Lily

Random Talks

Random Talks
tohvelielain

On the Subject of: Marathons

800px-1896_Olympic_marathon.jpg

 

Marathons. It seems half the people I know have either recently run, intend to soon run or would like to someday be able to run a marathon.

Is it just me or are marathons in fact a trend?

If this truly is the case I must say I am wholeheartedly confused. Exercising is fun, invigorating, healthy and in all ways commendable. But marathons?? I even remember a guy I barely know saying he was going to run a marathon the next weekend and following the statement up with a question, asking me if I had ever run one. I said no. He said: YOU SHOULD TRY IT. ITS ADDICTIVE. Seriously? We’re talking marathons here, not a delicious new bar of chocolate.

Perhaps the following imaginary dialogue will help elucidate my confusion:

A marathon enthusiast: “So I was thinking of running 42 km next month.”

Me:“Oh will  there be a huge war going on and an urgent message will have to be delivered to a location exactly 42 km away? Thousands of lives and the future of a state will depend on it? You work as messenger for the army?”

The marathon enthusiast:“No no, nothing like that I do it for fun. It’s like a competition.”

Me:“For fun? So you know now that on a certain day next month you will feel like running exactly 42 km, not 41, not 43 but exactly 42? A competition? So you can win some totally awesome prize? Maybe if it’s a lifetime supply of free chocolate I could participate as well.”

The marathon enthusiast:“Well it’s not really a competition in that sense, only the very best stand a chance of actually winning something. I actually pay for getting to run with of bunch of other people.”

Me:”…”

The marathon enthusiast:”And the competition part is really about competing with yourself, showing yourself you can do it and motivate yourself to train.”

Me:“OK wait. So you’re telling me you are paying money to get to run an obscene distance on a predetermined date that will only make you feel a lot of pain just to show yourself you can? Why not just go for a jog by yourself and run for as long as you feel like?”

The marathon enthusiast:“Because it’s a marathon!”

Nope, I still don’t get it.

Can someone explain it to me? What do you guys think?

Picture from the 1896 Olympic marathon. Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1896_Olympic_marathon.jpg.

Hyvinvointi Liikunta Terveys Ajattelin tänään
tohvelielain

Finding Things and Leaving Things

summer chair.jpg

 

A few days ago I had a wonderful afternoon. There was nothing strikingly special about it. I met up with a friend, we walked, talked, ate, went for a coffee and then to my place for some tea, buns and TV. And yet, it was superb. Perhaps this was because:

There was no definite plan nor fixed schedule. The weather was terrible but being outside was refreshing and made our meal seem all the more fulfilling. The cafe we went to was cozy and we did something I only remember doing in high school: we flipped through magazines together commenting passionately on everything we loved or loathed. I was almost surprised to realize how long it had been since I last indulged in this simple treat. After the coffee we decided we needed some more relaxing decadence and headed to a small shop to pick up some pastry. On our way to my house we found a small bookshelf with a note on it saying ”please take”. For no good reason what so ever we decided to take it. While carrying it over our heads we noticed every single person on the street smiling at us. A few even made good-hearted funny comments – an insane rarity in Finland. At my place we enjoyed spreading out on the couch and watching TV for way too long. Together. By the time my friend had to leave we’d decided neither of us had any use for the shelf so we took it back where we found it.

 

winter chair.jpg

 

That evening I realized how lovely small things can be and how very easy it is to forget that. To forget that watching TV can be so much more fun with a friend, to forget to do simple things that make you just a little bit happier, to do silly things for no good reason when you feel like doing them, to enjoy the happiness of the people around you and to let that make you happy in return and finally to forget that even on a dreary day in the middle of the week you can make spontaneous choices even if all your deciding is to have some extra dessert or take something you found on the street only to bring it back two hours later.

 

 

Hyvinvointi Mieli Suosittelen Ajattelin tänään