Running Is Like Meditation, but More Painful
I've tried investing in different methods of calming my mind.
I've done...
*painting *meditation *quiet reflection *walks *listening to music
But, there is just something about putting significant amount of miles into the pavement that calms my mind.
About mile 3, your mind starts to adapt and think differently. Your worries and your cares start to fall off of you as the miles rack up. By mile 10, your mind can only focus on the task ahead. mile 15-20 and you are in a zen zone.
The beauty of running long distance is the way it forces your focus. For me, weight lifting does not do the same thing because weight lifting is not typically an endurance exercise. Even more intensive cardio focused gym workouts fail to do it for me as they don't last more than an hour.
There's something magical about being lost far from your home, another hour and a half to go, your water running low, cell phone battery dying that makes your mind focus on what matters.
It cannot allow capacity to worry about work or anything else because it is focused on keeping you going forward.
I love it. I think you might too.