Introduction

On November 24, 2024, I decided to make a drastic change in my life and started running. From then on it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have lost 60 pounds, am in the best shape of my life, and am enjoying the process of running, which I thought I would never say before.

What am I doing?

I started by doing the Couch to 5K Program. This program basically starts you by alternating between running and walking. It first starts with a minute of walking and a minute of running. Sooner or later, you start running more and walking less, and by the end, you try to complete a 5K (3.11 miles) without stopping to walk. This initial period of running was so weird for me, a lot of imposter syndrome, asking myself, “Can I do this?” “What am I thinking? I’m not a runner.” I felt so slow and lethargic that I had serious thoughts of quitting. Also, the second day of the program, it started to snow (Of course!). The biggest thing for me was that I continued to do it and didn’t give up. I needed to understand that I am going to be slow for months, and understand that I’m not going to be losing a lot of weight immediately.

Finding My Groove

I was so excited and proud of myself when I completed the last run and ran my first 5K without stopping. I was so surprised that I was able to complete it. If I recall correctly, it took me around 40 minutes. I was in utter disbelief that I was able to run 40 minutes without stopping. From then on out, I kept running my 3 days a week and tried to complete at least a 5K each time. After the first 5K, I also got up to 4 miles. I was then able to mix in an occasional 4-mile run.

The Weight was Falling Off

Also, during this time, I was losing a ton of weight. I think I was losing like 10 pounds a month. It was extremely gratifying and motivated me to run even more and continue on this journey. By May of 2025, I had lost 40 pounds.

The Mental Game

During this time of running, I came to understand the great gift of running, that is, what it does for your brain. For me, it is an outlet to completely unplug from the stresses of life. I leave my front door, throw on some music, a podcast, or my favorite audiobook, and completely disconnect from what is troubling me. I can see the world around me in a way I never have before. I get to experience nature in its purest form.

The act of going out for a run and forcing myself to run is sometimes a tough decision. There are times when I don’t want to run, but force myself to do it anyway. This conditions my brain to do things that it doesn’t want, and to enjoy the hard thing. I am always so glad I ran, right after I completed it, because it was difficult, and I knew it was for the better.

The Future

I am going to continue to run, of course, I don’t know if I’ll ever stop. I am also going to be trying a couple of races.