Just for the purpose of fitness and get rid of weight, I always wanted to run regularly. At least theoretically. I have also ever again undertaken the attempt to start with running, but somehow it never really worked out.
A view times I courageously attempted to set up a regular running schedule and then just start running. As I don't necessarily consider myself a born runner, these attempts were not destined to succeed: mostly they ended after a view hundred meters having a glowing red face, completely out of breath, with acing head and ears and taste of blood in my mouth. Although my condition was not at all that bad, I could dance for whole nights long or in summer roam around in the water for hours, but running was simply to boring for my mind! After a view meters it was already asking itself how long the road would still go on and after a view more steps it was simply refusing to go on. "No, this is too boring for me." Once this thought showed up the run was already finished.
However why it was not possible for me to run longer distances I could only really understand later, after I started to meditate: it was my mind, my thoughts, which I simply couldn't keep under control.
After realising this, I changed my strategy for running conspicuously: instead of simply start with full speed, I would run as slow as possible. I was feeling a little embarrassed because probably I wouldn't be slower by walking, but this way I could at least run up to 2 km without a break! (My husband was sometimes running backwards ahead of me and I was trying in vain to catch up running forwards.) For me the 2 km were nevertheless a big success I would enthusiastically tell all my running friends, all expert marathon runners, which would give me a lenient smile…
Anyway, I have been encouraged by this success at the beginning and found soon also different techniques which allowed me to keep my mind under control. My favourite technique was following: I would try to concentrate on the landscape which after each step was disappearing left and right from my eye corner. This way I had to concentrate very deeply and this technique was in second place creating in me the feeling that I was running on the spot an my surroundings would move past me. With this I also lost the feeling of exhaustion while running, which helped slowly to manage longer distances.
With my concentration techniques soon I expanded my running capacity to 10 km, for me at the beginning an unthinkable achievement. My first halfmarathon I run "just to try it out". In reality I wouldn't dare to seriously try to run a halfmarathon, as the only thought of it would generate fear in me. Therefore I was telling myself: "You don't really have to do it, you can just try it and as soon as you can't go on running anymore you just walk! The track (in Graz) from Hilmteich over Mariatrost to "zum Alten Fassl" is quite hilly but very, very nice. Would I not mange it than I could still have a beautiful walk.
My first halfmarathon run I did together with a friend of mine, who talked with me the whole way long. Our conversation was very interesting so I didn't recognize how we managed kilometre after kilometre. But after this tough tour I laid down and slept for at least three hours!!
A view months later some of my friends applied for the Vienna marathon. At first I just took note of it, it didn't touch me at all. Slowly and steadily an idea made its way through my mind: what about just trying it? If I cannot run anymore I can still walk…
The evening before the marathon I was feeling confident: I would manage the marathon! Even if I have to crawl to the finish!...
Now, I didn't crawl but it took me quite long: 5:30… And I was also somewhat frustrated at the end of the marathon as the award ceremony was already taking place before I reached the end! The last one and half hour I was running pretty alone and this was quite exhausting… but I would cheer me up with the one thought, that was already accompanying me the whole day long: "I'm running a marathon! I'm running a marathon!"
Apaga, Graz