Run!

Early in the morning, when the sun is still half asleep and the birds have just begun to chirp intermittently, I sneak out of my house and head to the Sanjay Gandhi National park for my daily run. My passion for running has led me to participate in many marathons across cities and for various causes. Nothing can stop me from running. I call myself a Marathoner Mom because running has given me the resilience and wisdom to better myself each day as a mother of two grown-up teenaged children. My friends call me crazy and often ask “Why do you run so much?” and I am often amused by the question while I grapple with the many reasons that flash through my mind. 

So I decided to pen down my thoughts and list the benefits of running in a coherent way.  This blog could help motivate my friends, readers and followers who want to run but often feel hesitant to start. Hopefully, after reading this blog, they will feel more confident and embark on the inexplicable experience of running which is so much deeper than just fitness.

Meditation:

Normally, meditation requires you to be seated cross-legged in a comfortable space with an upright spine and closed eyes, focussing on your breath or a mantra. Running on the other hand, is a form of moving meditation 

which does not confine you to a space or a particular posture but nudges you to focus on your breathing while running. It clears your mind and improves your focus for the rest of the day.

Empowerment & Resilience:

I run because when I cross a finish line or achieve my personal best timing, I feel empowered and strong. It is a feeling of conquering the world with super human powers, of achieving the impossible, something that is exhilarating.

The Runner’s high:

This is a real and natural high that is felt during or after running. It is a feeling of bliss and euphoria that is caused by the release of endorphins or feel good hormones in the brain while running.

Connect with nature:

It is only when I am running that I am able to connect with nature. I love to smell the flowers and the fallen leaves, hear the sounds of birds and insects, see the skies, the greens, the dew drops on leaves, the squirrels playing around and the colourful butterflies, feel the rain on my skin and the breeze against my face. I experience the same high when I run bare feet on the beach along the sea, smell the salt in the air and hear the waves of the ocean. Nothing rejuvenates me like nature and running in the midst of it.

Disconnect with everything else:

I call it ‘my space’ or ‘my time’. During this hour, I disconnect with social media - the pings and rings of Facebook and Instagram, household chores and work-related stress. I travel inwards within myself to connect with my body, mind and soul. 

Running  for a social cause:

Once you are out on the roads walking or running, you meet many others who run regularly and before you know it, you become part of a running group with like-minded people. Running has provided me many opportunities to support different social causes but the one that is very close to my heart is to run for Swasthya and an obesity-free nation held every year on Republic Day. Swasthya is an online community of health and fitness experts working towards helping people lead healthy lifestyles. Obesity is one of the primary reasons for many life-threatening conditions. Running and staying active along with the right nutrition are the first steps towards a fit life. Many people across the country have taken a pledge to run for a few or several kilometres, based on their level of experience, on Republic Day. I feel privileged to be able to contribute towards this cause in my own special way. Do join in and register at

 https://www.swasthyawarriors.com/run-for-a-cause

 whatever level of fitness you may be at - it could be your first step towards a healthy you.

Weight loss:

Whether things work out or don’t, taking up running with varied objectives certainly motivates you. Running is a great way to get fit and strong at a physical level as well.

It’s free:

This is probably the best (if not the most important) part of running. I do not have to pay a fee for the fresh air, the sunshine, raindrops, morning dew, the sand or grass beneath my feet, the greenery or the beaches. Just lacing up and being amidst nature is an altogether different kind of high compared to running on a treadmill in a claustrophobic air-conditioned gym. 

There are so many reasons I run and you can take up running for any or all of these reasons. So, go all out, explore yourselves and the city or town you live in because we’re blessed with an able body and two feet. You do not need expensive shoes and costly watches/apps to run! 

I’d like to leave you with this beautiful metaphor of running by renowned writer Haruki Murakami from his book “What I talk about when I talk about running” - 

People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they’ll go to any length to live longer. But I don’t think that’s the reason most people run. Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest. If you’re going to while away the years, it’s far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive than in a fog, and I believe running helps you do that. Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that’s the essence of running, and a metaphor for life - and for me, for writing as well. I believe many runners would agree.

-Tanaaz Horamuz