It’s a perfect Sunday morning at Shivaji Park. A dog gives out a lazy yawn while a pigeon adjust its eyes to the just risen sun’s rays. Children in faintly red looking white uniforms daydream while one of them yields a bat, ready to slog the next ball outside the park. And I am telling myself ‘this is it Sachin, this is it. You can’t do this no more. You will die. Really you will.’
Just when I am about to give up, an elderly gentleman who seems 60, sporting a SPMC t shirt, races past me. SPMC- ladies n gentlemen is Shivaji Park Marathon Club. The music playing in my ears suddenly starts beating harder and I yell to myself …..albeit in the mind ‘Run Baby Run’. Run harder, faster, longer…
Good morning Mr. Toastmaster, fellow toastmasters and welcome guests. It shouldn’t be difficult to guess that my speech today is about running.
Now quickly, I want a show of hands from people who run regularly. Not from work or responsibilities but the ones who actually jog…
Now the ones who don’t…
Of these I want to know people who they will jog in the near future… or ever in their life.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Body:
But the question is, why should I be talking about running? Am I a marathoner? An athlete? No. None of these.
But yes, I am running away from negativity, from depression, from rejection towards my dreams, my goals and towards life. I have always been in awe of people who run long distance; ……. forget long distance I have great respect for people who manage to run a couple of kilometers every day because I never imagined myself being able to do it. I thought that this or any other exercise was not made for me. But little less than a month ago, things changed…
A relationship which had taken me many years to build had come crashing down. Something that I envisaged to be a permanent fact of my life had disappeared in minutes leaving me wondering what next?
It was then that a close friend & mentor of mine told me to put down my goals and monitor them on a daily basis. She also suggested that I include strenuous exercise in my daily regimen. All this, to be able to use my energies positively rather than brooding over the lost love.
The easiest and the best exercise I thought was running. Better still was the fact that I owned a decent pair of running shoes, a music player and Shivaji park, the mecca of cricket and fitness enthusiasts, was barely 100 steps away from where I lived. So, for the past twenty days I have been running every morning for 30 minutes and I gradually intend to increase the distance. But there is one thing I already know and that is that for now and forever I am a follower of this religion known as running.
Whats so great about running anyway? Some may ask. Why dedicate a Sunday morning synonymous with lazy brunches to an activity so irritating, tiring and boring?
Running is anything but that- in fact its rejuvenating, uplifting and entertaining… and may be even spiritual
I will tell you why…
So lets do the boring part first: lets look at the physical and health benefits of running:
This physical activity is the most famous way to lose weight and to stay fit. Why? Because running is a rigorous cardiovascular exercise which makes you lose about 100 calories per mile while with other activities such as biking or walking the calories lost are just a fraction of these.
Jogging has numerous health benefits apart from maintaining weight such as:
• It helps maintain low blood pressure
• Lungs become more strong and powerful and with long periods of running can offset the effects of smoking on lungs
• It strengthens heart hence preventing heart attacks
The reason why I call listing the health benefits boring is because to say that the health benefits are the most important is trivializing this gift we all have access to. This relatively simple activity gets many people addicted not because it keeps extra inches away but because it gives them a high which can replace the euphoria provided by other damaging substances such as alcohol and drugs. And for us toastmasters, having a good run gives a similar high as delivering a great speech. Imagine experiencing that high day after day!
The physiological benefits of running far outweigh the physical demands. Running is also used as one of the cures for psychological disorders since it calms nerves. It gives you something to focus on except your problems and for the ones who do not have problems but goals, it just lets you focus.
Rob Simerick, a marathoner and former drunk, was able to replace the high of daily binge drinking with the euphoria of his daily runs. The completion of his first marathon after 11 years of absistence was a profound moment for him. Imagine that! From being a drunk to a marathoner, the journey taken on the back of a simple activity. An activity which comes as naturally to human beings as breathing. This is just one from the many stories of triumph that running has been a part of.
So, if you think you don’t need to run, think again!
To run- you don’t need to be fat, nor depressed, nor happy, nor sad. Run for any reason that suits you and in the process you will realise the amazing benefits of this oldest form of exercise known to man.
What running is, is a metaphor for the human spirit, it is our story of grit, guts and will power. You don’t have to be rich or poor to run- all you need is the will and running shoes and trust me you can find cheap ones at Bata!
it’s also a great way to know people around you and to get inspired. If you think you are fit, just run and you will see others who run like jaguars. If you think you are active for your age, then run to see people your parents’ age who will make you break a sweat much before they do.
Let me conclude by reciting two great quotes:
Walter Bagehot once said ‘The greatest pleasure in life, is doing the things people say we cannot do’ and I add to that saying: ‘trust me running will help you do things even you thought you couldn’t’.
