The Zen of Running

I have survived 165 days of running… only 200 more to go! It’s hard to believe that I am nearly half way to my goal, a goal that in the beginning days I thought was unachievable. Now here I am, already 165 times healthier, both mentally and physically.

One of the most surprising things that I have learnt over the past 165 days is that running with an iPod is extremely overrated. Now don’t get me wrong, running the trails, singing John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Hurt So Good”, and doing some kind of a runners jig, does make for an exhilarating run. But I have learnt that there is actually some sort of zen-nus when it comes to running.

Though “zoning out” with your iPod doesn’t really count, I do believe that taking to the road without distractions and focusing on your breathing and the present moment can certainly be considered as meditation. What other natural alternative can make the stresses of your day melt away so quickly? I can promise you that Matt would rather have the pavement feel the wrath of my stress than have me take it out on him! Not that I beat him or anything…

This awareness has taken me nearly six months of running every day to realize, and I am not sure if I completely understand the full power and potential of it. What I do know is I love that moment, about 2 km into a run, when you are able to hit the mute button on your inner voice and all you can hear is the rhythm of your breathing and the constant pulse of your footsteps. In that moment, and that moment alone, my world seems at peace.