You Haven't Jogged Till You Do This

Jogging with company is good, but nothing beats jogging alone. Most people hate being alone, even during workouts. Working out with others challenges you more, they reason. Maybe. But jogging alone keeps you focused and in meditative mode which is good for the soul, besides being healthier and more self confident. It develops the survivor instincts in you, plus more.

First off. You jog at your own pace. That's awesome for non-joiners like me. You don't have to keep up with anything or anyone--not even yourself. You can jog slower than you did yesterday. Or jog faster. You can do any jogging style or be any type of jogger you want. Wear the outfit you wish. Even in workouts, you're your own you. 

Photo by Tara Glaser on Unsplash.

Freedom is Health

Freedom is daring to be alone. There are downsides to it, like the forfeiture of social connections and opportunities. The enjoyment of marriage and family. But loners are not really bereft of social life. They do mingle with the crowd and build friendships--safe friendships, that is. They can even marry and stay happily loyal in marriage. They choose their connections well. They enjoy that freedom. They expose themselves to all--and get along fine--but closely connect with only a few select. Actually, we enjoy friendships better than most people do because of that freedom. And that spells health, mental and emotional. 

Aside from the power of being alone, 

you have other powers within you which you can use. 

See below.

SEE THIS!

Jogging alone develops freedom powerfully. If you can comfortably jog alone, you are a tough survivor. We love solitude which makes us tough when the going gets rough. Solitude is what's real to us. I jog with others now and then, of course, and we talk and laugh (I often supply the jokes), but I break away sooner or later. To me, a jog is not complete without the solitude---the time I jog with the Creator alone, the Author of LIFE. The time I "hear" his steps. The time he listens to my pants. The time I listen to nature and my thoughts put there by God.

The time I see authentic life.

Why Run Quietly

I once ran with my marathon coach, Charlie, but he often asked me things aside from checking how I was doing. What was I busy with at work that day, why didn't I join the protest rally, was it okay to run a bit farther or did I want some rest? Things like that. I tried to hide my irritation but I guess he saw it. He began to run quietly with me and that's when I started enjoying running with him. 

When we needed to turn somewhere or increase our pace rate he just communicated with hand signals. I liked it better that way. Keeps you from inhaling a lot more street pollution, too. You run and talk and get all the belch smoke, foul smells and nasty particles in the air. 

Did you know that you get better chances of preventing germs in the air from getting into you if you breathe through your nose and not the mouth? Nostrils have tiny hair that filters dirt. The mouth doesn't. So I keep my mouth shut during runs or workouts, like when I spar or shadow box. Being alone and a non-joiner helps a lot. 

Going back to Charlie my marathon coach. At the end of our run, that's when we talked and laughed. We'd often talked about our fraternity, Tau Gamma Phi, although he belongs to the community TYM and I to the FEU chapter. I don't know where he is now, though. The last time I heard he was in Quezon Province working for a communication company. I guess he's in the US now.

What For?

Some guys asked me to join runs and marathons, but what for? I can run alone. I was also often invited to arnis and martial arts tournaments, but I couldn't see the benefit. I enjoy realistic sparring sessions but to prove that I'm better than someone by beating him up is stupid. I just want to learn and enjoy things, not prove anything. Anything that feeds the ego is downright stupid to me. It was why I also quit college. Too many competition there and proving yourself. I run because I want to run. Period. If you try to show you're better than I am, don't bother. I'm willing to concede--you're definitely better than I am. Happy?

When I don't feel like running out on the road, I do my workouts indoors. I don't like gyms so I always keep handy simple fitness equipment at home I can use all by myself. No need for helping hands or spotters. Like regular weights (the ones perfect for martial arts, not the kind for bodybuilders) steel benders and chest expanders. I also have a makeshift horizontal bar in my garage. I plan to buy a portable one. And I love heavy bag training, shadow boxing and squats for my aero workout. Of I love squats! I can take these things with me during trips (save the heavy bag 😁). I believe you need to be independent most times with some balancing acts of interdependence now and then.

And I love push-ups. I do 50 reps in 3 or 4 sets.

Discover the real power within you!

See it Here!

I'm happily married with my equally happy, non-joiner wife, and my boys are beginning to see the wisdom in being non-joiners, too, though they are healthy social creatures enjoying a lot of friends. They can stand independently and do not need to "belong" just to be accepted or recognized. They don't need to compromise themselves just to be let in. They enjoy being alone, though they can tolerate letting others join them.

They're able to eat out alone, commute by themselves, roam malls alone and even watch movies in theaters alone. They have discovered the advanture. 

It's Holistic

See the health benefits? It's social, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual. And physical, too. Some "experts" say there can be some emotional imbalance when you live alone in an extreme sense. I agree. God designed us to connect, not to go solo the rest of our lives. But he didn't mean it to be extreme dependence either. He values quality time being alone with him most times. HE loved Enoch for walking with HIM alone for 300 years and raptured him. It won't work for our good if we become used to hanging around with people all the time and couldn't live without being so. You've got to learn to be a non-joiner.