What I think About When I’m Running

I’m taking a leaf out Haruki Murakami’s book title “What I talk about when I talk about running” for this post. For those totally uninterested in me going on and on about running, my sincerest apologies to you. Feel free to skip this post and spam me with comments anyway. Heh heh

“Oops! Tummy don’t feel so good. Maybe I’ll just do a loop slowly and see how it goes”
That’s how I always start my run. Then it’ll change to

“I can’t just do a loop! That’s embarrassing”
The good thing about having an ego and knowing that there are neighbours/security guards looking interestedly at this crazy woman who sometimes will go round and round the apartment blocks for two hours(!) and occassionally in the rain. Ahahah

I’d finish another loop then
“Oooo… that’s a good timing. Faster than my target pace. Maybe I can push it a bit more?”

So off I go trying to get better timing for my run and wheezed (and panted) through the final lap.

They do say, the hardest thing about doing anything is to actually start. I totally agree. I still whine and winced starting my runs. To avoid making excuses especially on weekday night runs, I’d change to my running gear immediately upon arriving home. I used to rest for an hour before starting my run, but now that Zaini works late, I’m usually out of the front door within 15 minutes of returning home. Otherwise, it’d be too late to finish my run! I need my sleep too! All 5 and a half-hours of it!

When I’m starting a race, negative thoughts crop up early.

“Gawd! Why am I doing this? I never learn my lesson, do I?”
at the first 3K

“Why do I ever think this is enjoyable? I feel like dying. Ugh. Die.”
by 5K

“Walk. Maybe I should stop and walk a little? Just a little bit more and I’ll walk. No shame in walking, right?”
when faced with a challenging incline but usually I managed to do a semblance of a run and not wimp out.

“I can’t be slower than that lady!” or “If that chubby girl can run fast, why can’t I?” or “That makcik runs faster lah! Not malu meh?”
Competitiveness usually rears its head after the 5K, when muscles are all warmed-up and awake.

“Don’t be such a wuss”
When I started to feel a stitch in my sides, feeling tired, having blister(s) and wanted to stop. This is the motivating thought to counter all the negative thoughts when I first started the run.

*blank*
Having a blank mind helps sometimes because by then the legs and the arms just move robotically & automatically, moving/lurching forward. My mind needs to be blank tackling hills so that my whole body won't realise the incline I'm facing and just lurch forward till the top.
If you ever run alongside or pass me by during a race and see/hear me muttering – don’t be alarmed. I’m just “motivating” myself.

By motivating, it’s usually me muttering, either “oh crap! oh crap!” or “die. die” over and over again! That, and count how many roadkills I’d encountered during my run. I counted more than 10 during my 1 Vision Run! @.@ (Saved a kitty that wandered into the main road and put it back to safety during the KLIUC run last year).

p.s. that Haruki Murakami’s book on running that I mentioned above is rather a rambling book but somehow I’m sensing that when one talks about running, one does ramble quite a bit. See how easy it was for me to type this 500+ words post? It took me less than 20 minutes to do so!

I wonder what I'll think about if I ever do a 42k? ;p An epic novel, perhaps.

For those who read through this post, thank you for your time. I'm sorry but I do tend to ramble (A LOT) when it comes to running. In case you haven't notice.

Comments

  1. Haha! I think you can start a book on running already! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sure can...

      But only me will have the patience reading it lah! LOL

      Delete
  2. When I run, all I think about is what should I eat for lunch? Or for dinner? Hahaha!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Strangely I never think about food when I run. ;p

      Last time, I used to get ideas for my blogs.

      Now, I don't think much about other things already. xD

      Delete
  3. That's why I don't run long distance lah. The mind starts to wonder to unchartered territory sometimes. LOL!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What uncharted territory is that? xD

      Delete
  4. One way to push you to run faster is to run at a place that people said is haunted. Sure run fast fast one!!! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL

      That is true! So can break record also. ;p

      Delete
  5. I don't run, I just sprint. So I will sprint for half a minute, walk for 2 mins and sprint again for half a minute and repeat till I crash. LOL!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You like to do HIIT mah!

      There are trainings like that - we call it speed intervals. ^^

      Delete
  6. That explains why I can't go for marathons mini-marathons. I can't run long distance to save my life! Haha!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anyway, continue to ramble on about your running. It makes good reading : )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. :)

      Appreciate you reading all the way through. :)

      Delete
  8. OK 8 comments already! Must stop spamming : D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Should've round it up and make it 10. xD

      Delete
  9. What is makcik? What is malu? I need Manglish interpretation, lah!

    It takes 5 km for muscles to warm up?! I would be a frozen corps before I finished the first kilometer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rurousha, those are not Manglish but proper Malaysian language..

      makcik = auntie, also used to refer to middle-age women.. :p

      malu = embarrassed.. @_@

      Delete
    2. But SK, if the words are used together with English, then it becomes Manglish la right? ;p

      No kah?

      Delete
    3. Rurousha,
      I am slow...

      I only start "enjoying" my runs after 3K. The first 3K are usually torturous. kakaka

      But of course, after doing 15 or so, I feel like dying again. ;p

      Delete
    4. no lah.. Manglish to me means Mandarin-English.. Malay English is what ah?? Bahaglish?? haha~~

      Delete
    5. Ha! You have not read Lee Su Kim's book on Manglish la you!

