How This Golden Tip Got Me Hooked on to Running Forever

I hated running but now it’s an addiction I can never let go

I’ve never liked running.

Yes, it helps me with my cardiovascular health, and to me, that’s all that it is. Working out has always been part of my life but running never was one of my goals. My only goals were to build muscles and do calisthenics tricks like the handstand and muscle up.

The only reason I’ve come back to running is due to the annual IPPT that all National Servicemen in Singapore need to complete.

For those who aren’t familiar, basically, National Service is compulsory for all Singaporean males. After 2 years of serving in the Army, we need to pass the annual IPPT to be deemed as operationally fit. The test comprises pushups, situps, and a 2.4 km run. And there would be a chance for us to receive some form of monetary reward upon completing the test, based on our performance.

So the only time when I picked up my shoes and started to run was when I needed to go for the test.

I simply hated it, until now.

The dreary beginning

Every time I begin a run, a conversation in my head starts to happen.

It’s gonna be tiring, it’s not gonna be fun, I don’t need to lose fat anyway, running reduces my muscle mass. Basically, I’d find any reason just to tell myself that running isn't for me and try to stop myself from running.

But when the time comes, I will suffer.

Yes, the word is suffering.

I’d put on my shoes, do some dynamic stretches, and off I go.

I’d go down to the nearest park I could find and train for my 2.4 km run by running exactly that, 2.4 km as fast as I could. When I manage to reach the 1.2 km mark, I start to pant and I can feel my pace decrease. By the time I finish the run, I’d be completely exhausted, my heart would be pumping rapidly, I’d be sweating profusely and my thighs would start to burn much more than when I do heavy squats.

That feeling is truly the epitome of suffering.

You can see why I never like running and I thought that I never will.

Typical results

My running routine was simple.

I was simply aiming for a silver grade in my IPPT and I can pretty much secure it if my static exercises, namely the push-ups, and sit-ups were doing decently well. After which, I just need to finish off the 2.4km run within 12 minutes. That’s about a 5-minute/km pace.

My first run after taking a break for a year would usually be pretty slow.

But I’d constantly think that the next run would help me to improve a little at a time until I reached the day of the test. As my runs continue, talks in my head would die down a little but they are always there.

The results of each run were always borderline and I wasn’t improving much. I simply didn’t know what went wrong or whether my training method was the best way to go.

When it was time for IPPT, the only 2 motivations I had were the monetary benefits it would provide and that I would not have to run another time again.

But something changed.

The twist

I started running with my girlfriend.

She’s a pretty avid runner who runs 5 km almost every other week. This is her form of easy running whenever she wants to exercise but is too lazy to lift waits. We started running together a few months ago and I didn’t think that she was as good of a runner as I thought she was.

Needless to say, by the end of the 5 km run, I was gassed out. I was panting away while she finished it easily and was able to continue for a longer run. Her heart rate (HR) was only at an average of 151 bpm while mine was at an average of a whopping 181 bpm! That was incredibly lower than mine.

I was blown away.

My ego was shattered. I used to be able to run a marathon when I was serving my National Service, thinking that that period would be the fittest I’d have ever been. Now, running 1/20 of a marathon seems like a chore to me.

I knew I needed to find a way to improve my aerobic fitness.

What I wish someone had told me about running

I went on this track of discovery.

I realized that HR is linked to the amount of effort put in. This meant that I was putting in way more effort than her to run the same amount of distance. My aerobic fitness was much lower than hers and my body was not able to use oxygen in the best way possible.

She was putting in way less effort than me and I wanted to know how.

I started to do my research and requested help from some of my friends who were doing well in their runs. Some of them managed to complete their 2.4 km runs in under 9 minutes, and that was something I never thought was possible. I met up with a friend who was an avid runner and he brought me into the world of running.

I started learning more about different types of training routines.

Something struck me when I came across this phrase:

Run slow to run fast

I always thought that there was only 1 way of training.

Run as fast as you can or as long as you can. I thought everything was mental. But it’s not. The way I was training was absolutely wrong.

No wonder it was exhausting.

This was the revelation I found.

The mindset shift

I started to incorporate this concept by introducing easy slow runs.

I started small and progressively increased my distance over time. I learned to increase mileage and build my aerobic base, the body’s ability to use oxygen. Pace is not as important here and one of the main gauges is to ensure that your HR isn’t too high, preferably within a certain band. This is called Heart Rate Training. If you don’t have an HR monitor, another gauge to use running at a pace where you can still hold a conversation.

This was a quote by one of the research papers on easy runs.

While we may instinctively feel a need to push the pace most of the time to get faster, doing most runs at a slow pace is more likely to yield the desired results

— Sarah Reynah

In the beginning, my HR was still considerably high and I needed to slow down a lot to reduce my HR to the range that I needed it to be. But as I progressed, my HR naturally became lower. The intensity of training was much lower and manageable.

Every week I only started running once and then after a few training, I increased the frequency to twice a week.

This resulted in less effort in running and I was able to run at a faster pace.

The best thing was I started looking forward to my runs.

The addiction

Each run became addictive.

I was looking forward to them as I was making improvements every week. My pace increased, HR lowered, and mileage increased. For each run, I’m also averaging around 6–8 km in total.

This mindset shift in training felt like minimal training but it brought back huge results. And these results became an addiction.

Sometimes, I even manage to experience a runner’s high, a relaxing state of euphoria during long periods of runs.

My HR has lowered naturally and I have been leaner than I’ve ever been. My body was getting used to running at a faster pace and I am curious to see how I can fare in my next 2.4 km IPPT test.

It has been an interesting running journey thus far and I’ll definitely continue running for a long time.

This was something I hoped somebody had told me before I started my runs, perhaps I’d have fallen in love with running at an earlier age.

But I’m glad I managed to come across this form of training.

For those who are interested in this form of training, read about it here.

Try it, you may surprise yourself and fall in love with running too!

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