“It’s not about pushing my limits, it’s about discovering them.” – Philippe Gatta
- Off the beaten path
- Apr 15, 2018
- 4 min read
Why do we run? And why do we run far and in really hard places that would seem to make running not fun at all? I don’t think anyone really knows. I think for those of us that decide to participate in these ridiculous undertakings we all have our own personal reasons. For me, running, and running long in some of the more difficult places, becomes a form of meditation. With the business of every day life and the continued ding of cell phones, email and text messages, our brains have become conditioned to continually be tuned into social media, the need to respond to emails and phone calls even on our days off and to always be thinking about the next task at hand. Now don’t get me wrong, working hard in life and being motivated are both commendable and important qualities, but there is something intoxicating about being able to immerse yourself in the quiet. The quiet that is really only obtained in those small moments when sure maybe it hurts and it’s early, but that’s just it… it’s early. It’s maybe 6am, and it’s 22 degrees, but the world is still and your mind is still, and you’re alone. The only thing you have to focus on at that moment is the sound of your breath, the beating of your heart and your feet on the trail. Meditation. That cliché phrase of “be here now.” As backwards as this may sound, some of the most clear, simple moments of my life have involved an undertaking of 20-50 miles, the bare necessities for survival and a few good travel companions and a dog.
When we pick a goal, whether it’s a mountain or a long run to set out on, we instantly create connection between the task at hand and ourselves. In that instant our energy is controllable and able to be channeled. In that moment things can become quiet and we can focus. Sometimes the task is small, as in to finish the 20 mile loop, and other times…. Well other times the task is daunting, and requires all of our energy, all of our attention and all of our focus in order to survive and to not make a mistake. And yes I did say “survive”. You cannot be distracted by the 4 million other things that predominantly occupy your mental energy when you are climbing a mountain or a rock wall. Instead your focus has to be graciously dedicated to the percentage of the 100 billion (some say 86 billion) neurons that are firing in your brain in response to your surroundings. These are the moments that we need to feel grounded and strong and capable. These are the moments that bring us back and make us feel whole again. This is where we learn to trust our own capabilities and to grow mentally and physically. All of the sudden the dreaded “out of our comfort zone” experience becomes familiar, safe and desired. It’s a place where we long to be. It’s the place that makes us better and more able to function in the rest of our lives. Most importantly, in the quiet, in the stillness, during physical exertion, your brain is actively responding to stress and releasing a protein called BDNF or Brain -Derived Neurotrophic Factor. This protein has protective and reparative effects on your memory neurons and also can act as our internal reset switch. This is why we can feel at ease, able to make better decisions and euphoric after physical activity (that and the overabundance of endorphins). And for some of us, the simple act of “resetting” is considered a life line. My guess is that for most of us this would be true if we would allow ourselves and push ourselves to engage in daily acts of physical activity; those of which are as simple as taking the dog on a very long walk even on a rainy day.
For me, the quiet moments come even during the small time when I can get outside, in the woods, or on a small mountain top surrounded by only my dogs and the trees. The continued journey encompasses discovering my own limits and pushing myself to engage in the next adventure that has a scarier and scarier number of miles and thousands of feet of elevation attached to it. The calmness comes from knowing how I feel when “I’m in the fight” and how I feel when I’m on the other side. The satisfaction comes from setting a goal and accomplishing it and discovering things about myself that I would not have ever known if I had not had the desire to just step on the trail. And then there’s one last thing (actually there are probably about 20 more things), you end up in some really cool places. Places that most people will never see, except in photographs. And you take away a little something from each one of those places that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Comments