Running, It’s Worth It
A few golden running tips for beginners
The deal is to just start. Simply put, running can be an out of body experience.
Yes, you read it right, for something that seems to strain our body to such a great extent, it sure can become an out of body experience. Now it’s only natural that some of you might start to assume that I am smoking something as I am writing this, but no (at least not at the moment), seriously, running can be the best drug our body and mind might need, especially in this time of crisis looming over the world.
All we need to do is, to start.
Prepare the mind, and the body will simply follow.
Set a routine time
Plan the daily activities around the run, or plan the run according to your daily activities. Either way, it is advisable to set a fixed time for the run. This way the chances of procrastination are less. Trust me, there are days when I find it annoying to go to the kitchen to refill a bottle of water, let alone head out for runs. On such ‘special’ days it is good to have a fixed time for our runs.
It is okay to have thoughts about not running, but we have to understand we don’t necessarily need to be a slave to our thoughts. On such days, when you start to run, you will be surprised by the potential our body has, even on days when starting the run feels like the hardest job in the world. This is another aspect that running seems to have improved inside of me. Self-confidence.
Self-confidence
If someone one year ago would have told me that I could run more than an hour nonstop, I would advise the person to check themselves in a mental health institute.
I remember, my first long run started just 3 months ago. I had just come back from work. It was weary and the weather was great outside. I decided to go out for an evening run, and this run which was just over 20 minutes, was a big deal for me! I celebrated, told my friends, and gave myself a big pat on the back. Damn! I ran 20 minutes straight without stopping. It was a special day for me, the day I broke the 10-minute mental barrier. I realised I could call myself a runner too. And this is true, no matter how big or small we run, it can be half a mile, or it can be 10 miles or a marathon, in all the cases we are runners.
Be your own coach
Alright, once we have started the run, the most important thing we can do in between the run is to be kind to ourselves. The start of the run can be very important. It is crucial to remember, initially, it is the mind that only knows we are running.
The body does not yet know that we have started the run, so it is important to give time to the body to transition from a sedentary to an active mode.
Start slow, take it easy. Take control of the breathing and keep checking your running form. Usually, chest out, chin straight, and eyes forward are some of the main features to notice in form while running.
Many runners out there use a lot of their effort at the beginning of the run leading to exhaustion or even leaving the run incomplete and worse- feeling bad about it at the end of the run. The only way to ensure a smooth and happy run is by being smart and that means starting the run slow and in complete control. Running or any sport for that matter is a great way to train the body to increase Oxygen uptake efficiency (VO2 max). Higher its value, better is our cardiovascular fitness and endurance.
Once you have started the run, my advise initially is to ignore the numbers. Yes, the metrics on your watch or on your phone, they only tell you half of the story. In between the run, if you feel you need to slow down or take the pedal off the gas for a bit, it is totally fine. Beating or bullying yourself during the run is not really going to help. In fact, the only way to continue heading out for runs is by developing a positive relationship with running.
Invest in running
I cannot stress this enough. If you have decided to take the running pledge, a step towards a better you, then please, please, get decent running shoes. I couldn’t care less about the way the shoe looks, but more about how it feels. Investing in a good pair of shoes and running gear will go a long way in preventing injuries and ensuring our consistency in the sport.
Change your approach to running
It is time we change our relationship with running and with ourselves for that matter. There are many people out there who think of running as a Herculean task and give up even before attempting their first run, or their first long run. I for one was one among them.
As cliché as it may sound, we have a lot of potential stocked up inside our body that we keep hidden unless the situation demands it. I would like to believe this is an evolutionary trick our body learned to preserve the energy during hunter-gatherings to fight off wild animals or enemies of the tribe in the ancient past. So we are programmed to underplay our physical abilities. The good news is, we can change this as we continue to run consistently. After all, this said, I believe the relationship to running is an ever-evolving process. It keeps evolving, keeps changing, constant flux.
Mindful running
Each run is different.
It can be the same track we have used a hundred times before or the same playlist of songs we have heard before. It doesn’t matter. Each run is different, period. Each day we carry different thoughts into our run, different emotions, and feelings.
Mindful mediation and running have a lot of similarities.
Running (or meditation for that matter) gives us a unique position to observe these feelings as they come and go. It allows us to be present with each step of the run, and look at these feelings as they visit our mind. A very popular Buddhist monk turned English author and teacher of mediation and mindfulness has said about mediation:
“Think of your thoughts as cars on a busy highway. Rather than jumping in the middle of the road to stop the cars, just observe them and let them pass.” — Andy Puddicombe
Sooner or later, as you stop identifying with the feelings these thoughts bring, the thoughts will lose power over you. This is one of the foundation pillars of mindful mediation. The same is for running too. We can observe the thoughts that come and go during our run, it could be about the past, about the lousy (or beautiful) day you had, or uncertainties about the future. We can try not to identify with these thoughts and simply observe.
You will be surprised that sometimes wonderful solutions strike us when we observe the challenges from an unbiased point of view, simply by not identifying with it.
This is easier to do while running since our mind and body are busy with the physical movement leaving space for such unbiased thinking and observation.
Celebrate and share each run
Yes, that’s right, never forget to give a huge pat on the back for completing a run. It is not enough to celebrate the start, but also the end of every run. The celebration also includes sharing your runs with others, and this has a domino effect. Sharing the run will not only make the person running feel good but also inspire the person with whom the run is being shared with.
It is something I have witnessed that the best friendships are the ones we form on the playground or tracks.
Imagine, what the world would look like if more people start to be runners. Apart from the health benefits, running gives us patience and most importantly self-confidence. People who are confident in themselves try to look for happiness within them, leading to less jealously, unwarranted expectations, and even wars. The world right now needs more patient and self-confident people. So, go run and inspire a generation.
Happy running!
