SELF-IMPROVEMENT — LIFE LESSONS

Five Life Lessons I Learned From Running Daily In Lagos

A few clichés and personal anecdotes gleaned from pounding the pavement.

Lagos roads have a chameleon-like quality to them in the mornings. Some days, they burst into a vivid palette of reds, yellows, and blues, with the city’s red and blue BRT buses devouring passengers, while the rickety yellow molues and danfos, and their boisterous conductors shatter the morning quiet.

On other days, a steady stream of private vehicles leaps over potholes, racing each other, or remaining ensnared in traffic as they journey to their respective destinations.

Some days, all these scenarios play out simultaneously.

Lagos, you see, is a city in perpetual flux …

I know this because these are the sights, I encounter during my daily 5–10-kilometer run.

What started as a mere fitness regimen has transformed into a journey that’s taught me far more than improved endurance.

Join me as I unveil five profound life lessons that my daily runs in Lagos have taught me.

Lesson 1: You Are Your First Motivation

Even if you’re not a runner, you can relate to the struggle of leaving the comfort of a cozy bed, especially on chilly mornings.

Hitting the snooze button often feels like a far more appealing option. Running daily taught me that smashing that mental rock of resistance is akin to motivating yourself to tackle any challenge.

Before it became a passion, I had to rouse myself each day to wake up, get dressed, and hit the road. I had to not only initiate but also sustain this commitment.

Running daily reminded me that, before running mates, coaches, competitions, and accolades, the initial push had to come from within — from myself alone.

Lesson 2: All Your Excuses and Successes Are Valid

Lagos, like many parts of Nigeria, oscillates between two distinct seasons: the rainy season with its week-long rains and flooded streets, and the dry season, marked by sweltering heat and uncomfortable nights (unless you have a power generator).

Both seasons offer valid excuses for not running.

Who wants to get wet or soil their sneakers in muddy puddles?

Similarly, the scorching weather and sleepless nights are excellent reasons to stay indoors.

Yet, I’ve run through rain-soaked streets and sweat-drenched mornings without fail.

My accomplishments serve as a reminder that my victories and excuses are both valid in their own right.

Lesson 3: It is easy to stop / form habits

If you wake up every day like I do and take the same circuit, too, you will find out that you will have formed a habit in about two weeks.

I mastered the habit of rising early and running early and breaking the habit of staying in bed longer than I should or starting my morning on a ‘low.’

Running daily taught me that habits, whether constructive or destructive, are malleable.

With consistent effort and determination, we can form and break them with relative ease.

Lesson 4: Pain is an illusion

One thing most athletes have in common isn’t trophies and awards or even competition success and failures; it is pain.

That sprained ankle, torn ligament, bruised toe, sore muscle pain. I run for fun, but I know this because I have experienced one, if not all of the above.

When you run daily, there is a possibility that you will run with these pains (the mild ones, at least). Before I began running, pain was a scary thing that always led me to rest and relax. To run and hide.

But running daily taught me that pain is an illusion. And as with illusions, I learned that If I ignored the pain and focus on the running trail, I could achieve whatever goal I set out to achieve.

(Note: Severe pain should be addressed with rest, medication, and therapy.)

Lesson 5: The only limits are the ones we set for ourselves

I ran my first 10km in about an hour. My heart slammed against my chest like a trapped and desperate rodent.

My lungs felt like they would turn to confetti. My ankle and calves ached for a week.

I told myself that would be my personal best. Sixty minutes was my limit.

Well, that was many months ago. Today, I have shattered that limit, raised that bar, and I’m heading for the thirty-nine-minute record with a personal best of forty-one minutes.

I’ll say it again, the only limits that exist are the ones we set for ourselves.

CONCLUSION

Today, Lagos roads are a little clearer no thanks to the fuel hike.

I have set and reached so many goals because of these lessons.

Are you still a sleeper or a procrastinator?

Join me on the road tomorrow morning or start that thing you have always postponed.

And, If you are a fellow runner or have a habit or hobby that has taught you life lessons like mine, share with me in the comment section.

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