Why do I run? Over time, the answer to that question has evolved, as have my goals.

When I was a child, I ran because it felt good especially short distance events. By the time I was about to leave school, I realised I enjoyed long distance to cross country. Somehow, I stopped running in pre-university because I no longer felt any connection to the thing that had once given me such pleasure. or maybe my focus were elsewhere :p

When I continued my studies and moved to Melbourne, I wanted to turn to a new leaf so I took up running again. But this time indoors. I was then in a long distance relationship, with now hubby and running was a way to defy gravity. I ran regularly considering the gym was a few blocks from my flat and went twice a day! But something happened along the way, my legs and trunk became stronger, my heart and lungs grew powerful and I rediscovered my Child's delight in the sport.

Due to new commitments juggling working and studying, being married, expanding social circles and work demands, I completely stopped. It was out of choice to give way to my new role -to balance the new responsibilities and commitments as a married lady.

However, it was after i became pregnant I rediscovered myself. After all i went through, I vowed I would follow my heart again. And holding Aisya for the very first time, when she was born was the turning point of my life. I was determined to put my life back on track.

After Aisya turned 1, I made a big leap to run again. This time back to the outdoor running. My aim was to have more energy so i will be all alert by the time i came home from exhausting days at work. And it worked! I started running with a vengeance. My training days seemed as if I had learned to fly. I ran to be free;I ran to avoid pain; I ran to feel pain; I ran out of to be free and hate and anger and joy. Somewhere along the path, running became the canvas upon which I documented my life.

It's been a year since i started running again and it changed how I view about my world through love,family, work and life. Initially, it was all about running to see how fast I could be. The more I believed that I was approaching my limits, the less I understood what those limits were- and the less I knew whether they had to do with legs and lungs at all but rather with heart and head. That's when I realised that I was no longer running to see how fast I could be, but instead to learn what other stuff I was made of.

I now work more than I run, which means I no longer wish my run to be work. I run to feel slap of cold air on my face or the heat melting into my bones. I run for the sunrise and sunset of the ocean horizon and to see the above in the blue skies telling what a good job I've done in life so far.

Overtime, my running has faithfully and graciously transformed to suit my circumstances.

And one fine day I will travel the world, running!

But before the time comes, I am now exploring a new activity which I beginning to enjoy very much with my beloved husband and my adventurous daughter - swimming !! And who knows I will integrate the two together with cycling and leap again to take part in a triathlon. That ... will be a different story :)



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