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Running. Sex. Philosophy.

Posted by Ariel on December 8, 2008 at 5:16am
Running. Sex. Philosophy.Category: Goals, Plans, HopesI came upon a remarkable epiphany recently.Working out and running are two of the most important things in my life. Oddly enough, I realized that I have some of my most imaginative and passionate thoughts when I am running and working out. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I feel like I have learned more about myself. I don't exist for the sake of escaping pain or avoiding punishment. Neither fear nor vanity are my incentives. I just want to understand the nature of things and reap the earnings of my efforts.I've also had some of my most romantic thoughts while running. Once, I was in love with a woman. I thought about her the most when the pain from a run was throbbing through my body. Everything in me wanted her so much so that sex was only a slight fraction of my complete desire. It was the single most concentrated and intense love I have ever felt, but she lived far away and I didn't see her very often. Working out was a healthy way of dealing with the loneliness.To this day, when I work out I usually listen to the ballads of musicians like Sam Cooke, Sigur Ros and The Postal Service. Despite these feelings, I swear that I will never live for the sake of another woman, nor ask another woman to live for my sake. Relationships and things of that nature degrade into a waste of emotional reserve. If the idea of "love" is a response to our highest values than I can have nothing to do with most people's relationships. Every person is an end in themselves, not a means to the ends in others.I prefer to work out alone. It enables me to concentrate on the lessons that the workout has for me and contemplate things. Learning about what you're made of is always time well spent, and I have found no better teacher. Working out and running have taught me how to live. Everything is an act of philosophy.Life, consumerism, social constraints, barrages of media from all directions. They are all capable of driving you out of your mind. Uncontested absurdities are accepted as slogans of belief. The way it all comes down these days, it's some kind of miracle if you're not insane or depressed. Most people have become habitually estranged and separated from their bodies. They are no longer whole.I see Americans shuffle from their offices to their cars and on to their suburban homes. They get stressed out and irritable constantly. They lose sleep. They shovel disgusting garbage into their mouths. They develop futile phobias and obsessions. Their egos run wild; they become motivated by that which will eventually give them a massive stroke.Through the years, I have tried to combine reading, self expression and working out into a single strength. I believe that when a person's body is strong, the mind thinks and expresses powerful thoughts. Time spent away from working out makes my mind degenerate. I flounder in a thick depression. My body locks up my mind. Running is the best antidepressant I have ever come across. There is no better way to fight difficulties and limitations than with mental and physical strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it's impossible to turn back.A workout never lies to you. You can walk around and listen to all kinds of conversations, get told that you're unbelievable or a total douche bag. A work out will always kick you into reality. Friends may come and go. But 8 miles is always 8 miles. A hundred pounds is always a hundred pounds.- PFC Ariel Garza
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