When I first started running I was 12. We used to run with school, and I used to hate it. So what is so amazing about jogging you might wonder? Well, it is something you can do wherever you are: in Brussels, Sao Paulo or New York, in snow, rain or sunshine, day or night.
First, you need motivation. What is the challenge? What will you get if you start running? Well, for me the thing was clear: the day I realized it keeps my cardio activity going and stabilizes my moods, I finally understood what my astrology teacher always told me regarding my moon in Aries. Aries is a fire sign, and we tend to get very intense when we don’t get all the energy out, so this routine became a salutary moment for all of us (meaning my family): I feel sweaty and satisfied, endorphins all over my brain, and my husband can enjoy a relaxed wife at home!
Secondly, it pushed me ahead of my own limits, stimulates me competitively (again pleasing the Martian ram in me), albeit with myself. This is when I remember the effort I made back in the day, and the good tips from my instructors: “Small steps on the uphill, big steps when running down”.
How did I get back to running after the school days? For me it all happened after my third child. One fine day, I felt I need to move! I then decided to enrol for a small and feasible challenge: run the 10km race in my neighbourhood. I organized myself for success by going to the gym and getting a proper training set up to measure for my goal. I actually succeeded and felt very proud of having run the 10km, even more since I just had a baby. But then, one thing leading to another, I quit.
Until recently, when running came on the agenda again. We moved and I chose to settle down close to a forest. So now the issue was how to start again and keep it up? I started with a 20-minute run twice a week. Then 30 minutes twice a week, before I realized it, I was running 45 minutes every weekend.
Today, me and my husband run twice a week: 30 minutes on week days (from 8 to 8.30 am) and 45 minutes to one hour on the weekends. When I stop for a while, I restart with a lot of indulgence. I also alternate with rollerblading when the weather allows. It’s fun and many friends like to roller blade too. Give it a try!
