What I’ve learnt for Life after Running for 30 days
by Konstantina Psarrakou
For those familiar with the Theory of Innovation Diffusion, I belong to “Laggards” when it comes to Running!
For the last few years, we have been observing a continuously growing part of the population joining the Movement of Running! Today you are a “freak” if you don’t run. Our Facebook accounts are full of urban runners, joining all kinds of marathons: Marathon for a cause, Marathon of 5 km, 10 km…and of course the Original Marathon of 42km! Oh my god!
So, I was never into Running. Just the thought of waking up earlier to run some kilometers before I move to the office, would make me shiver and turn to the other side of the bed for an extra 20 minutes of sleep.
Don’t take me wrong. I have always been a very fit individual, but my training program included weights lifting, pilates & occasionally some power yoga. Never running.
So, HERE I AM! I decided to try this out. I didn’t have any real motivation, just the fact that EVERYBODY IS DOING THIS! I got out for shopping. 5 hours later I returned home with 2 new pairs of sweat-proof leggings, 1 pair of running sneakers, 4 new t-shirts & 1 armband to carry my smartphone! I downloaded a fancy running app and off I went!
ATTEMPT No 1: I barely managed to run for 2km. My breath was not anymore following me…So, I just walked for another 1 km & then I returned home quite disappointed.
ATTEMPT No 2: One week later, I was back on the road. I managed to run for a bit longer, 3.25km. WOW I thought! 50% improvement. Not so bad….
ATTEMPT No 3: The exact next day, I returned from office in a highly stressed mode, so I seeked for a way to de-load myself. Back on the road and surprise-surprise: I made it to 6 km in a quite comfortable pace. Then I was really confused. How was this even possible from one day to the other?
So, what’s the MORAL OF MY STORY?
Let me share with you 3 precious LIFE-LESSONS I got after this new “adventure”!
1. PROCRASTINATION IS KILLING YOUR POTENTIAL
I was thinking of starting running for quite some months now, but never decided to do so. If I didn’t, how could I ever know if I can? Same goes for life.
We all have dreams and desires, but be honest to yourself. When was the last time you actually took action for something new? For something out of your comfort zone? For something that would require that extra mile of effort from your side? Unless you are Mr. or Mrs ‘Perfect Life’, I guess very long ago. Most probably when you were a child and were thrilled by every new achievement of yours!
I believe WE CAN DO EVERYTHING. It’s just a matter of DECISION TO ACT! Successful people don’t necessarily have extraordinary talents, but for sure they are the ones WHO KEEP CHALLENGING THEMSELVES; the ones who don’t find comfort in their everyday routine. Believe me, there is huge magic happening out of that little safe zone!
2. FOCUS: STAMINA IS A MINDSET
When I started running, at some point I thought I couldn’t breathe anymore. So I had 2 options: either stop or focus my attention in something else. I started looking around to the trees, to the nice houses across the street and to the feeling of energy that was running through my body and this made the trick: suddenly I was recharged for an extra few kilometers.
At another instance, I faced fatigue and discomfort throughout my legs. I immediately switched my focus to the satisfaction that I would feel at the end of my running session. Miraculously, it worked once again.
I recently read “Spark” by Dr. John Ratey. In the book he explains how running will improve the performance of your brain.
Cognitive flexibility is an important executive function that reflects our ability to shift thinking and to produce a steady flow of creative thoughts and answers as opposed to a regurgitation of the usual responses. The trait correlates with high-performance levels in intellectually demanding jobs. So if you have an important afternoon brainstorming session scheduled, going for a short, intense run during lunchtime is a smart idea.
At the end of the day, WE ARE WHAT WE ARE THINKING OF. You can be whomever and whatever you select to be. The universe has a funny sense of bringing you whatever you are focusing your attention into. So, THINK POSITIVE AND SEE OPPORTUNITIES EVERYWHERE.
3. VIBRATION ATTRACTS VIBRATION
The moment I ran my first race (well, my first small path…) I felt an amazing feeling of freedom and avidity. I could do everything and everything could happen. I started to attract positive people in my life and I was having the most enjoyable discussions with friends I ever had in my whole life. I was vibrant and this was attracting better and better experiences in my life.
I started moving around with that happy face of self-fulfillment and nothing could get in my way. It’s a matter of attitude! Believe you can do it and it will happen! START TAKING ACTION on anything your heart craves for and see your life blooming in all other aspects!
To cut the long story short, ENERGY IS THE CURRENCY OF LIFE! It is that startling material that helps us connect with the universe around us. So, PLEASE GET UP AND GO FOR IT! TRY ALL THESE THINGS YOU HAVE BEEN POSTPONING FOR AGES. No, you won’t make them when you are a 65 year-old retired man or woman and you will have all the time of the world. LIFE IS HAPPENING NOW, SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
Have a fabulous week!
Thanks for reading. Feel free to reach me via my LinkedIn Account
