At the beginning of 2023 year, I held vision board workshops online and in person (Mexico City) for my volunteer community, Girl Gone International. One of my biggest goals was to run a marathon… and that did not happen. Haha!!
For the first half of the year, I was having severe health issues due to stress. My marathon goal felt like wishful thinking. But in the back of my mind, I felt envy seeing people go for jogs and watch ultra marathon documentaries.
Around September, I moved to London. Something about the city and the mild climate were the perfect running conditions for me.
I knew a marathon was not gonna happen! Even signing up for a 5K felt out of place, and I don’t really like group competitions. So, I started small and devised a tiny goal of running 10 minutes straight for 30 days. It just felt right. It was easier said than done.
By day 3, I felt like an idiot and out of shape compared to by peak running stamina in 2019. But I did it. I ran at a superr slow pace for 30 days. I felt so good about myself by the end.
So much so that after the 30 days I didn’t stop my daily jogging and basically ran everyday! 🤣 Each day I did what I wanted depending on my mental and physical health. Often I would run from my apartment to my gym before a lift because running to a destination felt motivating.
I changed small things like running a longer route along a busy street for entertainment. Or running along the peaceful canals. Other times I ran and walked in intervals.
Running, even if just for 10 minutes, feels so good for my body. It’s been a few months, and now I can a slowly run for 30 minutes and feel strong. Yay!
For 2024 I’m committed to creating achievable running goals. Running just 10 minutes a day at a slow pace had as much positive impact on my psyche and physical health as a more extended amount of time.
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