I’ve never enjoyed running until about a month ago after I found out my dad needed triple bypass heart surgery. (Which happened this past Tuesday, successfully.) Having such a personal purpose to run and take care of my health has been really eye-opening and cathartic.

I’ve really had to learn to go easy on myself. I felt so slow and bad when I started about a month ago but staying consistent and reminding myself that I’m doing it not only for myself but for my family has really kept me going and getting better.

I felt like my dad’s news was a gift to me in a way. I want 61 year-old me to look back one day and thank 35 year-old me for taking this seriously.

I decided 5Ks were my run distance of choice. First one I did was June 23. I hadn’t run in a year. Took me 38:02 to run 3.11 miles. Fast-forward to a month to July 30 and I ran my best 5K of 27:33. Shaved a full 10 minutes in a month just from staying consistent. Super rewarding.

Anyways, sharing all of this in case it helps anyone or is motivating. I needed purpose in my life besides “lose weight” to work out. It came in a harrowing form, but I figured out how to harness the situation and turn it into something positive.

Specific things I’ve found helpful when just starting:
•Have your running clothes/shoes ready ahead of time. Don’t get distracted by what to wear when it’s time to go
•Nike app with guided runs keeps me paced. Pick a specific goal
•Drink a pre-workout 20-30min before
•AirPods

I also got a Fitbit Inspire HR to keep an eye on my heart rate and overall wellness and ultimately that has really worked wonders for me, just a constant reminder to not get lazy