Big Day Coming......
source.
The body really is an amazing machine. I try to remember to always be grateful for health, because it is our most valuable asset.
Tonight over 5 miles I ran an average mile time of 8'48". This is nuts. When I first started running just a few months ago, I think I was always hovering around 11 minutes or more per mile. When I am running now it sometimes feels like my legs have become a separate machine that can carry me, and though I feel some sense of fatigue and even out of breath at times, my mind is now calloused to the doubt (which is arguably the most painful thing) and it has very little power over me, as I now know I can run very long distances without stopping. The first run I tried back in June was so full of what cannot be called anything but fearful thoughts:
What am I doing??? What if I can't do this!? What have I gotten myself into?
Little by little, I increased the distance, not being too hard on myself, and yet still pushing myself very hard at times, even to the limits, when I chose to, and felt that it was necessary for my continued development and improvement as a runner.
Now, I run on, adjusting my breathing, and realizing that that feeling of Oh, God, I can't do this, was always kind of a lie.
I've also started breathing "through my stomach" now, when I run. If you've ever seen a little kid or baby sleeping and you observe closely, you might notice that it is their stomach, and not their chest, rising and falling as they inhale and exhale. This is a deeper kind of breathing, from the diaphragm, and I have noticed that my body has now taken this on as a runner. It feels really good, and I feel really connected to my body and the earth when breathing from my stomach. I suspect it oxygenates the blood more effectively than simple, shallow chest breathing, too.
Tonight's Run:
Distance: 5 miles
Theme Song(s):
"Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey" ~The Beatles
"Big Day Coming" ~Yo La Tengo
"Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" ~Ryuichi Sakamoto
Playlist so far:
"Under the Pressure" - The War on Drugs
"Somewhere" - Soundgarden
"Owner of a Lonely Heart" - Yes
"Rose Garden" - Lynn Anderson
"Napalm Love" - Air
"Lips Like Sugar" - Echo and the Bunnymen
"Truth Hits Everybody" - The Police
"U Can't Touch This" - MC Hammer
"Tap Out" - The Strokes
"When Day is Done" - Django Reinhardt
"Sunrise, Sunset" - Bright Eyes
"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" - Devo
"Take No Prisoners" - Megadeth
"For Whom the Bell Tolls" - Metallica
"Air Cal" - Com Truise
"Surfing On a Rocket" - Air
"Andy's Chest" - Lou Reed
"Only Shallow" - My Bloody Valentine
"Love Love Love" - The Mountain Goats
"まいご" - Joe Hisaishi / 井上あずみ
"Easier Said Than Done" - MxPx
"Just Don't Give a F**k" - Eminem
"It's up to You" - The Specials
"Searching" - Quarion
"Searching With My Good Eye Closed" - Soundgarden
"Looking for Love" - The Cars
"I'm so Free" - Lou Reed
"Don't Pass Me By" - The Beatles
"Don't Cry Wolf" - The Damned
"Don't Swallow the Cap" - The National
"Sound of e" (Murphy's New Club Mix) - Desperate Deejays
"For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield
"The Cutter" - Echo and the Bunnymen
"Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey" ~The Beatles
"Big Day Coming" ~Yo La Tengo
"Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" ~Ryuichi Sakamoto
(Thanks for stopping by. If you missed the last installment of MARATHON BLOG, number 23, you can find it HERE. If you want to know why I am keeping this blog, and the inspiration for starting such a record on the blockchain, you can find the first MARATHON BLOG post HERE.)
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)