Running was the very first sport I actually took to on my own accord. I did competitive swimming, played a bit of squash and dabbled in dance at different points, but nothing stuck until I found running.
I was 17 and a couple of days into high school when the seniors on the Outdoor Activities Club I was a part of said it was time to do some "light PT". And by "light", they meant a 3-mile run. My eyes must have looked the size of saucers because I had never run run before. I mean, I ran around during class basketball and netball matches, but I'd never pounded gravel just for the heck of it. But off I went, in my white Reebok tennis shoes and a cotton tee, and I felt like I was going to die at the end of it. But that marked the beginning of a very long love affair with running.
I went from running 3-milers to chalking up at least 8-9 miles a day, alongside circuit training and rock-climbing. I did half marathons and all the running components of adventure races. I was a bonafide cardio bunny who perpetually had at least two toenails either bruised or falling it because of all the running. This went well into my college years and even when I started work.
By somewhere along the way, running took a backseat. The last time I went on a proper run was in June 2013, just months before my wedding, and after that, I never went back to it because I had discovered HIIT Beachbody workouts. So much more efficient and long-burning than long runs can be.
But with a lat strain from PiYo (I know right. Who gets injured from PiYo?!), I've had to shelve plans for Insanity Max 30 and focus on running again. So I laced up my shoes again and hurled myself out for a run. And you know what? It felt SO RIGHT.
I don't even know how to describe it. Maybe it was the beautiful weather and all that sunshine that came with the run. Maybe it's the calm that comes from running by the river and watching the breeze pull up ripples on the water. Can't quite put a finger on specifics, but that girl up there is smiling because she's rediscovered just what it was she always loved so much about running.
Running is me-time. It gives me time to still my crazy mind from this thing called life. It gives me time to think, to pray, to ponder, to enjoy the moment and to just be. It challenges me but then pits myself only against myself, which also makes it such a personal experience - precious especially on a day when you feel you've been pulled by a million things and people in a million different directions, and you're not quite yourself.
So run I shall.
And collecting these little badges of honor aren't too bad for the ego too, teehee. Although I'm a far cry from my former high school glory days, it's also quite obvious I'm not a nubile 17-year-old any longer, so I'll take it.
And besides, who can say no to these moments I get to take in during my runs. Ahhhh, pseudo summertime (still not legit shorts weather yet), you're quite nice.
No comments:
Post a Comment