Get Off The Bench

A long time ago, I used to be a competitive runner. I trained 4 times a week, and my idea of “a treat” was Coke or chocolate (only one of either every 2 weeks). In the good old days I thought nothing to competing (and winning) two individual races, and leading a relay team to victory, then jumping for leisure (by leisure I mean: it didn’t matter what colour the medal was, it wasn’t my event but I wanted to take part anyway), all on the same afternoon. Then age caught up with me in a big way, even though I’m only 21. In the last three years I’ve only exercised a total of 3 times. To be fair, I’ve done a fair amount of consistently physical activity — caving (too many caves this year, and I’m not even fond of them: Chiang Dao, Cherrapunjee), gliding across streams and balancing my body across tree trunks, snorkelling, swimming (one lap is all I can stand of swimming), climbing the Angkor temples, running after trains and planes. Just not quite the same as the old days.

I have never felt the urgent need to regain my fitness and shape, until now. In the last years I had drugged myself out with coffee and Chinese herbs just to reach the optimal level, one which used to come easily. I was fatigued all the time, and pale. Physically even though I wasn’t getting fat, it wasn’t easy to accept losing the (if I may say so myself, pretty good) shape I was used to all these years. My sprinter’s thighs caught up with me, and I hated it. For reasons of vanity and fitness, I was becoming increasingly disturbed. I picked up one of George Sheehan’s books on running, rotting on my shelf for years, and had a quick read through. It made me miss running. Even though my body and mind refused to go, I saw the headline: Get Off The Bench. And I did! I hit the ground running.

Not having exercised in such a long time, I knew I had to take it slow, so it was a slow and easy workout but it did wonders for my mind and body. There was a short warm up jog from my house to West Coast Park (maybe 2km), a comprehensive warm up routine, a mid tempo run to Pasir Panjang, back through the Cheese Prata Shop/NUS and through Clementi Woods, 3 sets of 20 sit ups and various exercises at the park, then another slow 2 km cool down jog. It was easier than my lazy mind previously believed. My problem with taking up running, for a time, was motivation. In the days of competition I knew I trained for a reason: to win. It was simple. Simple enough for a 14 year old. Eyes on the prize, and nothing else. Running for fitness is a different thing altogether. There’s nobody to outlast, to take over, no rapturous, adoring audience to run towards. I don’t have a personal best anymore: I’m starting over. I don’t even know how much distance I covered exactly, or how much time I took. It’s about starting over, minus the numbers, without the prizes. Yet old habits die hard: I take nothing with me, still dress in my competition gear, put on racers, have nothing on me that suggest running for leisure: no money, no towel, no bus card, no music. Just me hitting the road, finding rhythm and direction. I’m in a state of bliss when I’ve pushed myself hard, and yet I’m happy to feel the wind in my hair. It’s a wonderful feeling. Running is not just religion, it’s also “a place”:http://www.georgesheehan.com/essays/essay46.html. A place I’m very happy in.

I learned a few things this evening. (1) Everytime I’m ready to return to running, I do it in a dramatic, symbolic way: my shoes break, literally, in ways you never see shoes breaking. On my first race after recovering from an unfortunate ankle fracture and 4 months in a cast, I took the baton from my team, placed second last by the time it got to me in last leg, and sprinted to gold. I crossed the line and my spike shoes cracked right through the middle and split into two. I put on my replacements and went to compete in another race. I wish I had the resilience from my younger days. (2) I still can’t run in shirts with sleeves.

This evening, my running shoes split, _again_. I am medically certified with flat feet, so I need shoes for overpronators. There was a time when I could tell you exact running shoe models for supinators and overpronators, but I can’t anymore. Any suggestions for a good pair (especially Asics), and a good place to buy them?

I feel like I’ve found an old friend, so stay tuned for endless updates about running routes and gear, of interest to may 3 people altogether. (For an interesting run, you can think about doing the women’s 5K or half marathon at the “Angkor Wat International Half Marathon”:http://www.angkorwatmarathon.org/… running past Ta Keo would be pretty cool!)

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