I Started Running And This Is How It’s Going

I have always aspired to be a “fitness” girly, imagining myself being strong, fast and -not surprisingly- slim and trim… that has yet to become a reality. Like many of you, I have had a love hate relationship with the gym and find it easier to laze around instead of getting up and being active. Before migrating for school I had a solid three months clocked in the gym and was loving it, strength training was a great way to release stress and I was building a community around me. I thought it would be extremely easy to transition from Jamaica to London, and pump it up in the gym…

Well- I was wrong. 

I paid for a gym membership every month and went maybe once a week- if I was lucky. I couldn’t find the same drive I had back home and it was really frustrating, eventually I decided to stop wasting my money and quit. Quitting gym didn’t mean I was quitting being active– I just wanted to find something I could stick with and enjoy. It wasn’t until I left Jamaica that I realized what I really liked about the gym was my personal trainer and the community we built around him- the gym was hard and intimidating.

Sure I got invitations to go with friends or attend classes- but that just wasn’t for me. I felt insecure about classes and didn’t like going to the gym without a “baby sitter” I wasn’t interested in thinking of my own routine and watching videos to see if I had the proper form- nope- I missed the luxury of individual attention and pushing. 

For new years I visited my content creator/ doctor friend, Kofi, who had, seemingly overnight, become a fitness and health guru dropping a record amount of weight and clocking hella miles from running. I’ve always had a love affair with running, I loved walking and running was just fast walking- right? Or trying not to fall over. I’ve tried running a number of times- just like I’ve tried the gym. Once, I remember waking up ridiculously early for a run, except my running friend said it was okay for us to walk. I think we walked 7km chatting and watching the sunrise on a beautiful Jamaican morning. It was hard- but it was fun and much easier than I expected!

Talking to Kofi, I decided to try running again, it took me a while to take the plunge but I downloaded the app Couch to 5k that boasted I could run up to 5km in 30 minutes after 9 weeks. I decided to give it a shot.

I started late January, I like to say early February because it makes the 5 -6 months it took me to finish a 9 week challenge shorter, however I can’t change the facts. It took me almost half a year to finish something that should have taken me a little over 2 months! I told Kofi I started running, then I started telling more runners I knew as a way to keep me accountable and give me inspiration. The couch to 5k app takes an approach to running that I like- it’s guided and it challenges you while still being achievable. In January I went from being out of breath after 1 minute of running to now being able to do an easy 30 minute run without stopping. To me that is amazing!

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I enjoyed that I could take it at my own pace, not to mention, I felt like I accomplished something after each run. The adrenaline rush that comes over me after a run is amazing! I would keep my friends updated on my journey, that is until my niece encouraged me to share. She has also really gotten into fitness herself. She encouraged me to share my videos online, make a highlight on Instagram and be very open about my progress and achievements. I was terrified of doing this, because I was afraid of failure. Now looking back, I’m happy I shared my runs and my achievements because I have gotten so much support from persons in my community and even encouraged others to take up running. 

Writing this made me realise I have so many reels I made but never uploaded- I need to fix that.

Running has a way of dichotomising people, you either love it or hate it and I am team love! There is so much to love with running. Running became more than just a weight loss or exercise tool, but instead transformed into a mental health tool. Whenever I got frustrated or overwhelmed, running was a great way to feel and explore my emotions. I could think through hard topics and have the silence to have a conversation with myself. Running changed how I spoke to myself, I am kinder and more encouraging with myself. Whenever I feel like quitting or giving up, I am my own cheerleader and knowing that I can actually accomplish it is a huge push!

I also use running to build my confidence, at first, I would hide and run. This meant running in the darkness, with hoodies on and as far from my campus as I could because I was embarrassed to be seen running. Can you imagine? Embarrassed. I ran slower than most people walked, I was easily out of breath and you could visibly see me struggling! Recently, I did my longest run yet- 40 minutes and I decided to challenge myself to run on a well used bus route close to my campus. I wasn’t sure if I could do 40 minutes, so I spoke to myself. I decided to keep a nice easy steady pace and take my time. When I finished that run, I realised I could (realistically) run for however long I wanted and now it definitely means…. It’s time to run a 5k.

Let’s go!

Follow my journey by keeping up with me on instagram @sammythebammy_

Love always,

Samantha