Running at full speed makes worries disappear instantly
— A morning when the fog in my heart cleared just by running 50 meters at full speed —
During my run this morning, I suddenly thought,
"Maybe I should try running at full speed for the first time in a while."
I usually run slowly.
I believe that for the sake of health, running is generally better when done slowly.
But for some reason today, I wanted to run at full speed.
The distance was probably about 50 meters.
It was a really short distance.
But I tried running at the fastest speed I could currently manage.
The moment I finished running, my breath caught in my throat.
My heart was pounding.
It had been a long time since I had breathed so heavily.
My chest heaved, and I inhaled air deeply.
There was a pleasant, tingling sensation around my diaphragm.
And then I felt it.
Blood was flowing throughout my entire body.
It might be an exaggeration, but,
"I am still alive."
I had that feeling strongly.
The sensation of a dark, murky fog clearing away
Lately, I have been worrying about a few things.
Things like work and my future.
I keep thinking about them in my head constantly.
It felt as if there was
something like a dark fog around my body.
But after running at full speed, it cleared up all at once.
It is not that my worries have completely vanished.
But
they have definitely become lighter.
I felt like my field of vision had widened as well.
The color of the sky looked a little more vivid.
The air feels pleasant.
Sounds are also clearer.
And, my mind was quiet.
The diaphragm awakens
After running, I realized something.
Maybe my breathing had become shallow
because my diaphragm was tense.
I usually do desk work.
I spend a long time sitting down.
I think my body had become stiff without me realizing it,
and my breathing had become shallow as well.
But when you run at full speed,
your body is forced to breathe deeply.
At that moment, your diaphragm starts moving all at once.
That might be why I felt that
pleasant, tingling sensation.
Maybe that's what it was.
Adults stop giving their all
I suddenly realized.
Once you become an adult,
you rarely have the chance to give your all.
When I was a child,
I would run at full speed,
play until I was out of breath,
and breathe deeply,
doing things like that almost every day.
But as an adult,
it's desk work,
and smartphones.
Thinking things over
We use our heads too much,
and don't use our bodies enough.
That's why sometimes,
moving your body at full speed
might be important.
Running slowly is also important
Of course, I believe that running
should basically be done slowly.
In fact, that is
gentler on the body
and easier to keep up for a long time.
That's why I also usually
run slowly most of the time.
But sometimes is fine.
Once your body gets used to it,
try running at full speed for just a short distance.
Just by doing that,
your mental state can change in an instant.
The moment the fog in your mind clears
The 50 meters today
was a very short distance.
But in those few dozen seconds,
my breathing,
my blood flow,
my senses,
everything changed all at once.
And above all,
the fog in my mind cleared.
If lately,
you feel heavy,
your head feels cloudy,
or you feel like your breathing is shallow,
if there is anyone like that,
as long as it is within a safe range,
I want you to try running at full speed just once.
The distance can be short.
Perhaps in that moment,
you might remember
the feeling of being alive.