Yes he’s back! Welcome to another edition of the RTS (Respect the Stupidity) Column.
In his own unique style, this time RTS talks about motivation, cavemen, wellbeing and even manages to tell us about his Kylie fixation!
Intrigued? You’d better read on.’
Respect The Motivation
RTS hunting wild bison across the dales.
“Ah, come into my world Mr Respect. Another hypnotherapy session is it? Well, lay on the couch there and let’s get started”.
“OK, I believe in you. What do I have to do?”
“Breathe as I stare in your eyes! That’s it, nice deep breathing. You’ll feel like you’re spinning around. Good! Now, we’re going to step back in time”.
“To my childhood? Is it my turn on the swing?”
“No, way before then.”
“Not the Battle of Marathon again, we did that last week. My arms are still sore from carrying Phidippides’ sword for him!”
“Even before then. We’ve gone back tens of thousands of years. You are a hunter-gatherer living on the African plains. Confide in me, how do you feel?”
“I’m hungry, very hungry. Is there a McDonalds nearby? Maybe some chocolate?”
“No, fast food has not been invented yet. You’re living on slow food. And the slower the better because you’ve got to catch it! What are you doing right now?”
“I’m running………”
Running produces profound positive effects both physically and psychologically.
There is no doubt that it leads to improved health and fitness. Statistically, runners are healthier, live for longer, and have a lower rate of ‘all-cause’ mortality than non-exercisers. (This does beg the question ‘what do runners die from’? Perhaps we get to 100,000 miles and then spontaneously self-combust!)
And contrary to popular belief, there is some evidence that running delays the onset of arthritis – providing there is no underlying injury or biomechanical abnormality.
A common reason to lace up the trainers and get out for a few miles is the incentive of attaining a better body. Regular running tones muscle, reduces excess fat, and re-shapes a body that has succumbed to gravity and the excesses of modern living. Getting a different body seems a perfectly reasonable idea to me. I’d love Kylie’s body! But I should be so lucky! I’m sure I’m never going to get it, even for one night (which is good because my wife would kill me. Better the devil you know!).
Running lowers blood pressure and produces a release of endorphins, the combined effects of which relieve symptoms stress. The endorphins produce ‘runner’s high’ and elicit a fantastic feeling of wellbeing.
The above factors help to raise self-esteem, and it is no surprise that running is sometimes prescribed to reduce symptoms of depression.
As well as running away from our stress, there are many things to run towards. Having a goal, such as a local race, a big city marathon, or a worthy fund-raising run drives many of us to get out and train. And we feel great when we’ve put in the effort to train when there’s been an easier option to stay in front of the television. The camaraderie, collective suffering and shared elation of thousands of runners can induce a heady and addictive cocktail of emotions.
But deep beneath these obvious incentives to get out and run lies a more subliminal urge that may nag away at our subconscious mind. That is one based in our genetics, and I remind you of the hypothetical ‘hypnotherapist’ conversation above.
Evidence suggests we as humans evolved as hunter-gatherers on the plains of Africa many millennia ago. This harsh existence centred on the continuous search for food. Large distances needed to be covered on foot, with the occasional sprint to catch animals for meat, or to escape a predator, or fight an enemy. Running was necessary for survival, both of the individual and the community.
Our anatomical make-up also suggests a running design – just study those calf/achilles complexes and those gluteus maximus muscles (I do love to study a good pair of gluteus maximus. Oops, we’re back to red-blooded woman kylie again!).
We have another basic urge that is balanced by the need to run (no, not that urge! I just can’t get you out of my head, Kylie!). That is the desire to eat as much highly-calorific food as we can. Our ancestors didn’t know when the next meal might be coming, so food had to be shovelled in to survive periods of famine. This scenario no longer exists in developed countries, but the urge persists. Running is a natural balance to gluttony.
How far or fast you run matters only to you. Likewise, where you do it, or with who. Some love the treadmill or the street. I’m fortunate to live where I can run on hills and open moorland. Not only are the sights and sounds fantastic, but also the physical act of running becomes a part of the aesthetic. My mind clears of the day-to-day junk and I feel like part of the glorious nature surrounding me. Running is a release.
Apart from the extremely rare times that I’ve struggled home with an injury, I’ve never regretted going for a run. Sure, I’ve sometimes come home wet, maybe a little cold, a bit stiff and sore, and with more blisters and fewer toenails, but I wouldn’t change a thing. In contrast I have regretted not running when I’ve allowed some lame excuse to get the better of me.
Sometimes it is hard to get the shoes on and head out of the door, particularly if the weather isn’t good, or you’re comfortable on the sofa. But in these cases, remember why YOU run, what YOUR goals are. Think of YOUR motivation and get out there.
You’ll feel great afterwards, especially if you’ve braved the elements as well as enjoyed the endorphin fix and ticked off the miles on the training log. Hand on your heart, it feels great doesn’t it?
So go out and run. It’s never too late. Do it for your reasons, and enjoy the benefits. It’s what your ancient ancestors designed you for. Even you, Kylie!
Respect The Motivation
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