5 Things Jogging Taught Me

  I've always been attached to sports for as long as I can remember. Never quite the athlete, but it’s always been part of who I am.

  Of all the sports I've tried, track and field was the one I spent the most years practicing. Needless to say, as previously mentioned, I was more of the team member who cheered rather than scored! But, it was fine by me.

  I may have never returned with a medal or a trophy (for SEVEN goddamn years!), but the psychological impact it left was much grander than any medal could leave.

  Briefly put, that’s what the track has subliminally taught me.

Set your eyes on the finish line

  It’s quite important to know where you’re headed, and what you want to achieve. If you just aimlessly go with the flow, you’ll always settle for less, and you’ll quit trying at the first glimpse of fatigue.

  You may not always reach the desired end goal, but the presence of one makes you go an extra mile.

People set different goals; just stick to YOURS

  It’s inevitable as you jog to notice how many people may be rushing past you. It may kind of bring you down, but there may be some other considerations to bear in mind.

 

  Even though joggers may all be doing the same thing, more or less, but they do it differently. Some people jog faster, but cross less laps. Others take it nice and slow, and aim at crossing a further distance.

  And even those who perform much better than you, are most likely to have worked much harder than you have. So give them credit for that!

  Bottom line, the more you occupy yourself with others, the more you’ll find yourself forced under uncomfortable pressure that simply leads you nowhere!

The grave need to understand yourself

  One of my jogger friends once told me that one key to longer distance jogging is choosing a comfortable pace that I can keep up with for long. As I did so, I was surprised by the outcome. But isn’t that key to a lot of changes we pursue on life? The need for sustainable choices?

  Another reason why it’s quite important to understand yourself is that there’s a fine line between the extra mile that will make you, or break you. It’s quite admirable to face challenges with enthusiasm and confidence, but it’s also very important to know when to stop, and when to carry on.

As long as you’re not quitting, you’re not failing

  It’s okay if you’re out of shape, and it’s okay if you’re not as good as you used to be. You just need to realize that most probably, you won’t reach the desired goal at the first shot. It’s also true that you won’t be able to reach it until you try… and keep trying!

  Along the journey of trying to score the desired goal, or even yet setting a new one, you need to acknowledge your need for rest. Sometimes giving yourself the proper rest at the right time is what helps you go the distance. You’re human!

 If you’re not performing well, you probably have the wrong playlist on

  … and by ‘playlist’, I mean all sorts of external stimuli. Don’t underestimate the impact and quality of energies you surround yourself with, be it opinions you accredit, activities you immerse yourself in… etc. You name it!

Stop using stationary bikes and treadmills, and cycle or jog out in the open!

  It’s quite dumb; all you do is look at yourself in the mirror as you go nowhere. I honestly have no further comments in that regard!

ps, I did not miscount. Obviously, this is not a learnt lesson. Just something I had to get off my chest.