Running is central to my life. After my daily run, I can eat what I want and feel good about myself. Running releases endorphins in the body that leaves you on a natural high. Whenever I am stressed or worried, I stick on my headphones and go for a transformational run. A recent Outside Magazine article on running highlights that runners have a 25 to 30 per cent lower rate of all causes of mortality than non-runners. It concludes that any amount of running, even once a week is better than no running.
Studies have also found that runners gain about three years of extra life. Why? Some biological pathways include greater cardiovascular fitness, better body composition (less fat), lower cholesterol, better glucose and insulin control, stronger bones, improved hormone regulation and positive neurological functioning. Other benefits include better sleep, keeping weight off, better immunity, reduced depression, lower cancer rates, and lower blood pressure.
But most importantly, I find that running boosts your confidence. Just get started!! As the famous Chinese proverb goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. It is not necessary to run a marathon, but the benefits can be immense if you bring running into your life. Make the time, start with a small goal, and move the goal post as you become fitter. In no time, you will be enjoying a half marathon.
I started in my early 20s with a flat 6 km jog, where it was all about the look - mostly neon for me. I did it to maintain my figure and counter the effects of my active social life at the time. I became more serious about running and revved it up a notch. For the next ten years, y daily routine included a 6 am run-through of the hills before work.
Many think HK is a buzzing metropolis and a concrete jungle, but my Groundhog Day route took me through the best-kept secrets of Hong Kong. The truth is we have miles of country park trails with breathtaking scenery. My run took me through a tropical jungle where I regularly saw massive spiders and occasionally a snake. All the more reason to go fast when the snake happened to be a cobra.
The ultra running world became my next calling. I upped my mileage exponentially, training for a mountain marathon in Hong kong known as the Maclehose Trail. I ran 20-25 hours a week training for this brutally challenging race consisting of 103 km and 8,000 metres of vertical ascent in sweltering conditions. My running career highlight, to this day, is being the second-fastest woman overall, with a time of 16 hours and 40 mins. After doing the race four years in a row, I left competitive running for mountaineering. But a daily run has been ingrained in my routine ever since, with great benefits to my health and wellbeing.
I have had two physiques in my adult life. One has been the ripped and ultra conditioned runner/triathlete, and the other is my current body type, where at my ripe old age, I am fit but carrying a little extra baggage. One can enjoy a full and robust life while reaping the immense benefits from a good run, so get out, and as Nike says, “just do it.”
Also see: Opinion: Adventurer Annabelle Bond on embracing and being fit at 50