So I ran a 10K this Sunday!
Looking back 4 years, it started with a mild disappointment. I just hopped on a treadmill one fine day and found that I struggled to complete 1km! And so, I added this to my ever-growing to-do list. 😉
Over a period of several months, I tried a lot of apps, viz. Runkeeper, Runtastic, CouchTo5K, MapMyRun, etc. but they didn’t help much as they were just numbers and I needed some motivation to get into the habit of running. 📊
Then I came across this app, “Zombies, Run!”, which basically gamified my running experience. It’s a zombie adventure storyline, where every run plays out a mission and advances the story. You get to be the hero (something we all like!) and collect supplies (like medical kits, batteries, and food) to grow your base back home. The audio is quite immersive, and if you hear zombies on your six, it’s time to kick things up a notch! I had a good run (journey) with it and it was definitely a great starting point. 🧟
Once I got comfortable with the idea of running, my next goal was to run a 5k. I registered for the same around 4 months in advance, to give myself some sort of a deadline. At the time of registration, I was sure that it can be done but also that it would require a lot of consistent efforts (showing up) from my side. By now, I had found the perfect companion app, the “Nike+ Run Club”. It had guided runs, wherein a coach would give tips on what to do and what not to do, during the run itself. It taught me about different paces (best pace, mile pace, 5k pace, 10k pace, celebratory pace) and how to control breathing and recover. I had registered for a run earlier as well, but got scared a day before the race day and backed out. So this time, I was going to do it no matter what! 🙈
My first 5k was scheduled early morning. I was a bit frightened, but mostly excited. Because I had nothing to lose even if I collapsed in between and everything to gain if I managed to finish it. I ended up completing it, and it was a wild mix of emotions I hadn’t felt in a long time. 😤
I kept an eye out for some interesting runs which had some gimmick to excite me to take part in. Some of them are worth mentioning: “The Music Run”, which boasts of the longest running track with music playing all along the way and “Devil’s Circuit”, where you have to conquer some crazy and fun obstacles before you reach the Finish Line. 🎵
Fast forward 2 years later, I now know that mental barriers are quite easy to break! So I went to give a shot at 10K this Sunday, with the sole motive of completing the run irrespective of the timing. And I did! Time to set a new goal, I guess. 😅
In other news, Pinboard is ten years old!