The Wet Runner

Very rare child who do not like the rain. The heavier the rain, the more they like to jump into the water. The only obstacle of what they desire is only index fingers of their parents. Of course the parents have a strong reason forbid them of enjoying rains.

The hidden of what unaccomplished wish sometimes hiding years within deep of heart of the adults, and lot of old people, men or women. When the sky is cloudily, the enthusiasm of runners secretly expecting that cloud changes to rain while they were running.

But beware of run in the jungle or below the rock, there are some plants that produce itchy substances. Once they dropped by the rain on your skin, you will get big problem. The only help that remedy the itch is open all your cloths and immediately get clean soapy shower...

The Grateful Runner

The most enemy of a runner is boredom. And running along the circle of a same field for forty minutes or an hour is the most boring activities. It needs a strong willpower to overcome this situation. Boredom is a matter of mind, therefore to avoid it; we have to counter our own mind. The effective way is not to let our mind empty. We could fill our mind with dream, imagination or whatever thinking such as thinks a positive fantasy. The more we imagine, the more us able to run minute over minutes until the target is reached.

Running, a matter of fact is one of the rituals of praying for an Indian tribe of ancient American Indian. One of my friends, a fanatic runner told me, he prays during running. He prays with no interruption, “Lord, Most holly God, Thanks be to God, One and the only one Lord, the Greatest”, along throughout he run that can be lasting for more than one hour.

Running and Yoga

I was so happy when finally I found a football field at edge of the village. The field is surrounding by paddy farm. The place is so quite that I may run or exercise without attract residents of the village.  After a while, I just remember when I was very young when I was able to do a difficult poses of Asanas of Yoga, sirsasana, a supported headstand. I did it perhaps more than 20 years ago and I want to do it again here.  As I remember by this pose the flow of blood to head become swifter, promoting sensitivity of hearing, sight and ability of brain. I tried it and finally I could do the pose, after so many times efforts.

Now, every morning after running, while the body is still sweating and blood flow pounding, I do Sirsasana.  As I learn, this pose comprises of three important movement. First the starting movement, changing normal position to reverse position. I laid my head down on the grass and my arms around my head. Then, by one of my foot pushing entire body up. The secret is to move the load of the body from foot to the arms. The second movement is how the arm receiving and muffling this movement of power, balance it and slowly rising the legs up. Last movement is to maintain the stability of the inverted straight body. This movement needs strength of both arms, while head and neck become the base of the entire body. As my experience the stability can be more maintained while we opening the eyes.

Doing headstand on the wet green grass outdoor, in the open space is an amazing experience. All different kind of grass stems appear reversed. Scenery is like in a fairy tale story . The view in front of the eyes is very different and …. funny.

Running at the Foot of Merapi Mountain

Indeed it will be wonderful if you could run along Potomac River , behind the famous Watergate Washington. A soft sand surface below your foot and a row of Cherrie blossom trees accompany your hart pulsing rhythm. Or running along the Seine River at Paris watching by old historic buildings. Or morning runs at green wet grass of the Hyde Park London. All of such beautiful place where all runner want to taste.

But all of those are only dreaming, in reality I life in a small village, running is even a strange luxurious way of life. People have no time for run, they always working all the routine days. Paddy fields are waiting for maintaining. There always a lot of jobs to do, at the Farm. Cultivate the land, seeding seeds, tanam, planting or harvesting.

No place for running. Somebody may run along the street around the village, or across the farm or paddy field, but it’s always become spectacle that attracts attention.

Until finally I found a soccer field belong to the local municipal. It’s formally to be use for soccer or football but in fact it’s a multi function field. People often drying seeds or crops. It’s also uses by people who learning and practicing driving, motor-cycles, cars or even tractors. The grass were un-cut so that people can release their cows or sheep to get free leaves.

At the beginning I have to clean the field my self. I also bought concrete trash container to collect lot of plastic garbage and burn it out. But it’s rewarding, the view is so beautiful to enjoy. Every morning I run, breath of fresh air, tread the morning dew while from distance Merapi Mountain, the world’s most active volcano jealously see to me.

Think Good Things

Good thinking

It’s difficult to think some bad things, when we are running. Running is the activity that needs a bigger oxygen than normal condition. Our heart pulses much more, more frequent breath and in such condition, is almost impossible bad things entering our mind. All the organs of our body are adapting the faster rhythm of our foot steps, so only good things or good imaginations are able to enter our mind. Why? Bad thinking need more energies to consumed, while good thinking is contrary, it’s like an extra supplement for our body, it’s even support that the body needed.

Think only good things when we are running is like distraction from a hard work. You can prove it! You will be surprised that time elapsing so quick, suddenly we have reached the target of the day.

Running, therefore is a good treatment for upset, angry, disappointed and other psychiatric diseases. Running will relaxing your mind. When you are upset or in cross or being irritated, go to the field and run for three or four laps for releasing your bad moods.

For runners, running sometimes is even a healing for headache, little cold. If his or her body getting unwell, running is the best remedy. Starting the day with early running, is a kind of warming the body and mind up, make someone happier for the rest of the day.

Sadhono Hadi