I run nearly every day, which leads many people to assume that I have always been into fitness. While I have always enjoyed a good walk or hike, it might surprise you to discover that I am not naturally athletic. My mom once jokingly described me as “an indoor cat,” and some of my earliest memories are of curling up in my beanbag chair with the Narnia books and a fistful of cookies.
So if I am not a natural athlete or fitness fanatic, how did I come to love running so much?
One key reason I fell in love with running is that, while I am not naturally athletic, I am naturally imaginative. Running is a chance for me to cling to creativity, thoughtfulness, and whimsy even as an adult. It is not merely something I do for the health of my body but the life of my mind.
Perhaps it is corny to say so, but here’s the truth: running is my recess. It is productive, but it is also play. When my feet hit the pavement, my mind is free to wander. I brainstorm poems, aligning their metered feet with the cadence of my footfalls. I plot stories I haven’t the time to write right now, letting their plots distract me until I get control of my breathing. If I bring my headphones—which I do not always do—I can imagine myself in my favorite movies as I listen to their soundtracks, or I can enter the world of a new and thrilling book.
Sometimes I think that the only time my body and mind are actually keeping pace with one another is when I’m running. Otherwise, I often feel that my mind is racing ahead while I struggle to catch up.
Making Running Imaginative
I recently posted on Instagram about how treating running as an imaginative activity has helped me make it a regular discipline (and delight!) in my life. Since quite a few of my followers said it would be useful to them, I thought I’d share a few things that have helped me personally make working out feel more like playing.
Film Soundtracks
It does not matter how unmotivated I feel, the minute I press “play” on my “Film Running” playlist, I am (mentally) shouting, “For Narnia! And for Aslan!” as I take off down the trail.
Not only are film soundtracks rousing pieces of music, they resonate with narrative. If you play a soundtrack from a movie you know well, you can watch it in your mind or imagine you’re part of it as you run. I am being completely honest when I tell you that I once neighed like a horse while sprinting. I was listening to the score from Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and a hawk flew right over my head, much as the eagle flies past the movie’s main character. How could I not let loose some sort of joyful noise?
Play your favorite film soundtrack and the miles will be instantly more exciting. If you’re not sure where to start, you’re welcome to check out my go-to playlist:
Intentional Listening
Sometimes when an artist I like comes out with a new album, I’ll save it to listen to while running. In our era of streaming, it seems increasingly rare to listen to a full album from start to finish. Doing so while running not only helps pass the miles, but also teaches your mind to focus on a whole piece of art for an extended period of time. Lately, I’ve been listening to British folk artist Rose Bett’s latest album on repeat:
Other artists whose music nourishes my imagination include Roo Panes, Avi Kaplan (his folk albums), Joy Williams, and Sarah Sparks. Each of these artists have lovely albums that are well worth listening to in full.
Audiobooks
I tend to listen to nonfiction audiobooks since I love reading fiction for myself. However, last autumn I listened to World War Z by Max Brooks and it was spectacular. The voice acting, production, and writing were captivating. While I’m sure it is also an excellent read, it was a near-perfect listening experience. I wandered many a mile while listening to his gripping account of the zombie apocalypse (which, by the way, is completely different and far better than the movie).
I recently read another novel by Brooks, Devolution, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I’ve heard it is an excellent audiobook as well. As a note of caution, both books include strong language and a decent amount of violence. However, I am a pretty circumspect reader and did not find either to be gratuitous.
If zombies are not your thing, you might enjoy this masterful recording of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 read by Tim Robbins:
https://www.audible.com/pd/Fahrenheit-451-Audiobook/B00M4PXF6K
Silence
Yes, silence. I often find that what my imagination really needs is not more sound or stories but silence and space for processing. Running or walking without headphones was difficult at first, but it is one of the healthiest things I’ve learned to do. It gives me a chance to let my mind process what I have been reading and listening to. (Can I remember the lyrics I heard yesterday? What do I think about the audiobook I’ve been enjoying?)
When you exercise in silence, you have the chance to really pray, reflect, brainstorm, or maybe just actually zone out for a while. That is healthy too.
Running or walking in silence also allows you to tune into the world around you. Maybe I am prematurely aging, but few things bring me as much joy as watching and listening to birds. I am fortunate that my go-to trail is along a river well-populated with bald eagles, families of geese, swooping gulls, and visiting flocks of pelicans.
It’s worth noting that I only run without headphones when I’m able to run outdoors. When I have to run on the treadmill, I do whatever I have to do to get it done.
Mental Games
I like to come up with little games for myself while I run—just silly puzzles and such to pass the time such as:
- Imagining what influential pastors would eat for breakfast based on their personalities.
- Finding a theological vocabulary word for every letter of the alphabet.
- Making up silly Limericks that I’ll never write down but are amusing in the moment.
These mental games are especially fun if you’re running with a friend. My husband and I often come up with little games that get us through a few miles but don’t have definite enough rules to remember when the run is over.
Tackle a Project
Throughout college, I was struck by how many of the composers and authors I admired found inspiration and refreshment through purposeful walking. Beethoven was known to take long, solitary walks around Vienna. C.S. Lewis enjoyed daily walks, preferably in silence. Soren Kierkegaard’s walks would fill him with such inspiration he would have to rush home and set to writing.
I have quite a few writing projects piling up, so lately, when I set out to run, I try to do so with a clear purpose. Last week, I logged thousands of steps while revising some sonnets. Last year, I ran a record number of miles while working on my book, Spirit-Filled Singing. It’s amazing how many writer’s blocks I’ve knocked down while running!
To my dismay, it is impossible to comfortably carry a notebook and pen while running. But I make do with the notes app on my phone.
Conclusion
I am sure you’ve noticed that kids run all the time. Why? Because it’s fun for them. They’re not thinking about calories or longevity or bone density or whatever else motivates grown-ups to put “exercise” on their to-do lists. No, kids run because, like Bilbo Baggins, they’re going on an adventure—even if that adventure is simply crossing from one room to the next as fast as they can.
When I run, I regain something of my childhood.
For those of us who are not natural athletes, we have to regain that sense of play if we want to run or walk without immediately growing bored. I hope the ideas in this post will help you exercise not only your body but your imagination—your mind and heart.
If you are interested in more of my thoughts on running, I encourage you to check out previous posts such as “Running for Perspective” and “Eating Disorder, Reordered.”
As always, if you enjoy my work and would like to keep the words flowing, you can buy me a coffee using the button below:
Ryanne Molinari 