I am training for my third road race, coming up on St. Patrick’s Day. Since running is a new sport to me, I am still very much a beginner. My approach to adulthood has been to learn a lot of new things. This means that I am often humbled myself by being a rank beginner at many things, which has actually been a good tool for my yogic observations. Running, though has been especially been humbling for me, and has been a very tough exercise in Aparigraha (non-attachment.) In practicing aparigraha, I focus on letting go of my attachment to a particular outcome that I have in mind (in this case, bringing my running time down to 9 min. or less.)
Letting go of my attachment to this outcome is a huge challenge for me because I am a goal-oriented person living in a society that rewards this sort of thinking. But, while I am improving my time, my body has reminded me that I am not a 24 year old anymore. I have been plagued with shin splints in the last two weeks, just as my running time is getting closer to where I want it to be. I may need to back off on my linear progress in order to allow my body time to heal. This will inevitably mean a slower time for my race.
I am loathe to do this, even though I know that this is what is best for me. My daily practice is an opportunity for me to sit with my body and listen to it closely, just after I run. This is the best and strongest voice I can listen to for guidance. I know that I have all the time in the world to run someplace, so I might as well slow down and listen to my body’s reactions to my new sport along the way.
