How I Ran a 5k: Becoming a Runner

The fact that running has become a hobby for me and that I actually want to run a half-marathon later this year is quite the surprise to me. As I’ve said before, I had no interest in running, and more significantly, before this year, I had no reason to think I was capable of it. I want to make this clear because one of the things I hope to do is encourage others who aren’t runners to give it a try.

In a previous post, I mentioned the Couch to 5k program. To put it simply, this program is the answer to “How I Ran a 5k”. I started the program in March as part of a weight-loss challenge at work. The program consists of nine weeks, with three runs a week.

The first few weeks were pretty easy, with relatively short run intervals followed by walking periods. As you progress, the run intervals get longer. The amazing thing is as the workouts get harder, you find them difficult, but still are able to do them, even if at the beginning you think you couldn’t possibly.

That’s what happened to me during the fifth week. On day one, I ran for five minutes, walked three, ran five, walked three, and ran five more. This wasn’t too difficult, since it was the same as week 4. The second day of the week was a little harder. I would have to do two eight minute runs, with a five minute walk in between. Eight minutes amounts to about three-quarters of a mile. I made it through the workout just fine, although it was the first time I would repeatedly look at my timer to see if the running part was almost up.

The third workout of week 5 is what really shocked me. It called for me to run for twenty minutes straight. The mathematician in me was confused, as this workout seemed to come out of nowhere. Not only was twenty minutes straight much longer than eight minutes straight, but the two eight minute runs only amounted to a total of sixteen minutes of running. That meant not only was this the longest period of continuous running, but it was more total running.

This was definitely the first run that actually scared me, and I doubted my ability to do it. I went into others knowing they’d be difficult, but I didn’t think they’d be impossible.

Still, I decided to try. When the timer on my phone told me I had gone ten minutes and was halfway done, I still felt great. I had essentially run a mile straight without it even really fazing me. I kept on running until I started to really feel it. I was starting to breathe harder and felt some aches in my sides. I looked at the timer and saw I had gone for eighteen minutes. I only had two minutes to go, and there was no way I was going to stop. Maybe it was adrenaline or something, but those last two minutes were both the most tiring and most relaxing minutes I have ever run. It was in those two minutes I realized: I am a runner.