The other world

Why do they run? Why do you run? Why do I run?

These are questions that keep coming back to me every now and then. Maybe when I see someone running on the roads. Maybe when I catch myself out of breath with my legs pleading me to stop. When I see people complaining that they missed their target by 43 seconds. By 43 minutes. By 43 minutes and 43 seconds. Surprisingly not many complain for overshooting their target. I wonder why. 

People say that human feet are not meant for running. Yes, some have said that to me. Early men and women used to run to hunt their food. You can a read a lot about that everywhere and  here .
Now that we have established that humans did run, I will go ahead and say that everyone can run. Yes. Look at this for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Wlp1sTnoY 

What is running? What speed classifies as running? Maybe 9-10 kmph is running. Maybe the guy who does a 1:30 HM might say that 13 kmph onwards is running. Any speed less than that is jogging. Well, I would say these are just tags. How does it matter what the world calls as running. Does it? Not after you answer the question that opened this dialogue between us. 

In case you don't run, you might be wondering how you will answer this question. That is if you are generous enough to read through this. Or else you might just close this tab and move ahead to catch up stuff on reddit. Wait, will you? Do you walk sometimes in spite of having an option of taking a vehicle? Do you take those stairs at times? Do you care about what food goes down your food pipe? Why?

Ah, I think I run to stay fit. I think that exercise is necessary for the human body. Well, not just me. A lot of people say that. Even a kid in Class 2 would say that. You can find more proof here. That would have also told you why exercise is important, what are the perks, what are the downsides etc. Let us not get there for now. I have come to believe that exercise is necessary and fun! 

So yes, there are a lot of reasons to run. I started running in an attempt to rectify hypothyroidism. I also started running to beat loneliness I guess. No no. Other way I guess. Never mind. After I started running, I realised that it is awesome, in spite all the struggle. In spite of not being able to run 200 metres. Yes. I did not feel lonely in spite of running solo. Maybe because I could now connect with millions who run. Yes, millions. I could now feel happy and smile at a stranger and even hi-fi as we run past each other. It is a big community out there. A very warm and lovely and vibrant and super excited community. To believe you should go watch a run, hang around near the finish line if you are too lazy to move. 

You know, I felt pretty special when I could run 3.5 km (one of the loops in IITM campus) without a stop. Because none of my other friends could do that. Because I was the chubbiest of the lot, least athletic and I could still do that. Later I did make friends who could run 110 kms in the Rann of Kutch!
I did not feel as special when I ran the first 10km run because that was when I saw thousands of others running! People of all sizes and shapes. People wearing all sorts of attires (read sarees!). And when I went to Stanford, I saw how common it was for people to be out there on the roads and running. It was super common.

So why do they run? Well, a hell lot of reasons. The most basic one being- to stay fit. To be healthy. To delay the onset of health issues. To drive away existing health problems. And only after one starts running, will they discover a whole new world. A world where it is very easy to get lost. A world where people cry for missing their targets by 43 seconds in a 42.195 km run. A world where people cry out of happiness as they run. A world where people push their targets and conquer miles.

So tell me, dear friend, why do you run?