Sunday, May 18, 2008

Running for freedom


Someone once told me that people run to win. I could not understand... Sure, people run to relieve the stress of a day’s work, to exercise, keep a fit lifestyle, but to win? I did not understand... What are they winning? Only one person can win a race, do they really believe they'll win? Then I began to run. I run to clear my mind, to stay healthy, and I run to win... Surely not the traditional "win" you're envisioning, I run to win my thoughts, to control my chaos, I run to win freedom. Freedom as we know is not the easiest concept to attain. Some spend a lifetime attempting to embody, while others spend millions developing the tools they believe will set them free. Running places freedom in your reach. The once inconceivable, conquered, with nothing more than sneakers. Training for a marathon, while consuming, is freeing. Spending a couple of hours with yourself and pushing the comforts of your physical being is blissful. Once you exhaust the body, the mind can see what matters. The benefits are tenfold when the mind is free. Ideas from the subconscious surface, allowing you a fleeting sense of connection to the conscious world. The movie we create through running is the greatest victory of all, self freedom from the constraints of everyday life. When people ask me how I do it, I think how could I not. A simple concept actualized: Freedom: One body, two sneakers, go.