I never thought I could be a runner. Two months ago, I could barely run 500m. Now I can run a full 5km. What's even more unbelievable is that I actually enjoy it! Here's how I got to this point.
I used to look at runners and wonder how and why they did it. When it came to exercise, I preferred group classes and HIIT. But when Covid-19 struck and gyms closed, I realised I needed to start thinking of other ways to get my body moving. I looked around for at-home workouts and was recommended to Keep It Cleaner. I joined and enjoyed it, but soon found that I needed something more to motivate me. And that’s when I turned to running.
My partner has always been a runner-type, so I made the bold decision to tag along to one of his runs. I jumped in the car and started thumbing through music playlists while picking his brain and saying, “Don’t get use to this, it will probably just be this one time”.
Then I got a taste for it.
At first, I could only run five hundred meters. I stopped and started a lot and chose a shorter route, around three kilometers. I tired pretty easily and soon couldn’t see my partner as he continued off on his run. I pushed on and when I finished, I realised it hasn’t been that bad. I had enjoyed getting outside and doing exercise outside of the confines of a gym or my home. My competitive side had also had a taste. How far could I really take this?
And so, it began. Evey run we went on I started pushing myself more and more. I would bargain and bait myself, “Just make it to that poll and you can stop”, “Can you run just that little bit extra today?” I never enjoyed the competitive nature of some gym classes where instructors would see who could do the most squats or run the fastest. What I did like though is competing against myself as I found I got that in running. I literally tripped and commando rolled onto concreate one day, yet got back up and continued running because I wanted to make sure I finished (I now pay really close attend to raised pavements and uneven surfaces).
I started running two days a week and have now bumped it up to three. Slowly, slowly, each week I ran further and started building up my fitness. Then one morning (Thursday 18th June – you can bet I’ve marked it in my dairy), I pushed myself the whole five kilometres. The satisfaction I felt was immense. I set my mind and achieved something I previously thought I was incapable of.
Running has been really beneficial for my mental health during this lockdown. It keeps me accountable, allows me to achieve goals outside of work and has got me out of the house during isolation. It also doesn’t hurt when we run along a beautiful harbour and people are out walking their cute dogs.
My main takeaway from this post is it that you can honestly achieve anything you set your mind to, as corny as that sounds. Just start making small steps towards your goal and don’t beat yourself up over your progress. It’s meant to be fun and it’s meant to be about you.
If you’re after any running tips, here are my two cents:
- Don’t track your progress and pace against anyone else.
- Celebrate every win, be it one metre or one hundred.
- Use a running tracker to boost your motivation and keep track of your progress.
- Find the perfect running soundtrack, be it a podcast or playlist. I opt for faster songs with a 160-165bpm pace.
- Be consistent and work on making small, achievable improvements.
See you out there, Kara xx