      Tamil, Malay, Cantonese, Hokkien and not only mandarin all masuk into Manglish category.

      Delete
  10. When I reach 10k I would always ask why do I choose to run further when I can finish lol .. But I love long runs, it's my me time. Have fun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like long runs too. The ones that I don't have a set pace to meet.

      Just run and enjoy the scenery. :)

      Delete
  11. When I run I think many things but in phases. Like you, first I would be wondering whether I can reach the end of the park??? Then, thinking what people think of me running in this attire. And as I grow confident and comfortable in my running, I would be thinking about what to have for dinner later! :p

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You and Panda the same! Think about food while running. :)

      Funny - I think a lot but it usually isn't about food. Maybe because tummy already stressed out moving up and down? kakaka

      Delete
  12. I don't run, you would have know that... and I finished reading the post :D

    ReplyDelete
  13. Negative thoughts are normal at the beginning of anything.

    I always think, "Why do I torture myself early in the morning" or "I should have sleep more", when I practise my yoga.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I cannot do any stretching exercises let alone yoga first thing in the morning. Everything still stiff! LOL

      Delete
  14. 30mins later, I would think, "Ah~ another 30mins to go! Gambatte!!" (I set 1 hour for a session).

    ReplyDelete
  15. Another 15mins, "Darn, left 15mins more??!! How come so fast?", "I haven't do this / that pose yet!".

    ReplyDelete
  16. Last 5mins, "At last~~ I'm so dead tired" and lay on the mat motionlessly.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Does this considered as spamming? Kekekeke!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No... still far from spamming.

      Ganbatte Queen Yvonne and spam more! LOL

      Delete
  18. eih, i thought of skipping this post, but then i read and read and suddenly finished reading!! haha :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How could you skip? ;p

      But thanks for sticking through and reading the whole thing! :)

      Delete
  19. very true, to drag yourself to start off is really the toughest!! same thing like dragging myself to gym..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. last time the motivation part of me going to gym 5 times a week, at at 6.30am also was because one cute guy. kakaka

      Delete
    2. Oh, that's a motivation :D

      But many cute guys in gym are gays (sorry, no offence!), or so I heard~

      Delete
  20. but at least there's ego in you, you started lazy but then keep on motivating and ended up running more than you have planned..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. nowadays, I run following a schedule. Need to take care not to overtrain and injure myself.:)

      Delete
  21. at least better than me, started off ambitious but then start to tell myself, "ok lah, today do less, tomorrow only do more to replenish".. and so ended up doing nothing!! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hahaha... that's no good! ;)

      But yalah, better a bit than nothing at all. ^^

      Delete
  22. yeah, i think better just change straight away once you reach home.. if you rest for a while, i think it's quite impossible to drag yourself up again..

    ReplyDelete
  23. wah, today Panda Foong so hardworking!! first commenter and somemore spamming so much!! wah, he has got 8 comments!! ok let me beat him with 9 comments!! :D

    ReplyDelete
  24. eih, that's why i ask you to get yourself a smartphone.. so that while you are running you can blog on the spot!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dangerouslah!

      Later, so busy thinking about blog post, drain also cannot see. Fall into one, how? ;p

      Delete
    2. Hahah, masuk drain and masuk headline sekali gus!

      Delete
  25. so each KM you have complete, you will write what was in your mind, how cool right?? :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. and with smartphone you don't actually have to type with your fingers, but you can use the apps to type for you, you just speak and it will type the text for you!! cool??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If got enough energy to speak lah! LOL

      Delete
  27. wow, a streak of 9 comments!! huhuhu, let me round it up and make it a perfect 10 lah.. have a nice weekend!! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bravo SK! :)

      You have a great weekend too.

      Delete
  28. I can't help but to lol at this post cause I do whatever you just said. Started with 900m with 61kg and I feel like dying trying to complete a single lap. Now I'm proud to say I can do below 30km ;) and when after BIM, I can proudly say I complete 42km lol. But then again, during training, I'd be asking myself some question, WTH am I doing this? With all the leg pain and back ache, I seem to enjoy it lol. Weird but fun lol. Anyways, I think instead of saying "die, die" or "oh crap" I usually say "fark" or "legs dun screw this shite" lol. The things that runs through my mind and came out of my mind, I sometimes think I'm crazy lol.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Typo, the things that came out of my mouth lol.

      Delete
    2. Yes! After BIM, you have bragging rights for 42K!

      Anb ultra after this, maybe? ^^

      Delete
    3. Ultra? Bulih pingsan dulu. The training for 42k also makes me wanna cry. 4 times a week so tiring maintaining a faster pace. Good that I'm going faster, bad is I'm tired.

      Delete
  29. I remember the last time I tried on running. It's not easy. I can't even finish a short distance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's never easy. At least not for me. ^^

      But the fun part is taking the challenge and conquering it and got through it. ^^

      Delete
  30. You have run marathons and I am still lying on the sofa, thinking "I should also start jogging. Wait for this whole Korean drama series to end first".

    NATO.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I salute you!
    Have an enjoyable weekend!

    ReplyDelete

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