Why do I run? Why do I breathe?

Shall I run today? Shall I really get in my running shoes? Running in really cold temperatures is pretty uncomfortable. Stop it! It usually feels fine if I layer. Once I get warm, I will stay warm and I will enjoy it. I’m pretty sure that the air will smell impossibly clean and pure. Go outside dude, your training plan says so!

Arghhh! It is colder as I expected—I even can see my breath. Run! Run faster! Keep your running at full speed without feeling pain. If I will feel no pain, I will run as fast as I possibly could without stopping.  No pain, no pain: It is going smooth today.

The first half of my track is done and I’m still running. Don’t forget: “Running is a means to an animal to move on foot”. Maybe I’m an animal; one who is defying the laws of gravity.

Well, I’m still running. I can see myself from behind walking up a path or a long road. It is Meditation! I separate soul and body. I separate soul and spirit. Running is transferring my emotions into a source of inner peace and wholeness. For me running is a Kōan, an aspect that is inaccessible to rational understanding, but may be accessible to intuition.

Two hands clap and there is a sound. What is the sound of one hand?
- Hakuin Ekaku

It is a way to practice concentration. While running I can monitor, aware and acknowledge my thoughts. “Thoughts!” “Don’t stop your thoughts!” “Leave it gently but don’t stop it. “

I should go back to the moment.  I should better control my breathing and take care of my breathing pattern. If I will run to hard or to fast, my breathing pattern will automatically switch to a bad ratio. Breathing is the true of traditional Zazen—I really should take care of it.

“Be in the moment.” I open my mind up to my environment; outside of myself and within myself. I’m aware of aches and pain of my muscles and joints; my feet as they hit the ground; the wind as it hits my skin; my hair rustling in that wind. I control my feet; control how they are supposed to land during running. I questioning myself: “I am faster today, more efficient and less injury-prone?”

Not sure and I don’t care, but I feel great! It is a feeling unmistakable on happiness and exhilaration. Both, my body and my mind are highly simulated and my senses are sharpened. That’s why I love running. That’s why I’m addicted to running! It is because of this moment. Literally it is a term given to the feeling of euphoria that is induced by distance running.

For me it is the reason not to sit down, not to be lazy like a bone, not to be a lazy bastard! It is the reason to feel the loneliness of a long distance runner!

One Buttock Run ???

Yesterday I did a long run. The distance of a long run is considered to be 16 kilometers or longer as well as runs over 90 minutes. The long run is the most important component of the marathon training because it teaches the body to tackle mentally and physically the challenges in completing the 42.195 kilometers.

Normally I like the long run, because for me it’s like meditation. The reason is that you do it approximately one minute slower than the pace that you run during the marathon itself. It is in your personal aerobic zone and you fell like a tiger that is defying the laws of gravity.

You can easily do it on one buttock! The energy is flowing through your body and is taking control of your legs. All this happens during the movement of your body as they sway from side to side. You listen to upbeat music and your brain is going into stand-by mode to refill your environmental-neutral batteries. ;)

But not yesterday!

• After 1 kilometer I realized the my phear rate monitor shows way too high values. A restart of my Garmin Forerunner 305 to do rescan for the wireless hears rate device fixed the problem.
• After 5 kilometers my iPod shuffle turn off—batteries empty. That was it!
• After 12 kilometers, my shoelace was opend. I had the photo of Yori Gagarin in mind when he walked towards to Nikkita Khruschev to formally report about mission’s success and didn’t realize that his one of his shoelace was undone. Well, my mission was not succeeded here!
• After 15 kilometers nordic walkers ask me for the way and involved me for 10 minutes in a stupid discussion. I hate it when something like that happens during I’m in stand-by.
• After 17 kilometers I realized that it’s fall through and through. It was windy and we had 12 degrees Celsius.
• After 20 kilometers I arrived my home. At the end it was a nice run, I forgot all nerving incidents, drunk almost 1.5 liter water, put my legs in ice water, had a shower and a slept for two hours.

You can find a satellite image and the altitude profile below. The detailed information is on my GPSies.com account where you can find this track, too.

Track

Altitude Profile