The Reason I Started Running

So… you want to start running?

Or maybe you came here from my book side and you’re wondering why I’m suddenly talking about running.

Either way — here’s how I got started.

I’ve never had the best relationship with running. For me, it was always tied to that awful, gasping-for-air feeling where you force yourself forward and question every life decision that brought you there. Why would anyone choose to do that?

I’ve never minded working out, but only if I had a buddy. Because why suffer alone when you can share the pain?

Back in high school, I had friends on the track team who would kindly ask if I wanted to join. They meant well, but I knew if I showed up, everyone would be confused. My PE performance did not exactly scream “athletic potential.” I was also a socially anxious teenager who dreaded crossing a finish line last, disappointing my parents, or posting a painfully slow time. Insecurity has a way of making you sit things out before you even try.

So why am I writing about running now?

Because it started bothering me that the rare times I needed to run — to catch up with someone or hurry somewhere — I would be completely winded while everyone else seemed fine. I’m a plus-size girlie who wasn’t confident in herself, and there I was, out of breath doing something as simple as walking and talking.

On top of that, I’m a slow walker with a short stride. Someone’s normal pace is my step-and-a-half. If they speed walk, I’m practically jogging just to keep up… and then I’m panting so hard I can’t even enjoy the conversation.

I wanted to change that. I wanted to be able to walk and talk without feeling like I was about to pass out.

I’m not here to give you some grand motivational speech. If you find encouragement here, I’m grateful. But my real goal is accountability — to document my journey, learn as I go, and see how far I can take this.

I don’t have one big end goal. I have stepping stones. And every time I reach one, I set the next.

If you’re thinking I’m at square one, I’d say I’m at square two.

I’ve started running. I can now run a full mile without stopping. Okay… sometimes I feel like I’m dying. But I can do it. And several months ago, that wasn’t possible. The most I could run was 0.2 miles before feeling like I was at the edge of death.

So to the person who can only run 0.10 miles right now — or hasn’t started yet — I started there too.

So how did I begin?

I found a lake I thought was pretty.

And by “pretty,” I mean it had a nice sidewalk path, a dock over the water, and beautiful homes in the neighborhood. High-end HOA territory. I wanted somewhere scenic and somewhere no one knew me. I didn’t want to run into people from my community while I was sweaty, breathless, and still figuring it out.

So I went to what I now affectionately call my lake.

I started with walking. And even that was hard. I was winded, uncomfortable, and pushing myself just to keep a brisk pace. Sometimes I brought a friend, which became my true test of progress: could I walk and talk at the same time without sounding like I was choking on air?

Then I leveled up

The two ponds around the lake loop together are about 1.4 miles. I made it my mission to run at least one mile of it and use the extra 0.4 as recovery time.

Some days I didn’t make it. Other days I surprised myself. Progress was slow, but just showing up consistently made a difference.

One of the biggest game changers for me was getting a Garmin watch. Once I decided to take this seriously, I knew I needed guidance. Garmin offered training suggestions, which was perfect because I truly had no idea what I was doing.

One of the first things it told me?

Slow down.

I was pushing too hard, too fast. When I adjusted my pace, I could suddenly go much farther. That was a huge shift in my mindset: running isn’t always about speed. It depends on your goal.

And my goal? Just finish a mile.

Once I stopped stressing about my time, I actually did well. No one has to start hard and expect to join a marathon from the beginning. I don’t even think I will ever have the mindset to join one myself (future me might laugh at this but again we’re only starting the running journey and accountability). Again make your goals short and accessible. If you can’t run that long, don’t stress - you can build up to it. A great way I found I could measure my growth was joining 5K’s.

Since starting this journey, I’ve completed three 5Ks. The first one was rough. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to share that experience, but this space is about being honest. The progress, the struggle, the wins — all of it matters. I’ve gone into each 5K with a different goal, and I plan to join many more.

This is just the beginning.