I recently picked up running. I have been a runner, sprinter, district level at a sub-junior/junior level. That was many years back when dinasours used to roam the earth. Then job and other things took priority and health took a back stage.
I started going to gym, cycling, swimming and jumping rope some time back, but could never make myself go for a run. My right heal hurt and even if i could cycle a lot, could not get to running beyond a 100m. Bonnie, my other dog, and I started running a bit as part of the morning walk. Like, 50m here and there. This continues for a while, and then one fine day, I said, lets try 5k.
And so, one fine night, at around 9 or 10, I tried running with the app C25k, which roughly translates Couch to 5k. And I was able to finish the day 1 or running 30 seconds and walking for 2 mins and repeat 6 times :). And so decided to run the next day again.. and again the next.. Eventually, I eached 5k in around 32-33 mins. Just reached the 10k milestone, but the consistency still needs to come.
This was the good part.
The issue is that by the time I am back from office, it is already past 9 in the night. Then I change and all, speak to wifey and kid, speak to Star and Bonnie (my dogs). Once they all get tucked in the bed, then the pain starts. When, in the night I sit with myself preparing to go for the run, my brain and my body keep telling me non-stop that today, I should take a break.
“Oh, it was a long hard day, take a break.”
“Oh, you just plain sleepy, go tomorrow.”
“Oh, you have been running for 5-6 days straight, you will be nuts to go.”
“Oh, you didn’t sleep well last night and body still needs to recover.”
“You cannot run daily, nobody runs daily...”
“You are so fat, your knees will give up. Running is high impact, remember.”
“Aren’t you hungry, just Swiggy something...”
“Federer is playing, you missed the game, watch highlights.”
“Man, tomorrow you need to be in the office at like 9 on the dot for that meeting.”
“The left knee is hurting, let it recover.”
“You dont want to overdo it, just cos you can run 5k, does not mean you can do it everyday.”
And...
I go in slow-motion... pick up a banana very slowly, peel it, keep sitting on the sofa eating it for 10-15 mins, listening to my brain and body telling me why I should not go today...
After half an hour or sometimes 45 mins of reasoning with each other, they both (brain and body) almost fall asleep, at least slow down a bit for sure... That’s where I get up, throw the banana peel in the dust-bin, pick up my running shoes...
And then again they start..
“That’s fine, do just 10 rounds today.”
“Or better even, just walk.”
“You dont have a Garmin watch, its tricky to measure your run on phone.”
“The GPS signal is patchy and will not track correctly.”
“Buy an arm band at least for the phone, rather than carrying in your hand, so inefficient.”
“Why not go to gym today, you need to strengthen your body to run better...”
..
..
..
And then, I wear my shoes, put the jacket on as its cold, around 12 degree C and go down for my run.
Warm-up, run, cool down, stretch.. the routine.
And I love it..
And I hate it, because I know that the next day, my mind and my body will start convincing me to take another break. And again the next day, and the day after next... and I will still go for my run... everyday.
God, I hate running..
