Why aren't you running?

So I’m relatively new to running and I have to say, as cliched as it maybe, running changed me. Running saved me and it is saving me everyday. It is only fair that the benefits of running be spread to one and all so that we can all together enjoy this sport and the advantages that come with. A lot of people give me “she’s crazy” looks when I tell them that I run marathons for fun and I can actually see them switch off when I turn around and tell them to lace up their trainers and join me for a run to experience and understand why I promote running the way I do.

To begin with, let’s look at the innumerable advantages this sport presents. Running helps you get your cardio workout in. Studies suggest that for an average human being to be fit and healthy, they require a minimum of 30 minutes exercise. What do you suggest would be an easier way to get that 30 minutes in? You don’t need any equipment. All that you need is a pair of shoes, lace them up and away you go on the open road. Unlike in other sports, where you are dependent on a group or a partner eg. squash, tennis cricket, badminton – all that you need in running is yourself. Whenever you get time, you can head out for a run, whether it’s as soon as you wake up, during your lunch hour or any other time you please. It is a flexible, low maintenance and independent sport which doesn’t ask much from you. Instead, much like a wonderful partner, it gives and gives and proves how much it loves you in return.

If you read the awesomely gripping book, ‘Born to Run’, you will also come to realize that anatomically, we humans have evolved in a manner which makes it only natural for all of us to run, and when I say run, I mean long, ultra distances. Animals like the cheetah and the gazelle are meant to sprint short distances at crazy speeds. Their lungs have evolved in a manner that enables them to do so. Physically, you will understand how our lungs have evolved to be able to take in oxygen and carry on with respiratory functions at optimal capacities even when we have been running for hours. You will understand how we used to be hunters and how we had evolved the cleanest hunting technique. We used to track our prey using a primal method of hunting, chase the prey over ultra distances until they die of exhaustion. No muss, no fuss. Even today, there are tribes in Africa that follow the same method to hunt. So you see, it is part of Mother Nature’s plan to have humans running. So when we do not run, we are going against what nature built us to do.

Running helps make you a stronger person. Not just physically but also mentally and spiritually. Physically, you obviously tend to start shedding pounds and generally become fitter and stronger. You develop muscles which have been inactive for a while and slowly start getting cuts and can see your body getting into shape. You don’t get skinny. You get fit and strong. And that feels so darn good! Mentally, you learn to respect yourself and your body. You learn the strength you have within you. The strength to conquer longer, tougher distances. The strength to push your body through pain and understand, live and breathe the term “endurance” in its truest, most unadulterated form. Spiritually, you also realize the importance of getting into a rhythm, going beyond the concept of distance and time and also understanding the concept of single minded focus – the finish line. Running never gets easier – a 10k is always a 10k and a 42.2K is always a 42.2K, it’s just that you get tougher. Things that were a challenge before have been done and dusted with, and now it’s all about pushing yourself a little bit more to achieve something a little bit harder.

It also teaches you so many things about yourself and changes your priorities. Being an independent sport, it teaches you how to compete with your own self and forget about the hundreds and thousands of others who may be doing worse or much better than you. It is not a competition against anyone else, but a fight within yourself to become a better you, to be a little faster, to run a little harder. You start learning how to eat right – because when you eat the wrong foods, your performance is affected. So you start unconsciously choosing to eat those foods which help enhance your performance. You start saying ‘NO’ to activities which are detrimental to you. Be it staying up another hour to socialize with your friends at a pub or that “one more” drink which could affect your decision-making abilities. You learn to start living healthier and the choice is not even tough. You do it so you can perform better and achieve that goal distance and goal time that you are striving towards. And there is never a point where you have achieved it all. Why? Because you can always run a little faster or run a little bit longer so there is no “now I am done” moment.

Unlike other sports, where by the time you touch 30 is where one has peaked and then it is only downhill, long distance running is one sport where an athlete peaks in their late 40′s and 50′s. So age, in this sport, is not a deterrent. I personally know so many inspirational runners, who, apart from ageing like wine in this sport, are only getting faster with each passing year. This goes to prove another fact. A high intensity sport and exercise like running slows down the ageing process, which means you look younger and hotter for longer – WIN! WIN! WIN! is how I see it. The more you train, the more you convert excess baggage to muscle, getting toned and fit in the process. And how simple and easy it is. You don’t need complex calculations to run or even much mind-body co-ordination. It’s the easiest sport. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time – the simplest sport to learn!

And should I even start about the “feel good” factor a good run brings in? For those who understand the human body, when we exercise, our brain releases endorphins and these endorphins are responsible for the happy hormones that one feels rushing around and going crazy after a good workout. Not only does it make you feel happy, it is a great stress buster, reduces blood pressure, makes your heart stronger, reduces your resting heart rate and reduces your chance of being plagued by cholesterol and, believe it or not, age-related vision loss. So yes, running promotes general wellness and a nicer you, thanks to the endorphins.

Someone once said, “If you have a problem and you do not get a solution after a 4-hour run, your problem does not have a solution.” I am a strong believer as I have personally found so many simple answers to nagging questions myself. Running provides an individual with genuine “me” time, where one is completely in tune with oneself. Since it is a simple exercise of one foot in front of the other on an open road, your mind goes into cruise control and is free to wander far and wide and ponder over issues that need your complete attention.

You learn to listen to your body and understand what exactly it requires and when. Running promotes a healthier you, makes you more efficient, happier and more productive. It is an independent and easily accessible, low maintenance sport. It increases confidence and belief in oneself, makes you stronger, self-aware and a nicer, more self-reliant person. Not only does it improve your personality, it helps you look fitter and increases your own “feel-good” factor. You fit your clothes better and look younger for longer. It also lets you have dessert with a guilt-free conscience. Also, as our latest series is showing you and many more research studies have also proved, most successful people are long distance runners. Top notch entrepreneurs as well as hoards of C- level executives make time to reap the benefits of this sport on a regular basis. My analysis says, Running is the new age Golf. It is the go-to sport for networking today and is here to stay.With all these benefits, at no cost at all, it is surprising to me that you are still reading this and have not yet laced up your shoes to head out for a run.