By Fu Zheng

When Running is“In”

By Fu Zheng

If we took away what comes with running, thetrendiness, the money-making, and the boasting, wouldwhat equates to the most boring sport that human beingshave ever participated in still be charming?

A s if overnight,running has become a trending tag in China.People post about running on their social networking sites—their running regimen, running gear,and running trends overseas.Such an opportunity wouldn’t be overlooked by smart businesses and organizations.They have held all types of running events to generate both fame and fortune.If you’re interested,you can take a look at the prices for marathon registration.It shows a more exciting curve than the real estate market.

After posts of parents showing off their children and friends selling products,the newest trend to show off on social sites is the daily step-count.However,if we took away what comes with running,the trendiness,the money-making,and the boasting,would what equates to the most boring sport that human beings have ever participated in still be charming?Will people still be keen to run?

My history of running is neither long nor short.A bit like Forrest Gump,I just started running one day in May of 2012.I ran 2km that day.My top was soaked in sweat but I didn’t change it and continued working.After that,I kept running. In the past 3 years,my running distance has increased from 2km to 3km,4km,and then 5km.I ran my first marathon in 2015 in Hengshui City of Hebei Province.The distance grew and my fitness improved.But what’s more important was the changes in my mindset.If you want some motivating data,I’ll be happy to tell you that from May 25 to August 25 in the year 2013, my weight dropped from 88.6kg to 70kg.The reason?Just running.

For running,being haste won’t take you anywhere.It’s like a meal—you have to eat one bite after another;with running,you have to run one step after another.No matter how fast you usually are,you can’t be fast in running.Why? You’ll know after you’ve run for a while.This sport is a lonely sport. You don’t need to cooperate with anyone and you are your only competitor.Your success or failure completely depends on you.If you get impatient or angry,you’re just fighting a war with yourself.That’s how the mind is trained.In the end it’s not about winning or losing,but about setting the right target for yourself and achieving it.

Some people may ask:running is so boring,what’s on your mind when you run?In everyday life, people are so occupied that they have less and less time to themselves.Even when they have a break,it will be filled with screens. It seems that people are rather busy but it’s becoming more and more difficult for them to focus on one thing.When you run,you just run. Your mind becomes simple and clear.Whatever comes to the mind might drift away in the next second, like the clouds in the sky.You no longer feel restless.If you are able to run a full marathon,you’ll never forget the sense your body has after you run past the finish line.With a body that no longer feels pain after 30km,you feel like a newborn again.

Running is cheap.This is also the reason why I like to run.Running requires neither equipment nor a court.It is the cheapest sport to start.You can draw people together to compete and the competition is purely about physical fitness and persistence.

You need a good pair of rackets for badminton,a good quality bike for cycling,and a good(expensive) trainer for yoga.Is there any other sport fairer than running?Not much more is needed besides a pair of comfortable running shoes and comfortable clothes.

Let’s all go running while it’s not too late.(From China Youth, November 2015.Translation:Zhang Lei.)