Ep 34 - HEALTH HACK: 6 Life Lessons from Running
In this episode of Health Hacktivators, Dr. Alka Patel talks about the transformative power of embracing discomfort through running.
Drawing inspiration from her conversation with Emon Choudhury in the last episode, Dr. Patel shares six life lessons she has learned while running, highlighting the importance of overcoming discomfort. Running the London marathon taught her adaptability and the importance of flexibility. She emphasises celebrating small wins as a means to build confidence and acknowledges running as a space for self-reflection.
Additionally, Dr. Patel explores the significance of self-discipline, consistency, and commitment in running, along with the power of gratitude. She discusses the role of data and devices in making informed decisions while running, including the use of headphones to listen to podcasts and the significance of running shoes as essential devices.
In this episode you’ll hear about:
How embracing discomfort can transform your life
The six life lessons Dr. Patel learned from running
How overcoming discomfort plays a role in running the London marathon
Why it’s important to celebrate small wins
How running can serve as a space for self-reflection and personal growth
The significance of self-discipline, consistency, and commitment in running
For more information about this episode head to https://dralkapatel.com/podcast-health-hacktivators/
To read the blogs that accompany the show and for even more focused health hacks, head to https://dralkapatel.com/blog/
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Podcast Transcript
PLEASE NOTE these transcripts are auto-generated and may not be wholly accurate.
Dr Alka Patel (00:02.07)
Hi, hey, and hello, Health Activators. Now, I hope you've had a chance to listen to last week's conversation that I had with Eamon Chowdhury. Eamon, as you'll know, is a Pride of Britain award winner. He was winner of the BBC Race Across the World and a nine-time marathon runner, which, by the time you're listening to this, is probably more than nine. It was such a great conversation, so if you haven't listened to it already, do go back and have a listen.
And after that conversation, what I intended to do this week was to look at running and to look at running in more detail and talk about things like fueling and fluids and recovery and rehydration. But I've had a little bit of a change of heart. So what I've decided to do instead is to change the topic just a little bit. I'm still talking about running, but what I'm going to be sharing with you is six life lessons that I learned from running earlier this year when I prepared to run and ran.
the London Marathon. So this is a short light bite episode. So just go grab your headphones, lace up your shoes and let's get into this. Lesson one, embracing discomfort. Because here's what I know, discomfort is an inevitable companion in running and in life. And there were times in my training when I could not even lift my foot over a curb. I remember this one day very, very clearly. I was about two kilometres away from home.
and every single step that I took sent shockwaves through me. Those two kilometers took me, well, over an hour to conquer, but every step that I pushed through, it really felt as if I was, when I was making progress. And I was, because the next time that I did exactly the same run, no pain, no discomfort. Because you see, it's only by experiencing discomfort that you can push through it.
your greatest growth occurs when you confront the unknown. And then the unknown is no longer an unknown. Does that make sense? And also what I know is that after running the entire 26.2 miles of the London Marathon, what I developed was a new affirmation. An affirmation that went something along the lines of, if I can do that, I can do anything. If I can run...
Dr Alka Patel (02:27.374)
26.2 miles without stopping, then everything else is totally doable. I felt able to push through other things in life, totally unrelated to running, because what I learned is that discomfort is temporary. It passes physically and emotionally, no matter how uncomfortable you feel when you try something new, when you push out of your comfort zone and you
prove to yourself that you are more capable than you thought. Lesson two, adaptability. Running taught me the art of adaptability. What I learned was I learned to adjust. I remember there was one run in the local park. It was a dry day, but the night before had been torrential rain, and the path was pretty much a mudslide.
But instead of turning around, giving up, what did I do? Well, I just changed tact. I adapted. I changed my speed. I changed the way I let my heels hit the ground. So I ran with a much flatter foot so I could stop myself from slipping. I allowed myself to run a much, much slower, safer controlled run. I let myself enjoy the squelch of the mud. Yep, the mud was absolutely everywhere that day. And even on race day itself,
when the rain just poured down, I adapted to the changing weather conditions rather than being upset or annoyed by them, I adapted to them. So what did I learn? I learned that simply by being flexible and open to change, that is what helps to navigate those twists and turns of life with much more grace and much more resilience because...
