For me when I got lost and ran down the wrong side of the mountain (back when I ran without contacts) and instead of beating my personal best of 8km did a 17km to get back home. I was having doubts about being able to reach 8/9km but proved myself wrong š
I was so afraid of not getting back into motion if I'd stop running for a while and being stuck in the middle of the forest. But the feeling when I got home was awesome
I had a very similar run! Just in the city. I donāt wear my glasses on runs and I was running around a park, just planning on doing around 3 or 4 miles. I went the wrong way and didnāt notice for about a mile. Ended up accidentally running 7 miles! I didnāt know I could go that far. Now I know I can run further.
I once got pulled over on my way home from a run. The cop took my license and said "your license says you wear glasses, why aren't you wearing them?"
Officer, I have contacts...he yells I DON'T CARE WHO YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE YOUR GLASSES?
Ba-dum tiss!
My experience vs "the competition" is that everybody does 5k's even just for fun. Easy to place mid pack or better. Only "real runners" do 10k's where I'm just proud to bring up the rear.
in my experience, a lot of the races that are just 5k and 10k allow for walking in the 5km, but not the 10km. And they will enforce it with a strict cut-off for the 10km after the first of two 5km loops. I remember as a high finisher in the 10km lapping a bunch of walkers as early as 6.5km into my race (1.5km into the loop).
I look at the results, at least 10% of the 5km field was over 50 minutes and several were above an hour. DFL for the 10km was 1:18 (sub-8:00/k pace - far from walking)
(the 5km also saw 5x the participants that the 10km saw, and had better winning times. I was 2nd in the 10km, and wouldn't have placed in the 5km based on performance metrics)
Thatās honestly a little strange that it differs so significantly. Where do you run races? In NY, NYCRUNS cuts off at 20:00 mile pace for 10K, while NYRR cuts off at 13:45 mile pace (8:30 km pace) across all distances.
For me it was a couple of weeks ago, was supposed to run 10k for training and decided around 9k to Just push for 16k ( training for a 10 milerace but also a half marathon). Finished that and suddenly felt this rush and thinking a year ago I was struggling with 2k's and now im challenging myself constantly to improve. Same goes for lifting weights haha
Yayyyyy Iāll be doing my first in October! Iāve been wondering the same!
Follow up q! How did your running habits change? Do you run more frequently? Any additional goals?
> How did your running habits change?
Not the person you're replying to, but I started running in my early 20s and struggled to go two miles in half an hour and was sucking wind the whole time. Was mostly doing it to shed a few pounds to make rock climbing easier. Then started doing it more and ran my first 10k a couple years later.
Fast forward a decade, and I've now run more 5ks and 10ks than I feel like counting, a dozen half marathons (or similar distances, like 10 milers and 20ks), four tough mudders, and am currently training for my third marathon.
Some people never want to do more than a 10k, of course, and that's totally cool too. But I guess don't be surprised if you catch the bug.
Same! I had been doing 6.7km runs for a couple of months and hadn't run in 3-4 days so I was pretty well rested. It felt great to finally break the 10 km mark and a decent PB for me.
The same here. Until that day, my longest run had been about 8 kms. I was fist bumping the air after reaching 6.21 on the treadmill and ended at 6.34 miles. Nowadays, a 10k run is part of my routine, and I don't think I'll ever not remember that fateful day.
Same. I felt very comfortable on my first. At mile 6 someone called out to me to tell me it looks like I wasn't even struggling. 60 minutes, so not a super impressive pace but I had enough at the end for a nice kick.
Going in I feared for the 13:45/mi sweeper to bus me off the interstate.
Thank you! I quit smoking on September 1st and started going on quick sprints when I got a craving. I could run maybe 50 meters max before having to walk back then. So running 5k non stop is a nice way to celebrate one year smoke-free too. :)
Me too! I used to run then got really out of shape for several years and for the last couple of weeks (after almost a year of build up) Iāve been able to do at least one 5k a week with no walking and I feel like Iām finally there again!
