Monday, 19 October 2026
I hadn't actually planned to go running after work today. But then I looked outside: bright sunshine, a beautiful blue sky, and that wonderfully crisp autumn air. Stay at home on a day like this? That would be a shame. So I grabbed my running shoes and headed out.
The plan was to do my usual short route, taking it easy without expecting too much. But within the first few minutes, I could tell things weren't going well. My legs felt heavy, I couldn't find my usual rhythm, and every kilometre seemed harder than it should.
After my last few runs, I'd actually hoped things would gradually start getting easier. Instead, I even had to slow down and walk for a little while.
At some point, I had to admit it: today just wasn't my day. So I decided to cut my already short route even shorter. Why push myself unnecessarily?
In the end, I'd still managed half an hour outside. Hardly an impressive athletic achievement, but not every run has to be one.
It's amazing how different running can feel from one day to the next. Just a few days ago, I managed six kilometres without too much trouble. Today, even a short run felt like a real challenge.
But so what? I put on my running shoes, got outside, and kept moving. Hopefully, the next run will feel a whole lot better.
Sunday, 18 October 2026
Third Run After the Break: Slowly Getting Back Into It!
11 degrees Celsius, a pretty cloudy sky, and yet absolutely perfect running weather. So I put on my running shoes and headed out for my third run after the long break.
This time, though, I wasn’t really in the mood for my usual route close to home. Instead, I headed in the opposite direction, out towards the fields. Just a different route for a change. A little variety never hurts.
The fresh air felt great, and the temperature was just right for running. Well, at least as far as the weather was concerned. My legs and my fitness level seem to have a slightly different opinion at the moment.
By the time I finished, I’d been running for just over 40 minutes and covered a little more than six kilometres. I’m actually quite happy with that. However, today’s run reminded me once again that I’m still a long way from getting my old running fitness back. Especially during the last couple of kilometres, things started to feel pretty tough.
It’s amazing how quickly you lose your fitness after a longer break. And how much effort it takes to get it back.
But never mind. This was only my third run, and considering that, it really wasn’t too bad. At least I can feel that things are slowly moving in the right direction.
Now I just need to keep going, even when some runs feel harder than others.
Three runs down. The rest will come with time. Hopefully!
Thursday, 15 October 2026
Today was my second run after the long break. With perfect running weather, I headed out on my usual short route close to home. It's just right for getting back into running. Not too long, nothing particularly challenging, and I can always take a shortcut if my legs aren't quite up to it.
My plan was simple: run for half an hour or a little longer at a moderate pace. After all, I'm not trying to set any personal records at the moment. I just want to get back into a regular running routine and gradually rebuild my fitness.
The first few minutes went pretty well. I had no trouble finding my rhythm, and my legs felt good too. About halfway through, though, I started getting a little bored with my usual route. So I spontaneously decided to take a different path. A bit of variety never hurts.
By the end, I was actually running a little faster than I had originally planned. Nothing dramatic, but enough for me to notice. Maybe there's still a bit more fitness left in me than I expected after such a long break.
Now the weekend is just around the corner. Ideally, I'd like to get out for a run on both days. Whether I can actually fit that into my daily schedule remains to be seen.
After all, there are always plenty of other things to do at the weekend. But I'll definitely make time for at least one run. It's still a matter of taking small steps towards my old running routine.
But at least I'm moving in the right direction again.
Sunday, 11 October 2026
After a long break from running, I finally got back out there this Sunday. I put on my running shoes and headed out. No big plans, no particular goal. Just running. At some point, I have to get back into it if I don't want this break to turn into giving up running altogether.
So I headed out on our usual short route close to home. It's a familiar route and perfect for getting started again after some time off. I deliberately kept the pace slow. After all, I wanted to find out how much of my former fitness was actually left.
My expectations were pretty modest. I fully expected to have to walk for a while at some point. But surprisingly, things went better than I had imagined. Of course, I was running much slower than I used to, but that didn't matter today.
What felt even better was simply being outside and running again. The fresh autumn air, the familiar route, and that wonderful feeling of moving along under my own steam. I had genuinely missed it.
Now I just need to be careful not to push myself too hard too soon. Fitness doesn't return overnight, and one run doesn't make you a regular runner again.
But you have to start somewhere.
And perhaps this rather uneventful Sunday run was exactly the right way to begin again.
