What Running Has Done For Me (Part 1)

At the beginning of 2025 I could not run a mile without feeling like I was dying. I remember trying my best to stay consistent, but even on the days that I was motivated, my legs were either really sore or my shins started to hurt during the run. In short, running was not fun. Running sucked. But I suppose that was a result of spending the last few years sitting on my butt for 8 hours a day at work, going home to watch tv for a few hours, and eventually laying down and going to sleep at the end of the day.

Don't get me wrong though. For the last 6 years or so I was dedicated to strength training and would average about 4 days at the gym per week. The big difference that I've learned, however, is that in the gym you can walk from station to station and sit down to rest while you exercise or right after. While strength training is definitely recommended and has numerous benefits, it doesn't require you to walk much. In fact, it's really easy to trick yourself into thinking you had a great session at the gym because you spent hours there, when in reality a majority of the time you spent on your phone and taking super long rests in between sets.

So if you're like me and try to just start running, your body is going to resist and physically let you know that you can't undo a sedentary lifestyle from one day to the next. But if you're patient enough and stick with it, you're going to experience a whole new world.

Here's a few things running has done for me:

Higher Energy and Concentration Levels

Before I got into running, I relied on caffeine and numerous supplements to get me through the day. Honestly, I still drink caffeine and take my supplements, but my ability to do more at both work and at home has improved drastically. I do believe running is the main reason because it teaches you the value of staying in motion and conserving your energy instead of using it up all at once. Additionally, as I eventually went from running one mile a day to five miles a day, my ability to focus on tasks also sharpened. Once I could run a few miles all at once (without feeling like I was dying) I felt like I had time to listen to audiobooks while I would run. So not only was I working out, but I was also learning new things. Once my run was over I could go home and try to implement the new things I learned. This is how I was able to form new habits and form new relationships with those around me. Even at work I started talking more. I know ew. Nobody likes a chatterbox when you're just trying to make it to the end of the day. But I note this as a positive because having this extra energy to be more outgoing led me to getting a higher bonus and having a better overall presence that opened up more opportunities for me.

Body Fat and Composition

If you start running more often you're likely going to start losing weight. I'm not stupid. I realize this is very obvious and I bet you rolled your eyes. Stick with me.

As I ran more I stopped craving sugary drinks and Hot Cheetos. I honestly couldn't even look at this stuff after my runs because my body was craving more nutritious things. If I had a really greasy meal or something spicy before my runs I could not perform very well either. I would find myself burping during my runs and feel my stomach very unhappy.

So I stuck to more nutritious foods and drinks that would fuel my performance. I can definitely get into what kinds of food I eat now in a later post, but eating foods with higher protein and getting my carbs from things like sweet potato, bananas, sour dough bread, honey etc. made a huge difference. My body leaned out and even my face looks less puffier now. I previously would hold a majority of my fat in my stomach, but after running I've also been able to lean out here too and you can definitely see my six pack a bit better now!

Learning to Enjoy the Suffering

I promise I'm not depressed. I also am not a masochist. But if you've ever been great at something, you know the countless hours and times you've sucked at it before you could ever classify yourself as being decent.

As babies we at first could only crawl. Eventually we learned to stand. We fell countless times and yet continued to try and get up. Then we took a step. Then we took two steps. Then we fell. Then we got back up. And we fell again. But we stuck with it and persisted until we could run from our parents. We've moved away from this attitude as we got older. Where if we're not immediately good at something we give up. This is a bad mindset. This mindset will keep you from your potential.

If you're like me you're probably an anxious person. If you're like me you've probably missed out on a lot of opportunities because you were afraid to speak up. I'm not saying running will make you less anxious, but it'll rewire your brain.

You'll start off by saying "that sucked" after a mile run. But then a week later, in the middle of a run, you'll start negotiating with your body and asking for it to hold on for just a bit longer because you're about to set a personal best and run 1.2 miles. Then you'll hit 1.5 miles. And you'll start forming a new relationship with yourself. A relationship where you come to terms with yourself and understand you have weaknesses, but you also have the capability to push further. All it requires is some brief suffering. And then you'll understand your best self comes after suffering because you metaphorically need to destroy the person you once were. Now you're a new person. A more confident person. Someone who understands the game a bit better now. And in this game if you want to upgrade yourself in some way, you need to put in the work.

Conclusion?

Running has been great for me. I genuinely feel like a better person because of it. It's helped me in many ways, so I could definitely do a part 2 to this post.

But hey, let me know if there's something else you'd like me to talk about :)

Until next time!