Running has been one of the most satisfying things I have picked up in the last few decades. I started running around 3 years ago and it has been an aha moment.
I played field hockey during my school days and was used to running cross-country. There were some early lessons that I learned during those days.
- You have to go through a boring routine daily. It includes exercise, running, strength training, dribbling, and practicing shots on the wall. They were so dull that I used to wonder, why do we need to do this
- You will do boring routine stuff to have a chance to play a 30-minute game once a week
- Individuals win games, but Teams win championships said legendary basketball player Michael Jordan. If you have played any team sports you know what this means
- You depend on others to learn fast as not all learning can come from your experiences
- Coach plays an important role and he can make or break a player
As I look back, on these lessons, it even applies to my running. I am glad that I went to those field hockey training sessions. Running has a lot of similarities to it as I look back on it
What it has enabled me is
- Focus on basics
- Making it simple
- Get used to doing things that no one wants to do
- Clarity in thinking
- Failure teaches you more than any success
- The past is always a misleading indicator of the future
- Age is just a number
- Having a long-term view
- Stop listening to others
- Be careful about what I eat
- Self Discipline
- Keep showing up every day
- One can achieve anything he sets his mind on
- Learn new things over the years
There is a long winding road ahead as I plan to run my first full marathon and beyond.