When the world shut down in 2020, my 3 hockey leagues shut down. One was pickup ball hockey, the second was competitive ball hockey, and the third was ice hockey. I needed to find something active to do instead, so I decided to run. How hard could it be? After all, ball hockey involved lots of running.
As it turns out, running is just about the hardest thing to do in the history of the world. At least that’s what it felt like in the early going. You see, ball hockey involves short, quick bursts. Running involves keeping your legs moving for a long length of time, all the while making sure your breathing is good, and of course that you don’t start cramping up. Oh, and ball hockey also has a purpose- go get the ball, or keep the ball, or pass the ball, or score the ball. Running felt a bit aimless, meaning it was a mental grind, too, trying to stay focused on the positives at a time when part of my brain and my entire body was wanting to quit.
Running is Just Too Hard
A few weeks in and I was dominating the run game! That’s what I wish I could say. Instead, I had quit. If you remember early Covid, it was all about flattening the curve. It seemed like it might be a few weeks if we did things right. Then, the truth came out- This Covid thing was going to last a while. I went into running thinking it would be a quick month-long adventure. When I found out that my spring and summer hockey leagues would also be cancelled, it made me realize how long I was going to have to run. Partway through an early April run, I just stopped. I walked back home and hung up my running shoes.
A Breakthrough Discovery: The Track
I then became a pig. I hardly left my apartment, which I told myself was helping the good cause! I hardly moved, ate too much, slept too much. Flash forward to spring of 2021, about a year later, and I felt gross. Very gross. I needed to move. I decided to give running another chance, but with a slight change. I found a track. This felt more comfortable. I liked being able to count my laps. I liked comparing my times, knowing the distance on my watch was correct. I quickly became obsessed. Here’s the thing about running. When you’re bad at it, it’s miserable. Once I figured out my breathing and got used to it, I loved it!
With regards to my running journey, I think I went from “going for runs” to “being a runner” in 2024, a couple years later. I went all in on my fitness journey that spring. It continued through the summer. Here were my personal bests by the end of that year:
- 1 mile: 5:56
- 5 km: 21: 23
Setback Time
Those remain my personal bests in my running journey to this day.
My biggest weakness has been winters. Winters in Ottawa are absolutely miserable. I hardly ran at all that next winter. The spring brought me back in full force, but some hip issues made 2025 a lost year essentially.
Because of the aforementioned hip issues (which I’ll give the details about at another time), I’ve discovered I’m in a bit of a Goldilocks situation. Not enough exercise makes me miserable. Too much puts me in pain. So I’m looking for that “just right” feeling. Once it’s time to be operated on (again, this will be discussed in a future article), my running journey will be paused, but who knows when that’ll happen. For now, I’m pursuing greatness! My goals are lofty! This page is to keep me honest and responsible about my progress and setbacks. No excuses!
Goals
- 1 mile time: 5:29 (need to shave off 27 seconds)
- 5 km time: 19:59 (need to shave off 1:24)
Runner Profile
- Age: 34
- Height: 5’10”
- Weight: 170 lbs
I’ll be checking in here to write about how everything is going. And yes, I’ll give the full hip pain story, too. I just wanted the start of my “Run With Me” section to have an optimistic first article.
Anyway, let the journey begin!
