Opinion | Any way the wind blows: learn to embrace the elements while running
- We might curse the weather when we run, but it’s part of the challenge to become aware of yourself
I remember running down the final 100-metre stretch of the Hong Kong International Diamond Mile about six years ago.
The scenic course had wound its way through the heart of Central, passing beautiful colonial and modernist architecture and tracing historic tram tracks. As I made the final turn onto Chater Road and the finish line came into view, a fierce wind picked up.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my coach shouting from the pavement. Bend forward at the waist, hang on tight, and pump those arms, he yelled. My legs were burning up from the minutes-long intensity of maximal exertion, but somewhere in the reserves there was still a little left to dig deep and run headlong into the wind. The final seconds felt inordinately slow and long, and crossing the finish line brought a mix of relief, exhilaration, and a welcome pause in the headwind.
I thought about all this last week as I struggled against demoralisingly strong winds while warming up for a 50-minute tempo in Washington, D.C.