On: Running

 Life's good lately ever since I joined the instagram bandwagon, here's the most recent post:

I often find myself either wanting or struggling to go out for a run. I'm partially married to my sneakers and it does suck when things get rocky. There are phases where  I go on this kind of momentum where in three consecutive months- I wake up 6 in the morning and hit the pavement. Or I'd go for the intense twenty-minute intervals training on the treadmill with a promise that I'll score a new snowboarding jacket. Running keeps me happy, collected, and intact with my daily routine. And it does make you feel better whenever you're upset or angry. I could recall a situation I became bitter about and I decided to just walk to the NY Ave/Gallaudet U metro stop to get to Georgetown. I walked briskly, my hips swaying back and forth- with the loud clacking sound of my boots. I walked angrily but after five minutes, my throat didn't feel tight and I was no longer tense. Yep, exercising has its magical touch to our emotional well-being.

Sometimes I find myself with my downers, it always happen especially when I stop running. It's like the laziness is so overpowering and it gravitate my body with all it could and it made me lazier. But it's a pile of guilt being piled up on a nice china (probably.) and every missed days become harder to redeem.

Now talking about getting myself back on the wagon, it is a lot harder. It is way harder than when I first started running. I've been staying with my friend and this morning- I really felt unmotivated. I felt the laziness and excuses swarmed into my head. I went running on the other day and it was enlightening. I did yoga right after which was a nice touch to my post-running stretches. I asked myself, if I did it on the other day, I can do this. And the friend was a motivator for me- he told me "Go and run. I'll see you in an hour or less?" (As of tomorrow, he's running with me!) I couldn't argue and I knew I wanted to do it for my body. I want to be able to sleep well tonight knowing I did my part.

While running, I never bring my phone with me. I always look at exercising as a quality time with your body. Why make time for others while you're working with your body? An hour won't kill you. I always have a playlist on my iPod- amusingly, its the metal tunes that keeps my fire up. I don't know why but maybe it is something about M Shadows screaming inside your ears? In order for me to ensure that I have ran to the maximum amount of time, I make a playlist that lasts for an hour so I don't worry about timing while running. I'll know when I have reached my time as the last song is playing. I eat beforehand and run within two hours, I also ensure that I have drank two-four cups of water beforehand. Lastly, never doubt my own ability to go far. I have never ran a 5k in my entire running career until I signed up for one and boy- I enjoyed it. Now that 5k serves me a good reminder why I can go running.

When I was finishing up my run today, a neighbor was walking briskly with his headphone--I finally stopped by the house to catch my breath and he applauded. Encouragement and reinforcement is what keeps me going and all runners could use some of that. Now I can say- I'm excited to run with my friend tomorrow.