Run for Your Mind, Not Your Body.
from The Dreamers
I do not like running. It’s not addictive. I don’t get ‘runner's high.’ Quite the opposite. Every single time I put on my running shoes I feel a sense of dread from the bottom of my stomach because my body knows the misery I’m about to make it endure. I hate being out of breath and sweat doesn’t feel good. It’s gross. Besides, I could walk and dance and do yoga and get the same physical benefit without the endless mental battle of ‘just one more song.’
All this to say—I am not a ‘runner’ and I am not writing to tell you that running will change your life or even improve your life. It sucks. Avoid it at all costs.
Unfortunately, I have realized that running helps my creativity in a way that is sadly irreplaceable. The huffing and puffing, the fresh air, and the escape from my mind into my poor, terribly out-of-shape body, all create a headspace that I haven’t been able to find anywhere else. I’ve tried, honestly. I’ve gone on hikes, baked in the sun, taken naps, went on bike rides, and none of them come close to recreating the running headspace.
It is, in a sense, a clean slate. It is a train of thought completely different from the one I ride the other hours of the day. The headspace of running knows no worries. It is a place of basic human need and simple thought. It loves gentle breezes and it is very aware of how long a minute is. It sets small, attainable goals and reminds you to breathe. And sometimes, in its attempts to distract you from your own body, it thinks up some pretty crazy stuff.
Ideas for scenes, doodles, short stories, essays, and outfits have all been products of my running mindset. Passing advertisements and establishments inspire questions surrounding ethics, capitalism, and what we define as normal. Neighbors and their dogs become vivid characters. Song lyrics are mulled over and added to a bank alongside other inspirations. While running, solutions to problems, courses of action, and the ends to bouts of writer's block come out of their hiding places into clear view.
Of course, the running mindset does not contain a bottomless vat of creative fuel. Most of my time running is spent thinking, “It’s almost over. You’ll be fine. It’s almost over. You’ll be fine” and things along those lines. However, I have found that each run brings me enough
creative fuel and mental clarity to make me actually want to come back day after day. There is enough mental benefit that I can ignore my physical dread and the thoughts of “I’m never doing this again” and pull on my shoes once more.
Furthermore, by the time I finally cross the finish line I know the hardest part of my day is likely over. I can wash up, sit down, and get to work. I have a clean slate. I am reborn. That’s an exaggeration but I do feel fresh in every way. Almost like waking up a second time.
Not to mention the added bonuses of a) checking something off my to do list b) feeling healthy and c) saying the words “On my run this morning...”
The overall advice I have is to run for your mind, not for your body. I take that back. Run for any reason that resonates with you. But if you’re not a fan of running (or exercise in general) don’t look at it as a lug, a haul, or a workout. Look at it as a mental reset, a brain break, and even a form of rest from the endless worries and buzzes of everyday life. It doesn’t have to be a daily or even regular practice. It can be a tool pulled out every once and awhile to unstick the gears and scrape out the muck.
There is a rumor going around that running gets easier the more you do it and, while I’m still not sure if that’s true, I know it doesn’t get harder. I really hope it gets easier because I think I’m going to be stuck doing this for awhile. I could try harder to find an activity I really love that creates an equally fresh headspace but I don’t know if I want to. I guess I’m just clinging on to the hope that one day I’ll be able to say I’m the type of person that likes running.