Don't Think, Just Run
I feel like I've somewhat passed a strenuous physical exam after recovering from a super strong strain of flu that had my brain dizzy, muscles sore and made me just collapse into a sleeping beauty every night. My immune system is now super charged and ready to take on what come. Now it's time to get ready for the Bangkok Marathon in November. This week, I've started doing extra long runs at the gym. (Not really that long for a professional runner, but long for me)
I usually run two sets of ten minutes in the mornings, but that is really not far at all. It takes me only roughly a little over a kilometer. To make 5km, I'm going to have to keep running and running and running. Running for around 40 minutes non-stop.
To do that, this week I've been doing running stretches of 20 minutes. Knowing that my brain would want to give up after ten minutes, I eased myself into running 20 minutes by lowering the speed slightly, but keeping the incline at 1% (so that the treadmill will resemble the outdoor a bit more).
I also had to stop thinking. Yes, don't think when you run.
If I think, I always end up stopping. So I had to keep telling my brain to just ignore the thought process for awhile and kill off the voices from the lazy me inside. Every five minutes, my lazy me would go through the cycle of trying to talk itself into stopping.
"Five minutes is a nice round number, yes let's stop here for a bit." At this point, my lazy me is smiling and making the stop seem so pleasant.
"No, I'd reply. Another five minutes then we can stop" Yes, I trick myself every five minutes to run another five minutes. (I say I'd stop, but actually I won't, because I'd trick myself again later.)
This self tricking involves not looking at the timer on the treadmill when the seconds count down from 4.56 mins to 4.57mins to 4.58mins then 4.59mins. My heart gives a big thump. I must not give in, no I won't and so I ignore this awful timer and instead try to look around the room at the other people running and exercising. I look out the window, watch the flickering TV screen and note to myself that the grandpa on the other treadmill seems fitter than me. By the time I look again it becomes 5.10mins and then I say to myself,
"Haha!! you passed the round number, might as well run to the next round number. You know you are going to feel like a better person for having finished the entire run than giving up on yourself halfway."
When I finish the run, it is indeed a feeling of accomplishment. Even though how little the accomplishment, I think it's a great way to start the day. You won over yourself and ran a full 20 minutes. You killed the lazy voices, put them in coma. Next week it's going to have to start being 25 minute runs.
Yes, lets all stop thinking and just run! RUN for your health, run for yourself, run for a new life.
I usually run two sets of ten minutes in the mornings, but that is really not far at all. It takes me only roughly a little over a kilometer. To make 5km, I'm going to have to keep running and running and running. Running for around 40 minutes non-stop.
To do that, this week I've been doing running stretches of 20 minutes. Knowing that my brain would want to give up after ten minutes, I eased myself into running 20 minutes by lowering the speed slightly, but keeping the incline at 1% (so that the treadmill will resemble the outdoor a bit more).
I also had to stop thinking. Yes, don't think when you run.
If I think, I always end up stopping. So I had to keep telling my brain to just ignore the thought process for awhile and kill off the voices from the lazy me inside. Every five minutes, my lazy me would go through the cycle of trying to talk itself into stopping.
"Five minutes is a nice round number, yes let's stop here for a bit." At this point, my lazy me is smiling and making the stop seem so pleasant.
"No, I'd reply. Another five minutes then we can stop" Yes, I trick myself every five minutes to run another five minutes. (I say I'd stop, but actually I won't, because I'd trick myself again later.)
This self tricking involves not looking at the timer on the treadmill when the seconds count down from 4.56 mins to 4.57mins to 4.58mins then 4.59mins. My heart gives a big thump. I must not give in, no I won't and so I ignore this awful timer and instead try to look around the room at the other people running and exercising. I look out the window, watch the flickering TV screen and note to myself that the grandpa on the other treadmill seems fitter than me. By the time I look again it becomes 5.10mins and then I say to myself,
"Haha!! you passed the round number, might as well run to the next round number. You know you are going to feel like a better person for having finished the entire run than giving up on yourself halfway."
When I finish the run, it is indeed a feeling of accomplishment. Even though how little the accomplishment, I think it's a great way to start the day. You won over yourself and ran a full 20 minutes. You killed the lazy voices, put them in coma. Next week it's going to have to start being 25 minute runs.
Yes, lets all stop thinking and just run! RUN for your health, run for yourself, run for a new life.
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