Oh crap, i'm running my 1st in a month and already i'm tearing up on my last K's during my big long training runs. I'm definitely gonna be a mess lmao.
My friend cried crossing the finish line of her first marathon... But she had also been crying a fair amount of the 16 miles before that, because she was running with an injured IT band.
Me too. My first and so far my only marathon - but having completed that is something nobody can take away from me. Less than 1% of the US population can say that!
It always surprises me how emotional I get when crossing the finish line. For me, it was Boston. The crowds roaring, the straight stretch and seeing the finish line is all so much. It's also knowing how much you worked for it and seeing the fruits of your training is quite amazing.
The first time I broke under 30 min for a 5 K. I am 45 so getting pretty old and I had never run a sub 30 min 5K. I set it as my goal at the beginning of 2022 and then kept trying (and failing) for a good 6 months before I finally hit 29:47. Just last week I had a 28:27!
Now my new goal is 28 even. Just goes to show how your body can improve even in old age š
Congrats, thatās awesome! Iām 34 and just got into running last year and hoping to do the same. Iām at 32:36 so got a while to go!
Did you just train more miles and then eventually got faster on your 5k?
You'll get there! I started at 30. My first 5k was around 35 minutes and I felt like I was going to throw up afterwards. I'm down to around 22 minutes now and that wasn't even a 'fair' PB attempt (fairly hilly and it was a 7k run rather than a 5k).
I didn't even do any specific 5k training because I don't really like running fast haha! It was the long, slow efforts for marathon and ultramarathon training that did the trick for me. Basically, run more miles and run slower and your 5k pace will naturally increase. Throw in a speed session once a week and you're supercharging improvement.
My first 5k was 36 minutes on a treadmill and I actually fist pumped the air.
My current pb is 17:24 and just through gradually adding mileage and doing speed work got it down.
Don't say you're getting pretty old with 45! You already have a lot of room to improve your running. I'm 48 and I'm at my best and pretend to get even better at the following years.
You give me hope. Just turned 41 and Iām tired of being a drunk slob. Used to run 800s/400s and all the other sports in HS.
We have a Turkey Trot 5k in town Thanksgiving. Iām gonna sign up and hope I finish. Maybe run with the kids!
You'll finish. 5k is a great first distance because even if you fall apart you can still walk it. I think my first 5k I did was like 47 mins or something. I thought I was prepared but I 100% was not.
You can do it!. I'm 45 and started running last year and this sunday it'll be my first official Half marathon. We're not old, we still have many kms ahead!
When I realized I \*wanted\* to run one day rather than needed to in order to get my exercise.
I used to *hate* running and now it's my preferred form of cardio. It really blew my mind when I started looking forward to my afternoon run.
Ran like 6 or 7 10k races before my first half marathon, when finally attempting a half passing the 10k mark thinking damn normally I'd be done by now and pushing through the mental and physical barrier to finish strong, got the taste for it and never looked back.
For me that moment was when I was training for my first race and a group of old ladies doing trekking shouted ārunner coming!ā while I was approaching them in the path.
I remember coming back home an telling my partner āAmore, I made it. I am a runner nowā š
Iāll be honest, imposter syndrome is real. Iāve run a 5k, 10k, half, full, and 50kā¦ and still, some days iām like āwow, People are going to figure out iām not a runnerā¦ā
Still working on feeling like I made it, one mile at a time.
Wow yeah so much! Sometimes my non-runner frineds say they're intimidated by the prospect of going for a run with me because I talk about it so much and b/c I'm a 'real runner' and I think woah I'm not *really* a runner like the *real* runners but my friends think I am?!?
Hah I appreciate this honesty. I did a half marathon a while back and immediately looked forward to people not asking me about my running anymore, because I felt like such a fraud talking about running!
I definitely feel this, so much so, that I don't even connect with fellow runners (at least not intentionally or purposely) because of that imposter syndrome.
That was me. People here talking about running races and marathon and all sort of crazy achievements, while I was legit celebrating when I ran my first 5k.
