The Inevitable Aging Process

I've been asked on many occasions before, what does it take to fall in love with running? Well, some people fall in love with running when they achieve a new frontier, or they're pursuing one. This may be in the form of being able to run longer distances, or run faster, or perhaps running has helped them to lose weight. Whatever the new frontiers are, there's a kind of surprise and excitement when achieving them. Some people are also into running because of their friends. They run in groups and it's the fellowship that they enjoy more than the running.

However, there's always a limit to those new frontiers. People may improve their distances from 5km to 10km to half marathon and full marathon and so on. But sooner or later, they will find that they will need to sacrifice so much more time and efforts to be able to run longer or faster. The thrill and excitement may eventually fade away. In some cases, the incidences of injuries may also increase. In such a case, some people will keep running just to maintain their fitness. Others will gradually reduce the amount of running, and others still may eventually stop doing it altogether.

I'm convinced that the vast majority of people you see running in the parks don't necessarily love running. They're doing it either because they have to, or because they feel obliged to do it. For example, they were advised by their doctors to do it to beat early signs of dreaded diseases. Yes, running can be quite a chore to some people!

But some people run because they truly enjoy doing it. Whether or not they have symptoms of dreaded diseases, whether overweight or not, run solo or with friends, rain or shine, they will run, as long as the body is fit enough to do it. It comes from within. For if it's not real love for running, sooner or later, it will become increasingly a chore to drag themselves out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to go running. It's much more pleasant to spend the extra few hours in bed.

I have always been active in sports since I was young. It's not just running. I used to be active in badminton when I was younger. My knees couldn't endure the sport when I was about 30, and I had to switch to doing weights in the gym for some years. Running came much later when I was in my forties. My reason has always been the same. I've always been grateful that I have a reasonably healthy body. Not necessarily above average, let alone podium material. But I want to make full use of what I have. That's why I run, I bike, I swim, even though I'm not very good at any of them. Some people are born without limbs and have to live in a wheelchair. I'm imagining that perhaps they long to run.

One of these days, the time will come when I can no longer run. Maybe it will be a challenge to even get out of bed in the morning. My legs would be too weak. I wouldn't even rule out the possibility that I'd be spending my days in a wheelchair too, and in diapers. When and if that day arrives, I won't have any regrets, for I have made full use of whatever I had, and for however long that I could.

I had a glimpse of what's coming my way at about 4:30am this morning. I had intended to run 27km starting at 5am. But I felt so tired and sleepy even though I had had my 7 hours sleep. I spent the next half an hour or so in bed debating with myself whether I should run anyway. It wasn't helping that I could hear the sounds of the raindrops on the roof. In the end, I decided that I'd run. I got out of bed, freshened up and eventually found myself at Taman Awam Teluk Likas. I finally started running at almost 6am. The first few steps were just awful. But it got a little better after a few kilometres. I was still debating with myself during my run, and decided to reduce the distance to 21km. When I had finished my run, I felt so glad that I'd decided to do it.

I'm beginning to wonder what lies in the weeks and months ahead. Based on how I feel right now, I can't help thinking that this may be my turning point; I can only decline from this point forward. But I take it as it comes. For as long as I can still do it, I will keep it up.