Running

I used to be a track and field athlete in the events of long-distance running,600 and 800 metres almost 4 years ago before joining football. I missed being a track and field athlete, doing speed lapses and endurance runs. I wanted to run again so I decided to restart my running journey.

LO 1:

Strengths:

  • My endurance might have changed slightly but due to football training sessions and matches, I still had the ability to run with endurance like I used to. Knowing I had the endurance and ability I was able to push myself for 100 metres extra, to run an extra lapse because no one else is going to do that for me
  • I was aware of the running techniques to be kept in mind in order to improve and get better at running. Like if you are a long-distance runner you have to keep with the combination of both speed and endurance in order to win the race but train more on endurance because with strong endurance you can easily pick up the race and run.
  • As being an athlete my body was used to moments, and workouts making it a little easier for me and my muscles to recover and wake up less sore than other beginners, knowing that I developed a growth mindset and not one of those factors that would keep me back.

Weaknesses:

  • My weak point would be implementing the combination of speed and endurance. I could run with speed like a short distance runner but had the endurance of a long-distance runner. But I had lost the take a speed lapse of 100 metres at the end of 800 metres.I had to re-develop my speed-endurance combination.
  • Now that I’m aware of my strengths and weakness I know that I have to create a balance in them and make use of my strengths like being aware of various techniques and having a growth mindset I would be able to put focus on developing my weakness and making my strengths stronger.
  • After keeping in mind my weaknesses I started making my own running and training practise schedule, routines and educated myself into becoming a better runner. For example, if I’m training 6 days a week then according to my goal I’ll adjust my routine, like after doing an endurance run (maximum 2 miles/4.8kms) with 2 mins of rest do 3-speed lapses of 50 metres. This will incorporate working on my strength as well as my weakness.

LO 2:

  • I started off with 30 seconds fast and slow rhythm because I couldn’t run at the same pace for straight-up 1 km. At the early stage, my focus and challenge were to run 1 km at a consistent pace. This was challenging because in the pandemic situation I didn’t go on runs that frequently and the number of physical activities if compared before the pandemic had decreased. But again I had an advantage of being an athlete I was a stage above a beginner, I knew how to work my way to becoming a better runner with techniques.
  • With consistency, I got better at running and improved my performance over a period of time, am still improving. I feel confident knowing that I am improving my running and restarting my running journey because it helps me to cope with my stress, anxiety and emotions. It helps me balance both my mental and physical health. It can also be counted as an investment for my cardiovascular health.

LO 4:

  • In order to get better at running and improving my speed-endurance combination, I need to stay consistent in practice and training sessions. There were days when I wanted to stay lazy and watch Netflix instead of running, didn’t want to run and feel like my heart is going to burst out due to all the running but if I don’t push myself and my limits my running would just get weaker and I will keep on drifting away from my goals.
  • Not only consistency and commitment in the training sessions but also my lifestyle, such as eating clean, meals that are protein-focused, and resting muscles-sleeping for at least 8 hours. This activity helped me balance my mental and physical health along with improving the quality of my lifestyle.

To conclude ,running helped me create a balance as well as made me mentally stronger.I learned that without consistency and self-discipline you will not get any results.Allowed me to push myself more in every aspect of life and become more mindful than intuitive, it gave me a direction to think more realistically.

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