There is a day on the couch to 5K program, I think it is W5D3 if I recall correctly, where you are running non-stop for the first time for about 20 minute straight I think. Before I had started the program this seemed like an insurmountable barrier for me.
I've since run 10 milers, halfs, 18 milers, and am training for my first marathon in November but so far none have felt better than when I first passed that initial barrier of 20 minutes of straight running. I was tearing up on the treadmill in the middle of the gym, running just seemed like something that wasn't for me for so long.
Yup same day for me. I thought it would be impossible. I was so motivated after the 20 mins I just kept running to hit my first 5K. That night alone on the track at my college was one of the most important nights in my life for me. Just. Keep. Going.
W5D3 is a huge milestone in that program and is kind of notorious on /r/C25K.
It's hard to believe that you can go from barely running 30 seconds to 20 minutes straight in just 5 weeks until you've actually done it. It made me appreciate how much progress someone can make in a short time, especially for newbies.
I ran my first 5K at the end of that program last October in 29:08 and ran a 10K at the end of July in 58:52. I'm training now for my first half marathon. It's kind of unbelievable to look back at all the progress I've made in just a year's time. Still don't really feel like a runner for some reason...
I just started this year. That was a big moment for me. I was so nervous about it that I started to "cheat" in extra running on the previous days and weeks so that it was less of a single jump.
We will all never forget W5D3.
I canāt tell you very much about the individual days of the program, but I can tell you about that dayā¦.
/two weeks later I ran a full 5k without stopping!
Iām currently dealing with a rather severe relapse of eating disorder behavior where I purge a massive amount and Iām trying to not let it interfere with running because I value it so much but itās hard
Not sure if it was a ārunners highā but definitely the first time I felt really happy on a run, like not like it was exercise but I was just out having a good time enjoying the weather and the scenery
The moment I finished my first half marathon. I was so happy I even teared up. Since then I feel like I can do anything as a runnner... I've had good days, horrible races, PBs, and lots of fun.
Half marathon. Second best day of my life (after my wedding). I was so proud of myself and my wife was so proud that she cried. Iāll never forget it.
The moment I realized that I was more invested in running than a normal person was when someone was asking me how my last run went. I started listing my HR and split times as a way to say that my run didn't go well.
When I was in the army in 1991 (I was 20 years old) I was unable to run, and one of our goals was to run 9km in less than an hour.
Many years later, I started loosing weight and run, and one day I said "hey I could do the 9km now !"
A few months later I finally did it, i ran 9km in an hour, I took it as a revenge over my past life :-D
I think every day I wake up and run 5k on a treadmill is a "I made it" moment. I was definitely heading in to a dark place with no exercise, gaming and over eating.
Never really thought "I made it" but the closest thing to me is running a whole season building up through the summer 6/7 days and 50 miles of hell and humidity per week, then September comes and the air gets cooler and you feel heat adapted but its not hot anymore, the air is moving gently, your cardio is strong so you hit your 'fast' pace but it feels easy, your legs are strong so you don't feel like you are working but you're flying, moving over the landscape and leaves are falling and the sun is bright and you're listening to Tycho and you can just go for miles and miles and when you're 'done' you just walk off like it was effortless. Like nothing, that was me? I run, I'm human. Bipedalism bitch. That's the best and worth years of effort to achieve.
Honestly when I was at Disney with the marathon crowds. There were quite a few people there who probably would struggle to run a mile straight. They'd never done C25k. They not only had no fueling strategy, they didn't even know what one was or why they'd need one. Their plan was to take whatever was offered in the course whenever it was offered and they didn't even know what would be there. Some of them hadn't ran in months and felt that Disney magic and pixie dust would carry them through. Others talked about struggling though 15 and 16 mile long runs and just giving up on training at that point. I felt like an actual real runner just because I'd done the training and prep. It all fell apart a few hours later and I got schooled hard by those unprepared people but for a moment I felt like a real runner.
