My 2024 Running Journey

I always liked outdoor running. I hate working in the gym. I feel like a hamster trapped in a wheel. But I haven’t been consistent until this year (or, technically, at the end of last year). I decided to amp up the amount of running I do per week/month for many reasons: being healthy, working out…etc. These are the obvious answers, but the most important one is the ease of execution. Since I travel a lot for work, running is one of the most straightforward sports to do anywhere. All I need are shoes and a path. Here is a quick recap of how 2024 went.

I ran five races in 2024: one half-marathon, one 15km race, and two 21km trails. The fifth race was a virtual 42km spread over a week in Stockholm; I did it for fun since I run almost all over the city.

None of the races I ran this year had a particular goal of achieving a specific time; I was doing it for fun and because having something to aim for motivates me; the goal has been to finish the race, not to get a particular timing. My best time this year was a 1h43m on a half-marathon distance and 47m on a 10k race. So I’m still plodding.

My training schedule is straightforward: 5 runs per week alternating long distances and tempo/interval runs (running short distances very fast and repeating a couple of times). I usually run Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursday-Saturday. My long runs are usually on the weekend. The other two days of the week I go to the gym for upper body workouts.

I signed up for a few races next year, including my first marathon in a while (my last marathon was 20 years ago). The first race of the year, in which I’m aiming for a new Personal Best (PB), is the half Marathon of Paris in March, where I will attempt to finish under 1h30m!

This is just the beginning. Having something to focus on outside work has been great for my mental health. I’m competitive, so although I tell myself it’s for fun, who am I kidding? Of course, I want to achieve good timing.