Run to Rediscover

 

                               

Dear All,

 I just completed one full year of consistent running, I take this opportunity to share my running experience of past 12 months.

Though I am into running long distances since the year 2011, however two years back i.e. 2019, I had to take a forced break from running and other forms of fitness activities due to an important transition in my life. From Sep 2019 till Aug 2020, my daily routine was devoid of any significant physical activity which adversely affected my physical and mental well-being, further manifesting into developing low self-esteem and landing in a state of an almost depression. During that torrid period of one year I made several attempts to break the shackles of inactivity but for some reason or the other I could not make my way through. It was then that I realized that something drastic has to be done to get rid of this pathetic state and for which I need to break free with all my resolve. It was in Sep 2020 that I re-started my running journey to regain my self-esteem, confidence and fitness. Of course this could happen because of the support from my family and my professional organization. I started my journey rather cautiously and gradually as the last thing I wanted was an injury which potentially could have stalled my progress.

Though at times it was a bit heart breaking to see my run stats which were no way near to the ones I recorded much earlier however I kept faith in my abilities to match up to those earlier standards.

Throughout my journey, I focused on consistency of runs without being too bothered about the pace and distance as I knew both these parameters will pick up with consistency. A little into three months of my journey, I started to reap the benefits of being consistent as I made significant forays in pace and distance parameters and then there was no looking back as I had regained my rhythm and confidence, from thereon it was ‘Bash on Regardless’. My runs ranged from 5 km to 50 km distance. Most of these runs were done in mornings however there were occasional runs that had starts as early as 2 am and as late as 10 pm. Bulk of my runs were done in Pune and Surat. During this phase I achieved my PBs (Personal Best) for 10 km, FM and 50 km. It is even bizarre to think that I would achieve my PBs at the age of 45 years, something which was difficult to imagine at the start of my journey.

To sum it up, it has been a magnificent journey where I managed to rise from the shambles of despair and got to rediscover myself by following my passion of running.

Few important learnings and takeaways from this experience of mine that I would like to share with everyone are as under:

*Be consistent in your efforts, never worry about your pace and distance targets. With consistency things will fall in place sooner or later.

*Never get bogged down with what your peers are clocking in terms of pace, distance, intensity etc. Take it as an inspiration rather than a competition. As a recreational runner, one must compete only with oneself. Remember whatever you may do, you will never be the quickest nor will you ever be the slowest, so set your own targets & goals and give yourself time to achieve them.

*Always respect your efforts however trivial they may seem. Remember, every step you take gets you closer to your goal. Thank ALMIGHTY and consider yourself fortunate for getting this freedom and opportunity to run, cycle, swim wherever your passion lies. Also, always look up upon fellow runners and respect them for their efforts. Admire the ones who are faster than you and respect the ones who are slower than you.

*Lastly and most importantly fuel your passion for running to the extent of meeting your goals. Remain passionate, at times even to the extent of being a bit selfish. Remember that your passion for running is the most important link in the entire cycle of your training. So keep your passion ignited at all times.

I have learnt a lot from this experience and will retain all these lessons learnt so as to remain happy, healthy and wise….

 

Though this experience is aligned more towards regaining one’s fitness however, if seen from a broader perspective, this may apply to all facets of life…

 

     This is my humble expression of the ‘running’ journey spread across past 12 months…

                          Wishing happy, healthy & safe RUNs to all….

                                       A Run Addict…