running girl

Running 5k every day. Can it be done?

Since I had to stop last year due to sore heel for couple of months with no prospects of any long runs if any at all I had a hard time coming back to running. I tried to persuade myself it is a part of the journey and it is just temporary, but my willingness going for runs progressively declined.

Part of me, very proud part of me, who managed to run half marathon and was on the journey to the full one, was just sad. She didn’t want to stop running, she wanted to reach her goals and feel as she can and is capable doing so. She didn’t want to feel defeated, give up and start all over again.

I didn’t run for two months in hopes for my heel to heal. It got better, but as soon I have started running again pain came back as well. So although very reluctantly I had to start again from the beginnings. I had to change my already very stripped 10k run plan into 5k one.

Just few months ago I have run full twenty kilometres and now I run just ten five minutes and I feel tired?

What happened to my body?

This has been quite a mental challenge of going running, than few days processing the decline, persuading myself it is going to get better and running again. Sometimes unsure if the pain is normal or I just should stop all together. I tried to listen to my body, but same time not to make excuses for myself. As enjoyable runs still has been and helped me clear my head to somewhat extent it was just not what it once used to be. Fearful part of myself got to speak about my heel never getting better and proud part of myself just nagged me about never running marathon again.

Sometimes in the midst of it is hard to see things may ever got better.

Slowly, step by step I got to walk and run 5k.

My birthday came and I had a strong urge going outdoors as I was working all day. As we have longer light now I got to go to a forest for a quick 5k walk and run. It was a beautiful day and as I smelled pine trees around and heard birds singing I have decided this is the perfect time. Time to start running 5k every day for a year.

The idea was brewing in my head for quite some time, but I have been postponing it as I still didn’t feel ready for the challenge. When would I be though? What better time there is than mark it by my birthsday. I might not manage every single day, my injury might prevent me from doing so, but there is no harm to try and see. I can not run long distance runs this year, but maybe I can run (almost) every day distance I am capable to handle.

And see where it takes me…

April 17, 2025April 17, 2025 by evach1988 Categories: Running soulTags: fitness, half marathon, marathon, runner, runner beginner, running, running again, running forests, running girl, running injury, running marathon, running woman, start running, trail running, training Leave a comment

My running strategy has to change

Last year in May I have run half a marathon. When comes to running journey it has been so far the biggest achievement and I knew there’s going to come a day when I will have to face an injury. I just didn’t know it’s going to be so soon.

Maybe I shouldn’t run the half marathon already as I experienced sores in my heel. I pushed through hoping that stretches will help, but the amount of running plus job mostly standing on my feet ultimately brought me to face the fact I will not be running marathon I have signed up for in autumn 2024 and maybe I won’t be running at all for a while.

After summer I stopped running for 2 months in hopes my feet will heel.

Running is one of few activities I have found to be helping me not only gain clarity but as well feel somewhat happy in past few years. It is a dopamine boost after all, sense of accomplishment and break from otherwise somewhat routine in life. Just thought of possibly not be capable doing such anymore was quite crushing. I still didn’t get over the fact even while writing these word.

I was very excited about new big dreams of running finally my first marathon in Scottish highlands and hopefully get into more trail running which could maybe ultimately lead to ultramarathons. The subtle pains in the heel intensifying as more I run made me realise once again I have to put my dreams on hold.

Patience with the plan is certainly one of the biggest lessons I am learning in this life.

I run 5k race over bridges in Edinburgh in November 2024 and sporadically have been running since, but I am still not able run straight full 5k when training. As soon I do so the pains are coming back. Still I was hoping to run the marathon in 2025, but I am starting to be realistic now that it will most likely not be possible.

Recently I have seen an interesting project of one YouTube creator (I try to find the source and reference) who run 5k every single day of the year. It made me think, that maybe I should stop focusing on distance this year, but rather on everyday activity.

