Running - My Experience.
This week, I decided to start running again.
Running has been a part of me ever since I got into it around the age of 17. I wasn’t part of any club at school, nor did I play a sport for any team. But every day, before school, I’d run 5k first thing in the morning.
“Why on earth would you put yourself through that?” I hear you say. Well, there were many reasons but one thing I do remember is watching a vlogger named Casey Neistat on YouTube - As part of his morning routine he would get up, and before anything else, he would run long distances through the streets of New York City. He seemed like he loves his life, he accomplishes a lot and for that reason, his videos are very motivating. For some reason, at that point in my life, the idea appealed to me. So one day, on a whim, I bought some cheap Nikes from Sports Direct and walked out the door…
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In the beginning, it was an incredibly egregious experience. I was incredibly unfit and it was one of the hardest things I had ever done. However, with my newfound motivation, I was able to look past it and keep going. And that’s what running is. Just. Keep. Going. Unfortunately, I didn’t really understand this at the start - I would go way faster than I could maintain, run out of steam and then walk until I caught my breath again. That cycle repeated for one, rather slow 10k around my small town on one sunny Saturday evening. I would go on a few runs like this, coming home with stitches and sore legs, and my times were all over the place.
A sunset run through Hervines Park, 2017
“Okay. Back to the drawing board.” I thought. I did some research and changed a few things: I found a stretching routine, I decided to run only in the mornings and I found an app called Strava to track my runs. I realised that I had to slow down and focus on keeping going. It wasn’t overnight but soon I was able to run 5ks and 10ks without breaks. My times were steadily improving.
Soon I was obsessed, chasing new PRs and improving every day. A friend’s piece of advice that particularly helped was this: Keep your splits consistent. A ‘split’ is the time that it takes to complete a specific distance during a longer run. Take this picture below for example. A 7k run can be split up into 1k splits.
A 7k I ran in 2017
The pace just means the speed (measured in time per distance). The app shows me a live feed of how fast the current split is during my run. This way I can check how fast I am running in each part of the 7k.
It was around this point that I first felt a phenomenon known as ‘runner’s high’ which is as good as the best drugs you can get your hands on (or so I’ve heard). Let me explain:- Many athletes and runners report this feeling of euphoria when they go out and exercise for long periods of time. As far as I know, our bodies reward us with all these ‘feel-good’ chemicals like adrenaline and endorphins that make you feel alive and feel good. It’s particularly observed in long-distance running.
In my experience, the feeling is especially potent during the run but it sticks around for the rest of the day. My energy levels are a lot higher and more consistent - I feel like a freight train - as if nothing can stop me. My daily life seems like a breeze and the world has more colour. My head is clear and I just feel… good. As if I have unlocked my 100% - I’ve heard sports scientists say that we are “born to run” and I feel like that’s absolutely true.
So when I’ve let things slide and I don’t run for weeks and months, I can really feel that space in my life. I know I should be doing it. And, like most things, it’s difficult to get back into it after a break, but with running I know that the discipline will be rewarded further down the line, and it’s so worth it.
My first run this week was onto campus and back. I was due for a university covid test, so I decided I would kill 2 birds with one stone. I had woken up and eaten an apple. I put my running shoes on and just stepped out. I didn’t record it - I just wanted to have some fun. I just put my earphones in, played my favourite tunes and ran. And it was hard. But I came home, took a shower and I felt it. That energy.
Eventually, I would like to compete in some 5k or 10k events like Tough-Mudder. I want to tick off a marathon and even an Iron-Man for the bucket list.
My running shoes
If this sounds like something you want in your life, then I would absolutely recommend giving it a go. Here are a few pointers:
Shoes. You absolutely don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on running shoes. The shoes I have now were about 30 pounds or less (which is about 40 dollars) and have lasted me a few years and hundreds of miles of running. Unless you have a foot condition or something, most shoes will do you fine.
Music. Create a playlist(s). Pick something that makes you want to move. It’s different for everyone. Personally, I go for rap with a good beat behind it or sometimes a dance-y hip-hop song depending on the day.
Track your runs. Get an app on your phone or a GPS watch. I use an app called Strava, it lets you share your runs and see your friends’ runs too. It also lets you see your pace, live, during your run.
Don’t eat a big meal before you run. Trust me, it’s not pretty. You only make that mistake once. Along the same vein, go to the toilet before a run as well. Things will feel a lot more comfortable.
And that’s all you could need. Honestly, I’ve known people to run bare-foot with no music or anything with them but this stuff will help and it’s not much money.
I will warn you though, it’s not easy: The first week isn’t going to be that fun. I’m just going to be honest with you here. If you don’t run, you’re going to use muscles that your body isn’t used to using. Take it slow and just enjoy it. I’d recommend 5k as your first goal. Anyone can do 5k with a few weeks of practice. Go around the block for a few runs, then 1k, then 2k etc. Work towards 5k over the course of a month.
You’re going to want to stop but don’t. Jog slower. Running is a lesson in mental fortitude. Trust me, the more you keep going the more your body will reward you, and the feeling you get when you accomplish 5k (which you will) will be incredible. So… what are you waiting for?