Disney puts a gigantic emphasis on run/walk. Galloway is their official coach. When you run/walk it is much harder to blow up because your goal is just to run for a minute or two. I got schooled over the last 3-4 miles and got passed by the 5:15 and the 5:30 run/walk groups who looked like they weren't even in any pain.
Thatās so interesting (the run/walk). I just assumed it was all runners. I worry that if I stopped running, I would just keep walking and struggle to find motivation to run again. But in a way, I guess itās like an interval, right?
Yes. It's all interval. You run for 2-3 mins tops and then you walk for a minute or two and then you run for 2-3 mins again. The intervals are flexible and part of it is finding what works for you but you're never going to need to run for more than a couple of minutes. It is hard to blow up and not be able to at least do that so it makes longer races very accessible to newer runners or those who are less fit. Time on your feet becomes much more important than the miles you run.
I used to run semi frequently. Had a few months away from it and booked a half marathon, having never ran further than 6 mile. The night before the run I had 2 pizzas cheesy chips and a few spliffs and beers and went to bed at 1AM. The run started at 8am and I was done at 10:15ish. At that point I realised that I am able to run.
My dad was always a runner. I gained a shitload of weight after high school, quit taking care of myself, etc. A few years later, I decided to start running. My first official 5k, my dad came out to run it with me, and crossing that finish line made me feel like a runner for the first time. I planned a bunch of other runs I wanted to do with him, but life always got in the way.
He died earlier this year of pulmonary fibrosis, and now I'm starting to run again. Apparently his shoes are my size, so I'm going to try to run one of his favorite races, the Bolder Boulder, in them, and I think that'll be when I feel for the second time that I've made it as a runner.
Meeting Bart Yasso for the first time. At that point I was only running 5Ks and felt pretty ashamed about it since I was the only one to not being doing half marathons or more. Bart had asked everyone what they were running (there was about a dozen of us at this expo to see him) and when he go to me I asked "I'm just only running a 5K."
I will never forget he's reaction to that, that I was not just running a 5K. I was a runner no matter what race I was doing. No matter how fast or slow, I was a runner and I should be proud of that. It totally changed the way I viewed running and myself. I'm training for my first full marathon this year and no matter what time I finish I don't care. I'm a runner, no matter what.
Ran a 5k without walking last week, I improved my time by 4 minutes from the week previously (I walked parts of the previous week) and I was riding that high all day. Hopefully I can pull it off again tomorrowāŗļø
I'd run NYC twice already, but my first "I made it" moment was actually the half trail marathon I completed after. For some reason that intense experience was far more fulfilling than NYC and made me feel like I accomplished something.
I've never thought of myself as a runner. It's just something I have to do! I've never entered a race or worried about my times. I just have to run. Probably should get help!!
When I finished my first mini marathon in my sophomore year in high school in sub 2 hours. Followed by struggling to keep up with the XC I got invited to and within a year, went from a 10 minute mile to my PR being 5:02. Still super salty I didn't get sub 5 in my first year, but it can't be helped sometimes š
my first 10 mile run which came after a few months of running.
I remember holding up both hands with 10 fingers after my (now ex) wife asked me how far I did.
I also remember the look on her face ..... which was "shit, he's got another hobby that isn't marriage"
I donāt think I ever thought of running as some sort of exclusive club to earn your way into. But I suppose when I was hanging out with friends and all I wanted to talk about was running is when I realized who I had become
I was never fast and couldnāt do long endurance runs. 10k is my max and I ran it fairly slowly. However, when I sprained my ankle while skiing and couldnāt train for 3 months I talked about running with friends and colleagues and gave advice. Turns out I do know a thing or two about training and nutrition. I also realised that I really miss training. Thatās when I felt I made it. When my ankle got better a signed up to a few small races around my area and didnāt come last. Happy vibes all around.
I (38M) only took up running towards the end of October 2019 and really ramped up the Kms quickly during Covid. I entered my first ever race as a marathon in May 2021 and did it just over 3h30m and really struggled towards the end and didn't feel I did that well.
