I always imagined running to be this glorious and enjoyable act of physical exercise. Runners, especially experienced ones, seem look like they effortlessly glide along the pavement. Whenever I tried, I always gave up because it felt so unnatural - my brain bopped against my skull lol - and I thought maybe this isn’t for me. So I quit.
Reading about your experience and mindset as a runner is really eye opening. I’m always inspired by your relentless dedication to pushing yourself to improve in your writing. “There were no shortcuts to improvement.” I love watching you grow and share these experiences with us. And this piece makes me feel a little less scared to show up for myself. 💙
It is so not glorious or enjoyable. It's awful. It sucks. And it hurts a lot. At least until it doesn't. I was so out of shape and easily winded in the beginning. But runner's high is SO real. I left out a lot of stuff of course, but I'm reminded now of how much I had to stop doing and change in service of running.
Why is your brain so boppy?? I think my brain does that when I jump rope lol Is there any cardio you do like?
I’d love to hear about your experiences with runners high. Have you thought about picking up running again?
The only cardio I tolerate is tennis. I wish I knew why my brain was so boppy. It may have been the sound of my entire slamming down as my feet hit the floor that freaked me out lol did you experience that??
Mental wrestling and mental chorus. Beautiful phrasing! We're on the same wavelength with adding making terms like mental ___.
I loved this quote:
"The joy it gave me was intrinsic. I was obsessed with the possibility of seeing what I could do, my commitment, and my own ability to follow-through. That’s what fueled me. "
Didn't knew you were a runner, but if someone told me you ran, this is how I would have imagined your runner's mindset to be - beautifully put! Biking is my introspective pleasure
"Interesting about the mindset! Why is that?" - I think it's for all the reasons your piece made me reflect upon: A curiosity, a sense of adventure in exploration leading to a competitiveness, not against others but with yourself. An impossible balance between joy and relentlessness kinda like what you share with us with every issue of Sunday Candy 🥰
"Where do you ride? Around the city?" - I try to ride everywhere feasible that I would have driven a few years ago, but for pure leisure I ride to the bay and through the Stanford foothills. I also love the half moon bay coastal trail - hoping to do that before I see Christin next week!
This comment has been an open loop somewhere in the depths of my mind! Never been on that trail -- let's ride it one day! Unless it's super challenging and hilly. Then never mind, let's not lol
This resonates with me sooo much! Running was a saving grace for me during the pandemic and there was a point of seeing how far I could go with my own 2 feet. There’s a mental game that running brings out. I felt how you ran for yourself even when you were tired or in pain.
& I appreciate how you tailored that same approach to writing and that is such a great way to put it. I have often used the excuse to not write because I was too tired, etc & this helps so much. Thanks for sharing!
Yes! The mental game is everything. I think I was definitely addicted to that aspect of it.
That's beautiful to hear that you had running to turn to when the world went crazy. Physical activities and exerting yourself in that way in general can be such a wonderful form of empowerment and solace. Oddly, there is self-care in that even when it's painful.
What a big hose of love and encouragement this is, it feels all yours but all ours at the same time! Enjoyed learning about you and your past, and how parts of it tie and push you to be here today.
I've learned a lot from you in terms of enjoying this process, doing it for me, and not caring about others, and loved reading deeper into how you think about all this :)
Beautiful passages as usual, and the climax phrase: "Maybe I started running by accident, but I’m writing with purpose." is perfect!
"big hose of love and encouragement" -- I love this phrasing. That's how I always feel about your support! It makes a difference.
I'm hesitant to share things from the past, even like this, but it's cool to hear from you that you enjoyed getting a tiny peek.
& It makes me so happy to hear I've been able to play even a small role in how you approach your creativity. I hope that's been helpful for you. I love watching you continue to explore it!
I always imagined running to be this glorious and enjoyable act of physical exercise. Runners, especially experienced ones, seem look like they effortlessly glide along the pavement. Whenever I tried, I always gave up because it felt so unnatural - my brain bopped against my skull lol - and I thought maybe this isn’t for me. So I quit.
Reading about your experience and mindset as a runner is really eye opening. I’m always inspired by your relentless dedication to pushing yourself to improve in your writing. “There were no shortcuts to improvement.” I love watching you grow and share these experiences with us. And this piece makes me feel a little less scared to show up for myself. 💙
It is so not glorious or enjoyable. It's awful. It sucks. And it hurts a lot. At least until it doesn't. I was so out of shape and easily winded in the beginning. But runner's high is SO real. I left out a lot of stuff of course, but I'm reminded now of how much I had to stop doing and change in service of running.
Why is your brain so boppy?? I think my brain does that when I jump rope lol Is there any cardio you do like?
