Why I run (and its impact on my creativity)

Jan 15, 2024

I've been running for about a year now, after about 15 years without regular physical activity, aside from occasional long walks. I started after shedding a significant amount of weight during a lengthy and complex period of personal introspection. It was a way to challenge myself in this new phase, and goodness, I enjoyed it. This text aims to explore why I enjoy it and the impacts it has on my life overall, especially in the creative aspect.

As always, the full albums playlist, featuring albums you've shared with me and a few extras I found online, along with a full concert on YouTube by OMA, a recent discovery that blew my mind (their album is also on the list). As a bonus, the photos accompanying this article are from a trip to Uruguay with my family in 2018.

The initial runs, especially if you're coming from a period of inactivity, can be challenging. You're preoccupied with stepping right, not tripping, not dying, figuring out the normal range of pain and breathlessness, and so on. Nevertheless, victories and uplifting sensations start to emerge. For instance, the first time I completed a full lap around Parque Centenario (1.5km), I cried like a child. Once your body understands and adapts, and you do it effortlessly, it becomes an almost meditative space for generating and developing projects.

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Ideas like last month's painting giveaway, the collaborative photo-literary exercise I probably already announced on Instagram by the time you read this, numerous songs and texts yet to see the light, complete articles for this newsletter, entire projects still simmering and set to emerge this year— all of these things have arisen between one kilometer and the next. Even the idea of this newsletter itself was born during a run, later refined with Car Bonomini's course (10% extra discount with code NACHODRAMIS). While running isn't the sole factor, 2023 has by far been my most mentally productive year, and absolutely everything I'm shaping for 2024 had some part of its development while circling the park.

No, I don't run to lose weight as people often assume. While it helps me stay in shape (in fact, if you want to lose weight, walking is much better from almost every standpoint, but I recommend consulting a doctor or physical education professional rather than a photographer xD). I run for a multitude of reasons.

I run to think. It's like a Zoom meeting with myself. I don't know if it's the change in the usual rhythm that my heart pumps and my lungs take in air, but I think differently, see the famous "big picture," don't get tangled up, have greater analytical capacity. And this persists in the hours after the exercise.

I run to not think. When there's an intrusive thought that won't let me concentrate, I work on it while running, solve it, or package it in a way that it doesn't bother me and allows me to continue. Work obstacles, interpersonal conflicts, everything gets a new perspective in motion.

I run to connect with nature. Living in the heart of Buenos Aires, a jog through the park after a storm gives me the scent of the earth, summer flowers, the water of the lake, the sun through the leaves – all rare sights in my daily life.

I run to eat. The caloric expenditure allows me to indulge in more food without worrying about weight. Eating is one of the things I enjoy most in life, along with shitting, fucking, and sleeping. While arts, connections, and philosophy have their place, the animalistic pleasures are deeply rooted in our biology, and they are hard to beat – especially after a run.

I run to escape from myself. I've been asked more than once what I'm trying to escape from by running so much, and that's the answer. Every meter I run is a meter away from a version of myself I don't want to be again.

I run because it helps me understand life as a video game. The progress in physical activity, with short, medium, and long-term goals, along with a clear sense of improvement over time, makes me feel like I'm in a little game where I'm leveling up. It straightens out my battered brain reward system, gamifying my life.

I run to obsess. Throughout my life, my way of relating to things I like has been to discover them, become obsessed, absorb all possible information, get bored, and leave them. In the world of running, there are so many things to try and discover (distance, footwear, HIIT, Fartlek, pace, terrain, frequency) that it's very difficult to get bored. And of all the obsessions I've had, it's by far the most useful and least harmful.

I run for the little high it releases in my brain. The "runner's high" exists, and it's a wonderful feeling. Everything is fine, you feel on top of the world, ready to take on anything. All natural and produced by your own body.

I run for the pseudo-hallucinations it generates. I'm not a long-distance runner, but ultramarathoners often report hallucinations in the later stages of races. In my case, both times I ran 10km, I had strange sensations around km 8—beautiful forgotten memories resurfaced in a vivid and sensory way, transporting me to the moment and making me forget physical discomfort. It's challenging to explain, but it's a powerful sensation.

So, well, you know, running is like getting high but for free. No, seriously, running has numerous positive impacts on my mental state that are worth much more than the obvious impact on my body, and I highly recommend it.

If you want to start running, I recommend this video, which is the one I started with (skipping a couple of steps because I'm quite impatient), and I know it has inspired many to start running.

Finally, I'll leave you with this comic from The Oatmeal (also available in physical format), which describes many of the things I talk about here. I read it years ago and didn't quite understand it, but I remembered it recently, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Thanks for reading!

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