Run like a Child... the Joy of Running

Sometimes you’ve got to slow down to really learn to appreciate life and its finer points. And this goes for running too. We are all caught up in improving forms, achieving podiums and PBs, running races for medals and timings, that we forget the joy of running, forget the joy that running brings.

Today ran 5 kms, but ran one of the best 5 kms of my life. No didn’t achieve a PB but i did achieve a PH, I.e. personal happiness, and that’s all because the company I had, the brilliant pacers that paced me throughout the five kms, those awesome lil runners.

So we ran with unbridled joy,hi-fiveing, chitchatting and cheering runners irrespective of age, or the group they ran with. I learned some running moves they teach at football coaching. We constantly chatted the whole way, petted doggies on the way, clicked loads of selfies, and all this without the energy dipping much, the Josh was indeed high. They brought smiles on people’s face that passed by, they ran, jogged, brisk walked, cheering people on, giving them thumbs up, telling me (as opposed to asking me) the breed of the dog we passed by, every dog we petted. Every km was met with a huge cheer, a big achievement. Their enthusiasm was was contagious, affecting those who saw them, their joy was pure, making you wonder where did we loose this joy in all the numbers we keep chasing, all the races we keep chasing, we keep running.

Today these little ones showed me that there’s joy to be found in running, a happiness, an excitement we seemed to have lost as we started taking running more seriously, chasing timings and PBs and medals and podiums and all the glam sham that goes with it. We seemed to have lost this joy, it’s time we reclaim this joy back. 

Got to thank these lil ones for showing what’s the joy for running, how to run like a child with unbridled joy, to find happiness in every step, to spread happiness and cheer with every step. Thank you lil ones, cause I know I had the time of my life, in those 5 kms I felt I ran an ultra, in an awesomely good way. Thank you lil ones, thank you from the bottom of my heart.