We often hear about the lessons and values that running can bring to everyone: The importance of discipline and consistency, the development of self-esteem and confidence, the rewards of overcoming challenges, the joys of joining a driven and like-minded community, etc.
But these are all things you can also find from pursuing other sports, activities, endeavors and passions. So, what is a piece of wisdom that ONLY running has taught you, or at least a lesson that, for you, running has BY FAR been the BEST teacher for?
As I was reflecting on this question, I found myself thinking back to races. It has actually been quite a while since my last race! Partially because Singapore really does not have many formal running events year-round, but mainly because I have been slacking off for … half a year actually, and I have not given much attention to training.
Anyway, whenever I participate in a race, I am always awestruck at the sheer number of people there! Obviously, running is a really popular and accessible sport and it makes sense that there would be a lot of runners, but still, it is awesome to be together with so many people who all have the same goal and have worked so hard to give themselves the best chance.
However, what I also noticed at races was not just the amount of runners but also their DIVERSITY. You can find runners of so many different shapes, sizes, and colours. You can admire the extraordinary range of fashion and gear choices, from plain black singlets, white caps, and analog watches to red-and-yellow Vaporflys, bright green raincoats, and the newest COROS models. A feast for the eyes! A sea of colors, boiling with energy at 4 a.m. on a cold, (typically drizzling) Sunday morning.
But by far the most interesting diversity for runners is their answers to the question of “Why are you here?” There are not many questions as non-trivial as this one. You don’t sign up for a (half-)marathon simply because you feel like it! (or if you do then total respect HAHA) You need a specific goal and rigorous training regime, dedication to eating, working, and sleeping right, and a GIANT dose of motivation to keep you going. So, when you ask people at a race that question, you are going to get some damn good responses.
Some have very visible and striking stories. I once ran side-by-side, for the first couple of kilometers or so, with a 62-year-old type 1 diabetic amputee. There we were, a tough, grizzled survivor who had weathered just about everything life had thrown at him and a scrawny, naive kid, conversing amidst the tsunami of runners and footsteps passing through Hanoi’s Old Quarters, glancing at our watches every few moments to ensure we were on pace, and doubtful but determined to smash this race.
And I have seen (and sometimes even got to run with) many other remarkable runners: The twin brothers with Down syndrome flying by the finish line with hands victoriously raised in the air; the semi-professionals hoping to break 3 hours (which is an INSANE time); the family of 5 running their first 5km and posing for a triumphant photo (which is hopefully worth all the trouble of trying to wake children up at 3 am); or the divorcee using running to hone his resilience and build back his shattered life.
All these experiences and stories and memories went through my mind when I thought about what unique lesson running has imparted on me. I think I have a decent answer now: Running teaches me that EVERYONE is on a different journey, and nothing else has helped me realize that so audibly and viscerally and regularly as running.
Every single runner you see on the road has a unique story, from their reasons for taking up running, biological advantages, and challenges in their relationship with running to the people who have supported (or opposed) them along the way and the times they have given up, but came back and grew stronger. And these stories, which are so important to our identities and societal belonging, are not and often cannot be easily expressed in normal day-to-day life. We (forcibly) hide behind the shrouds of modern life, having few opportunities to share who we are outside of our sparkling achievements or elaborate LinkedIn resumes or who has the shiniest cars and houses.
We do not see our authentic and vulnerable selves often in our modern society. And that makes it easy to lose our perspectives on life and how we should live it right. Indeed, stress and anxiety often come from comparisons and jealousy with your peers and the fear of missing out. Along our journeys to hustle, we may forget how to live.
And running brings all these things out. Running is where your true colors fly and people see and embrace you for who you really are. And I think it’s also poetic how running, humans’ most ancient activity, can still play such a central role in our lives even after we have “evolved” for thousands of years.
But honestly, your story doesn’t really matter that much at the end of the day. Runners everywhere have the same goal: To be the best runners they can be. So, wherever you are in your journeys of life, you have to find a way to keep running.
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