Before I talk about my running journey, you should know me a little.

I wanted to be a cricketer.

I pursued it professionally for close to a decade before I gave up in 2021. My morning routine included waking up at 5 am, running for thirty minutes, then spending two hours at the academy. Later in the evening, I either hit the gym or another practice session.

It kept me extremely fit. I was fast, agile, not-so-flexible, and had quick (really quick) reflexes.

But. Honestly. I never liked the fitness part of the sport.

I forced myself daily to be at my best because I competed professionally.

After I stopped pursuing the sport in late 2021, I had no purpose to stay fit. I still play (three practice sessions and two matches a week) but it does not require the level of fitness it used to - especially since I am playing only T20s and not one-days or days (aka Test).

I lost my path between 2021-early 2024.

I got into this hustle mode, had personal life issues, abused myself with food, and put on weight to the extent I lost confidence in myself. I went from 68 kg to 91 kg. I knew I was putting on weight; I wasn’t happy with myself and still - I did not take any action.

I have been a reasonably healthy person. I never got admitted in a hospital due to serious health concerns. Except for once when I had Jaundice.

But my tooth got really bad in January 2024, and I had to get a root canal done in March. I am aware this can’t be called an operation, but a root canal is the closest I have got to an operation. It made me uncomfortable.

I felt I was too young to have health issues. That was when I found my purpose for fitness again - HEALTH.

Even after I got serious, the switch wasn’t easy. I started with eating healthy, then home workouts, and spent more time in practice sessions. I wanted to move quickly and smoothly, and I knew running was the only way I could do it.

After I procrastinated for a month, I finally took my first run on June 9th, 2024.

Between my first run and the time of writing this issue, I lost 9 kg.

More than losing weight, running helped me find myself again. I am grateful to my body more than ever. I am taking more pictures, looking at myself more often in the mirror, and feeling confident.

All that because I started running and took health seriously.

That’s what I want to talk about today.

What I learned from 14 weeks of running?

1. Running is more mental than physical

This is true for almost all exercises, but more so for running.

In my short running career, I have realized the body runs like a machine between the threshold distance and a milestone, injury, or exhaustion.

• Threshold Distance: The point until which running feels like the toughest activity on the planet. It could be your first kilometer, first 10 minutes, anything.

• Milestone: 5k, 10k, 30 minutes, etc.

• Injury: Cramps, Knee pain, Minor ankle twist, etc.

• Exhaustion: You feel it’s enough or can’t run anymore.

Now read this line again: The body runs like a machine between the threshold distance and a milestone, injury, or exhaustion.

You hit a constant pace and you keep marching forward. Now, it’s the battle between body and mind. You’re not totally exhausted, injured, or even close to a milestone you’ve set up. But your mind asks you to quit every second.

It’s not your body you have to deal with now, but the mind. To me, conquering this phase is THE win in a run.

2. There is a right way to run

Like all skills/sports, running is easier when you know the right form and posture.

I am no expert on this and don’t want to bullshit you with advice I am not sure of myself. But I went down the rabbit hole on Reddit and found this:

I am learning more about breathing exercises/forms. I noticed head up is good for speed. Focusing on an upcoming object makes you push for small wins.

3. It’s not about physical fitness

The beauty of exercises is they impact your overall system - not just physical health.

I got back into fitness to focus on my health. But I am now optimizing it for performance.

By performance, I mean how active I am during work, how I move in Cricket, how less anxious I feel, etc. I love how running contributes to my overall balance, which is why I need you to know It’s Not Just About Physical Fitness.

4. Run with your thoughts

Most times I run with a podcast or music playing on my earphones. But once in every ~five runs, I do a distraction-free run.

The body vs mind battle is tough. It’s even tougher when you take away the distractions. Apart from training yourself to get mentally strong, distraction-free runs let you listen to your thoughts. It helps me process my day, events in my life, and gives me creative ideas.

5. Running and Goals

There are two types of goals: internet and internal.

Never let any person on the internet decide what’s cool and what’s not. Don’t let anyone look down on you because your pace is only nine, speed is only six, or you run only two kilometers.

They don’t know your story. You do.

Set goals internally. Hit them. Celebrate however you like.

Adding to it, keep experimenting with goals. I had the number of kilometers per run as my previous goal. Now I have x km per month as my goal. Sometimes you find the goals best suited for you. Sometimes you alter your goals for a change.

6. Three most important purchases

Considering needs, there are three most important purchases when you start running: running shoes, a tracker, and a running belt (in that order.)

• Running Shoe: I ran with gym shoes until recently I shifted to Adidas running shoes. The impact and stress on my feet are significantly less.

• Tracker: Sometimes I question, “Do we even need trackers?” But I am a data guy myself. I like to track, measure, and improve. Trackers help you do just that. I use Noise’s basic version, which is not great with accuracy. I plan to move to Whoop soon.

• Running Belt: You usually carry a wallet, phone, and keys. You can’t keep it elsewhere and holding them in hand is a pain. So I use this belt from Decathlon. It’s comfortable - you don’t even feel a phone hanging on your waist. I only noticed the weight when I had two phones in the pouch.

PS: I don’t have any affiliation with the links I mentioned. Only sharing what I use.

7. Running partners are great

If you have a small peer group or a friend to run together, it’s fun. It helps you on gloomy days and you push each other to do better. I either run alone or with a friend (also my teammate.)

There is a chance of dependency. Make sure you’re always capable of running on your own even if your partner cancels at the last minute.

8. Have a cute physical log

This is the least important point of all. Your tracker stores everything but keep a physical journal separately to log your runs. No real reason; it’s just cute and fun.

9. I am not interested in marathons (yet)

My running training is slightly different than most runners. Instead of running long distances, I run short distances (3-5 km) in less time, pace, or more speed. It supports my sport.

Which is why running marathons never appealed to me. There is no enthusiasm yet, but I will give it a try one day.

10. Know your track

I am used to running on turf, aka grass. Now, I run mostly on dirt roads.

I can’t run on asphalt or concrete surfaces. They’re too hard for me. If your feet hurt more than they should, you may be running on a surface not suitable for you.

I am not sure if it’s useful or something you already know. I wanted to document all my learnings so I can share it with anyone who asks me about running.

If you’re that person, I hope this is helpful. If your friend is that person, please share this issue with them. This is the link.

Like always, it was nice writing to you. See you next week.

Love,
Vikra.