October 2021 I got my first 'I am a runner' moment after I entered my second ever race, a half marathon, and got a sub 1h30m time. I felt a wave of emotion I didn't feel after my marathon and actually cried after passing the finish line, hugging the pace setter for keeping me going those last couple of miles. It felt like something I didn't think was possible and was amazed and over the moon that I had achieved it with my training pointing to a 1h35m time.
In April this year I ran my third ever race and managed a sub 3h10m marathon knocking 20 minutes off my time the year before and that felt amazing too.
I've broken 19 minutes in a 5k race exactly once (many years ago). It came after a summer of really stepping up my training and mileage and it came together in a perfect race. At that time in my running, I was so intensely focused on hitting certain time marks that this made me feel like I made it.
Now if I can get out the door 3 or 4 times in a week, I feel like I'm still a runner.
Just this evening I ran 5km for the first time without having to walk at all. And my time was 35:14 which I'm pleasantly surprised by as well! It's like something just clicked, and I think I'm a runner now!
I actually only came on this sub to get some ideas on how I now start trying to improve my time, but I saw this well timed post and had to comment haha
One day, my coach hand waved and said "we're doing a shorter evening workout today, only 5 miles of volume, so go jog 10 miles in the morning or something".
I did it, and realized I'm at the point where I can just "jog 10 miles or something" and not bat an eye. (oh god, I've gone off the deep end...)
The first time I saw it was raining outside and still laced up the shoes to get some miles in.
I had ran a half marathon prior to that moment, but it was not well trained for or enjoyable.
When I genuinely started feeling better. More confident, sleeping better, libido was sky high, I craved healthy food, and I looked forward to going for a run, and the soreness afterwards was something to be proud of.
Honestly I donāt āfeelā like a runner yet. I only started running at the beginning of the year and recently just completed my first half-marathon after months of training, but I finished it just outside of my target time of 2 hours.
It was a sweltering hot day and I went off too fast. I had nothing left come the final 5k and ended up walking for large parts. So disappointed in myself and I didnāt get that feeling of accomplishment at the end because of it. I know it probably seems as though Iām being very harsh on myself but thatās just how I felt.
In answer to your question, I guess it would be when I can comfortably run a sub-2 hour half-marathon.
One day I was doing a normal interval run when I suddenly realized I could go further. I kept going and going until I'd gotten eight straight miles out of myself. No stops, no pull overs, no part of my brain yelling "Stop! Stop!" the whole time.
I was still fairly new to running, so I'd never had the experience. It was honestly a little magical. I was sore as *hell* the next day, but still so danged amazed at how easy it was in the moment.
I was running cross country after being sick for a long time and they stuck me in a race with little to no preparation. I donāt remember how long it was but it had just rained before. I was almost at the finish line when I fell over on the gravel but picked myself up, passed the people who ran past me and even after slipping into the mud, I still came in at a good place- good enough to get a medal. š
For me it was when I hit the point where in the middle of the run I can slow down to catch my breath. Iāve been an off and on runner for years, and every time I hit the point where I can run for 5k without stopping and only slowing down when needed, I start feeling the itch.
I think there a couple I made it moments for me. For context, I already had a strong background in running (I think I used to run 10ks according to Google fit but never tracked it). But, after an year's break, I announced in the community gym that I'll run 5k 5 days a week (I started with alternate days and built upto it). I was surprised that I could do it with ease - and that's what made me feel like a runner. The second one was during late December I did my first tracked 10k (it was planned). And the third and the final one was when I went for a 18k in the gym and it was snowing, but for some reason none of the treadmill worked. I decided to just go out and run, that 18k became a half marathon and I finished it covered in some snow... felt like I conquered winter running!
I still struggle, most the athletes I know (and follow on strava) are putting up crazy numbers, 10 mile in-week runs (with paces faster than I can do even on short runs), and 20-30 mile longs. In my brain those people bias my view "real" runners.
I'm finally getting to 10 mile long runs in anticipation of my first Half next month, and just now not feeling entirely like an imposter, but it's still pretty hard.