And the one that completely kills it for me is what Clarence DeMar yelled ‘Run like hell and get the agony over with’.
So, here’s my challenge to each one of you, at least for the next one week: pick up running shoes on your way back home and ‘run baby run’.
Just when I am about to give up, an elderly gentleman who seems 60, sporting a SPMC t shirt, races past me. SPMC- ladies n gentlemen is Shivaji Park Marathon Club. The music playing in my ears suddenly starts beating harder and I yell to myself …..albeit in the mind ‘Run Baby Run’. Run harder, faster, longer…
Good morning Mr. Toastmaster, fellow toastmasters and welcome guests. It shouldn’t be difficult to guess that my speech today is about running.
Now quickly, I want a show of hands from people who run regularly. Not from work or responsibilities but the ones who actually jog…
Now the ones who don’t…
Of these I want to know people who they will jog in the near future… or ever in their life.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Body:
But the question is, why should I be talking about running? Am I a marathoner? An athlete? No. None of these.
But yes, I am running away from negativity, from depression, from rejection towards my dreams, my goals and towards life. I have always been in awe of people who run long distance; ……. forget long distance I have great respect for people who manage to run a couple of kilometers every day because I never imagined myself being able to do it. I thought that this or any other exercise was not made for me. But little less than a month ago, things changed…
A relationship which had taken me many years to build had come crashing down. Something that I envisaged to be a permanent fact of my life had disappeared in minutes leaving me wondering what next?
It was then that a close friend & mentor of mine told me to put down my goals and monitor them on a daily basis. She also suggested that I include strenuous exercise in my daily regimen. All this, to be able to use my energies positively rather than brooding over the lost love.
The easiest and the best exercise I thought was running. Better still was the fact that I owned a decent pair of running shoes, a music player and Shivaji park, the mecca of cricket and fitness enthusiasts, was barely 100 steps away from where I lived. So, for the past twenty days I have been running every morning for 30 minutes and I gradually intend to increase the distance. But there is one thing I already know and that is that for now and forever I am a follower of this religion known as running.
Whats so great about running anyway? Some may ask. Why dedicate a Sunday morning synonymous with lazy brunches to an activity so irritating, tiring and boring?
Running is anything but that- in fact its rejuvenating, uplifting and entertaining… and may be even spiritual
I will tell you why…
So lets do the boring part first: lets look at the physical and health benefits of running:
This physical activity is the most famous way to lose weight and to stay fit. Why? Because running is a rigorous cardiovascular exercise which makes you lose about 100 calories per mile while with other activities such as biking or walking the calories lost are just a fraction of these.
Jogging has numerous health benefits apart from maintaining weight such as:
• It helps maintain low blood pressure
• Lungs become more strong and powerful and with long periods of running can offset the effects of smoking on lungs
• It strengthens heart hence preventing heart attacks
The reason why I call listing the health benefits boring is because to say that the health benefits are the most important is trivializing this gift we all have access to. This relatively simple activity gets many people addicted not because it keeps extra inches away but because it gives them a high which can replace the euphoria provided by other damaging substances such as alcohol and drugs. And for us toastmasters, having a good run gives a similar high as delivering a great speech. Imagine experiencing that high day after day!
The physiological benefits of running far outweigh the physical demands. Running is also used as one of the cures for psychological disorders since it calms nerves. It gives you something to focus on except your problems and for the ones who do not have problems but goals, it just lets you focus.
Rob Simerick, a marathoner and former drunk, was able to replace the high of daily binge drinking with the euphoria of his daily runs. The completion of his first marathon after 11 years of absistence was a profound moment for him. Imagine that! From being a drunk to a marathoner, the journey taken on the back of a simple activity. An activity which comes as naturally to human beings as breathing. This is just one from the many stories of triumph that running has been a part of.
So, if you think you don’t need to run, think again!
To run- you don’t need to be fat, nor depressed, nor happy, nor sad. Run for any reason that suits you and in the process you will realise the amazing benefits of this oldest form of exercise known to man.
What running is, is a metaphor for the human spirit, it is our story of grit, guts and will power. You don’t have to be rich or poor to run- all you need is the will and running shoes and trust me you can find cheap ones at Bata!
it’s also a great way to know people around you and to get inspired. If you think you are fit, just run and you will see others who run like jaguars. If you think you are active for your age, then run to see people your parents’ age who will make you break a sweat much before they do.
Let me conclude by reciting two great quotes:
Walter Bagehot once said ‘The greatest pleasure in life, is doing the things people say we cannot do’ and I add to that saying: ‘trust me running will help you do things even you thought you couldn’t’.
And the one that completely kills it for me is what Clarence DeMar yelled ‘Run like hell and get the agony over with’.
So, here’s my challenge to each one of you, at least for the next one week: pick up running shoes on your way back home and ‘run baby run’.
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