This is not some belated April Fools prank. Yes, I have started consistently running and it hasn't been miserable. Don't worry, I still would prefer to spend my time in a pool, but that really isn't an option given that the closest lap pool is one and a half hours away.
One of my biggest concerns before coming to Malaysia was living without a pool near by. For as long as I can remember my physical and mental health has been linked with a pool. I was worried that I would not have an outlet. In the back of my mind, I considered running, but let’s be real, there was no fucking way that was going to happen.
If you ever played basketball with me, you would know that running wasn't really something I did a lot of. I wasn't the best of teammates. Although, I do pride myself on how good I got at “selective running”. I hated running before I tore my ACLs. I despised it after. I was also conveniently injured during the running portion of the swim season* for the first three years of college. Begrudgingly, I ran my senior year because I thought it was about time to get good.
*shout out to PPSD on winning back to back SCIAC titles! Much love.
The running started maybe the second or third day in my placement. I was thrust into this random rice farming village with no real introduction. I had no idea what was around me.The only thing I knew was that if I took a right out of my driveway and drove for ten minutes I would arrive at my school. Out of pure curiosity, I unpacked my tennis shoes and turned left out of my driveway.
Not even five minutes into the run I sprained my ankle. Thankfully, curiosity prevailed as I continued on gimping. I turned down this small road next to a creek and passed by a few houses filled with bewildered looks from my new neighbors. The road then opens up into one of the most beautiful things I have ever randomly happened upon: The sun setting on fields and fields of rice paddies bookended with mountains on the horizon.
It didn't take that much convincing to get me back out there running in the fields. However, I received a lot more than just nice views by coming back. Running around in my village has helped me immerse myself into my community. The kids in neighborhood have caught on to my daily running schedule so they are waiting outside of their homes to wave hello or even join me on my run (on foot or on wheels).
I also met Ahmad on one of my runs. Ahmad is local truck driver who spent over a year in Australia farming so his english is relatively good. His house is near the end of my run so I'll stop by to catch up if he is outside. I've met his family and been over for some tea and fish chips. We have a trip planned to the hot springs in the near future. We had to reschedule because a day before our last trip, he forgot that he scheduled the trip on the same day as his brother's wedding.
I have come across some of the most random things during my runs. One early Saturday morning, I ran into a huge motocross event. It was absurd. It was the last thing I would expect to find in small-town, rural Malaysia. The area was littered with people, drink stalls, motorcycles, and speakers that were blasting pop music.
Since I have been running consistently, I thought it would be a good idea to sign up for a race. Just this past weekend, I ran a 7k in the state of Perlis with the goal of not getting last place, which I accomplished. It was pretty fulfilling experience and my first land race since the fourth grade.
Apart from all the views and people I have met, running has given me that outlet I was desperately searching for. It has a been part of my day where I don't have to worry about anything else that is going on. This new hobby I have picked up has been instrumental in maintaining my mental and physical health. Some of the reasons I love swimming so much are the reasons I enjoy running now. But don't worry, I would change running in these rice paddies for swimming in Haldeman in a heartbeat.
