I never liked running. I thought it was too physical. Exhausting rather than enjoyable. Then, my wife had an accident and went through ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction surgery. The surgery replaced the ligament in her right knee with a graft and metal screws. She used to train Taekwondo and was good at it. After gruel rehabilitation for 6 months, she found limitations in her choice of sports.
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One Mind One Breath 
I love this post! Every time I go to run I am reminded of a video I watched on YouTube by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. It was that video that introduced me to mindfulness as a philosophy and as a practice. It helped me tremendously with my running but more so than that catapulted me to a place of spiritual inquiry, reflection and discovery. The practice of mindfulness is perhaps the most transforming spiritual practice (that and chanting) that I have learned over the last couple of years of seeking.
Thank you! I also enjoy chanting. For years, while driving back and forth between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, I used to chant Banya Shimkyung (Heart Sutra). 60 minutes passed like 3 minutes. By the time I arrived in Albuquerque, I was very calm and energized. I haven’t seen the video you mentioned but I will check it out.
This is a great post. I was in the Active Duty Army for 4 1/2 years and in the Minnesota Army National Guard Army for 3 years. I found that your mind has to blend with your body and to be able to focus on your breathing. I had to learn what my legs did during each run to figure out what felt the best. Your body tells you what you are doing right or wrong by hurting or feeling good.
When I run, I see other people listening to music while walking or running. I never listen to music when running outside. I have found that the beauty of the nature’s colors and sounds are what truly get you to almost forget you are in a running pace. At times, I feel like I am meditating while running which allows me to then also be able to focus on anything other than the running itself.