"Ah ... it's a good day to run."
That reminds me of Flatliners - Julia Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, life, near-death, death, near-life, life, and Julia Roberts. Although I'm not here to deal with such weighty issues, there's no more appropriate statement than that at the moment.
I'm standing on the running track that circles the big green land of grass. The sun is trudging westwards and drizzling what's left in his bag of tropical elements through the openings of the evening clouds. And the wind is casually laying its cosy warmth across the park. On any other Sunday afternoon, I would probably be enjoying a nap in the comfort of my bed under the cooling fan. But not today.
Sans of the tiring colours of any concrete-greys, the lushness of the greens reflecting under the cloudy sky off the trees and the grass is therapeutic, to the mind and to the sight. A splash of liveliness is added by the vivid colours displayed at the corner of the field, where a playground stands. I take a deep breath, trying to draw in the scene of serenity in front. I smell grass, tropics, laziness in the air, and life.
Running was never my choice of exercise, but it's preferred over swimming. When I run, I don't feel the fear of sinking if I stop. Since the time I promised myself I have to run regularly when I hit the big 4-0 until now, two years and less than ten runs in between, another run is way past overdue. Okay then.
I start to walk around the field, slowly immerse myself into the buzzes of the place - joggers running past me, walkers walking in front of me, chatting if they are in pairs; in the middle of the field there are youngsters playing football, families flying kites, kids yelling at the playground; friends having a chat on the benches situated around the park, food lovers having a bowl of local delicacies at the mobile stalls. Ahh ... such vibrancy. Loving it. For a sport as lonely as running, I very much prefer to do it in a crowded place like this, much like how I enjoy a meal in a crowded eatery, alone. Part of being a human being, I guess - we need space, yet we need companionship.
After completing one cycle around the field, I feel ready and pick up the pace from walking to jogging.
Sure enough, with the last run happened more than a year ago, after less than ten minutes -
I stop.
.
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6 comments:
Very nice post. Yea, I was a runner once. Now, at the big 50, I havent't run seriously since somewhere, in the big 30's. I'm glad you call it running. My Son is starting to get into it, and he keeps calling it, Jogging. I tell him, no it's running, Jogging is for really old people, and the disabled. Thanks for the drop, I'll keep reading...stop by my place again.
I love running though I haven't taken out my running shoes in months! This post has just given me the spirit to hit the roads this weekend :D
Don:
I was hesitating between "jogging" and "running". As you, I think "running" sounds so much better.
I'll be visiting.
Nick:
Glad it motivated you into running again. Now I just hope I'll be able to run consistently, again.
Given a choice between running and walking, I'll choose walking any day. I prefer even the silly looking power walking to running. In my opinion, the only reason to run is if something bad is after you.
Still, any exercise is better than none, and if running is what you like, then go for it. It is true that there is less risk of drowning on dry land than in water. :)
I really enjoyed this post. It was nicely written.
Gargantua:
Power walking - silly looking? Nah ... Power walking is fine. Just don't expect me to do it ... like for the rest of my life :-)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
nice post! keep on blogging! :)
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