4 WAYS RUNNING CAN HELP YOU LEVEL UP IN LIFE
For a very long time, long-distance running, to me had been a mythical activity. An activity solely for athletes, for people who lived in the hills of LA, or for people with slow-paced lives and heaps of time on their hands. It had been something that I thought to be far out of reach and to be honest something that I was far from interested in.
Last spring when lockdown descended upon us, we all found ourselves bizarrely baking banana bread, competing in zoom quizzes or being subjected to dance and fitness challenges on social media. I was personally caught in the crossfire of the “RUN 5 - TAG 5” crusade. Nominated by my friend who’s a personal trainer, I felt the pressure and gave in. The next day, I hauled myself very slowly around my local marina and park, posted my 5-kilometre run on social media and tagged my subsequent 5 victims. I hadn’t run in years so this was a huge deal for me. A non-stop 5k run without spontaneously combusting from heat or exhaustion was a win.
Fuelled by the idea of a challenge, I messaged my personal trainer friend and told him that I would be committing to doing a 5k once a week. The following week I completed a 10k run and continued to run about three times a week religiously from then on. How on earth did I even get there? From loathing the mere idea of running to actually enjoying it (well at least enjoying its benefits).
It all came down to these four things which not only helped me stay consistent but also set me off on a path of self-discovery.
1. Achievement
Setting weekly running goals and entering monthly competitions with friends on the Nike running app, was hugely motivating as I loved the sense of achievement I got from completing those challenges. After coming back from each run, I would immediately feel like I had won the day (if that’s even a thing). I’d completed the most challenging task of the day and was ready for whatever else was yet to be thrown my way. Also, it really got me thinking about how many other things I’d been telling myself I couldn’t do and allowed me to start challenging those self-limiting beliefs.
2. Discipline
Executing three runs a week didn’t come easily to me. Initially, I frequently slept in or found an excuse. I often thought to myself, “how do people actually have so much energy and enthusiasm for running?” “Who are these people and what are they taking?”. Waking up at ungodly hours with a zest to go out pounding the pavement was really and truly bewildering to me. Like, totally nonsensical. I soon came to realise that a commitment like running isn’t always driven by the desire to do it. Most of the time, if not all of the time, the commitment is rooted in discipline. When you’ve discipline yourself, you’ve conditioned your body to act in a certain way. Enough repetition of the action results in routine or habit. Motivation is often what ignites us, discipline is what sustains us. Taking the “desire” to run out of this equation was crucial in my consistency. It became less about wanting to run and more about me wanting to identify as a disciplined induvial with healthy habits. I think that shifting from outcome-based goals to identity-based goals is a real stimulus for lasting change.
3. Mental Restoration
Working in hospitals throughout the pandemic was intense, to say the least. A daily feeling of doom and dread took its toll and it was pretty tough to create space for myself to just breathe. When I wasn’t at work, I was home feeling anxious or busying myself with all sorts. Running afforded me a bit of a break from the overbearing grief. It became a sanctuary where I could be alone and focus on just being present and grateful. If you’re like me and can’t seem to make space for downtime or pull away from the madness of life, running might just be your get-out card.
4. Productivity
Further along in my running journey, I discovered how to make running more productive for myself. One of my aspirations for a really long time was to read more – to be an avid reader. Reading wasn’t always easy for me though because distraction was my enemy. To find a quiet time to pull out a book and ignore other competing priorities was a real struggle. To even get through one page of a book without having 50 different intruding thoughts interrupt my flow was rare. Reading in the traditional sense just wasn’t really compatible with the way I was functioning. Discovering audiobooks was a game-changer, and was the perfect background for a 5k run. Having two habits so closely linked together gave me more of a reason to follow through and set me up for double success.
Running has brought me more than just the physical health benefits of activity. It’s given me a good weekly sense of achievement, pushed me to challenge some of my beliefs about myself, enabled me to foster self-discipline and has allowed me to read more than I ever have.
At the end of the day, I can comfortably say that while I really don’t LOVE running, I simply need it. If you’re like me and have ever thought “Nope, running just isn't for me", then I challenge you to give it a try. Even if it’s just a 1-kilometre run a week. A simple running routine can have a real positive ripple effect on your life. If you’re new to running, here’s a great programme to get you started https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/couch-to-5k-week-by-week/.
xo, Dr Winnie