Run to be done

Why do I run? 

Newton's First Law of Motion states that a body at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts on it, and a body in motion at a constant velocity will remain in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an outside force.

I’m constantly reminded of this law when I run. 

At the start of a run, I often feel like the tin man from the Wizard of Oz trying to run.  Creaking and stiff, I feel winded within the first few minutes.  It’s hard work, but does get easier after the initial push to get the 245 lb hulking mass of me to move in this manner. 

So the beginning part is not really enjoyable.  You’re going from a walking motion (which is quite easy and natural) to a running motion while trying to get your breathing under control and find a rhythm and feel fluid and graceful.  “Fluid and graceful” – this phrase brings about a picture of an elegant, lean, supple, typical ideal body image of a long distance runner.  Everything I am not.  I’m more like a charging rhino.  Not a pretty sight I’m sure. 

So you’d think I’d enjoy the middle part where you settle down your breathing and find a rhythm that works for you, and you fall into “the zone.”  Not necessarily; because now I’m thinking “how far am I going today?  Good Lord, I’ve “only” got 15 km left of this 18 km run.  Can I turn around with the beginner group now?  When can I stop for a gel?”  The middle part is really long and wears you down in its endless plodding along.  It’s during the later part of the middle stage where you start thinking “I’m getting hungry.  What am I going to eat when I get home?  Oo, an omelette with cheese & ham, PB on toast, bacon, OJ.”  Now the stomach really starts to growl and you can’t wait to be done.

 

The end part is tough too.  You’re often beyond tired of all this and you just want to be done.  It’s always the last few km that I find toughest.  No matter what the distance, I seem to struggle the last 3 km.  Whether I’m running a total of 12 km or 22 km, those last few km often break me and I fall into a walk/run kinda thing, just to make it back.

The last 100 meters I think I don't mind  The part when you realize, “hey, I’m almost done.”  And not almost as in “you’re almost half way done”, because you still have to run a long way.  The other half in fact. 

My family often jokes about how we hate when folks cheer you on in a race saying “you’re almost there!”  When in fact, you’re still about 5 km from the finish line.  That is NOT “almost there!”

I’m talking about you can see the end and it’s just a few more minutes.  So you tough it out and often sprint to the end and push hard and feel like Rocky running up the steps.

So it’s not so much the actual running part of the run that I enjoy, because the running part is rather hard.  Now is the part I really like.  The part when you’re done.  The part where you look back and think “Cool, I just ran __ kilometres and lived to talk about it.”  The heart & lungs are pumping, endorphins are swirling around in your brain making you feel high, the sense of accomplishment you now have.  You check your watch and review your pace, HR, time, distance, etc.  High fives & congrats to all your friends you completed the run with.  

It’s too bad you can’t get to the “done” part without having to go through all that tough running part.  It reminds me of a sign the kids had at the Mississauga race: “This would be a lot more fun if it wasn’t for all this running stuff.”

Plus there are all the awesome added benefits of running that you just can’t seem to get without doing the actual running thing. 

The lowered blood pressure, lowered resting heart rate, lower cholesterol, better sleep, less headaches, can eat more, improves your mood, lowers anxiety, energizes you, reduces risk of heart disease, hypertension cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, increases life expectancy, improves immune system, eases stress, it’s a great way to socialize in a group, or find some alone time running solo, a chance to think about your day, ponder life, the universe & everything, solve all the worlds problems, etc, etc.  I could go on ad nausea.

So yes, I’m the proverbial guy banging his head on the wall and people walk by asking “why are you doing that?” 

Because it feel sooo good when I stop.