Over the years, I’ve done a lot of running. In my mid- to late-twenties, I began running 5Ks. I still remember the embarrassment I’d felt when I missed that marathons are not the default name for running events. I’d scared my church group when I told them I’d start my running with a marathon, only to learn that a marathon is a 26.2 mile run. A 5K is only 3.1 miles, and there are levels that go all the way up to a half-marathon of 13.1 miles.

I enjoy staying mobile when I want to think things through – for some reason, it helps me to think if I’m walking or running – but to me there’s no point in running 26 miles. Frankly, I think doing a 10K, which is running 6.2 miles, is the limit of physical achievement. Anything after that feels like nothing more than self-abuse.

At my best, I’ve managed to run a 3.1 mile race in under 28 minutes; which is roughly around a 9-minute mile. I’ve pushed myself to shorter times, but never in a competition. In fact, since I’ve grown older, I’ve only noticed my run time increase. Mind you, when I first completed a 5K, I had to stop frequently due to exhaustion. My initial training protocol was designed to run at full speed in short bursts, stopping to walk briefly between those bursts. As a result, it did improve my overall times. However, I didn’t like how poorly my stamina remained. When I joined a beginner’s running group to improve my time, the first thing they did was to have us all run together at a relaxed pace. I really didn’t like this approach, but it taught me how to conserve my energy and push my limits beyond what I considered a good distance. In fact, due to this process, I inevitably managed to complete two total uninterrupted 10K runs. Not professionally, mind you, but I did manage to do them at a time when I didn’t think I could handle the 5K.

Why am I sharing this information? Because over the years, I’ve found myself getting worn out more easily during runs and losing interest in the exercise. Every year I start to run, I promise myself that this is the last year I commit to a race. Yet after finishing that race, I almost always start looking for another run to complete. This year has been no different: my work offers to sign me up for the Biz Dash every year, and I get to run with a group of coworkers at a big event. It’s a great excuse to get into shape using this exercise.

This year, I was certain I had chosen to give up after the run I’ll be completing in May. The first few runs have already worn me down. Yet with each week of limited runs, I’ve seen my distance double every week while I work my way back up to my maximum strength. This only changed on the weekend of April 26th, where I only managed to match the 1.5 mile uninterrupted run I’d completed the week before. Now I’m actively considering how to increase my runs from once a week to at least twice weekly.

I guess I’m a glutton for punishment. That, or I’m rediscovering my love for exercise. So, yeah: glutton for punishment.

We’ll see, though; maybe because I’ve taken a more frequent interest in maintaining regular workouts with my work’s gym program, I’ll start navigating to more rigorous, more diverse physical workouts in the future. Only time will tell.