Thinking of Everything
As a family we enjoy camping and we have learned over the years that to go camping successfully you need to think of everything. In fact, you don’t just need to think of everything you have to pack everything including the kitchen sink (or at least a washing up bowl and a water butt of some sort).
By contrast running is very simple; the only thing you really need is a pair of trainers that fit. It is advisable to have a house key with you if no one else is at home but everything else is a luxury.
That simplicity follows through into the run itself, however you still need to think of everything. Thinking of everything in this case is not about listening to all the fears and concerns and random thoughts that routinely fill our heads which are more likely to distract us and undermine a long run. Thinking of everything as you run is a different thing.
When I took up running I soon realised I didn’t massively enjoy running on roads and much preferred trail running. It is easy to find trails when you start in Finchley. After just a couple of kilometres on tarmac you can head along paths for a very long distance without any significant contact with roads.
When you run on trails you need to be very focussed. Tree roots are a constant issue and paths that have solidified into hard mud ruts are quite taxing. You need to be aware of where each foot is going. There is no point thinking too far ahead as it is now that really matters. The result of inattention can be a painful fall as I know from hard experience. Running between hedges with the sun in your eyes is also particularly challenging when you are fairly certain that last time you came down that path there were some head high brambles! Often you have to be aware of the choice – stinging nettles or barbed wire. Of course you never choose barbed wire but it is easy to instinctively avoid nettles and end up in even greater danger, Additionally although it sounds strange you do need to remember to breathe, or at least to breathe deeply. Sometimes it is only a painful stitch that prompts a refocus on breathing.
In case it sounds that you spend your time in fear of stumbling or expiring, I read some good advice which recommended having a “green mile” every so often. It doesn’t have to be a mile but just a time when you consciously notice things around you: the grass and bushes, the tree canopy overhead, the shape of the clouds. All of these are objects of wonder and beauty, things that are very present at that point in the run. They give relief from immediate struggles.
Thinking about everything is not about the anxiety of beginnings or endings, past or future, it is the joy of the unburdened present.
Next time …”Thinking of nothing”
— The Rev’d Philip Davison
Support our Rector on his arduous 50 km run for the St Mary-at-Finchley “Give me Shelter!” Church and Churchyard Project DONATE NOW
On 5 October 2024 the Rector of St Mary-at-Finchley, the Revd Philip Davison, will be running the challenging Epping Forest 50K Ultra Marathon to raise funds for the St Mary-at-Finchley “Give me Shelter!” Church and Churchyard Project.
This difficult and demanding run is from Wanstead Flats up to Bell Common and back again. It is hilly and potentially muddy. It is also definitely the furthest Philip has ever run!
Please give generously!