...and Dark Knights

The festive period is also a great time for shopping. This year, my activity has been very much limited but I did snatch a bargain off Play.com, acquiring the Batman Begins/Dark Knight box set for just £8. Two of my favourite films of recent years and ones I'll watch many times over.

I've never been a particular fan of the caped crusader, but Christopher Nolan's darker, edgier take on Batman has propelled it past the usual sensationalist garbage that dominates the super hero genre. I can find inspiration from just about anywhere and as a keen moviegoer, there often comes a film that really grabs my attention and gives me lessons to take beyond the screen.

It was whilst watching Batman Begins again that some of the themes really hit home. Recall the training scenes with a young Bruce Wayne and his teacher Ra'as al Ghul (played by the awesome Liam Neeson) early in the film. Aside from the literal advice ("always mind your surroundings"), aimed for a ninjitsu student, being so relevant to running as well, he instills in Bruce a mentality that I am fast coming to depend on. The essence of Batman is that his persona is so far removed from that of Bruce Wayne. Bruce was taught to "become more than a man in the mind of your opponent" and by becoming so fearsome and seemingly infallible with his incredible speed and power, he indeed succeeded in scaring the hell out of his enemies.

I feel the same when I'm out running. Well, sort of. I don't have an opponent as such but I am continually battling with my own mind, resisting the urge to slow down or quit and convincing myself that I am bigger than the run. Whenever I'm training, I try as much as possible to remove myself from my comfort zone. If pain is expected, it can be understood and dealt with. The beauty of running is that it doesn't have to be so painful, but the reality is that to reach this state one must push the envelope to unthinkable levels. The test is to become something more than my usual self when performing.

Much of my life is suffused in mediocrity, if that. In a given day, most of my hours are executed well below full capacity; often just wasted. But whilst I'm running I can rise above the usual crap and, for the briefest moment, perform at a level befitting of God's creation. And the beauty is that there is always room for improvement. I will never content myself with my performance levels. I'll always look forward to the next milestone. Right now, it's the marathon. Beyond that, who knows?

I think I adopted this mentality long before running came into my life. As an undergraduate I was an exam machine, seeing Finals as the ultimate challenge. I was relentless in my revision, not allowing myself to compromise on the most rigorous standards. In the few hours a day when I was working, I became more than just a student. I was a warrior, facing the ultimate battle. I try to apply this in any form of competition or challenge; whether it's an exam, Pool match or simply a Countdown game. Why compete half-heartedly? It just isn't worthy of us.

The crucial thing to remember is that we do have our limits, but to not truly test those limits is nothing short of criminal.