My Running Journey
I started running regularly since January 2023 and haven’t looked back since.
It was really tough getting into running. I used to run sporadically around my neighborhood, but I would give up on making it a habit because of physical exhaustion and inability to keep myself accountable. But after I started taking multi-vitamins and supplements and started eating better, my physical form improved. In January 2023, I decided to brute force myself into running. I ran 1 mile a day for 5 days a week every week for 1 month. My time ranged from 9 minutes a mile to 12 minutes a mile. I was more focused on getting my legs adjusted to running than improving my speed or distance. After 1 month, I got major shin splints. I also didn’t know that stretching was necessary before and after running, so I incurred some running injuries, mainly around my hip. I walked strangely for a month or two before getting back into running.
I later graduated from running 1 mile to running 2 and 3 miles a run a couple days a week. I alternated running with walking, mainly because I would lose focus during my runs. Running is as much a mental game as it is a physical sport. I later learned to concentrate on my feet hitting the pavement as a way to maintain focus on my running than on my breathing. I had to relearn how to breath properly as well, from inhaling in through my nose to exhaling out my mouth. I used to not open my mouth while running for fear of catching flies with my mouth, but now I exhale out of my mouth when I run.
Wearing the right sneakers was essential for my running. I used to be such an Adidas fan, but after having my sneakers get ripped by my toe, I switched over to Sketchers. Sketchers has some pretty nice sneakers actually. My Sketchers haven’t been torn, and I’ve been wearing them for a couple of months now. They’re also super comfortable and I like the feel of my feet hitting the pavement when I’m wearing them — it’s not super big-impact and I can’t feel every rock, stone, and bit of grass when I’m wearing these sneakers, but I can feel the impact of the pavement without twisting my ankle. Wearing the right sneakers is huge for running, and I used to trip all the time and sprain my ankle when wearing the wrong sneakers.
I’ve been tiring of running every day, and I find that rest days are super important. I learned to reserve weekends — specifically Saturdays, for long runs. I recently ran a 6 mile run on a Saturday, and it surprisingly wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I managed to run the first 2 miles without walking, and I hit runner’s high on the 5th mile. Runner’s high is as amazing as it sounds — I could feel the endorphins kicking in and I started running on autopilot without a break in my pace. It lasted for a good half mile before I hit a wall, but it was good while it lasted.
I’m also training for a half marathon in August — wish me luck! It’s my first half marathon since high school, which was over 10 years ago, and I’m kind of excited. I signed up for races before but never fully committed to them — partly because of my lack of a running regimen and partly because I lacked the motivation to run. I feel like I can say that I’m a certified runner now and I’m hoping to complete this half marathon as a testimony to the running journey I’ve been on for the past year and a half.
I would say running’s my main sport as of now. I occasionally play tennis against the wall, as I don’t have access to a court for miles and miles, and tennis is always fun, but running is something that has become more of a personal challenge to overcome.
My running journey’s been full of twists and turns. Injuries, shin splints, torn sneakers, moments of frustration with life, lack of motivation — I’ve suffered through all of this. But at the end of the plateau where I’m trying to break into running as a sport, I’ve managed to pass the threshold and graduate into runner’s territory. I’m so excited for my half marathon coming up and I hope I can do the art form justice. Running’s a physical art as much as it is a sport, and I don’t regret any of the running I’ve done.
I'm grateful for the body and space I have to run, and I look forward to future running goals to be met and conquered.
Here’s to running! 🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️