Thank you<3
I’d love to hear about your experiences with runners high. Have you thought about picking up running again?
The only cardio I tolerate is tennis. I wish I knew why my brain was so boppy. It may have been the sound of my entire slamming down as my feet hit the floor that freaked me out lol did you experience that??
Running and writing-- two life changing things. I loved this one. 👏
Are you a runner, Emma??? Or retired runner like me?
I feel inspired to write consistently...and to start running again.
And then you too can write about running.
I double dog dare you to do both.
Ditttttooooo.
Emma, I love seeing your comments engaging with everyone else's comments. It made me smile.
The golden quiet! This piece oddly makes me want to put on my trainers and go for a run...
Haha, that's my real goal here -- to turn everyone reading it into a runner!
Reflecting on it makes me want to go for a run too.
Okay seriously a WoP running group? Don’t tempt me.
Does that mean we write while we run?
Mental wrestling and mental chorus. Beautiful phrasing! We're on the same wavelength with adding making terms like mental ___.
I loved this quote:
"The joy it gave me was intrinsic. I was obsessed with the possibility of seeing what I could do, my commitment, and my own ability to follow-through. That’s what fueled me. "
Great piece Sandra!
It's all mental!! Challenge to come up with the best "mental" phrase.
Thanks, Baxter!
Beautiful piece. Love the idea of putting one word in front of the other, Sandra.
Thank you, Silvio :)
“A word after a word after a word is power.” — Margaret Atwood
Looove this. Have you read What I Talk About When I Talk About Running???
I have not! Haven't dived into Murakami yet. It sounds like he's a way better runner than I was though.
So good!
Emma approved--worth checking out?
Didn't knew you were a runner, but if someone told me you ran, this is how I would have imagined your runner's mindset to be - beautifully put! Biking is my introspective pleasure
Interesting about the mindset! Why is that?
Where do you ride? Around the city?
I've been itching to ride.
"Interesting about the mindset! Why is that?" - I think it's for all the reasons your piece made me reflect upon: A curiosity, a sense of adventure in exploration leading to a competitiveness, not against others but with yourself. An impossible balance between joy and relentlessness kinda like what you share with us with every issue of Sunday Candy 🥰
"Where do you ride? Around the city?" - I try to ride everywhere feasible that I would have driven a few years ago, but for pure leisure I ride to the bay and through the Stanford foothills. I also love the half moon bay coastal trail - hoping to do that before I see Christin next week!
This comment has been an open loop somewhere in the depths of my mind! Never been on that trail -- let's ride it one day! Unless it's super challenging and hilly. Then never mind, let's not lol
Loved it Sandra! Smooth indeed :)
Thanks, Tommy! Smooth? What is?
Haha I was going off Catalina’s comment about running to writing (:
I like reading the trail of words that you leave on the page.
I like reading the trail of words that you leave in the comments.
ohh the transition from running to writing is smooth! Love this Sandra. What an encouraging piece
Thank you, Catalina. 😊
Encouraging to run or write? 😅
write! I don't think there's anything that could encourage me to run
😂 I laughed so hard at this -- I love the honesty.
This turn of phrase completely caught me by pleasant surprise
"Maybe I started running by accident, but I’m writing with purpose."
Need more pleasant surprises for Christin.
This resonates with me sooo much! Running was a saving grace for me during the pandemic and there was a point of seeing how far I could go with my own 2 feet. There’s a mental game that running brings out. I felt how you ran for yourself even when you were tired or in pain.
& I appreciate how you tailored that same approach to writing and that is such a great way to put it. I have often used the excuse to not write because I was too tired, etc & this helps so much. Thanks for sharing!
Yes! The mental game is everything. I think I was definitely addicted to that aspect of it.
That's beautiful to hear that you had running to turn to when the world went crazy. Physical activities and exerting yourself in that way in general can be such a wonderful form of empowerment and solace. Oddly, there is self-care in that even when it's painful.
Happy to hear this was helpful, Eviana :)
Do you still run?
What a big hose of love and encouragement this is, it feels all yours but all ours at the same time! Enjoyed learning about you and your past, and how parts of it tie and push you to be here today.
I've learned a lot from you in terms of enjoying this process, doing it for me, and not caring about others, and loved reading deeper into how you think about all this :)
Beautiful passages as usual, and the climax phrase: "Maybe I started running by accident, but I’m writing with purpose." is perfect!
"big hose of love and encouragement" -- I love this phrasing. That's how I always feel about your support! It makes a difference.
I'm hesitant to share things from the past, even like this, but it's cool to hear from you that you enjoyed getting a tiny peek.
& It makes me so happy to hear I've been able to play even a small role in how you approach your creativity. I hope that's been helpful for you. I love watching you continue to explore it!