You will Finish It !

100 metres to go. 'Damn shiong  (tough) seems to be written on the guys face behind me !

The culmination of almost 6 hours of running in darkness and hot sun

The will  to succeed overcomes all obstacles. In short, if you want to run for a marathon, you can do it. Despite the contraints of time, preparation - mental and physical workouts,work commentments, family and friends plus all the other distractions of our fast paced, 100 km/hr lifestyles you must set aside the time to train.

The key to running swiftly, as the legendary African coach, Adolphus Rubenkanya teaches is unity. Many Africans have been brought up in war zones, long distances to schools and workplaces so much so that running is part of the life. If you see, masses of people who are having a party, many of them would be running and singing at the same time. This is part of who they are.  Running unifies them as much as family.

Unity comes when the entire mind,body and spirit are at peace. When this happens,coupled with a clear focus on your goal can you achieve the distance you want. Running frees the mind from the day to day complexities, allowing it to float and dream, to transcend the present and after sufficient mileage is done, to achieve the "runners high". A dream like existence whereby everything is super clear, and there is a tremendous sense of satisfaction.

Natural chemicals found in our body, called endorphins, which generate pleasure, are released. The image around is, that is, the sky, the air, all seem so bright and clear. The colours of the trees and the contrasting flowers so vibrant, the sounds of the chirping of the birds are so alive abd the smell of the dew and flowers so fragrant. In short, all our 5 senses are heightened. It is good to be in this state !

So when we can see things most clearly, and objectively, we let the mind think independently.

Our day to day frustrations, issues and schedules are quantified, studied, analysed and thought through in a clear and independent manner. The simple act of 'seeing things in the open' after a short 40 - 45 minute run provides me with the optimum solution and / or a clear course of action to tackle these schedules/problems/issues. 

Try it for yourself and see the results !