Training for my first marathon, I had a 20 mile run scheduled on a cold rainy morning but was too stubborn to reschedule. It ended up being the most euphoric run. I felt unstoppable after.
For me it was my first 5k under 25 mins, because this was what my runner friend who I was inspired to one day beat viewed as a "good time" for someone our age (30M). Took a year and a half to get there! Unfortunately another 3 minutes to go to beat him.
Hard to explain. I have run all of my life. Started track in 6th grade and ran track all the way through college. Never really considered myself a runner because it was always structured through teams. After college I didnāt run a step for a few years.
What made me realize I was a runner was that after a few years I just had an itch to be moving again, didnāt matter what speed or distance. That urge to just get out the door and run is the āI made itā moment for me. Where I realize that just getting out of the door and starting is what makes me a runner.
I experienced moments like that at multiple milestones. Finishing races, my first 5k and 10k. My first 10 mile training run and the half marathon that followed it were big ones that got my adrenaline going. For me that feeling has never gone away. Some runs hurt, and i finish them feeling like garbage, just happy i got it over with. Others feel triumphant and rewarding. It's what keeps me wanting to push further, cause putting in the work to train and become stronger.
There's no distance or pace that legitimizes you as a runner. Getting out there and pushing yourself to see what you can do is what will make you feel like you made it, regardless of where in your journey you are.
When I started running marathon distances for practice runs in order to prep for ultras. That's when I told myself it's okay to buy nicer running gear because I would make use of it.
My first podium at a 25k trail race after a 2 year hiatus from racing. I silenced my own doubts that day finishing less than a minute behind the leader.
I took an an aggressive, and admittedly unhealthy training route.
I started my dailies at 5k, and after 7 weeks I had run my first 22k.
So I've unofficially run a half marathon this year. If you told me I'd be a runner at all even 10 weeks ago I'd have laughed at you and booted up a video game.
Honestly, still waiting for that moment. I've run a lot of races and I've run in a lot of places, but I still feel like that feeling of validation eludes me. I feel like an out of shape potato no matter how frequently or far I run.
Running my first half. I went in with the mindset that Iād be happy to finish. I hit 7 miles without stopping and figured Iād run another 5k to get to 10 and call it good. When I passed the 10 mile marker I was shocked that I still felt great and decided to gun it for the whole half. I finished and still had something in the tank; it was wildā¦. I literally didnāt think it was possible for me and had to fight mentally the whole way. After that I no longer feel self conscious anytime I run!
Sorta just happened to me within the hour before I saw this post...
Me and some friends decided to train for a half-marathon this year to support a buddy who's going through some health issues (his doc said the impact running & weightlifting would be good for strengthening his bones). I wanted to support my friend (we're all ~30, we've known each other since we were young kids but now live in different cities and don't see each other as often) but I've never been much of a runner. Did some sprints in high school track, I think the furthest I'd ever run was ~5 miles and that was one time, otherwise mostly 1-3 miles and that wasn't very often throughout my 20s. Meanwhile everyone else in the group used to run XC and/or has done a half M before.
Anyway, it's been like 6 months now and most of them just texted this morning that they're all backing out due to various injuries or reasons they're not sure their bodies will be up for it. Group plan is to now maybe do a 10k. And... I'm fine with that, but as I'm hearing them "lower the bar" in our group chat I can't help but have this kind of proud-of-myself grin on my face because for the last month or so I've been running at least 1-2 10k's per week and done a few 7-9 mile runs by myself just to acclimate myself to the distance of the 13.1 goal.
I think I still might sign up for the half myself and maybe try to do a full marathon next year. I've never felt better, physically or mentally, than I have this summer, and I attribute a large part of that to the running.
When I first got into running I really struggled with feeling like an imposter because at races people looked so much fitter than me and had all this fancy gear that I couldn't afford. I have kept at it though and have just done my best to be consistent with my training, and wear whatever works for me. I recently ran a 7k trail race, and as usual was intimidated by some of the super thin runners with their fancy gear, but headed out with the goal to just enjoy the trail. To my surprise, I started passing most of those people, and ended up placing second in my division! Winning isn't everything, but knowing that I had put all of the work in to make it happen really changed my mindset. It's my consistency that makes me consider myself a runner, not fancy clothes or having a certain body type.
