I used to party without alcohol quite often but I always laughed the most. I never tried drugs but I danced till I was the last one left. I was as clean as a baby but was high all the time, and the only thing I got it from was doing things I really liked doing. Like waking up at 7 am the morning after, run out into the sunrise and watch the golden hour, listen to nature's sounds, observe the city lights shutting off one by one, and so see people wobble home after those long nights out. It was like the party never ended, neither for me, nor for them - just in very different ways. And my party had just restarted.
This is why I run, every damn day.
The magic of running
Oh what a spring/summer we've had up in Åre! The winter was one of the best we've ever had, but the earth seems to have forgotten spring, but now a new season has started which means that I spend most of my days up on the mountain wearing running shoes and sportswear. Slippery, salty roads are traded for melting mountains, five layers of weather protection are traded for a sports bra, and the knitted wool socks are traded for the thinnest I owe. That extra dimension of freedom, always such a pleasure!
I wake up at 5:30 am on a Sunday when everyone's still sleeping just because I'm excited for the first trail run to the top for the season. I pretend I'm the only one awake at that hour and that exact moment it all feels remote, desolate and solitary. It's beautiful and completely free from distractions, just as if I'm out on a mini-adventure, and that feeling I get up top after running steep uphills for half an hour gives me such a sweet taste of runner's high. It's such an easy way of bringing meaningfulness into one's life. Not to run particularly, but to struggle a bit on a daily basis so you gain self-confidence and feel naturally high from endorphins. That's why I wanna keep those daily mini-challenges on my todo-list forever.
Before I moved up to the mountains I lived in the south. The summers were hot and we were lucky if we saw snow in the winters. I spent every workout outdoors, daily, training functionally, holistically, barefoot and hard for hours, I felt strong, quick, agile and flexible with a great deal of stamina and endurance. When I moved to the mountains I started wearing 5 layers and heavy boots to be able to train outdoors all year round, and that's when I realized I really missed training functionally. That beast that moved up and down the mountain wasn't the same as the cat that flew over fields down south. I'd turned into something else, and mentally I didn't cope. So for me running is a source of keeping myself that kind of fit I want and need for my lifestyle and adventures. Always ready, alert, engaged, happy and full body active.
Runners pro's
Since the mountain started melting I've ran up to the top every day that I've been home. And if I could I'd stayed up there all day just to do whatever I feel like doing that moment, train spontaneously, to do some outdoor cross training that we always did at track and field. Cus this is exactly why I work 50% and alway will try to create time up here. This is my meditation. This is where my feelings, self-confidence, balance, energy and joy peaks. Trail running makes me listen, feel, taste, think, not think, breathe, struggle, become strong, dance, reflect, let go, recover, adjust to surrounding conditions, follow my instincts and totally relax. This is like a micro vacay from my daily todo's and this is why I'm stubborn enough to keep it a big part of my life. It might be my super tough 2-3 hour workout sesh, but I never feel as relaxed and energized as up there. And once you've lost your body once, you'll worship it more than everything. Everything. Possibly and hopefully forever.
This is where a strong body is built, but also a strong mentality for all other parts of life. When play touches seriousity, the perfect mix for a strong every day life. Everything else becomes "easy" when you struggle a bit daily. That's why training always has been the biggest part of my life. It has made me high on life, never touched drugs, stayed away from peer pressure. It has helped me create drive and engagement. It has made me pain resistant, with great fighting spirit and an ability to never give up if there's something I really want. It has made me disciplined and committed, it's what has made me understand the profit of choosing to struggle daily.
I can write forever about this. Understanding the body and it's functionality in tune with the mental states is one of my greatest lifelong interests. I was born into it, competed with it, do i daily and today it's also my job. So if you don't mind, I might make more room for psychology and physiology in my blog!
So, here to the pro's of running! (Notice that for each positive reason there are plenty following, it's a tremendous chain reaction)
Why everyone should run every once in an while?
1. Better health and lower health risks (prevention and recovery)
2. Experience highs
3. Clearer thoughts
4. Happier
5. Stay in shape
6. Stronger knees (at least for trail)
7. Smarter
8. Better life quality
9. Live longer
10. Stronger legs, core, posture and coordination
11. Get energy for everything, always ready
12. Get other things done
13. Meditation
14. Increased mental and physical pain resistance
15. Simple and doesn't require equipment or transportation
16. Save money (from activity, equipment and health)
17. Distances will shrink
18. Can be done everywhere
19. Get new friends
20. Become better friends with yourself
21. Lower the number of doctor's appointements
22. Keep your metabolism working
23. Eat better
24. There's lots of different types of running and places to explore (you won't get bored)
25. Feel good, strong and fit
26. Get daylight
27. Get better balance
28. Get energy, even when you feel tired
29. Become that shining spot in the room
30. Can do it alone or with friends and pets
31. Can do it all year round
32. Keep yourself acclimatized (mentaly and physically) to all weathers and climates all year round
33. Lower stress
34. Applicable to going food shopping or other daily things that require some sort of transportation
35. Adjustable according to time or energy
36. Become one with nature
37. Become a better and happier person and fellow human
38. Increase self-confidence
39. Broaden your perspectives
40. Doing something challenging and stretching your limits
41. Doing something unexpected and developing if your spontaneous
42. Become better at handling current and given conditions
43. Feel light, agile, strong and like you can do anything. And if you can think it you most possibly will.
Runners are generally the most overall health focused group of people. Have you ever met a bitter and unhealthy runner?
