How is long-distance running a mental sport?
There came a time when the cloud that had lifted was settling back in slowly. The strength of my belief in the goodness in the world and the butterfly effect of joy doing good would bring about for me and everyone around me was thinning, at a rate at which I couldn’t cope with.
I struggled to fight it and I signed up for a marathon.
I have run half marathons before and running allowed me to go to my mind palace and explore all things my life has taken me through more often centered around my experiences with people, the different learning and revelations thereof. There was always clarity and insight. But I had lost my mind palace. I couldn’t get to it as easily as I liked to.
Distance running is an endurance test and a mental sport — one that would force you to spend time in your mental realm for an otherwise stretched length of time.
You start with boredom and lack of reason. But the feeling of accomplishment you think marathoners feel that inspired you gives enough fuel to get you started. You build a few miles on feet and discover that your body is able to take the distance. You learn to keep calm as that is the trick to breathe easy and exert as little as possible to conserve energy so you can run one more mile.
Each personal record for the longest mile increases your morale giving you hope and aspiration. There is still boredom especially having to start from 0 for each run. If you had found a company by then to beat the boredom, you are safe to keep going. For certain people, it's a running buddy. For some, it's music. For me, it's my mind palace along with soulful music. And there are runners for whom there is sheer ambition and the prize.
Marathon day came with anxiety and fear due to a few reasons.
I owed people that supported me in donating for the cause I ran for, the finish. I owed myself the finish. I believed I could but I felt underprepared and reasonably doubtful. The start line had a euphoria. It always does. You could easily get caught up in the train failing to notice if you are supporting your body adequately to sustain the distance. You adjust to get to your comfortable pace and adjust your mind to enjoy the journey.
People of all ages, sizes, and fitness levels run with you. Several of them defeating their supposed capabilities for their visible traits. We look out for each other to not step on a fellow runner as there is respect for the attempt.
We cheer on. Smile. Keep moving on.
Half marathoners turn left and marathoners turn right at a marked split on the course of the small city Marathon. There were 4000 runners of whom 200 were marathoners, which meant a suddenly clear course that is with a handful of people in sight with about 14 more miles to go. Kids, families, and organizations had come out at the water stations to hand out water cups throughout the course. The cheering crowd and number of people at the water stations reduced then. There was no euphoria to feed on anymore.
You are on your own.
You struggle but push forward. You assess and you push forward. You hydrate and you push forward. You feel a cramp but you push forward. You feel doubt but you push forward. Then you see a water station with a cheering family outside their house by the course. You pick up that orange slice from the mother and water cup from the little boy and push forward. You are happy to see another fellow runner even if they are far ahead of you. The few people you see clap and cheer you on. You thank them and push forward.
You see runners running in the opposite direction. The course was taking a U-turn. Your mind has now built a new goal to get to the turn soon. But it takes time. It becomes hard as it takes time. You see more people running in the other lane opposite to you. And there came one woman who was limping but running. It must have been a muscle pull or cramp or injury. There was a biker riding by her to ensure she got help if she needed to stop. But it didn’t look like she would stop.
You push forward.
You take the long-awaited turn which now meant there is so much more distance to cover. You start seeing runners in the opposite lane now. You are respectful of their determination as they would be on the course for much longer as they are much behind. But they keep pushing forward. You hit 20 miles — a personal record for the longest run and have 6.2 miles to go.
You trick your mind into running one more mile and not focus on what distance remains.
You have been doing that for a while now. 23 miles; the very few people still on the water stops cheer you on.
“You are still breathing”.
”You look amazing”.
”You are almost there”.
”Good Job”.
”Keep going”.
”WOW, look at you”.
”Only 2 more miles”.
25 miles; you feel exhilarated. There are more people clapping. I see my husband waving high to say he sees me.
I wave back and stride to my finish.
I had imagined a few times what it would feel like to finish a marathon. It was different than in my imagination. I felt a brief sense of accomplishment and then it was gone. I felt mostly calm. I finished my first marathon and regained my sense of self. Along came an appreciation for fellow runners.
Kindness, Strength, Reason and Empathy — I could bank on them. I have found my mind palace again.
