FITNESS MATTERS
It’s time to be positive
RAHUL S VERGHESE
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You are your best cheerleader; so challenge yourself; tell yourself you can do it.
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“You can do it! You’re looking great! You are really close to your goal!”
These were not loud ringing cheers from the crowd along the Rio De Janeiro Marathon, because there was no crowd. All sensible folks in Rio get up at 10.00 a.m. on a Sunday after a wild party. Those who do get up earlier are skimpily-clad bronzed bodies, enjoying the lovely beaches of Leblon, Ipanema and, of course, Copa Cabana.
These were positive self-thoughts, self-praise, almost narcissistic at times, going though my mind as I plodded on post the 21 km mark of the Rio Marathon. Jet lag had taken its toll. I thought I was fine but my body had not adjusted to the new time zone, given the hectic travel and work from Delhi to the Bay Area to Sao Paolo and now Rio in five days — definitely not the standard relaxed routine required in the last few days before a marathon. Getting up a few times each night, and not being able to rest during the day hadn’t helped either.
I was running a marathon in South America (part of my goal to complete one in each continent including the Antarctic) and I had no time to ponder over the insanity of my decision. But here I was, with some calf cramps as I had also probably taken in too much water and my salt levels had probably gone down a bit.
Despite that, I had a smile on my face as I waved out to the odd bystander who looked with curiosity at the line of straggling runners. I kept my mind and eyes on the beautiful beaches, and some gorgeous people around, not worrying about how tired and insane I had been. I had a flight to catch in three hours to return back to Delhi via Sao Paolo and Frankfurt, and I had not finished the marathon yet having been slowed down by cramps. I had a new goal: to finish the marathon and make my flight.
Change your attitude
Many of us are in a similar situation in our workplace or in life in general: we sometimes don’t know why we’ve got to where we are or what we are doing, but we need to finish it, and well. AND there is no cheerleading team. That’s when, I would suggest that you call on your most reliable cheerleading team: YOURSELF. Positive self-talk can do wonders — it can keep you going, it can help you achieve what in hindsight seemed impossible. And most importantly, it helps change your attitude over time and gradually impacts others too.
At an earlier marathon in Chicago, I almost laughed as I crossed a church around mile 24 which said: Runner’s — the end is nigh! It’s good when even ‘GOD’ is using marathons and events to reach his ‘message’ out to people.
Forget the negative
But I remember that smile it brought to my face definitely helped me make it for another 500m before I focused on myself talk that I had to make a surge and look good and strong at the finish line!
I sometimes think of what I wrote once: “I know when I get my mind, body and soul in harmony, and think positive - nothing is impossible.”
Times at work are tough, you would say, but I can tell you it does not get much harder than what you feel like at the 35th km mark in a marathon. You are too far into it to want to give up, and you are still 7.2 km from the finish, which is not too close. That’s when I draw on the reserves of the positive thoughts of my training and say 7 km is a cake walk! Smile, think of the beer at the end, the medal, the smiling faces of strangers lined up at the finish line and, most importantly, the pride in what you are about to accomplish.
Negative thoughts, focus on the pain, or the glass being half empty is too easy but it does not help you at all. In fact it keeps you from achieving what you could. Some friends ask me, “But isn’t that being in denial?” and I say thinking negative will deny me reaching my goal, and your definition of being in denial helps me attain it.
Last week we had a five and 10km fun run that we organised in Gurgaon and there were three people who met me post the finish beaming. “I never thought I would ever be able to do it, but I did!”
And that got me beaming inside because now I know that these three guys are hooked, and will experience the power of positive self-talk as they think back on their achievement of that Saturday, of finishing a 5km run without stopping, and tackle lots of other big issues in their lives.
So at the end of this sermonising on running I would say: Keep your goal in mind, modify it a bit if needed as you go along. Always stay positive on what you can do, have done and what your goal is. Be your best cheer leader
And the rest follows easily when people say, “WOW you did a great job! I never knew you could do it!” And you think to yourself: “I don’t know the meaning of impossible when I have such a great cheerleading team!”
Start challenging yourself while on a run and talk to yourself.
The writer left a 25-year corporate career to found a company to enable individuals and organisations to unleash their potential via running. www.runningandliving.com
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