The Resistance: Rebels Runners

… Or at least that is what we call ourselves. Waking up at 5:30 and scraping what little motivation and drive we have into a little cesspit of energy calls for some embellishment, doesn’t it? Well I think so and so does my running partner.

Exercise has always played a role in my life, stemming from my commitment to swimming competitively over the past twelve years and being an avid gym goer, however as referenced in my home workout post for the corona series, there was a brief hiatus till I retreated back to my active self. Over the summer I did very much retain my energy and drive when going to the gym three to five times a week and sticking to a customized dietary plan, though I noticed that something was lacking …. perhaps the natural element associated with an activity that is both intimate and invigorating, thus identifying my own strengths and areas for personal growth. So I used this second wave of DLP to not be limited to the four beige walls of my gym and to extend myself out into the streets of Colombo and appreciate the culture that essentially molded me into the person that I am today.

I have never enjoyed waking up in the mornings as I prefer to be more active later in the day and evenings, and often felt like my energy reserves were depleted after a top-heavy imbalance; I concentrated on more tiring and stressful tasks for later and wore out the effects of this structure in the morning. After much research and self-contemplation, I realized that the fruit of my incongruent energy graph is the manner in which I structure my activities thereby influencing me to change its order. Starting today, as a product of my newfound knowledge and fresh dose of optimism, I asked a graduated student of OSC to be my running partner, both as moral support and active encouragement, thereby planning a CAS experience and understanding the importance of working collaboratively. What was supposed to be a long walk around the perimeter of the Torrington square near Independence arcade turned into a 7.6km walk around larger circumference of Colombo central.

                                                                 

Beginning at the foot of the D.S Senanyake Statue at the square we walked towards race course and around SSC, up to Elvitagala Mawatha and circled back to our starting space to do some interval training runs. I was skeptical at first as I knew the extent of my personal limitations but chose to champion on at a moderate to brisk pace. I had already classified this as a force chore, driven by the ulterior goal of weight loss and for the sake of partaking in something dynamic. Ironically it acted as more of a charging port as the more effort and time I spent along the roads, taking in the secreted intricacies of this newly industrializes city that is hidden from urbanites, the more energy I happened to gain.

Exercise was meant to be draining and tiring but this morning was anything but. The view itself mesmerized me as the cool breeze of the morning air shrouded by the thin streaks of daylight trickling in between gigantic willow trees, the well-appreciated pocket of serenity maintained by the lines of colorful sedentary cars parked outside houses; stray leaves decorating the colored metal roofs. Amid the stress of school and the strain that I place on myself in terms of academic success, the tranquility and utter calmness of the morning truly revitalized my being and gave me a much needed kickstart for the day. I was grateful for my decision to do so as the sweat imprinted on my back, like the shadow of butterfly wings, really made me feel as if I was elevated; high on this euphoric feel of rewarding enervation.

A video of me running and simply enjoying myself (Photo Credits: Savindya Jayasuriya):

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Returning to home with my muscles teething; churning and twisting to soften the ache and simultaneously the need to repeat this activity, I made up my mind to embed it into my schedule, almost as a ritualistic tradition for both my body and my sanity. I was pleasantly surprised at how much energy it has provided me with, and surplus to partake in personalized treats that I wouldn’t otherwise have the motivation do such as writing and pottery. Thus this exercise reflected that challenges have been undertaken, polishing skills or resilience and perseverance. 

In terms of the physicality of the activity, I hope to push myself harder in terms of the length of the walk, increase 500m each day to diversify it, while changing the route to appreciate and celebrate the different facets of the city that would be left neglected by being limited to only the glass square of perspective that is tethered to the inside of a car.

A final video of my running partner and I:

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