Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about why I run. And have realized that this relates quite a bit to my life philosophy. Which in turn, relates to my career trajectory in medicine.
I run on my college’s running club, which attracts some pretty serious runners. We have competitive runners who are D1 level, and live and breath running. On the other hand, there’s me: One of the slowest on my team in high school and track, told by my parents that athletics is not in my genes, and has always thought that my fuller chest and longish torso was a huge disadvantage.
For a while this past summer, I began questioning why I ran so much, and saw so little noticeable gains in return. And even just stopping training for a little while feels like I take 3 big steps back. Shouldn’t I be focusing my time more on studying, volunteering, shadowing, etc.?
Now, I really know, and believe in why I run.
I run to overcome pain and adversity. I run competitively to instill a more competitive streak. To add “fierce,” “tough,” “rugged” into my vocabulary. I run so that I realize that this, this physical pain, the pounding of my chest, the lungs on fire, the legs that feel like deadweight, is what real pain is. Sitting in a comfortable chair reading a book and taking notes is nothing compared to pushing your body to its max.
So in simple terms, I run to realize that the stress of studying, being pre-med, applying to medical school, and everything that is to come in the future, is minuscule compared to certain physical pains. This is not to say that emotional pain cannot be equally as torturous. I realize that losing someone you love, heart-break, can be excruciating. But in comparison to the struggles and pressure associated with pre-medical education, running hard is more painful in my book.
Running helps me put life into perspective. It not only helps me challenge myself, and surpass my mental barriers, but also teaches me how to embrace pain. I think it is one of the most transformative, meditative, masochistic sports out there. And arguably, the intricacies of good running form, routine, nutrition, makes running an “art” in its own way.
What’s an activity you do that pushes you in ways you never realized until you really thought about it some more? And do you like running? If so, why 😉
Art of Medicine 