Born To Run

I got into this whole fitness thing the same way I get into everything else: all out. Just ask my friends - they're the ones who have to put up with my nonstop blabbering about it. I took up running late last year. Granted, Jeddah isn't the best place to start running, me being female and all (in fact, anything easy to do in other parts of the world is almost always pretty tough in the kingdom), but that's the thing about running. Once you've made up your mind to do it, you just do it, whatever the obstacles. 

I know that's the kind of vague, inspirational crap that those annoyingly fit freaks always spit out, but I understand that now, and maybe I'm toe-ing the line. I started out last year I couldn't run for 30 seconds straight without feeling like I would die. I've gone up 30 minutes now, at 7mph, and I still can't believe I can do it. 

The thing I've learned about fitness is that once you get so into it, it's no longer about being skinny. It becomes all about the things you CAN do, pushing yourself right up to the edge without compromising yourself, and while that sounds impossible to do, it is precisely BECAUSE it sounds impossible that once you've done it, you realize THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN'T DO. Impossible is nothing.

So ANYWAY. Now that I'm done being a Nike ad, let me talk about this book.

It's about running. But I recommend it to everyone, runner or not. There are so many things to take away from this book. Here are some I took:

~ Suffering is humbling. When you suffer, you learn to respect things, people, work, everything. I have a bad back, and I remember my last sciatica episode that left me completely immobile. I had newfound respect for everything I took for granted.

~ Managing pain, physical or otherwise, without "giving up". My friends and I have talked about this at length - how pain is always there, and we have to learn to live with it. Getting over a heartbreak, a physical injury, whatever it is. You learn to live with it. 

~ Enjoy the things you do. What's the point in doing something you don't enjoy? OH GODDAMNIT, I know that's also some vague shit. But seriously, if you gotta do something, then find a way to enjoy it. If you DON'T have to do it, and you don't enjoy it, don't do it.

~ Humility. I'm always on the verge of arrogance. I say things like "I hate stupid people", and all that arrogant shit. As if I'm any better. This book reminded me of the things that matter. 

So yes. There's my book review. Maybe after this blog post, Nike can hire me to write copy for them.