Realizations from Running

For the last week or so I’ve run every day, as part of my 5 Things Daily commitment.

Running is something I’ve done off and on over the last couple years, mainly as an easy and consistent way to start the day.

• At home? Run

• On the road? Run

• Hot? Run

• Cold? Run

So recently committing to “sweating every day” and not having access to the gym and sadly not having a bike, I’ve turned to running.

I like running because it frees my mind for white space, letting thoughts flow as one foot follows the other. And through these runs, I’ve come to realize a few parallels between how I run and how I live.

1. If it’s to be, it’s up to me.

The only person I’m racing is myself. There’s no starting line, no finish line, no competition.

I choose how far, how long, where and when.

It’s up to me and only me to make the decisions.

And its also up to me when I don’t, or I put it off until later when it’s harder.

2. It’s easier to run faster uphill

Running uphill kind of sucks. It’s usually the point when my calves burn more, I feel challenged and more discouraged.

But I’ve found that even though it’s harder, digging in, facing the challenge and picking up the pace actually makes it easier.

When facing a hill, it’s time to pick up the pace.

The burn seems to lessen.

The challenge turns into motivation.

And the discouragement acts as a mental exercise.

And usually, once I’m at the top of the hill, that speed tends to sustain a bit more through the flats.

3. Measurements don’t matter unless they do

The only reason I run is to sweat.

I don’t measure my time, the distance or any other metrics. I usually don’t bring me phone and prefer to run without music.

I just pick a direction, usually on a new street, and go.

However long it lasts, is how long I go. Success, I checked my sweating box for the day.

I’m not training for a race or competing for a better time… usually.

But the other day I decided to track my time and distance pretty much for the first time ever.

I ended up running 5.3 miles in about 43 minutes which is a bit over an 8-minute mile pace.

That’s way faster and further than I expected!

But now I have a number in my head and my competitiveness kicks in.

Can I do better? Can I make that time faster? Can I go farther?

We’ll see how this metric attention evolves, I’ll keep you updated.