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Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, December 13, 2010
Running, to me is...
My great-grandmother on my mother's side was a runner, I'm told. She was known in Navajo as the "Runner Lady," from the Rough Rock area to the Black Mesa area of the Navajo Nation. I'm not quite certain in what capacity she ran, whether she was a messenger or just a woman that liked to run instead of walk to get from place to place, but she is a great part of who I am.
I'm one of a few individuals in both of my father's and mother's families that enjoys long-distance running. My father used to be a recreational runner in his late twenties until shin splits got the best of him, and he stopped running altogether in his early 30's. When I was in high school, he used to tell me stories of the 8-10 mile runs he used to do when he was staying with my aunt in Denver, and I'd marvel at the distances, never knowing that one day in the future, I'd greatly surpass that mark and complete a full marathon.
Throughout my life, starting from the 3rd grade, I've run to satisfy various desires - whether it was to fit in with my peers, an obsession to lose weight, accomplish feats of athleticism, or for simple personal fulfillment.
These days, I run because it's so deeply a part of my life that it's absence throws me off kilter in a myriad of ways - namely my mental state. I rely on running to replenish my positive energy stores and to filter out the negative energy that weighs me down. I run because it's also a time to reflect on my actions throughout the course of the day, and to think of how I can behave as a better person the next day. The miles I trod offer me time to pray and think positively in the best interests of the many people that I hold dear. And of course, running strengthens my body to fight off the health conditions that plague so many of my fellow Native brothers and sisters: diabetes, obesity, depression, etc.
I also run because I believe I am helping myself to achieve a part of the Navajo philosophy of "Si'ah Naghai, Bike' Hozho," which, in it's simple translation, means living life for long life and happiness.
This blog will be an account of my journey of personal growth and accomplishment through running. It's a world that I love to share, and I'm happy to share through this medium. I look forward to meeting other runners, and perhaps, in the process inspire others to take up this way of life that I love so much!
Trod on.
I'm one of a few individuals in both of my father's and mother's families that enjoys long-distance running. My father used to be a recreational runner in his late twenties until shin splits got the best of him, and he stopped running altogether in his early 30's. When I was in high school, he used to tell me stories of the 8-10 mile runs he used to do when he was staying with my aunt in Denver, and I'd marvel at the distances, never knowing that one day in the future, I'd greatly surpass that mark and complete a full marathon.
Throughout my life, starting from the 3rd grade, I've run to satisfy various desires - whether it was to fit in with my peers, an obsession to lose weight, accomplish feats of athleticism, or for simple personal fulfillment.
These days, I run because it's so deeply a part of my life that it's absence throws me off kilter in a myriad of ways - namely my mental state. I rely on running to replenish my positive energy stores and to filter out the negative energy that weighs me down. I run because it's also a time to reflect on my actions throughout the course of the day, and to think of how I can behave as a better person the next day. The miles I trod offer me time to pray and think positively in the best interests of the many people that I hold dear. And of course, running strengthens my body to fight off the health conditions that plague so many of my fellow Native brothers and sisters: diabetes, obesity, depression, etc.
I also run because I believe I am helping myself to achieve a part of the Navajo philosophy of "Si'ah Naghai, Bike' Hozho," which, in it's simple translation, means living life for long life and happiness.
This blog will be an account of my journey of personal growth and accomplishment through running. It's a world that I love to share, and I'm happy to share through this medium. I look forward to meeting other runners, and perhaps, in the process inspire others to take up this way of life that I love so much!
Trod on.
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