Opinion – On the Run: About the importance of running with your head held high

Training with your head down is one of the cardinal sins of the runner. Straighten your posture, look straight ahead and be aware of your surroundings. So, in the right position, you will be ready to take on the world.

Good for running, good for life. Lifting our heads helps us to see what we previously missed because we were too preoccupied looking at our own feet.

Here I ask permission to tell João’s story.

João and I were colleagues at UOL. I, in content, he in the area of ​​technology. We had punctual interactions, cordial and respectful relationships but, contrary to what Facebook says, we were never friends.

João has always been a discreet guy. He likes to post his workouts, usually surrounded by his wife and daughters, but he doesn’t write inspiring captions. He doesn’t dance either. The photos aren’t award-worthy either. In short: he is just another acquaintance among so many that appear on my social media timeline every day.

When I started the blog “In the Race”, here at Sheet, I started to pay a little more attention to those who, like me, like to run. I stopped looking at my own feet and lifted my head. That’s how I realized that something extraordinary was happening on my cell phone screen.

John is not an athlete. He’s a regular guy who’s torn between work and family commitments, like most of us. In the midst of this routine, he fitted the race. So far, nothing more. But John runs every day. Every day, without fail. Today, when you are reading this text, he will have completed 1,000 consecutive days of running. It’s been almost three years without going a single day without running, rain or shine.

I will give the floor to João so that he can tell his story.

“It all started with a post I saw on the social network. A person proposed to run 30 days in a row. I liked the idea, and as I was already in the habit of exercising, I decided to try the same challenge. I started on January 1, 2020 A month later, I realized that I wanted to continue. And so I continued, with no deadline to finish. Until, in March, the pandemic came.

The beginning of the pandemic was the most complicated period for me. On the one hand, running was important for me to stay healthy and sane. On the other hand, I felt a certain hostility in the streets – even without crowding, I was seen as someone who was breaking the quarantine. I adapted to the circumstances. Sometimes I ran on the stairs of the building. Other days I would trade the street for the back of my condominium. In an area equivalent to a futsal court, I even ran a half marathon.

Fortunately, I was never injured during this period. But I’ve been in trouble. I once traveled to the US, with a stopover in Colombia. I got home at 11:30 pm. I ran to my room, changed my clothes and went to the treadmill – so I didn’t lose my streak.

Those thousand days taught me that running doesn’t have to be an individual sport. I was adding my family, friends and neighbors. There are days when we go out in eight people to run. My daughters are talking, I’m quieter, and we move forward at the pace of the slower ones. If, for whatever reason, we need to separate, a few meters away we are together again. I don’t look for personal records, I don’t care about my pace. I like to feel physically good, but I traded competitiveness for the pleasure of having people with me.

When you come out of competitive mode, you see that racing can be a social event. We run around saying good morning to people, we give our cereal bars to the homeless. In trials, there is always someone on the side who needs a word of encouragement. Sport may be individual, but experience is collective.

Completing one month was remarkable. The first year was also very important. Of course, I’m happy to reach the symbolic 1,000-day mark, but the number itself doesn’t matter so much anymore. There was no party. It was a normal race. What better way to celebrate the routine than repeating what I always do? “

John reminds us that there are many ways to love running. Distance and speed are important to some, but competitive mode is far from the only way to enjoy this sport. No matter the path, what matters is to follow it at your own pace. Always with your head held high.

PS: You probably know stories as or more incredible than this one. Want to share them with me? Write to [email protected] or message me on social media.