Post No. 44: Confession of A Slightly Better Than Average Amateur Long-Distance Runner/Jogger

“Life is a marathon… Not a 100m sprint…” – LCC

I have a confession to make: I actually enjoy long-distance running/jogging…

Wait… Before any of you all start running (no pun intended…) off with the notion that I’m one of those “running fanatics”, let me first state for the record that while I enjoy long-distance running/jogging (I run in the beginning of the run, then as my breath start to lose itself, I jog…), I am not a “running fanatic”. I, unlike a JC CCA mate of mine, do not actively participate in endurance events such as marathons, biathlons, triathlons & charity swims in my precious free time outside of army (this JC CCA mate of mine, in case you all are wondering, is in the Naval Divers Unit). I, unlike another JC CCA mate of mine, also do not go practice running while waiting for a reunion BBQ to start. If it was a choice between exercising and slacking one corner, I would opt for the latter. But if exercising was the only option available to me, I would most probably choose, amongst a variety of possible physical exercises, to go for a run or jog. Well, hopefully, you all understand what I meant by me actually enjoying long-distance running/jogging…

If my memory doesn’t serve me wrong, the first time when I realise that I may have a slight aptitude for long-distance running was in my secondary three year when I took part in my secondary school’s annual 4.8km cross-country (actually, it was more of running along pavements and not running across country) run. That year, beyond any of my expectations, I actually was the 4th member of the team that contributed to my class being able to win the award for 2nd in the Upper Secondary Buys (Team) category (I believe I still have the medal somewhere around in my house). Regrettably, though, in the year after that (i.e. when I was in secondary 4), I suppose that my running got worse, partly due to a bit of over-confidence and also my lack of physical training prior to that (remember that it was an examination year so I spent more time hitting my books, not in a literal sense, than hitting the running track). Believe me, if you managed to get a silver medal the year before, seeing people (mostly secondary 3 guys) whizzing past you don’t do much for your morale… Haa… Well, in case you all are wondering about it, my class didn’t manage to win anything that year (except perhaps in the individual categories).

Then, when I entered JC, I realised that my JC has its own running track and it seems to me, in retrospect, that the PE teachers of my JC have the mentality that such a beautiful running track shouldn’t go to waste… For almost every PE lesson, running around the track was definitely part of the programme (except for some dancing lessons the teachers gave to us in J2 before the examination period). If it wasn’t running around the track, then there was running outside school grounds. Well, according to my own rough estimation, I most probably ran about a distance roughly equivalent to that of a marathon or close to that (maybe even more…) during my 2 years in JC. In retrospect, I suppose the amount of running I did during those 2 years helped to improve my running ability quite significantly…

Entering army, there was even more running for me to do… On Tekong, we recruits were made to run a lot… If it wasn’t around the running track, then it was running along the coastal route (which was quite scenic, actually)… Then when I came to my current unit, running was still pretty much always on the training programme… As of now, the longest distance I ever ran was 15km and, mind you, it was done in camp. And at the beginning of this year, as part of the training for my unit’s overseas exercise in India, there was weekly company runs (and we even did running in India together with the local troops over there). Well, I suppose that in such a running-dominated environment, the amount of running got to my head and I started to actually enjoy long-distance running [the proof being me actually going to sign up for runs outside e.g. RealRun (10km cross-terrain run on Sentosa), Terry Fox Run (held also on Sentosa this year) and the Standard Chartered Run last Sunday (me ran only 10km this time round and clocking a timing of 53 minutes & 53 seconds…)]. It didn’t help that there are so many proficient runners in my company and platoon. These include my 2 previous platoon commanders, my previous Encik (Company Sergeant Major for the uninitiated) and the current one (the latter even went to practice running while my company was performing operational duties in Jurong Island!), a couple of my sergeants, several of my company mates from other platoons (one of who keep insisting that he’s not a fast runner and get visibly upset if you say that he’s good at running) and a few of my platoon mates (one who came from a background of track & field in secondary school and JC and another who did a lot of running as training for his squash). Hence, having to do a lot of running and having the company of so many proficient runners in my company, I somehow got influenced to actually enjoy long-distance running (and I’m not the only one, considering that there are others in my company who go for running at night in camp on their own accord).

