Summary

Running has significantly improved the author's life, helping them achieve mental and physical balance, and leading them to run their first half marathon.

Abstract

The author shares their journey of incorporating running into their life, starting from a decision made after their final exams in 2020. They express their initial concerns about injuries, time management, and motivation but decided to follow specific running techniques to suit their capabilities and health condition. The author details their first run, highlighting the sense of accomplishment they felt. Over time, they improved their running habits, focusing on controlling their breath and pace, which positively impacted their mental and physical health. The author presents statistics from their runs, showcasing their progress and dedication. Although their average running speed didn't improve significantly, their endurance and strength for longer distances increased, enabling them to run their first half marathon. The author concludes by emphasizing the importance of taking the first step towards achieving one's goals.

Opinions

The author believes that starting to run consistently was a significant decision that positively impacted their life.
They express the importance of following specific running techniques that suit one's capabilities and health condition.
The author values the sense of accomplishment that comes from achieving running goals, even if they seem small.
They emphasize the benefits of running for both mental and physical health.
The author is proud of their progress and dedication to running, as evidenced by their running statistics.
They prioritize improving endurance and strength for longer distances over increasing their average running speed.
The author encourages others to take the first step towards their goals, as they believe this is a crucial part of the process.

How running has changed my life

Whether it is a short run or long run, showing up time for the run made a huge difference

Well, before i had decided to run consistently, i always had the concerns of the injuries i might get , the time i could spend on and the motivation i could lose to run in the future used to buzz around my head quite a bit of time.

It must be mentioned that those times were the Final Exam period of the Spring semester and i had a lot to study and work on. And if you are a student like me, you (absolutely ) know how hard and stressful the times can be.

Right after i had finished my last exam, I decided to run consistently for the rest of the year (2020) by following a specific running techniques that suites my running capability, skills and health condition as well.

My First Run (on the track)

There is a saying that’s always stuck in my mind since i have seen and it says:

“Moving forward requires that one first step to take” — Chase S.M. Neill

As i started my first run (on the track ), i had not even decided on whether or not i would be able to run consistently in the coming months or years of my life. With full of excitement , i completed my first 4.86 km run with 5.46 pace under 30 minutes which was the much better result with controlled timing ( that sounds really i am a real professional runner ) than i was expecting it to be. Having completed it, i have felt a deep sense of accomplishment since my childhood ( For the record: Lol, until my adolescence, i did not have any specific achievement to be proud of myself in a certain field ) though it was just a 5 km run.

From that moment, i went serious into runs, specifically into the running habits and developing the skills that are needed for the best version of myself to be able to run at (a good )competence as possible.

The numbers count

Since i started running on a regular basis (3 or 4 times a week ) , i should say that i have done a pretty good result and improvement in controlling my breath and keeping my average running pace on control and the best of all it helped me to achieve the proper balance between my mental and physical health.

Following are the numbers of runs and the distances i have run since i started my first run back in the 2020.

Stats of **2 years** period by **Nike Running Club** app.

The first picture shows only two years period as i had tracked my runs using the Nike Run Club application ( P.S : i could not track my runs with a dedicated running GPS watch to get a precise stats, because i did not have one at that time ). 416.2 kms is not a bad result for me personally, yet far from what i was expecting in one year time period.

A screenshot of **2020 year** stats from **Nike Running Club app.**

In that period, expected distance was 250 kms, but i finished the year with total of 180 kms in 33 runs. This may sound low to you, but for me it was more than just a number or distance ( as i have put many efforts into action in every run ). Pushing my guts was the hardest part of all especially when it comes to go out and run that desired kms. As i have mentioned once, the numbers on the picture, is not just a number, but the hours of attempts to face i did to face my fear.

A yearly stats retrieved by **Coros Pace 2 GPS watch.**

However, the second picture displays the stats from my GPS watch i have bought for my runs( Stats : from COROS Pace 2 GPS watch ).Since i have bought this watch, i have not yet made a regret on investing a portion of money on my GPS watch. Since most of my runs are planned within the tight schedules (ex: uni classes, social meetings and work ), organizing my runs and scheduling was not easy.

What’s interesting in the above picture is that in the second half of the year 2021, i have managed to run around 272 kms which was up around 72 kms more than the yearly stats of previous year.

Furthermore , I believe it is important to point out that during the past 2 years, namely 2020 and 2021, i did not improve my average running speed at all ( but with a slightly difference in between ), because the ultimate goal was to improve my endurance and strength capability for longer distance type running ( Full marathon and Ultra marathon). For the record, as of now, i am capable of running 15 km at one start non-stop and plus more kms i can run ( after some training ).

Throughout the course of last year, thanks to the discipline i have formed, it helped me to run my first half marathon ever.

Take away :

Well, at first, it felt really uncomfortable and uneasy to endure the weather conditions while running. Every time it tried my best to embrace the climate condition of mother nature. It was worth to keep running in such bad weather. After a trying more than a year of running, i finally started to enjoy my joggings every time i do. Yet running alone is still the outdoor activity i always enjoy by myself. I must say that i am grateful for being able to taste that experience every time i run outside.

Without any doubt, i say that running has already became my indispensable part of my life that can not be derived apart from me.

Once again, as mentioned above, the taking the first step can be more important than you might have thought. If you think you can do it, then you are absolutely capable of doing it.

If you have made it until the end of this part, thank you for showing an interest on my writing and i really appreciate time and consideration.

Hope, at least, it has been useful for you.

Happy healthy life. Cheers !