From Sitting On The Couch To Running 5K
How I went from feeling unfit to being in the best shape of my life.
At the beginning of March, the indoor soccer season had just ended, and after spending a week out of town, running from city to city helping to organise a comedian’s tour across Canada, I realised that I had a fitness test in just under two months. And I was very much out of shape. So, I decided to start running.
Spoiler Alert: The fitness test got cancelled. And I am glad it did because I probably wouldn’t have passed. But it served as a great motivation to pull on my running shoes and start. I don’t think that the fitness test was ever my final goal, but it helped turn something that I did only out of obligation into a passion. I think that if it wasn’t for that first goal, I never would have gone on those first few runs. For anyone trying to start running, setting a goal that is big, yet still achievable is a good place to start.
Once I was able to start running though, I wouldn’t say that it was all easy breezy from there. My first few runs were slow and challenging. During the soccer season, I had gotten used to short sprint intervals, and running for an extended period of time was not something I was used to. In fact, my per kilometer average for my first run was a sloppy 6'51. But it was a start. I found out quickly that one cannot just start out being a great runner; it is something you have to train to be.
The image above is a screenshot of the run summary of my first run. One thing to note though is that my first run was almost three kilometres. In hindsight, I think I should have started a bit less cocky, and worked my way up. It probably would have prevented some soreness and made for a more enjoyable progression.
Slowly but surely, I improved. The distance I was running increased, and with it, the quality of my running also improved. Now, I am running between 5–6km, several times a week. I have found that I enjoy running more than I did at the start and that the first kilometres seem to come much easier now. I still have days when it seems like I pushed myself too hard or started too fast. There are still runs after which I feel woozy, and struggle to even make it back to my front door. After most of my runs, it takes me at least five minutes to calm down my breathing. But even with all this, the “Runners High” I had heard so much about, really did happen. After a run, I always seem to feel happier, lighter, and ready to take on the world.
One factor that also made a huge difference in my overall journey, is my diet. Throughout the past few months, despite being at home most of the time, I have tried my best to limit my intake of sweets like cake and cookies, and instead eat more fruits and vegetables. I still let myself have sweets, just not in excess. It has helped me fuel better for my runs, and experience fewer stitches. Additionally, drinking lots of water throughout the day has also made a positive impact on my running. To become a better runner, I’ve found that I not only need to run consistently, but I also need to be aware of my eating and sleeping habits consistently.
Throughout my running journey, I have days when I didn’t even want to run. I just want to sit on the couch and be lazy. Personally, the hardest part about running, for me, is finding a reason to get out the door. When it comes to running, I can be a bit of a procrastinator. I try to keep putting it off, but eventually, I just have to pull myself together and have some self-control. Even while I’m running I always seem to be finding the next place I could turn back. Yet, this gives me more motivation to keep running, because I know that I have to defy my own expectations.
One life lesson that I think I will surely take away from my running experience, is that anything is possible if you just work for it. Two months ago, I never thought that I could run more than I was running then, which was about 4km, yet now, I find myself having signed up for a half-marathon. I look back, and think when did that happen? When did I become a runner? And I realise, that there wasn’t a certain day that was the tipping point, it was a personal growth, like that of a plant. Each day may not feel like a big difference, but when I look back over a week, a month, or several months the personal growth I’ve made confronts me head-on.
The one piece of motivation that I find keeps me going even when my legs feel like they are on fire, is that every metre, every kilometre is working towards a goal. Every run is a positive difference. Every day that I go running is a day that I am depositing towards my goals and towards a fitter future. I’ve begun a lifelong journey, and I’m just excited to see all the stops along the way.
