Thursday, April 28, 2011

Running and Safety Razors ?

This is going to be a random post. In the last few months I have been under different kinds of stress. Boiling frustration at a nagging injury that won’t go away or issues at work that seem to never end and make my otherwise pleasant job a nightmare. These trying times have forced me to seek different sources of relaxation. I have meditated, read, drank, hiked, rode; ad infinitum…but the one go to starting point has been a classic wet shave.

I know it sounds weird and downright strange that something so common and so normal has become my cornerstone of relaxation but it is true. A few weeks back I ditched my ProFusion Glide mach3 million blade vibrating aerodynamic whisker killing razor and went with classic safety razor. I purchased a Merkur Classic Safety razor and refuse to ever go back.

Why ditch the “best a man can get” you ask? I was always in a rush and perennially getting razor burns, nicks and generally a non-pleasant experience. Shaving became a chore just like everything else. It was no longer grooming it was plowing. A few blogs I read had reviews and mentions of old fashioned safety razors. Although many of the authors could not tell the difference they simply enjoyed taking their time and the feeling of doing things the old fashioned way. I figured it would get me in touch my old school self, stop the razor burn since it is only one blade and maybe just maybe be a better shave. The first few shaves were painfully slow and when I rushed myself I paid for it, but after a few weeks it has become a calming ritual. I slow down and take my time and get the closest shave I have ever had (everyday!!!). It forces me to be careful and rewards me for doing so all in a relatively short amount of time. Does this translate to running?

Maybe. Ever since the change I have noticed that I make smarter decisions about how hard to push and when. I am more diligent about my training and I recognize that I will not be a sub 3 marathoner anytime soon so I better just put in the miles and relax. Is this new runner intelligence due to a close shave? Probably not; but forcing myself to not recklessly approach any act no matter how trivial seems has helped me be patient and wait for my rewards…any distance is just little steps repeated many many times over.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hasty resolutions are of the nature of vows, and be equally avoided.