Holli Thompson

What am I running towards?

I have a healthy obsession. It started at the beginning of the year.
Maybe because everyone in New York is moving fast, I felt the need to keep up? I don’t know.

As I entered Central Park one day, I increased my normal walk and found myself in a gentle run. It felt smoother and lighter, and once my head and legs adjusted, it seemed easier, too.

I waited for my body to give out, and I slowed intermittently, mixing it up with my usual walking speed.

But after the first week, I got bossy.

Let’s go, I said to myself. Let’s see what you can do. I didn’t expect to succeed, or continue, or take up running. I was just doing it. That day.

Months later, I’m at it almost daily. I’ve run through rain, snow, heat, and rough, tired mornings.
Running has become a way to process and heal, and to push through to new ways of thinking.

And there have been days when my surroundings are so beautiful, and life feels wonderful and full of hope, that I just want to weep for joy. Just because.

I asked a friend of mine, months ago, why he ran and trained the way he did.
I said, “What are you running from?” I realize now that it was an unfair thing to say.
I should have asked, “What are you running towards?”
I’m sure he sees it that way, because now, I do.

And my 10 minute run has reached an hour and climbing.

I’ve been talking to other runners lately, and one enlightened friend shared that the flow he finds in his daily run is like meditation. It’s not just good for the body, it’s beneficial for the brain and your emotional health as well.

He went on to talk about the feeling that you get about 25 minutes in… I knew what he was referring to.
That moment when you feel so good, you almost can’t stop.

It’s a state of positive endorphins rushing, your hormones highlighting how good the world is, and how it feels to be at one with your body, the earth, and everything around you.

It’s a little dramatic, but he was right, that’s the best of my experience when I run.

He added that he’s been taught by his spiritual guru that remembering that feeling each day and accessing it later when you need it is one of the greatest benefits of running.
And he says, according to the Dalai Lama, it’s a path to enlightenment.

Beyonce just came out this past week with her own running in the park story-she’s launching a collection of fitness apparel.
Listen to her touching voice-over about getting up early to run in the park, as a kid. Running strengthened her, allowed her to move forward and excel, to be an example for her little sister, and show gratitude to her parents. To be strong.

A few weeks ago I came across several interesting articles in the New York Times, one in particular comparing running to other forms of exercise, evaluating how they each specifically affect the brain.

Weight training, and interval training, while physically beneficial, did not have the same psychological benefits of running.

Explaining the after effects of one experiment, “Their hippocampal tissue teemed with new neurons, far more than in the brains of the sedentary animals. The greater the distance that a runner had covered during the experiment, the more new cells its brain now contained,” wrote Gretchen Reynolds, quoting a new study in a psychology journal in Finland.

And that same day, another article ran in the Times on “Learning a New Sport”, and how as an adult, taking up a new sport can dramatically improve the functioning of your brain neurons, and how efficiently they communicate with one another.
The better they communicate, the smarter and faster your brain is.
That was the day I jumped on my son’s hover board!
Sign me up for more.

Running is helping me move through all kinds of challenges. My brain is working more efficiently. My focus has improved. I feel more balanced, and I sleep better. I’ve become more chill, more trusting in outcomes. My adult ADD seems to be improving.

It’s also totally changed my body, and my clothes fit in an entirely new way.
MAJOR BONUS.

I’ve had my first injury, a mild ankle strain that took me out for a few days. And I probably need more foot support; another friend has suggested some serious insoles.

My friends make fun of my outfit. It’s not a runners look because I began running before I had any sleek running attire. I’m still running in yoga tops, pink trim capri’s, a horse- riding vest, and leather gloves. And fancy sunglasses.  Kind of ridiculous:)
It’s how I started, and it’s working. I’ve been tempted by running stores, but I’m sentimental.

I also run slowly… I don’t care about that either. And no, I won’t run with you. I’m way too slow!

I’m on my second pair of running shoes, however, but that’s another thing that I may need to change, or upgrade, or research more. (anyone want to weigh in, here?)

For now, I’m a bit of a beast. I pop out of bed, early, and I head into Central Park or my country road. It’s what I do, no matter what.

Some days I call my mother, some days a friend, but most days my play list carries me along.

My son made me a new play list over spring break.
He named it, “Happy, for Mom”.
And that it is…

Are you a runner? If so, please share your experiences with me below! XO

PS. Here are links to some of those articles from The New York Times.