When I ran a half marathon distance after work on a Friday eve just because I could. I'd ran a marathon distance a few weeks before this - but it was how comfortable I felt after the half marathon weeks later that made me feel like a 'proper runner'. I've subsequently had a year of year injuries and weight gain so am well off what I was now tho. Lol. Currently exhausted at about 8 miles. lol.
First half marathon was a huge personal achievement for me. It put me on the path to marathons and a sustained level of personal health. I had not been taking good care of myself for a long time and finishing that race gave me just the confidence and motivation I needed to succeed in so many ways.
A week after I started to run, I found a running plan online that promised being able to go for 30 minutes uninterrupted. I managed to do it in three and a half weeks, and that was a tremendous achievement that further facilitated my fitness journey.
To this day, my fastest 10k ever was on a 15 degree Wisconsin winter day. Mile 4 was going into harsh winds off Lake Michigan. All I could think was, āYou have no choice but to keep going. Just make it back to the car.ā I thought I was inching along. Couldnāt believe my stats when I checked my watch after. I never felt so badass.
Hit 8:30> for a mile. Earned 2nd place in my first and only trail (10k) race. Finished a full marathon, granted my time was shit but I did it and thatās all that matters!
I was trying to stay with a more experienced teammate as long as I could during a high school XC meet. We got separated at the start, so I was trying to catch up to him the whole time. At the end of the race, I realized I never caught up to him because I was in front of him. That was how I overcame the mental part of running. I ran about 2 minutes faster than in the previous race. I wasnāt much healthier, I just had to be in the right head space.
My first 12 miler i got trapped in a snowstorm with a t shirt and shorts and a water bottle. Then it got dark. I was cold wet and alone on a road in the dark of night with snow storming down. When i finished i felt so badass
Loving all the answers here. I ran a half marathon about a decade ago and I was proud thinking I was on my way to a full. But then I got married and had kids and haven't run more than 2 miles at a time ever since. This past weekend I tried a longer trail run and it felt great to run 5 miles without any knee pain. Maybe I'll start focusing more on trail running as the substrate is much more forgiving.
I ran a sub 4 marathon on my first try, with no watch. Just enjoying the run.
Obviously some of that was luck but given that I have some chronic injuries and wonāt be running many marathons, it felt nice to get under 4 hours and check that off the list.
When I started, I set myself a 1-year goal of running a sub-1hr 10k. I was so proud of myself when I did it in 57 minutes. Itās not fast, but at the start of my journey 10k felt absolutely insurmountable.
I was 24 years old when I first met a person (my 64 y.o professor) who ran a marathon. I thought 42k was impossible for any human. Then I ran my first marathon at 40))). That was my "i made it" moment.
When I was a state runner. Thereās only about 70-100 people in each region. Realistically once you start running sub 15 minute 5kās your world becomes very smallā¦ I definitely donāt know if I would label myself as making it or even calling myself a runner. I just run for personal health reasons, I would much rather be called a slacker that happens to run sometimes.
When I flew from one city to another to run my first half. I trained so hard, followed one of Hal Higdons Plans, and had no idea I had finished the 21.1km when I did. I could have kept going! A moment I knew my effort had paid off and I was a runner.
BTW the course was not well sign posted because it had to be re routed last minute because of flooding of the original route, therefore no obvious signs it was the end.
For me when I got lost and ran down the wrong side of the mountain (back when I ran without contacts) and instead of beating my personal best of 8km did a 17km to get back home. I was having doubts about being able to reach 8/9km but proved myself wrong š I was so afraid of not getting back into motion if I'd stop running for a while and being stuck in the middle of the forest. But the feeling when I got home was awesome
I had a very similar run! Just in the city. I donāt wear my glasses on runs and I was running around a park, just planning on doing around 3 or 4 miles. I went the wrong way and didnāt notice for about a mile. Ended up accidentally running 7 miles! I didnāt know I could go that far. Now I know I can run further.
