Running in My 20s vs My 30s
How running has changed as I have evolved
Remember PE (physical education) class in high school? My hatred for running stemmed from having to do the annual physical fitness tests (mile run, 50-yard dash, etc). In retrospect, I get the purpose of them. However, the class never really prepared us for those fitness tests. And I hated that those scores were part of how they graded us. Slow times = lower grades and I was always in this category.
Running has always been a part of my life, whether it was forced or for specific aesthetic goals. It always served an external purpose. In college, it was a tactic I took up to lose weight. My friends can sum up what my college workout journey looked like in 2 extremes: cardio bunny or cardi-no — there were no in-betweens.
My running journey can be divided into 2 eras: 20s and 30s
My 20s era was focused on specific physical goals — weight loss and maintaining a certain body shape. Those goals are clear indications of how I viewed exercise and my self-esteem at that time. I was the person who would berate myself for missing a run because I felt that missing one workout would derail my progress.
Now in my 30s era, I’m focusing on longevity, proper training, and mental health. It only took me 10 years to figure out that I’ve been…
