Friday, August 15, 2014

The running contagion

Is it just me, or does seeing someone run make you want to stride it out yourself?

I've been noticing this more and more lately.  At first it was a sideways glance.  Then it became a full on  runners perve (at gait, stride length, those type of mechanics rather than a check out "perve").  But recently it's become more than that.  I want in on the action too.

It's kind of like yawning.  Someone around you yawns, and the impulse to join in wins every time.

The contageous yawning thing: it's supposedly linked to empathy -- the ability to understand and connect to others' emotional states.  So applying this theory to running, there could actually be something scientific in it.

The more I run, the more I identify with being a runner.  And as I gain experience, both in events and in training, the more emotional it makes me.  Which is saying something!

Every single person that runs has their own story.  They must.  Because walking is so much easier.  And staying in bed or on the couch is easier still.  So to be out there running, means you've made a choice; a decision to prioritise a portion of your day for yourself, rather than succumb to the endless demands we place on ourselves and have placed upon us.

Do I have empathy with that?  I'll tell you when I get back from my run :)


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