Lessons I’ve learned since I started running during a pandemic
By: Malavika Raju
Tags: Running, Life Lessons, Strength, 2020, Covid 19

2020 came with significant challenges. Adapting became the norm — from learning how to work remotely at a job I’d only been in for a month to finding a safe yet effective way to exercise. I’d never been a runner before, but I decided to finally take advantage of the beach I lived close to and give it a shot. Ten months later, I’ve learned a few things:

1. You can develop healthy practices even through tough situations

I came into this year with a pretty generic resolution — to develop a healthier lifestyle. I was already starting a new job, so why not switch up my daily routine as well? Hitting the gym every morning was top of the list.

With gyms being one of the first places to close during the lockdown, I was determined to find a new solution. I’d never been able to hold myself accountable to home workouts, so I knew I needed to do something outdoors. Running was the first activity that came to mind. Albeit rather hesitantly, my new journey began.

My exercise routine now seemed quite herculean to do every day — walking a mile to the beach, pushing myself to run and then walking another mile back home. But within the first couple of months, it started feeling a lot more sustainable. Almost like my day felt incomplete without it. How did this happen? I was committing the same amount of time and energy as I had in the beginning, so why was this suddenly not such a big deal anymore?

The words of James Clear came to mind —

The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this.

I realized that it wasn’t the task at hand that changed over time — it was my mindset that did. When I kept repeating the activity consistently enough, it became a part of who I was — a deeply ingrained habit.

Once formed, a habit is hard to break. The challenge is to focus on the good ones and eliminate the bad.

2. You are capable of a lot more than you believe

If you were there when I first started running, you would’ve felt quite embarrassed for me. Five minutes in and I was completely out of breath, panting on the side of the street — less than a half mile away from where I started. I remember a deep feeling of shame as I would watch others race effortlessly past me.

There were moments when I felt like running simply wasn’t for me, until a runner stopped in front of me one day, noticing how exhausted and frustrated I was. He said something that stuck with me —

I promise you it gets easier — just don’t give up.

And it did. I kept pushing myself to run a little bit farther each time until even a 5k didn’t seem so hard to complete anymore.

I say this to show that the values of patience, perseverance and willingness to learn can take you a long way in anything you set your mind to — much further than you might’ve even imagined. You won’t know how capable you are at something until you try. You can find joy in stepping out of your comfort zone.

3. Don’t be afraid to get back into something you’ve lost touch with

At the age of 5, I started playing tennis — competitively for most of my childhood. But things changed right before I left for college. I woke up one morning with what felt like an ankle sprain, making it difficult for me to walk. While the pain eventually subsided, this became a recurring event. I was diagnosed with a chronic condition affecting my Achilles tendon, effectively ending my ability to play competitive tennis. While this could be managed with the right care, I was in constant fear of exacerbating my condition.

In the years that followed, I switched to activities that warranted less of a strain on my feet. It took me a long time to learn how to manage my condition better and it wasn’t until I started running this year that I realized I could slowly start getting back into tennis. I still have my fair share of bad days, but I’ve devised ways to deal with them. I’m also nowhere close to the level of tennis I was playing at before my injury, but I’m gradually coming to terms with the idea of starting over if it means that I get to play again.

Don’t let the overwhelming fear of failure prevent you from getting back into something you were once good at.