Raych’s Running Diaries: New Year 2019

The year is drawing to an end, and like everything under the sun, the hours, minutes, seconds tick away transitioning us to another year, 2019 beckoning. Such is life, made by the experiences we go through. Experiences are wonderful whichever way we look at them. Yes. They create memories and if you look closely they are such an influence to our way of life.  They reveal who we really are, our capabilities, our good, our bad, our limitations and my best they reveal our hidden capabilities…now that is profound. Running has been that to me. Initially taking it up as a way to keep fit and a variety to my fitness regime. I was an aerobics class addict…the kind who takes her step to the front of the class, screams through climax moves, and modifies the instructors moves. Boy, i loved it, it’s all i knew. Then i outgrew it and voila came my love for spinning! Aha! Chick spinned like crazy! Present for the crazy Saturday morning 90 min challenges with no break…loved how we could simulate hill climbs just by adjusting the knobs on the bike. The quads got their share. Then came swimming, this one i had to save my mamie ego…we enrolled our son to a swim class and he seemed to have fun in water. Then he kept calling me on. Little man didnt realise mamie was zero on swim skill and that mass of water scared the hell out me the most I’ve had to immerse my body is in a large ‘karai’ of water at my grandmas on a sunny day in the quiet Kathera village in an effort to spare the rare firewood. Running remained in the radar as a fitness plan, amidst all this until i realised it was a repository of opportunities to grow myself.  Slowly, i got intentional about it. I entered races, i joined a club ( Runfitclub), i subscribed to running sites, liked their facebook pages, i spoke about it, i made great friends on the road, i glued to tv to watch international races, running caught my attention . Slowly i  realised that running was more than a fitness regime for me, it was more than keeping fit. Running revealed me. The experiences i’ve had while training and racing have left me with great lessons in my life. Lessons that have inspired me and those around me. Challenged me. Changed me. The  Discipline, perseverance (endurance), consistency, hardwork, comaradie, focus, confidence, commitment, acceptance the list not close to being exhausted of the lessons learned.  Runners are some self edyfying lot for all the right reasons so bear with them. Whenever they are they talk about running, they think everyone must run, they pride in completed races, medals earned and oh wait when they start on the jargon…carboloading, cadence, VO2Max, foot profanation…am a victim. But you dont have to run. You need to find something you love so bad that brings you a sense of commitment and uplifts your life! That thing, whose benefits to you and others is more than meets the eye. Years will come and go. Lots will go on around you. I mean 2030 vision, blue economy, drones, bitcoins, “samantha” girl, trumps presidency, and we havent heard enough yet. We have to keep challenging ourselves to be the best version of ourselves in 2019. Decide what you want to feel. Yes feel. What is important to you? It’s obvious we all want to be happy. I dare you to try something new. You may just discover your hidden gem. Hidden somewhere within you or without you. This gem may /will reveal the best of you. It will blow your imagination.  Thanks my gem. Thanks to running. To another running 2019 year!