You know this, there are twists and turns. That's what makes life life. It's not a straight road. It never will be. So don't expect it to be. Just lean in to the bends instead. Lesson three, celebrating small wins. Running taught me the importance of celebrating even the smallest of victories. So whether it was achieving a new best or
Dr Alka Patel (04:46.126)
conquering a challenging hill or simply completing a daily run, I didn't take any accomplishments for granted. Even when I ran just 0.1 kilometers further than the previous day, I acknowledged that because it was only by acknowledging and appreciating my wins that I could really remind myself that progress is made one step at a time. And when I ran in the dark...
and I ran in the hail and I ran in the cold and it was so cold that my fingers became so numb and painful that I couldn't even hold a glass of water. Well, I celebrated those wins too because that's what built my confidence, acknowledging and celebrating. Because every milestone achieved in life, no matter how seemingly insignificant, it becomes a building block for even more self-belief.
Because whilst I was training, I mean, I had no idea whether I would be able to complete the marathon on race day. I had no idea. But what I developed simply by recognizing my progress and by celebrating my small wins was, well, I developed this strong sense of self-assurance. And it's this self-assurance that I've been able to translate to other things that I do, again, simply by recognizing and celebrating small milestones.
Lesson four, mindfulness and reflection. So running became this wonderful space for solitude for me, especially on Sunday mornings when I would do my long runs, which took me to my mom's house and back, and then to my mom's house and back, and again, and again. There was this rhythmic motion in my feet, and it became a form of, well, meditative practice, really, which gave me space for self-reflection. Solitude is...
Such an important sanctuary for introspection. And even when I'm not running, I create a daily space for me to be with me. We all need that, right? And lesson five, self-discipline and consistency. Oh yes, boy, did running demand self-discipline and consistency from me. But here's the truth. At the beginning of my training schedule, my favorite phrase, it was, I'll start on Monday.
Dr Alka Patel (07:08.266)
I'll start on Monday. My degree of procrastination was huge. So many Mondays passed before I could get myself into gear to commit to regular training, to commit to showing up day after day, regardless of anything else going on. But once I did, once I did, then self-discipline, consistency and commitment just took over. And these are the cornerstone of success in...
all areas of life. They reinforce that success in anything is never an isolated event, but it's this culmination of persistent effort. And finally, lesson six, gratitude. Oh yeah, with every single step. I am so grateful for the gift of mobility and for the freedom that I have to explore the world around me.
Running the marathon was a real humbling reminder of the strength and the resilience of this incredible human body. And I gained such a broad perspective on my own capabilities. Stepping outside what's comfortable, embracing challenges and doing it with a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to grow and to evolve. That is so powerful.
So there's six lessons, six lessons that I learned through running. And now it's over to you, because you know that on this show, I talk about making decisions and I also talk about using data and devices to strengthen those decisions. So here's a decision for you tomorrow. Will you decide to go for a run or even a walk? Just one foot in front of the other. And if you do, then we'll focus in on one of the lessons that I've shared today.
gratitude, self-discipline, mindfulness, celebration, adaptability, or embracing discomfort. And what did you learn? Tell me, I'd love to know. So just drop me a message at dralkavitel.uk. And think about data. What data are you looking at before, during, or after your run or your walk? Maybe weather data. Check the weather forecast so you can adapt.
Dr Alka Patel (09:29.95)
or route data, elevation data, the gradients on your run. Check that so that you understand the level of difficulty of your route, or look at your run data, things like distance and pace and time, stride length, cadence, so that you can then track, track your improvements over time. And what about devices? What do you take with you when you run? Well, for me, it's my smartwatch and phone so I can capture my run data.
I use running apps. What's your favorite running app? I use Strava or I use MapMyRun. And do you use your phone to listen to music or podcasts while you run? Do you have headphones in your ears when you run or are you more of a mindful runner running with your five senses? I was a bit of a mixture of both. While I was training, I was playing podcasts and TEDx talks in my ears and during the marathon itself, oh, I just immersed in my five senses and what I could see and hear and feel and touch and taste. And I've done a podcast episode on that as well. So just have a look back and have a listen back as well. Devices. Well, there's one device you might not think immediately of. I'm thinking of your running shoes. Yeah, think of your running shoes as a device because running shoes are so scientifically engineered. And what I found was that going to a running shop and getting properly fitted for my running shoes. Well.
It was the best thing that I did. So when you're using data and devices, just make sure that they completely align with your own specific running goals and your preferences. Because the ultimate aim is to have an enjoyable and meaningful running experience. One that allows you to learn and grow and appreciate the lessons that each run offers. Happy running. I will see you next week and I wish you
a health activating day.
