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.