The benefit of the New Year is that it always brings some unexpected changes.
For me, the biggest surprise this year is not traveling or having meals together, but running 5km in one go.
That morning, I went out as usual, but I didn't set any limits for myself in my heart. For several years, I have been running and stopping, walking and running. Every time I approached 5km, my mind would automatically make a judgment for me: I don't have enough lung capacity, I can't make it.
But that day, I didn't think much. I just kept running and running, and I actually reached the finish line.
40 minutes, not fast.But complete.
The sense of satisfaction at that moment was much greater than I imagined.
Originally, I could have done it earlier.
Someone in the running group said:
"40 minutes for a 5-kilometer run. Don't be too critical. Just being able to run continuously for that distance is already remarkable. Many people can't even stick to running 2 or 3 kilometers. Without certain muscle strength, lung capacity and endurance, it's impossible to do so."
This statement gave me a lot of encouragement.
We tend to focus on those who have "achieved more" - those who have completed half-marathons, full marathons, or have a pace of 5 minutes per kilometer.
But we seldom look back and see how far we have come.
Starting from walking, then running while walking, and now completing a full 5-kilometer run - this is actually the result of years of gradual accumulation.
Over the years, I haven't caught a cold again. My sleep quality has significantly improved,Perhaps there are other benefits that I haven't noticed in the accumulation...
A friend of the same age once told me worriedly that she thought it was "normal" to have poor sleep at this age. But I know that this is not a problem of age.
It's a question of whether the body has been treated well over a long period of time.
I no longer envy marathon runners.
For a while, I admired those who ran marathons.
Half-marathons and full marathons seemed so impressive.
I would also think: Could I one day run that distance?
But now, I no longer think like this.
A 5-kilometer run, around 40 minutes, is just right for me. There's no need for it to be any longer or faster.
True maturity is not about constantly increasing the challenge, but knowing where one's safe zone is.
When the intensity is just within the sustainable range, it won't cause harm, but will only bring accumulation.
Staying healthy is more important than breaking through the distance.
Jogging is an asset that can be held throughout one's life.
I have been pondering over the question of "assets that do not depreciate over time".
Health, undoubtedly, comes first.
And jogging is the most simple and stable health investment that I can find.
It has several characteristics:
- No need for approval from others
- Does not rely on complex resources
- Not affected by economic cycles
- Intensity is controllable
- Can last a lifetime
My brother was a sprinter when he was young. Jogging 8 kilometers every day was his compulsory exercise. After retirement, he became obsessed with playing basketball, spending 2-3 hours each day.
I often urged him to return to jogging.
Basketball involves confrontation and collisions. If you continue playing basketball at the age of 70, your body might not be able to withstand it.
But jogging is different. It exercises the heart and lungs within a safe zone and is less likely to cause long-term injuries.
It is not uncommon to see people in their 90s still jogging around the world.
For example, Fauja Singh from the UK still completed marathons in his advanced age and was called "one of the oldest marathon runners". Dot Solbi from Chicago and soon ...
[ "As long as you start running, you'll never be too old."]
Jogging is not the exclusive preserve of young people, but a rhythm that can accompany one throughout life.
When an activity can accompany you for several decades, it is no longer just an activity but an asset.
Running is like investing, and it's also like writing.
Sometimes I wonder why so many people, knowing that there are risks in the stock market, still choose to participate for a long time?
Because it is -
something that anyone can do even if they are not with anyone else.
It doesn't rely on a certain organization, doesn't depend on a certain platform, and doesn't wait for someone else's arrangement.
Running is the same. As long as you are still willing to go outside, it is there. It doesn't need an audience, doesn't need applause.
Writing is the same. For long-term-oriented things, there is often a common point:
- The threshold is not high
- It can be repeated
- It can be accumulated
- Depends on oneself
When society leaves someone behind, if he still has something that can continue, he won't feel empty. They can firmly hold onto this sense of control in their hands.
5 kilometers gave me not only a physical breakthrough, but also a sense of confidence.
Jogging gives me the ability to remain stable when the world changes.
Suddenly, I understood that true security is not about how much resources one possesses. Rather, it is about what one has left when the resources are gone.
- If there is an ability that can continue even when no one is watching;
- if there is a habit that can be carried out even when in a low mood;
- if there is a behavior that does not require anyone's approval -
then it is your asset.
5 kilometers, not a remarkable feat.But it reminds me: I can accomplish a long-term task by myself.
What jogging gives me is never speed，Rather, it gives me this -
the ability to remain stable even when the world changes. This is what I truly desire for growth and progress.
This year, for myself, the starting point
This year, completing a 5-kilometer run in one go was a new starting point.
Not to challenge a longer distance, but to maintain the rhythm. It's okay to be slower.
It's more important to be steady.
If asset appreciation is expressed physically as anything - then it's that it can compound over time, silently.
From walking, to combining walking and running, to completing the full 5 kilometers.
Over a few years, there was no earth-shattering event, only day after day.
This might be the truest form of long-termism.
Today, I achieved running 5 kilometers in one go. It wasn't achieved overnight; it must be the result of the accumulation over the past few years.