Into the mind: An athlete’s perspective

‘Why do you run?’

‘What do you think about when you’re running?’

If only I had a coin for every time someone asked me this, I’d be pretty rich by now. Many a times, these seemingly trivial queries got me thinking. Why do I ACTUALLY run? I honestly hadn’t given much thought to it until these questions started popping up. The most obvious, right-in-my-face kind of reason was that I felt good. It made me feel like life wasn’t so bad, after all. But then again, chicken biryani has the same exhilarating effect as well. Then why do I put myself through this horrendous ordeal of pacing
around when I have other alternatives that don’t make me pant like my dog? I realized that it has to be something more than a magical shortcut to adrenaline driven euphoria.

What is it then that keeps me going? Think. THINK. I think a lot, when I run. I contemplate about my academic progress, evaluate the pros and cons of asking someone out, wonder about the existence of unicorns. Hell, I might as well find a cure for cancer while I’m at it. When I run, the entire world around me comes to a stand still. Absurd or not, it gives me a clearer perspective on life.

Of how I should never stop pushing myself until I reach the finish line. To never give up in the face of adversity even when my muscles tense up and strain, my chest can barely contain my pounding heart and the voices in my head .. oh how they scream! Begging me to stop, to let it go … that I’m no good. It’s astonishing how all these emotions can translate into the run that we call life. Every time I go against these voices, a feeling of accomplishment encompasses me. As the famous saying goes, ” It’s important
in life to not necessarily be strong .. but to feel strong “. Running provides me with that strength. It fills me with hope, for now I know that I can take on any challenge that is thrown at me. And that folks, is why I do what I do.

Written by Shanti Shree