Setting an alarm doesn’t cut it! A strong will doesn’t help—running has to be one of the dullest hobbies to adopt for anyone reading this post. I have read hundreds of posts about how beneficial running can be at an age where agility wants out. Some of these posts hinted at “Nirvana” as its final reward. So, I wanted to give it a shot, for a while at the least. Here is what I discovered about my interest in running.
How to start running today
It was 3:00 AM on a Monday, the stars were aligned, and what a perfect schedule it would make if I decided to run. With little research, I found an article explaining “How to Start Running Today,” which was what I wanted to know at that moment. The article had a scale to measure where I stood in my experience as a runner. I was a beginner, so I scrolled to the advice for beginners. The advice was simply – to start somewhere rather than worrying about failing to cover enough ground on day one.
Getting motivated
Like I said, no amount of willpower will get you up and running if you are like me. I looked at my clock – it was 5:00 AM. The sky looked blue. All I had to do, according to the article and Charles Duhigg, was to develop the Power of Habit. It required me to get off my cozy bed. I thought to myself if I was really going to pick this hobby for “research purposes,” now is when I should. So I got up, brushed my teeth, filled my bottle with water, and put on my walking shoes.
I did pretty well and followed up my success with a reward for myself that would encourage me to do this every day. Honestly, it did feel like an achievement and made my day a lot better. The energy levels were high throughout the day. I was active with my tasks and rediscovered the ease of mingling with others. At around 8:30 PM, while having a nutritious meal that I prepared in the spirit of an enthusiastic runner, I decided to keep my motivation high and encourage myself to continue running every day.
Keep moving
The following day, I woke up with cramps, but I felt hyped about my new hobby. The article stated – In case of muscle cramps, start by strolling to loosen up your muscles. So, at 5:30 AM, I was outside the door with a bottle of water in my hands, checking on the weather, which was perfect. My goal was to keep moving in a direction and avoid sitting anywhere, even if the pain was unbearable. It didn’t matter if I ran or walked that day. I had to show some respect for the hobby I picked.
Create a plan
If there was a god of running, I would have been outcasted on the third day. I did not run that day. I was embarrassed and blamed my cozy bed for not allowing me to leave. My brain nurtured all kinds of thoughts, from “You are tired” to “You tried,” that kept me in bed that day until 7:00 AM. During breakfast, I decided that I needed a plan if I wanted to take running seriously. On that day, I replaced my walking shoes with running shoes. I found an expert to create a 7-week plan to build my running habit. It focused on improving my bone and muscle strength so I could have longer running sessions without sustaining injuries. The plan dictated 30 minutes of warmup sessions with an hour of running, ending with walking. I also had the choice of splitting my running hours into two half periods between morning and evening, as it would not affect my progress.
Keep running
When I started running every day, I experienced the endurance boost that I read about in the articles on the internet. In my opinion, the “Nirvana” mentioned in several of those posts was nothing but that “bodily sensation” that happens when your brain is deprived of oxygen and you gasp for air. It felt good, but if I couldn’t control my breathing, I would slow down and regain my composure by jogging or brisk walking. Slowly, I worked more on my running and reduced my walking breaks. My distance targets scaled with my endurance. When I finally began to experience that I could run for a long period, I started exploring different terrain situations to see how I performed in those areas. It was everything my body needed to take the best form in a lifetime.
Health checkup
One fine day, I went for a health checkup only to realize that I could have risked health problems by running without consulting a doctor. What?! I was running all this time carefree, and now I am in a situation where I have to rethink my decisions. My doctor explained to me that if my family had a history of heart disease, then any rigorous activity could impact my health. Fortunately, my health reports stated no complications and, in fact, showed extreme improvements in all sections. Around noon, I left the hospital to head to Decathlon to purchase the right running gear and a health tracker because I needed assurance that if I was running, I was doing it right, and getting good results.
I must say in the beginning, I felt the change, but with years, I realized that the only difference between running and standing still is the state of our body’s energy. When you are running, you can feel your body charging up with fresh energy guaranteed to improve your day. On the other hand, standing still lets you conserve energy. There is no point in conserving your energy for more than a day. Make room for the new energy.
Yes, running has benefits such as improved endurance, agility, better breathing, and an active state of mind. So I continue to do this exercise just for its benefits. However, if standing still doesn’t count as a hobby, so shouldn’t running. For some readers, if it is a hobby, the fun of it only begins after you take an after-run shower.
