When the race began, I felt strong. Better than strong infact. After a whole year of nearly weekly runs, with improved performance on each run, I knew I had this race nailed down even before it began. It was my first ever competitive race.
The most I had done until then was a 7km run. This was 10km, but somehow I knew, I knew that while the extra 3km would challenge me, I had it in me to finish it.
I have to admit though, that I was secretly motivated by the fact that my very good friend, who’d been running longer than I had, and most recently did a 21km competitive run, was joining me on this one.
Ego was also at play.
Until about 3 years prior, I had loathed athletics. I couldn’t fathom a sport where there was nothing to chase, dribble, kick, throw you name it. Why would anyone want to simply run, for the sake of running? To what end? How boring it must be, I thought.
Closely associated with this was a deep dislike for routine. Doing the same thing, over and over and over, felt like the worst punishment anyone could bestow upon me. So I preferred going to the gym over running, where I could switch things up with every set and keep it interesting. I always sought a different route to Work, sometimes taking long detours just to avoid feeling like another cog in the predictable daily Nairobi traffic machine. My wife and I tried to have weekly date nights, and after a few of them, I was done. Where was the romance, the adventure, the adrenaline?
This dislike for repetition crept into my Parenting as well. Children, if you didn’t know already, like doing the same thing over, and over, and over. They love it! After 2 minutes of throwing a ball back and forth with my daughters I would be done, off to find the next thrill.
I started running after my second knee surgery. They had removed this benign growth in my knee, and as part of recovery, the doctor suggested I do short jogs to strengthen the knee. At first I could barely go 500 meters before my knee hurt, and i’d have to limp back home. That became my goal, to jog 500m. I pushed myself past the pain, 200, 300, 350…by the time I was able to do a solid 500m, I was hooked. Could I do 1km?
Thus started my weekly running routine, which I have come to deepy value.
I didn’t win the 10km run, nor make top 3, or even top 10, but I finished. It later turned out to be 12km (someone hadn’t done their route measurement right). After this, I increased my weekly minimum to 8.5km.
Over the years, I have deepened my appreciation of the natural law of repetition. You see, nothing significant just happens. It comes with repeated effort, which often involves routine. The largest cathedral you know of was built a brick at a time. The best statue you’ve ever seen was created one hammer hit at a time. The Monalisa, or the famous Cistine chapel ceiling mural were all done one brush stroke at a time.
God created a world than runs on repetition. The sun rises from the East and sets in the West. If it stopped doing this for even a fraction of a second…Chaos. Because of this one natural, repetitive act, plants grow, animals migrate, days turn into nights, seasons change and a myriad of other invisible things happen which sustain life as we know it.
I dare say that 90% of life as you know it is repetition. Growth is to be found in respecting this law, and not fighting against it as I did for many years.
Achieving your career goals, or fitness, or wealth or academics, or success in Marriage, or parenting, or friendship and most importantly, your Spiritual growth, is all anchored on the ‘boring’ daily habits that you build over time.
I have come to learn that those who capitalise on the predictable, repetitive 90% of life, are better prepared to handle the sporadic, unpredictable 10%, be it good or bad.
That’s the natural law of repetition.
