Why Running 5km Was The Best Thing I Did This Year

The Mental Workout I Never Knew I Needed

Photo by sporlab on Unsplash

I’m no runner.

In secondary school, I signed up to be a part of the cross-country running team.

I wasn’t chosen, there was just a few of us who had signed up, so we all were accepted by default.

I had no preparation, no strategy. I practically wheezed throughout the entire thing, at one point taking a shortcut across the circuit in a bid to ensure my own survival.

Worst decision ever.

Fastforward to this year, I decided to take up running to beef up my stamina and help me excel in my weekly football matches. I bought new running shoes, downloaded a few audiobooks and even kept my trusty blue inhaler closeby.

My goal was to run 5km regularly, and after my first lousy attempt (only reaching 2.5km), I decided that the second time, I was going to hit the 5km mark, no matter how long it took.

At 1km, I started noticing some discomfort in my ankles. By 2km, my shins started to swell and my earphones ran out of battery (have you ever been to the gym without them? Sucks right!). My right foot starting striking the treadmill awkwardly, and I found myself consciously reminding it how to land properly with every stride. By…