From Couch Potato to Runner.

I remember my first run two years ago as if it were yesterday. Dusting off my old, slightly ragged trainers, I decided to give the couch-to-5K program a shot. My only goal back then was to conquer the block around my house. Fast forward to now, and hearing the word “marathon” means a running session of a particular length. What once felt like a mythical distance reserved for those who had their shit together and knew what they were doing now seems just like another run.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m far from being a pro runner. That ship sailed long ago, fueled by 15 years of smoking and twenty-odd years of drinking. But at some point, I just started believing that anything is achievable with the simple recipe of naming the goal, drawing out the map to it, and walking the path. Simple as that.

I’m running because:

Before family life took over, I did a couple of years of Aikido. I loved it. I was getting good at it. I trained pretty consistently. It had a great mental aspect and a serious physical one too. It was the first “sport” I stuck with for more than a few months.

Then life happened. My first child was born, and I took a pause from Aikido with the intention of getting back to it. But, surprise, being a dad became a priority I hadn’t fully anticipated, and I never went back. Over time, my dad-bod started to annoy me — like when tying shoelaces or getting off the floor became a hassle. So, I tried to restart Aikido training a few times, but something always came up. Something always kept me from showing up on time, and I wasn’t about to half-ass it.

I started looking for a sport I could do at any time of the day, without needing to schedule with anyone. Running came up fast, especially since it was becoming trendy. Lots of people around me were running. It was a relatively cheap sport, didn’t involve expensive gear, and didn’t need a trainer or partner. No accountability issues. I could run day or night, hot or cold, and I could even squeeze in a run for as little as 10 minutes if I didn’t have more time. Everything clicked. So, naturally, the question became: why in the hell hadn’t I started running earlier?

Well, brothers and sisters, here’s why: My last memory of running was from about 20 years earlier when I had to get ready for a physical education exam. I ran about 50 meters as fast as I could, no warm-up in the past decade or so. Naturally, I tore up every muscle fiber I had. Hamstrings, glutes, calves — you name it, they all went down. For the next few weeks, walking on flat ground was a challenge.

So here I was, needing a sport I had spent my whole life avoiding.

How I got myself through the first steps:

Even with everything going for running, it wasn’t easy to get started. After exhausting all my other options, I knew it was time to give running a shot.

I decided to make myself like it. I knew I liked stats and tracking progress, so I bought a cheap, used sports watch to record my running sessions. I also read somewhere that running is brutal in the beginning, but after a while, people get hooked. So, I decided to “Goggins” myself through the first three months and see if it would stick. I didn’t expect it to work, but I hoped I’d start enjoying it if I stayed consistent and saw my stats improve. So, I started a 12-week training program to prepare for a 5K.

This was my recipe for success. The first sessions were hell. I hated every one of them. My lungs were burning, my legs were shaking, I was out of breath, and sweating like a pig. To make it even better, I started my running experiment in winter, so my first month involved -10°C runs, snow in the face, slipping on ice, and shoes full of snow.

I came looking for copper and I found gold

I was looking for a sport to help me with my shoe-tying skills by controlling my belly fat but instead, I got much more than that. After all the “hardcore” training I put in, I saw results. My heart rate improved dramatically. My running speed, fitness level, muscle tone, and self-confidence all improved over time.

I started looking forward to my sessions. I was hunting for ways to improve. I wanted to understand what was happening with my body. I set new goals for myself in running. I started searching for competitions to enter.

I was hooked.

Now, after two years:

My GPS watch only tracked 40.8k, falling short of the full 42.195 km that defines an official marathon. But hey, I still ran a hell of a race. Recently, I did a 50k trail race, which I’m counting as my first real marathon experience. So, no, I’m not exactly an experienced marathoner, and it might seem unreasonable for me to say that a marathon is just a run of a particular distance. It might seem like I’m downplaying it, but in reality, I think anyone can do it — and everyone should.

It’s a long run. It might be the toughest challenge in running, but at the end of the day, it’s still just a run. Or a run-walk-run. Or a run-walk-drink-eat-walk-run. Whatever it takes, you can do it. And I suggest you do.

Running has helped me more than I ever expected. I’m excited and curious about it. Sure, I have my ups and downs, but I always go back to running. I’ve set some seemingly unattainable goals, so I’m good for a few years in that department. And I know, for sure, that I’m on a path I set for myself, and I’m walking it until I decide not to.

So, if you’ve been thinking about giving running a try, stop overthinking it. Set your own goal, however big or small, and start walking that path. Who knows — maybe running will surprise you too.