Lessons from Running One Thousand Kilometers in 5 Years
What running taught me about life.
I took up running because I wanted an activity that burned calories fast. The last thing I expected was to get as much into as I have.
I’m not crazy about running. I don’t train for marathons, I don’t have a collection of shoes I rotate on a schedule, and my Garmin watch is second-hand from a friend.
But if I spend a week without going for a run, I don’t feel like myself. Going out and hitting my goals makes me feel alive.
In 2018, I reached a total of one thousand kilometers ran in five years, which has prompted me to stop and think about some of the lessons it taught me.
It taught me that achieving meaningful goals takes consistent effort.
When I first started, I could barely run non-stop for a minute. I’d go out for a “run” and walk half the time. I would run 4k in 30 mins, and it felt like I was going to die. (That’s about 2.5 miles, for the miles-oriented people).
My lungs wouldn’t get enough air, it felt like I was drowning on dry land. My legs would be on fire, begging me to give up at every step.
With consistent training, however, I improved. Now, I’ve reached my goal of running 5k (3.1 miles) in less than 30 mins. My current record is 28'30".
I learned the value of perseverance and patience.
Reaching my goal wasn’t easy, nor straightforward. Throughout the years, I’ve had good runs and bad runs, excellent runs and mediocre runs. Some days, just the act of going outside is a major victory in itself.
Running taught me that nothing truly meaningful can be achieved without consistent effort. To succeed, you have to do more than trying, you have to insist.
You have to go out even when you don’t feel like it, and push through when you feel like you’re about to give up.
Running 5k in 28'30" wasn’t something that I accomplished overnight. It took me 5 years of training to get to that point. And I know that if I stop running for a month I won’t be able to get the same result immediately.
Nothing good ever comes for free. It takes a lot of persistence and effort to achieve results.
It taught me to be patient.
My first run ever was a disaster. I walked more than I ran, and felt like shit for not having been great in the first try.
I have always been an impatient person, and very demanding on myself. Whenever I try new things, I somehow expect to be great at it, even though I have no skill and no practice.
Running taught me that I can’t attempt something once and crush it on my very first try.
Sure, I have more talented for some things (writing) than others (playing guitar, singing, ice skating, juggling chainsaws on fire while riding a unicycle, etc), but talent alone is not enough.
Without discipline to practice, and patience to persevere, no amount of talent will ever be enough.
With running, I had to learn how to be patient and trust the process. Practice and repetition do get results, only you have to give it time.
It taught me to take care of myself.
There are many factors that influence a good run. What I ate before, and how long ago, if I had a good night’s sleep, if I’m wearing the right shoes, if it’s too hot or too cold outside, if it’s too humid or too dry — there are dozens of little elements that make a difference.
There are things I can’t control (like the weather), but I can control what I eat and when; I can control how much time I allow myself to rest, and what time of the day I’m going out for a run (early morning vs. noon, for example).
Being so mindful of my body and my environment helps me to take better care of myself. In order to run better, I have also started weightlifting and doing yoga, practices that strengthen my muscles and core, and help with breathing.
Being conscious of how all of those elements play a part in my performance and overall health has been illuminating, and it has definitely contributed to improve my well-being.
It taught me to be proud of my accomplishments.
Being so hard on myself as I usually am, it’s hard for me to feel proud of my accomplishments, as they tend to feel more like I’ve just done the bare minimum.
With running, though, I can feel proud of myself.
I’m proud of training on a regular basis, proud of the mileage I do every month, proud of my good runs and ecstatic about my best runs. The effort it takes to get better at it it’s what makes my running accomplishments worth celebrating. And in turn, this happiness turns into motivation to keep going.
I couldn’t be happier that I stuck with it for so long, and learned so many valuable lessons.
Running has performed major changes on my body, in my attitudes and my habits, and I’m grateful for each and every one of them.
