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Peninsula Kids
Home»Health»Why the @#$! do I run?
Health

Why the @#$! do I run?

Updated:September 13, 20235 Mins Read
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By Danny Williams

Running. Pulling on the trainers. Finding the motivation.

Knowing there will be pain to push through. Knowing it will be hard. Why do I do it? Because I do it, and at least three to four times a week, if not more. Some days when I’m pounding the pavement, sucking breath into my lungs, counting down the lactic acid surge, I ask myself ‘why?’.

Running Sucks

The truth is I really, truly, don’t know. Here’s the sucker punch. I have always hated running and on more than one occasion, I have told patients it’s no good for them, as it places too much strain on the body. Yet, here I am, surprise surprise, I now run four times a week and have no plans to stop. What the heck is going on?

I never liked running and used to hate cross country at school. I would even cheat just to get to the end quicker. I hated everything about it. Now, I prefer trail runs and pushing myself until my lungs burn.

I’m getting madder in my old age!

A Life Changing Moment

I grew up playing county rugby, capoeira and practising yoga. Four years ago, I went skiing and, on the first day, my wife and I hit the slopes hard. The next day I couldn’t stand, I couldn’t walk and getting out of a ski lift was nearly impossible; they had to slow it down for me.

I swore that I would never let this happen again.

At the same time, I was still dealing with my Crohn’s diagnosis. I was doing extensive research into how to help myself and I came across

Ari Meisel who had severe Crohn’s and, through diet and then physical/endurance exercise, was able to go into remission. Running was one of those endurance exercises. My belief is that I created Crohn’s by not listening to my body. It was my own behaviours that created this autoimmune disease.  Now, I had to manage the stress response to allow my body to adapt. This is what we all need to understand, to deal with all these autoimmune diseases and late-onset illnesses if we can.

Immune Up

It is all about the immune system in overdrive as we live our type A personality lives, or we just can’t be bothered and fall into the pit of depression. Pulling myself out of bed every day or slowing down to help the body and mind rest are the hardest things to do.

Nobody likes changing habits. The nervous system needs to adapt and develop to allow us to function optimally. Pushing yourself to exhaustion or eating a poor diet will eventually cause an autoimmune disorder. The body had nowhere to go.

Giddy – up

Running as well as improving muscle tone and strength, also pumps the blood away from the gut to the muscles and allows the gut to rest, thus allowing healing. But running every day is also not respecting your health if you’re not used to it. Some patients I see walk into my clinic in a lot of pain due to suddenly commencing exercise after a long break.

I’ve had patients suddenly start doing 5 HIT classes a week! Forgive me but … what idiots! We need to adapt the exercise we do to help us rest, recover and flourish.

Wise Words

My great aunt, the ultimate Yogi, talked about the three S’s: strength stamina and suppleness. This is what you need to maintain a good healthy body. Plus, it also allows all levels of exercise. Low, medium and high intensity, all work the cardiovascular system well and the other systems are encouraged to move and be optimal.

Like any exercise, doing the same thing repeatedly is utterly dull. Doing the same 10 or 15 kilometres daily will become mundane.

Don’t be afraid to mix it up a little. However, by doing regular runs, you will also develop discipline and truly feel as though you are looking after yourself. This is why I stick with my great aunt’s three ‘S’ system, strictly structuring my week.  Plus I eat a balanced diet to ensure my mind and body are on an equal plane.

Life Goals – Getting Zen

Getting fit and wanting to continue exercising is not just physical.

It becomes meditation and a tonic to what ails you. The ‘in the zone’ feeling you get whilst exercising eventually turns you into a meditative state that allows your body to come together.

Running is not the only form of endurance exercise that helped me.

It’s taken years to learn and if, like me, you started in your 40s’, then I understand that it can be hard to keep going if you don’t see immediate results. I never believed in the ‘runners high’ until recently. I thought it was just a myth until I found my own zen zone pounding the pavement.

In essence, exercise must become a habit and a ‘good addiction’ to enable yourself to enjoy it. Just be careful not to push your body too hard too soon. Give yourself rest days and know when you need to see someone for help with the adaptation of the body and getting used to the new physical requests. Keep going and you will get there. Health and exercise are a journey that you will love and hate but will eventually enjoy. Well, at least afterwards! And that, my friends, is the reason why the @#$! I run.

Small steps and eventually, you’ll be there … in the zen zone with me.


Expat Brit, Curious By Nature founder, Super Soups author, and media spokesperson for health and well-being related to osteopathy.

www.southyarraosteopathy.com.au

Peninsula Kids – Spring 2023

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Bring the kids to experience live theatre at Frankston Arts Centre in August! An instant Australian classic, Beetle by Legs On The Wall tells the story of a child who finds a friend in her backyard; together they embark on an adventure to search for his family, the now elusive Christmas Beetle. The magic of the bush habitat is brought to life through Legs On The Wall’s trademark physical storytelling, and animation created from original artworks by beloved children’s author and illustrator Freya Blackwood. A tale of resilience and hope, Beetle reminds young audiences that there’s an important place in the world for all of us. Reminding us of the delicate balance of the natural world and that all things are connected. This charming, nostalgic and uniquely Australian show invites children and families to join the adventure, encountering larger than life beetles, stick insects, and other bush critters while finding out about the uncanny nature and delicate balance of the bush environment. See it on Friday 22 August at 11am or 6pm at Frankston Arts Centre. Tickets are available at thefac.com.au or by calling 03 9784 1060. #whatson #fac #kidstheatre #frankstonartscentre #beetlebylegsonthewall @the_fac
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Epson launches four new EcoTank printers as sales top 100 million and the company remains number one in large ink tank printer sales. EcoTank inkjet printers are world leaders in providing improved productivity for homes and small businesses for a number of reasons. Firstly, they come with up to two years’ worth of ink in the box, so you don’t need to worry about suddenly running out or constantly ordering replacements. This also means less user intervention due to fewer replaceable parts, giving you back time to invest in yourself and your business. There is zero warm-up time and a very fast first page out time with EcoTank printers and this, combined with their unique Heat-Free Technology, saves you time, energy, money and allows you greater flexibility for your home or small business. The new Epson EcoTank ET-4950, ET-3950, ET-3900 and ET-2950 printers come with a 24 month EcoTank Back to Base Warranty (12 month standard express warranty and an bonus additional 12 months upon registration) and are available now from https://www.epson.com.au/ecotank/, and all authorised Epson stockists. #epsonecotank #ad @epsonaust @Epson
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