Exceeding Track Limits

Humble Beginnings

It all started when I joined a random WhatsApp group for fitness enthusiasts created by a Bahraini Redditor. They were organizing a meet-and-greet at the Juffair walking track, and I had nothing else planned that Friday evening. I didn’t keep in touch with those kind folks, but I’m glad I went. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be writing this post.

Back then, I could only manage a weekly walk. Not because I lacked time, but because my body simply wasn’t used to hitting 12k steps. You’d think I’d breeze through it, considering how often I’ve explored massive malls with indecisive people.

It was around the 3rd week of April when I decided to kick things up a gear. I had just returned from a rejuvenating weekend in Dubai and I was really motivated to work on my fitness. Friday walks were soon joined by Sunday walks. Then Thursday. Then Saturday. By the end of May, it had become a near-daily ritual.

Only Strava knows exactly how many walks I’ve been on along that track.

Consistent Non-Determinism

If you’re a close friend of mine, you know I’m a sucker for a good routine. There’s something so comforting about knowing where you’ll be and what you’ll be doing at a given hour.

You’ll also know that I, like most people, eventually get bored doing the same thing over and over again.

In this case, the rather boring act of walking from my apartment complex, through the busy streets of Juffair, along the track, and finally to the corniche, had a lot of room for surprises.

• I would notice a novel way of violating traffic laws at least 1 in every 10 trips.
• It’s not really surprising that people take their dogs for walks along the track but there’s always a new one to wave at.
• There are more people on the walking track than you’d expect. Waving out to strangers is a very fun experiment. I’d sometimes get a smile or some friendly acknowledgment, while other times they’d stop to start a conversation. One such experience lasted about an hour, can you believe it?
• Opposite the track, large buildings line up like massive canvases, each begging to be noticed. Some people still have their Christmas trees set up in May!
• When you get to the corniche, there is a 1 in 20 chance that you’ll get to kick a stray football back to a group of school-going kids. I cannot express how great it feels to lob one over their little heads.

There’s a weird joy in how randomness seeps into this otherwise routine walk.

Here are some low-effort tricks I’ve used to make walks a lot more lively:

• Listening to music is a no-brainer, especially if you’re someone who has an almost fickle relationship with songs. This is the perfect activity to try out new playlists or albums.
• The same can be said for video essays and podcasts. If you’re anything like me, this is a good opportunity to trim down your YouTube Watch Later playlist. This also applies to audiobooks, although I must admit that I’ve not experimented with those myself.
• Calling a friend makes walks way better 10 out of 10 times. You think I’m talking about getting a partner to walk with? Not everyone wants to spend their free time walking. Getting on a WhatsApp or a Meet call is almost like the real deal though. If you’ve been on a call with me over the past couple of months, you know how fun those get. It is definitely worth the weird looks I get from strangers who happen to eavesdrop on our conversations.

Thanks to all of these hacks, my walks have been very different from each other. Still, it’s almost always the same number of steps.

The Journey(s)

Since you’ve made it this far, I’ll reward you with some music to accompany you while you read. Here’s a gem I discovered thanks to FIFA 22. You’ll find that it is quite apt for this section and for my route in particular.

Right at the halfway point of my route, there’s a small berth with docked boats and a beautiful view of what I can only describe as the “Juffair skyline”. I’ve come here almost daily and every time I reach here, I feel an immense joy.

Naturally, I reach for my phone, to try to capture the moment with my lackluster photography skills. However, when I scroll through those pictures later in the comfort of my room, I always feel like the pictures fail to instill in me those emotions I’ve felt countless times at the berth.

This might sound like a stretch, but stay with me.

The other day, I was watching a video essay about Mt. Everest, which sent me spiraling into a rabbit hole of mountaineering content. I’ve seen so much 360-degree footage of the summit and yet, I feel somewhat indifferent towards it. The view from the top, overlooking the Himalayas, is definitely beautiful. I guess watching a video of it doesn’t really inspire the same feeling as described by those who have reached the peak.

It isn’t the grandeur of the destination in the end but rather the journey to get there that truly matters.

“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

• Sir Edmund Hillary

One can also look at this as a metaphor for any pursuit, including the commonly sought-after goal of “getting in shape”.

As someone who spends so much of their day indoors, these walks really do feel like an adventure. Almost unknowingly, I feel like I’ve conquered the part of me that would rather stay at home.

I didn’t even realize how much this meant to me until I sat down to write it all out. On days when life gets in the way and I can’t go for my walk, I feel genuine sadness. This little ritual has helped me reset after long days, so much so that it feels like a Friday night every night.

I hope this post inspires you to pursue your own fitness goals. If that includes walking, invest in a good pair of Asics.

As for me, with regard to my own fitness journey, there is a long path ahead of me. Pun very much intended.