, it was a much less enjoyable activity. Running is great, I spend some time without daily problems, I don’t need to think about the future and the past. I am in the present. Breathe in and out.
Many times I failed. Many times I gave up on running, but I always come back to it. Running (and exercise in general) helps me to calm down the madness in my head. I don’t know the science behind it but running is a great way to keep my “doom and gloom” at bay.
I will keep this activity for as long as my body will allow me to do so.
Thank you for reading.
