We all had many teachers in our lives. Lately for me; Running has become the topmost teacher, be it in a workout, time management, life situations, etc.
With the existing scenario around us, we have a lot of time to ponder on things we usually ignore. In times like these we realize, less is more. This is a similar realization we usually have while running when the water left with us is just a sip or so and yet it fuels us up and we feel fresh to continue running. Most of us including me are locked down at home with a treadmill to run. I am sure many can relate my love-hate relationship with the treadmill especially if you are used to measuring the distances as runnable or not.
Yet, we are thankful that we can at least log in a few KMs and be grateful for having less.
Many times our minds are in a positive state but our efforts speak otherwise. In times like these, all of us are fighting our own battles against the common enemy –Negativity. This has been our long-standing Nemesis. The current situation have peeved us much more than we anticipated. I feel now is the time for us to escape the ruthlessness of our indolence side and put into play what we can really do. The angst inside us will keep panicking our mind, but now if we do not come out with our full volition to make things better for ourselves; I fear we may go into a carnage with our alter ego.
Being positive is actually taking actions on the positive thoughts that we develop in our minds. During my 1st Trail run in February this year, I badly cramped on the mountain after 32 KMs and with 8 KMs left for the mandatory cut off checkpoint and I had just 70 minutes to descend the mountain, pass through soft sandhills with scorching sun, and with no human visibility, I thought my race is done. However, deep down inside, I was little, just 10% positive that I need to finish what I started and in spite of the pain I was pushing myself. And there I was, just 2 minutes before the cutoff, sipping orange juice at the checkpoint. That was an intense learning moment for me that staying positive is not enough, we have to action the positive thoughts and start being positive. Then I realized that If I had actioned my positive thoughts at least 50%, I would have reached the checkpoint in a much better time and less agonizing thought of DNF.
Similarly, it is time to put into play the positivity of road maps for everything that we create and actually do something for ourselves resulting in overall enhancement around us.
There is a lot of impatience around us with questions arising to normalcy. None of us is spared with the rounds of dour thoughts circling around us. But as a beginner runner, I have asked myself repeatedly, have I not been patient enough to reach the finish line after going through all the pain in my runs? The mind plays us as we allow it to. We always let it run with happy and patient thoughts of finishing a marathon, a 10K PR, etc with all the efforts in the book of our mind in order to attain maximum satisfactory results. I believe the current situation is similar.
It is just that we are running a very new course and we need to develop our own actionable positive thoughts and run with time, taming all the patience we have in store.
This TIME will pass away and after enduring the agony and uncertainty with patience, we all will successfully reach the finish line.
The joy at the finish line will make us realize how far we have come and still stand strong.
Mohammed Ameenuddin is a project management professional by day and an aspiring writer/poet by night. He is a fitness fanatic and is especially fond of long-distance running. Instagram: amster.am / Twitter: ameen03