Life, Running
How Running has a Correlation with Life
After a year of running, I’ve come to realize that this activity is deeply connected to human life. As individuals, we all have dreams — whether it’s becoming a lawyer, doctor, entrepreneur, or something else. We work hard to achieve these goals, aiming for a better life. However, the path to success is often filled with challenges.
Similarly, runners have their own aspirations. Some run to lose weight, some to shape their bodies, others to strengthen their minds or improve their overall wellness. Personally, I run to strengthen both my mind and body. I have to admit, in the beginning, it was tough. Running felt exhausting, and I wondered how my friends could run 5k in under 30 minutes. I remember my first 5k took me 55 minutes — I felt like a snail. It was definitely a challenge, just like life.
“The hardest part of running is tying your shoes.”
Besides pushing my heart rate to 186 bpm, I believe the hardest part of running is simply tying your shoes — the space between your bed and your shoes can feel like the longest distance. But once you do it, the rest becomes easier. We often struggle to study, but the hardest part is picking up the pen and paper. We wrestle with getting work done, but once we set aside distractions, the task becomes manageable. When we finally finish, the endorphins kick in, and we feel happy and satisfied. Isn’t it amazing how small actions can bring us happiness?
From what I’ve observed, there are a few types of runners. I like to categorize them into three groups: technical runners, trend-following runners, and free runners.
Technical runners are those who approach running with precision. They use tools like GPT for training schedules, track their heart rate, pace, cadence, and stride with a smartwatch, invest in proper outfits and shoes, and review their Strava data before bed.
Trend-following runners participate because running has become trendy in their social circles. It’s perfectly fine to join a trend as long as it brings benefits, but many in this group lack consistency.
Free runners are those who just run without overthinking it. They don’t care about their outfit, don’t use a smartwatch, don’t listen to music — they simply run.
If you look at these types of runners, they mirror different approaches to life. Some people are highly motivated and ambitious, using all the tools and effort available to achieve their goals, while others act based on what their environment is doing — buying the latest trends or learning new skills because they believe it will be useful later. Then, there are those who simply go with the flow, unconcerned with what others are doing.
I’m not saying one type is better than another, but the way we run often reflects the way we live our lives. Running isn’t just a physical activity that trains our cardio and muscles; at its core, it helps us manage our ego. Many people have collapsed even died while running marathons, and I believe it’s because they couldn’t control their ego — they didn’t run at their own pace because they were trying to keep up with others.
A lot of potential is buried because of our ego. Many dreams are crushed because of it. And countless relationships end because of it. Life, like running, is a marathon. If we feel tired in the middle of a run, it’s okay to walk. If we can’t complete a 5k in under 30 minutes, that’s fine too. We can try again tomorrow, as long as our feet stays there. I realize that the challenge is always between me and myself. The game is always you, against you. We need to find the perfect pace to success in run, and so is life.