I can not start with very first day of the year as I am still on the path of reaching 5k through Heart zone training, but I think now I have something to look forward to. Once I am finished with 5k training I would like to do this running challenge and run 5k every single day (unless hiking and camping). Just the habit of every single day movement would likely be a life changing experience.

So this is me thinking about plans for 2025 when comes to running.

What about you? What are your plans for the new year?

January 7, 2025January 7, 2025 by evach1988 Categories: UncategorizedTags: beginner runner, fitness, half marathon, marathon, not old for running, runner, running, running culture, running for mental heaalth, running girl, running in thirties, running training, training Leave a comment

Running half marathon this year

Beside the fact that my mum used to say I loved running as a kid next to her bicycle when going to local grocery store, I have never been a runner. I did okey running in school, but never really thought of running as ‘my’ thing. There always been better ones and I didn’t necessary found a passion and enjoyment in it at that age. It took three decades for me to start some serious running.

The process was slow. I have started with podcast building up to 5k. What was meant to be achieved in 9 weeks took me six months. Starting and stopping, weeks of breaks in between and coming back to the beginnings. Part of me stopped believing in myself or the fact I can actually achieve something. Sometimes it takes just one big traumatic experience to reach rock bottom, other times it takes hundreds of little comments, little ugly actions from outside world and some significant verbal or emotional abuse to reach the point where one looses confidence in themselves.

Beside therapy, serious looking inside of myself and reframing my view of the world running became a final tool pulling me out of dark years of recovery from difficult relationship. I decided, not consciously at a time, to take my life back and start to be writer of my story again. Fighting with inner demons which were over and over pulling me away from keeping up with running I reached my first 5k running. It was an incredible feeling of achievement as I have never done such thing before. My body felt good, my mind clearer and sense of happiness started accompany my days once again.

Over the years I stopped running and picked it up again, similarly as my first 5k podcast done over 6 months rather then 9 weeks. It doesn’t bother me anymore. Today I know I will always be able pick it up. Even though I need to come back a little I will get there if I keep running.

I signed up for my first 5k running race in 2022. I almost gave up a night before. Old familiar voice creeped in once again, trying to persuade me what a fool I am to thinking I can run a race in my thirties. I felt very stressed out and cried my eyes out experiencing serious meltdown until I finally fell asleep. I wished to have there someone to support me, but my close people either weren’t available or didn’t know I even signed up or they just simply decided it is not worth it to be standing an hour by the fence and cheer me up. I was upset about it, but it was one of those moments when I had to decide to cheer myself up and not to be waiting for someone doing such thing for me. As much I wanted to share this experience with someone close I was doing it for myself after all.

What an experience!

I was on the cloud. The cheers from strangers around, the energy within running crowd. We were all there to run and so we did…up the hill…lake…views of the sea and down around Arthur Seat…last few meters…I’ve made it! My first race ever.

I want to experience this again.

So I signed up for my 10k in October.

Summers are hard for running. The air becomes more humid and I find it difficult. Every year I stop running somewhere during the summer. I never run 10k in October as I was not able to train for it. I have learned to deal with ‘failure’ by now and reframe it into something else. I was just not ready yet. I signed up for 10k run in May of next year. As it started approaching I tried my best to train, but as usual it is not always as easy as one would like. By the time the run came I still haven’t run full 10k, I was maybe on 7k, but I decided going anyway.

What an experience once again! The energy, the crowd, the achievement.

My first 10k! And I run the whole time. I was exhausted after but full of endorphins as well. This time I could share the experience with a friend, so it made it even more special.

I want more of this!

Half Marathon it is next year.

I gave myself a goal of one race every year as more might be a bit too much at the moment. There is only few months left at the time I am writing this. By now I have reached my 5k as I stopped running for about 2.5 months in summer, as usual. I am doing bridge to 10k at the moment and hopefully I will manage my longest run before Half Marathon. If I manage this it might mean I’m running the full marathon next year. But let’s not get ahead of myself.

Slowly, but I’m getting there!