Meet the R4R Runners: Revisited #3
Welcome to the 3rd edition of the Meet the R4R Runners, Revisited. This week, we get to meet a legend of the Canberra running community… because if there’s a running group within 100km of Red Hill… you can bet your bottom dollar that Singh has been a part of it at some stage.
Singh’s energy is contagious and whether it be his self-made R4R merchandise in the foreground of Friday’s selfies, his welcoming smile as he seeks out new people to meet, or just his general take on life, Singh is the man. So, without further ado… let’s meet him!
How have you been?
Life's good, being surrounded by so many positive people that we are not affected by sub-zero negative temperatures.
Knocked off any running events recently?
Yes, completed UTA100 km in the Blue Mountains which has been an amazing experience. 6-Foot Track, Kowen trails, and a few more. I can't believe what our bodies are capable of when there are so many encouraging souls around. Looking forward to supporting Jess in 777 Braveheart marathon, Murray in Bravery Trek Cbr, Syd, Brisb & Melb marathons, Capital2Coast, Stromlo 50k, UTK Kosciusko.
R4R Regular, Jess… has just Peiled off an amazing feat of running 7 marathons in 7 days as part the of Braveheart challenge. There were a few other R4R regulars in support of her massive achievement and if you’d like to read more about why she’s running, click on the link below.
What's been your highlight in the past two years?
City2Surf bus trip was awesome, Happy Buddha Yoga retreat was calming, the R4R color run was fun, and hearing so many motivational stories on our run-chats.
I’m glad you mentioned C2S, Singh… because we have officially sold out! Our attention now shifts toward the race itself and thanks to some brain power from recently engaged Johnny Hulin, will be hosting a pasta night on the night before the race (more information to come).
What have you learned from R4R in the past two years?
Not everyone likes running (LOL). Every person alone is not sad and every person partying is not happy. Some people draw energy when they are alone in their space and others may draw energy when they are around their (running) tribe. We need to be resilient with everyone as we never know what journey of life they are going through and what is going on behind that facial mask. As they say, never judge a book by its cover, before you make an assumption on anyone's appearance, give it some time and be resilient.
What's been your favorite thing about R4R since we met you the first time?
My favorite is having the opportunity to share encouraging stories from so many runners.
It was interesting to hear that at some stage everyone has reached out to help a friend, family, acquaintance, work, or schoolmate in various capacities. Many a time they have been dragged into others' problems and felt they were not helping anymore. When they withdrew themselves from the situation they are left with this guilt that they could have done more or should have tried harder. But at times it’s not possible as it’s affecting their personal space and relationships. It is a very hard decision to make but the sense I got from everyone was, that self-help is more important. If you are not calm, then you do not have the capacity to help others. You need to have clear boundaries so you can continue helping when needed, and suggest seeking professional help.
Remember, you cannot make everything right in this world. Some things are perfect with their imperfections (or maybe our society sees them as an imperfection, until you are in those shoes, you never know).
Your original answer to "what does resilience mean to you?" was "GRIT - If you need something in life you have to be persistent and resilient" Do you still think it is? Would you change it at all?
I would still say Grit. Being patient and persistent is the key to Grit. You may not get it right the first, second, or third time but eventually, you will adjust your expectations and get there with a similar outcome.
You've been a massive part of the R4R community so far. How do you think we can achieve our goal of making Canberra suicide-free?
When we heard that we had two cases where R4R had helped someone avoid self-harm. That just iterates that even though we may not have made Canberra suicide free, we have made two Canberra homes suicide-free. Stories like these just give us the incentive to show up on those freezing morning and evening runs. You never know who is waiting out there for a run, walk, or jog to clear their head space. We just need to keep doing what we are doing making one Canberra home suicide-free at a time.
Hoo-bloody-roo, Singh! Cracking read!
Your weekend sorted…
Nice read and Love your answers Singhy.
Well said Singhy!