Running – a cure for all?

Two decades ago life has being much simpler and less stressy than it is in today’s time. I guess each Generation feels the same way that “the old” time was simpler and more easy to brake away from daily sometimes boring and monotone cycle. Not only is our new time more instant but all seems today more polarized.

As the instant society ask for immediate solutions to problems that can’t produce lasting results in such a short time, we amass unsolved problems. Over time those have piled up over our head where now some smartasses who thought of macro acting on every single matter of life. This has created huge amount of highly polarized and not seldom aggressive behavior. Those polarizations have created a sort of unhealthy extremism – Stress factor One.

One possible reason for not running!

I am in Jordan every now and then. You can expect from me, that I look at the population through a runners eye. I believe that if a society is conducting Sport but practice Running in particular on a regular base, that such a nation nurture higher values of carrying for once own life. Some time ago I cam a cross a Study by the EU – let me try to remember that. The study was looking at citizens from age 50 and above. I can’t remember if it was EU wide or by Country, but it showed that elder citizens where conducting Sport – in particular Running/Jogging at least three times per week year through. Another figure I have come across was, that the German speaking part of Europe has something like 18-20% of the population that is running on a regular base.

Not written … but I run

I have not written for 6 weeks on my progress on running. Now don’t think I was lazy – I have being running! I was successful in creating a sort of rhythm and regularity and “en passant” even lost some weight. Last weeks I traveled to Amman, Jordan and had a rare pleasure; we had the opportunity in running four days long in the snow. Yes, you her it right – 4 days snow in Amman. Now don’t think when it snows here you have a nice powder, it is more like a spring snow (or corn snow). The third day we had a lot of water mixed in so that our feet have being through and through splashy.

About two weeks earlier I was visiting Prague and could run on ice. I truly love that as you have to develop a smooth running style with well measured foot push in order not to slip. What I notice is that when my body is warm but the cold is around my face I have much different mood and motion to be outside.

Now the winter seems over and I can focus on the dry and warm period.

Learning to go out in any weather

That is a must! Over the past two days we had bad weather. I did run on Friday but not on Saturday and Sunday. I immediately feel bad when I can’t run when I actually wanted to. Today the clouds where hanging low and it looked like rain or maybe even snow. I put on my rain proof gear and went out. I do see advantages going to run in bad weather as you can enjoy not crowded tracks. When you live in the city and you are permanently engulfed in the crowd, running in a place empty of people will bring a true value. You can de-stress from the noise and chatters of others.

This run has being great! Free of chatter, noise, crowds, cars, pollution and rain. That only started when I reached home again 🙂

Searching for the ideal rhythm

It is common sense that we should be physically active three time per week (every other day) in order to stay in shape, not gaining weight, decrease stress and balance our life. And that’s what I am trying to do now. Ideal for me now is to run on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Ok that is four times – so what! I am aware and also by my own experiences in running it is not a big deal to run every day. On the other side I am amazed to find myself disputing over how many times a week I shall go running. I clearly seems to have experienced a shift in motivation.

Let me try this rhythm first and see how mind and body adjust to it.