Suffering is optional.

Jim Rohn famously said that we're the average of the five people we spend the most time with. With that said, I've been surrounding myself with people who I look up to socially and physically in regards to fitness.

So I've been doing my best to stay healthy these past few months and in doing so I've picked up running.

I've always been predisposed to hate running. I have flat feet and so for the longest time I've only run indoors on a treadmill. Lately though, I've taken to running outdoors. Partly because it doesn't require me to pay for a gym membership and partly because it can be done anywhere, but mostly because I wanted to challenge myself more physically.

My siblings have been a large influence in this; both of my brothers are avid runners these days. My family overall is extremely health conscious.

I've gotten to the point where I can run longer distances comfortably. And with that I've developed a newborn confidence in myself and in my body. It's incredible to witness how the human body can adjust slowly to endure more physical stress. My body always feels sluggish when I start to run but once I reach the halfway point of my run, something always changes. In What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Murakami writes about the importance of having a mantra while you're running. One that he's particularly fond of is "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." That one resonated with me.

The Berkeley Half Marathon is in the beginning of November this year. I still haven't paid for my registration, but I'm building up the courage to soon!