Am I Really A Good Runner?

Being honest and vulnerable about my running exploits.

Good morning, afternoon and evening to all.

I am back again on this Substack thing. Last week I had a howler, but here we are. The title today is not a trick question, as I have come back from my Easter vacation questioning everything.

I went on 3 runs with the boys, and each run was a battle, not only physically but mentally. I quit 2/3 runs, and I was so surprised, as I would admit that I pride myself on not quitting runs. I guess this was to put my ego in check because my word, it was humbling.

Stopping and starting running, walking in between and my breathing all over the place, just things that were out of character for me. I really was baffled, like I really couldn’t believe that I was struggling.

As I’ve written before, over 100 runs done and a half marathon, you would think I understand this game well enough, yet those runs during my break taught me vital lessons.

It taught me that my body is weak. That’s as simple as it gets lol. My legs had gone through a lot of damage, and me not taking proper care of them was having a serious effect on my performance.

I had to learn to adapt. I had to seek advice from my cousin. I’ve said it like it’s a taboo lol. Now it’s not that deep, but I don’t really like asking for help; it’s a bad habit, I know. He broke it down to me simply. My legs were the issue.

Upon realising my legs were struggling to keep up with the routes and were feeling very heavy, I had to combat it somehow. A way was found which involved leg strengthening and stretching. Now I do stretch, but those leg exercises, oh boy. I don’t want to talk about it. It was very dark, but it helped massively on my third run, and I also realised that where you run has a very big impact.

I hadn’t realised, but where I had been running, each run I was doing at least 90 meters of elevation. Why that is surprising, you may ask. Well, I normally average 45 meters of elevation weekly when running. A huge difference.

If anything, these experiences also taught me that my mental toughness has slacked. Yes, I was raving about how tough running has made me mentally, yet even I can falter. Also, it reminded me I am a human, and I must work on other aspects of my body to better my performance.

So to answer my question, yes, I am a good runner, well, according to myself, as I have come so far, but when adversity strikes and you have no clue what to do, it is always best to sit back and analyse and see where you can do better and improve. I was humbled in the funniest of ways, yet I needed it, and I thank God for that.

A shorter piece by me, I know, but this was meant to be for last week lol. Exams are approaching, and things have become serious once again, yet the joy is coming at the end of it all. I am open to suggestions on what other things to write about, so please let me know.

Feedback on this piece will be much appreciated. Feel free to leave them in the comments. Thank you all once again for reading, and as always, have a blessed week.