Of course, there are other reasons why I came to enjoy long-distance running. One of which would be that this pretty much the only physical exercise/activity that I’m somewhat proficient in. Believe me when I tell you all that I’m not the sporty type of individual. I admit that I used to play a bit of basketball and soccer but I’m not quite good at both of these sports. I’m more of a sport spectator than a sport participant. Well, I concede that not everybody enjoy what they are good at and not everyone are good at what they like… However, from my viewpoint, it would be much easier for someone to enjoy something if he or she has aptitude for it and this is the situation with me & long-distance running…

Another reason why I enjoy long-distance running is somewhat linked to the reason above. This other reason is that long-distance running allows me to partly satisfy the competitive streak in me. Don’t be mistaken, I’m not the competitive sort of person but, in my opinion, everybody have a competitive streak in them, it depends only whether this streak is strong or weak, and it is the same with me. So what if someone is better at soccer or basketball than me? So what if someone can jump further than me in standing broad jump? That doesn’t mean that they are better at long-distance running than me… Believe me when I tell you all that it is a great feeling when you whiz past a person who usually seems fitter than you or is better at sports than you. You may not be as good at sports as them but at least you’ll know that you can outrun them in long-distance running. However, remember that the biggest competitor one can ever have in long-distance running is oneself. In short, in long-distance running, it is you against yourself. Long-distance running is as much a mental sport as it is a physical sport. It is like the recent commercial campaign for Nike’s latest line of running shoes, the Nike Free (the one that supposedly simulate barefoot running if I’m not wrong), in which sports celebrities “debate” with themselves whether to continue running or to just give up. In long-distance running, having well-developed leg muscles (though they do help) isn’t as important as a strong mind which is able to tell your body not to give up. Mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter…

Besides those reasons I mentioned above, another reason why I enjoy long-distance running is that it offers me insights & lessons about Life. In long-distance running, you may perhaps run at top speed in the beginning of the run but can you maintain such a speed throughout the entire run? If you can, good for you but it is more likely that you cannot maintain such a pace and you will burn out (if not collapse from the strain from trying to maintain top speed). Also, know that even if you are able to overtake someone in a run, he or she can still overtake you later in the run and vice versa. Hence, it is my observation that it doesn’t matter what speed you can run at (it’s no use if you’re going to collapse due to running at top speed throughout) or whether you are leading at the front (people can still overtake you and you can catch up from behind if you’re not at the front), what does matter is whether you can maintain the pace you’re running at and finish the run. Isn’t it the same with Life? This is what I meant with the quote at the beginning of this post (“Life is a marathon… Not a 100m sprint…” – LCC). In addition, running helps to clear the mind… It’s like what Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, said in a recent interview, others may get their “moments of Nirvana” (as he terms it) through meditation but he gets them through running. I suppose it is somewhat the same in my case (although I suppose that my insights during these “moments of Nirvana” are nowhere as profound as Mr Mahbubani’s).

Okay now, though I am just a slightly better than average amateur long-distance runner, I would just like to provide some tips for those out there who want to improve their running. First and foremost, nothing comes free, if you all want to improve your running, lazing around on your couch won’t help, you all will have to do some training. However, don’t be too ambitious with your training (i.e. don’t start trying to run full marathons immediately), training should be progressive. Secondly, try not to breath through your mouth when running. I admit that I’m not exactly certain how this helps (perhaps it helps in regulating your breathing or prevent you from panting?) but breathing through my nose somewhat helps in my running so maybe you all would like to try it. Thirdly, remember that your biggest competitor is yourself. Just keep telling yourself to continue putting one foot in front of the other; every step you take is one step closer to the finishing point. Push your limits but just don’t push them until you collapse. Fourthly, look ahead and not down at your feet. The end point is ahead and not below at your feet. Lastly, the run will be easier if you divide it into segments instead of thinking of it as a continuous long run. If there are others running with you, try to catch up with or, if you can, overtake the person in front of you and then the next person in front. If there is no one else running with you, try to find something stationary along the road (e.g. lamp posts) and use it as a “checkpoint”, run to reach it and then the next “checkpoint”. Well, I hope these tips I suggested are useful…

In conclusion, I would like to set myself some targets… My current target is to be able to run a 21km run next year and perhaps a marathon the year after that… Also, I aim to continue practicing my running (at least once a week) after I ORD and have entered university (hopefully, I won’t be too busy with schoolwork to do so)… Well, one step at a time…