What running 5km for the first time taught me about myself
On a random Thursday, I joined an official 5km run with my colleagues and friends without ever having run more than 2km before (during PE class at school). This introduction to running was brutal, but the feeling afterwards made me say:
“I get it now.”
I had never associated running or jogging with anything other than nuisance and exhaustion — so what changed my mind?
If you follow me over on Instagram (@s0ritta), you would know that I have become fond of “side questing” as a way of trying things out without the pressure of having to succeed. My experiences with crocheting, making beaded necklaces, and hiking have taught me patience and perseverance.
With that (and many mindset and self-help books) came a major mindset shift. It went from “absolutely not” to “what if we just tried?”
When the day of the 5km Business Run in Graz came around and some colleagues could not participate due to sickness, a few spots spontaneously opened up. Long story short, I grabbed one… and bought myself new running shoes right before the race.
Here’s what I learned:
1. Your body is stronger than you think
I thought about quitting multiple times. Yet I continued moving forward, one foot in front of the other.
My thighs started to burn. I was running during a hailstorm. I was cold, my shoes had soaked through in puddles, and breathing in cold air hurt my lungs while I was already breathing like a suffering rat — but I still moved.
I don’t believe I pushed myself to the point of serious injury. However, I kept going because I knew I could continue, even if it meant moving at a slow pace.
2. Do you even know how to breathe properly?
When I stopped to walk for the first time — completely out of breath while watching others run past me — I realized that I did not know how to regulate my breathing.
My body was not used to this kind of movement at all. System overload.
Aside from not having built up any endurance, I also had to remember that I joined the race spontaneously, without any running experience, after entering my twenties.
Nonetheless, it was a huge wake-up call. I did not want to continue feeling this way after finishing the 5km run.
Things would have to change.
3. It’s you vs. yourself
The fact that I ran alongside thousands of people (more than 8,000 participated) motivated me to keep going.
At the end of the day, however, it came down to me fighting against my own beliefs and inner thoughts.
Just a few minutes after the official start, I had already lost track of my friends after quickly falling behind. Soon, the crowd became an ocean of faceless people.
What remained present were my thoughts:
“Keep going.”
“This is so hard.”
“I want to stop.”
“Puuuush, Soso, push!”
4. The importance of community
At some point during the race, around the 2km mark, a colleague found and joined me. We had the same slow pace and the same fate of deciding to join on the day of the event.
In short:
We were equally unprepared.
I cannot tell you how much slower I would have been if Matthias had not run with me. The fact that one of us kept pushing meant that both of us continued to run or walk further.
I especially want to thank all the strangers who continued cheering us on, even after it had rained cats and dogs and the race had been paused for a short period.
I would have never thought that hearing a stranger yell “Keep going!” would mean so much to me one day.
When I got close to the finish line and suddenly noticed a familiar face waving at me and waiting for me, my heart filled with joy.
I had not expected anyone to wait for me and cheer me on like that.
It meant the world to me that I was able to celebrate with a friend afterwards.
5. Do hard things
Running completely cold turkey like this was a huge challenge, and the feeling of accomplishment lasted for multiple days afterwards.
I discovered a newfound trust in my body’s capabilities. Even though my inner voice desperately wanted me to give up, I am glad I did not let it win that day.
The feeling of crossing the finish line with a huge grin on my face while barely catching my breath is certainly one I will remember for a while.
I had just done a hard thing.
Spontaneously.
Wohoo!
If you had asked me to participate just a few months ago, I would have certainly declined. Weather and season aside, I simply had not trained my mental muscles enough at the time.
What I am trying to say is this:
Being open to trying new things, even when you are scared, is a skill that can be trained.
6. Health stats
In an odd way, running a distance beyond what I could ever imagine myself doing gave me time to reflect on where my body is currently at.
I work a full-time office job and then come home to creating, editing posts, or writing — while sitting down yet again. My body has turned this inactivity into stiff joints.
I visit the gym the way I would visit distant relatives — every now and then, without really knowing what to talk about — and it showed.
I am currently at the heaviest weight I have ever been in my life. My body felt heavy from the very first steps I took.
People whom I believed to be at least twice my age breezed past me during the race. Granted, I know many people trained beforehand before joining the race — but something finally clicked for me.
The pain of staying the same is beginning to outweigh the pain of changing.
I want to feel healthier again.
That number does not necessarily have to change on the scale, although I believe that may become a side effect.
I simply want to breathe better again.
Conclusion
Do hard things and say yes to new adventures. Even one tiny step forward can change the direction of your journey.
Who knows — you may discover that wonderful things exist beyond your fear of failure.
Lead your dreams,
Soso