Running is the only way I relieve stress.
Since I was weak and sickly as a child, my father sent me to a table tennis training base in a sports stadium. At that time, I was still in kindergarten. The stadium had a 400-meter running track, and we had to run two laps before each formal training session. After the run, we would stretch and warm up to prepare for the day's lessons.
Thanks to the physical training I received since kindergarten, sports was never my weak subject in school (except when it was overshadowed by other courses). I even played table tennis with the PE teacher in elementary school, running fast and jumping far. I became a sports star in my small group for a while. However, after elementary school, I never had the opportunity to take formal table tennis lessons again, so my skill level remained at the kindergarten level.
Later, in junior high school, I joined the school team. Thanks to my "childhood training," high jump and long jump became my events. I wasn't particularly good at competitive sports; I actually preferred comparing myself to my past self. Joining the school team was an accidental event. One of the high jumpers on the team transferred to another school, creating a vacancy. A classmate told me that the school team was recruiting and asked me to give it a try. During break time, I went to the high jump mat on the playground and tried jumping. The PE teacher, who was far away, walked over and asked which class I was in and if I wanted to participate in the competition (hahaha).
Sports training can be tedious. During the school's morning exercise time, we, the athletes, were pulled aside to warm up separately. Only after the other students finished their exercises did we start training. My events required explosive power, so I had to constantly train my thighs and coordination. Frog jumps, sprints - that was the content every day. Fortunately, these training sessions didn't interfere with my studies. Junior high school curriculum wasn't very demanding, and I found myself flipping through the same material repeatedly. Sports became my way of finding balance. It was during this time that I realized exercise made my mind more active.
After college, I didn't join any school teams. I simply ran with the mindset of keeping fit. I would go for a night run at least four times a week, circling around the campus, listening to my favorite songs. As for what I think about while running? I don't know. All I know is that after finishing a run, all my worries seem to disappear. The things that used to cause me pain also become less important.
During my time in Japan, I have to thank my running habit. In the days when I was stressed about applying to schools, only running could help me clear my mind of anxiety. Countless rejections made me, someone who already had a low tolerance for stress, feel like I couldn't make it through the night. But running made me believe that there was still hope.
I believe that everyone should have one or two ways to relieve stress, such as sports, games, music, etc. As long as it allows you to temporarily escape the troubles of life and then face life with a renewed sense of positivity, it adds flavor to your existence.
On my 28th birthday, I gave myself good health and started running again. My body is definitely not as good as it used to be.