Do you ever get inspired when you see someone running? Have you ever thought of becoming a runner? You, too, can become a runner and win the race of life! I did. Running is for anyone who wants to do it. It’s not about speed or distances, just being outside and enjoying the time.
If I’m driving, I’m often tempted to go home, drop the keys, put on my sneakers and hit the road. I started running regularly after I had all my children. At that time, I was just running without any plan or goal.
My routine, I woke up early in the morning before anyone in my household. I ran 3KM around my neighbourhood. When I was running on the road alone in the warm Dubai roads, the feeling I got was nothing less than euphoric. I’m not sure if it was because I was alone or running or a combination of the two.
In 2015, I ran my first half marathon, and it was an easy run for me. I reckon it is because I had no expectations other than finishing the race. I finished this race in under 2 hours. I did not know that Sub2 for a half marathon was a good thing. Blissful ignorance. If you’ve ever considered running as an alternative form of exercise, then this article is for you. You, too, can become a runner or commit to a regular exercise regime and win in the race of life!
Marathons True Winner Is Human Kindness.
This was the brilliant headline that The Times carried on the 24th of April 2017.
“For all the celebrities running, the royals cheering and the records broken, the most memorable image of this year’s London Marathon was a runner who carried an exhausted fellow athlete over the finishing lines” The Times
The Times carried the extraordinary story of two London marathoners, one was delirious, and the other gave up his chance to finish his race. Probably at his best time so that he could help a stranger who was in agony. Instead, he chose to walk the remaining 300 meters with a struggling runner to the finish line. I find this act of random kindness so powerful and full of life lessons.
Here’s the thing. Running, to me, is a metaphor for life. Running is about the challenges we face and how we show up to meet them. It’s about how we can choose to live our lives and what it means to share our values with the people around us. Matthew Reese made a decision to stop his race to help someone else finish their race. I’m not sure whether you appreciate how long it takes to train for a marathon: the hours, the diet, the discipline. As a stay-at-home parent, you are in the pivotal role of helping your family ran the race of life. Your role changes as the family dynamics evolve.
Matthew Reese helped David’s Wyeth over the line that day. Matthew won the London Marathon for me on the 23rd of April 2017.
People Who Run Together Share a Bond
Today, you know Matthew Reese, not because he won the London Marathon or ran a sub-two marathon. You Know Matthew Reese because he stopped and helped David. Matthew took action when everyone else just ran on.
Matthew and David have now become friends and even run races in each other’s hometowns. In a BBC article, the two ran and finished the 2018 London Marathon. They will undoubtedly remain friends for life.
People who ran share a bond. I have received more smiles and waves and good mornings from fellow runners in my many years of running than when walking. Oddly enough, some of these strangers become regulars, i.e., we ran simultaneously and the same route. Some remain strangers who I will never see again. There is just this one moment when we share something in common, and that is our bond.
You can draw so many life parallels here. How many of your friends have lasted a lifetime, and how many were there just for a season?
Running For Well-Being and Finding Self-Confidence.
I initially ran for my physical well-being. It took about four months for me to see any physical manifestations of my well-being. In the meantime, unbeknown to me were the life skills I was building, the discipline of waking up early, the consistency of daily running and the sheer joy of celebrating each ran: good to bad.
Once I accomplished my first goal. Running lost its lustre for a minute. I needed to find a new compelling reason to run. A new peak to conquer. A new mountain to climb.
So now, my runs have become multi-dimensional. They now cater for my total well-being. If you have a regular exercise schedule, you will have experienced that ‘feel good’ release of positive energy that follows. It is a little-known fact you make intelligent decisions when you are in a positive state of mind.
Running is a Humbling Experience.
I am a stay-at-home Mama who runs. Humility is accepting who you are and the vastness of your capabilities while acknowledging your limitations.
Humility is accepting who you are and the vastness of your capabilities while acknowledging your limitations.
I think running appeals to me for its simplicity. There are no rules. You can run on the road, run in the rain, run in the wind, run on a hot, sunny day, run in the snow… the list is endless. I just need a pair of stability running shoes.
I am always awed by the humility of Eliud Kipchoge, who is the fastest marathon runner in the world. Eliud Kipchoge is the first person to run a sub-2 marathon. Humility gives us the ability to listen and learn. Learning helps us make better choices for ourselves and those around us.
Humility is the strength that is popularly deemed as weakness.
Start Slow, And Don’t Skip the Warm-Up.
Isn’t that true of life in itself? When our children learn to walk, it just starts with a crawl. It then progresses to holding on to tables. Soon the little ones are walking and running.
I did not start off running. I actually did a Couch to 5K programme. It is an excellent running programme. To this day, I still remember the first time I ran non-stop for 30 minutes. That memory is forever etched in my mind.
As a ‘Parent who Biz’, a parent who runs a business, you also have to start slow. Your business may not always scale as fast because your time is divided. As parents, we have to give ourselves grace when we feel that we are not living up to our roles’ expectations. It’s Ok to learn on the go and in bits and bobs.
Take Your Time to Find Your Rhythm.
All runners are not created equal. All runs are also not the same.
But every time you run; you are building something inside of you. Every run is a lesson. Every run makes you stronger. Whether or not you’re aware of that.
So, there’s never a bad run, if you think about it. There is a life skill that you pick up. ‘Next time, I will not eat a huge meal before my run’ or ‘avoid the route with the hills on a Tuesday’
My advice is to carry out an ‘experiment of one’ to help you to establish your pace. Don’t compare yourself to others.
I can give you a quick heads up, you will be running one day, and Sonic the Hedgehog will zip past you and disappear into the horizon. And you may be tempted to remove the title ‘runner’ from your identification, but don’t. You are a runner because you are showing up.
Remember, you’re running for you! It is your race, your pace, your health. Stay humble and persevere.
Running As a Means of Mind Health.
I know this is true for me. When I stop running regularly, I tend to have an insufficient capacity to deal with the curveball’s life throws at me. I tend to quickly regress into my fixed mindset, where everything is complex and challenging.
But when I pick up my running, life still happens. The curveballs still come my way. But I seem to gravitate towards the growth mindset part of my brain.
‘I can do hard things.’ ‘I am smart enough to figure this out.’ I tend to be more tenacious and often don’t give up until I find a solution. The solution can be a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or ‘wait’.
Running Not Only Makes You Physically Stronger but Emotionally Resilient.
I can run on the road. I can run on my treadmill; I can run on the beach. I also lift weights because I want to be strong physically. Oddly enough, my physical strength manifests itself in my emotional resilience. I look strong, so I am strong. Because life is not easy and not predictable, running is my meditation.
Running has many well-being benefits. Running, to me, is a metaphor for life. It’s challenging, enjoyable, teaches me self-control, tenacity, ambition, hope, conviction, determination, self-respect and inspiration. Run for your health, but also try to find meaning in your runs because every run has a life lesson in it.
I have a great tool that can help you reflect and find your most profound reason to start and commit to a goal. Click here to download your seven levels deep clarity tool.
Before you put on sneakers and head to the road, consult your physician and get clearance to run.