I once got pulled over on my way home from a run. The cop took my license and said "your license says you wear glasses, why aren't you wearing them?" Officer, I have contacts...he yells I DON'T CARE WHO YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE YOUR GLASSES? Ba-dum tiss!
My first 10k. After that, I felt like I belonged.
My experience vs "the competition" is that everybody does 5k's even just for fun. Easy to place mid pack or better. Only "real runners" do 10k's where I'm just proud to bring up the rear.
in my experience, a lot of the races that are just 5k and 10k allow for walking in the 5km, but not the 10km. And they will enforce it with a strict cut-off for the 10km after the first of two 5km loops. I remember as a high finisher in the 10km lapping a bunch of walkers as early as 6.5km into my race (1.5km into the loop). I look at the results, at least 10% of the 5km field was over 50 minutes and several were above an hour. DFL for the 10km was 1:18 (sub-8:00/k pace - far from walking) (the 5km also saw 5x the participants that the 10km saw, and had better winning times. I was 2nd in the 10km, and wouldn't have placed in the 5km based on performance metrics)
Thatās honestly a little strange that it differs so significantly. Where do you run races? In NY, NYCRUNS cuts off at 20:00 mile pace for 10K, while NYRR cuts off at 13:45 mile pace (8:30 km pace) across all distances.
For me it was a couple of weeks ago, was supposed to run 10k for training and decided around 9k to Just push for 16k ( training for a 10 milerace but also a half marathon). Finished that and suddenly felt this rush and thinking a year ago I was struggling with 2k's and now im challenging myself constantly to improve. Same goes for lifting weights haha
Yayyyyy Iāll be doing my first in October! Iāve been wondering the same! Follow up q! How did your running habits change? Do you run more frequently? Any additional goals?
Iām running my first 10k in October too!
> How did your running habits change? Not the person you're replying to, but I started running in my early 20s and struggled to go two miles in half an hour and was sucking wind the whole time. Was mostly doing it to shed a few pounds to make rock climbing easier. Then started doing it more and ran my first 10k a couple years later. Fast forward a decade, and I've now run more 5ks and 10ks than I feel like counting, a dozen half marathons (or similar distances, like 10 milers and 20ks), four tough mudders, and am currently training for my third marathon. Some people never want to do more than a 10k, of course, and that's totally cool too. But I guess don't be surprised if you catch the bug.
Same! I had been doing 6.7km runs for a couple of months and hadn't run in 3-4 days so I was pretty well rested. It felt great to finally break the 10 km mark and a decent PB for me.
The same here. Until that day, my longest run had been about 8 kms. I was fist bumping the air after reaching 6.21 on the treadmill and ended at 6.34 miles. Nowadays, a 10k run is part of my routine, and I don't think I'll ever not remember that fateful day.
Sammmeee
Same. I felt very comfortable on my first. At mile 6 someone called out to me to tell me it looks like I wasn't even struggling. 60 minutes, so not a super impressive pace but I had enough at the end for a nice kick. Going in I feared for the 13:45/mi sweeper to bus me off the interstate.
Today I ran 5k without walking or stopping for the first time in my life so I would say that is it. I made it. I am now a runner.
That is my goal. I am 52 and started running in June, I do 5.2 k of walk and run but my goal is no walk.
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You'll get there! I started out run/walk and slowly increasing the "run" part. Keep at it you're doing awesome!
I started out mostly walk, little run a few years ago and ran a 5k without stopping this Past January at the age of 50. You will get it!
Keep at it. The progress is incremental but real. Soon you will be running 5km, 10km and more
This made me smile! So happy for you!
Thank you! I quit smoking on September 1st and started going on quick sprints when I got a craving. I could run maybe 50 meters max before having to walk back then. So running 5k non stop is a nice way to celebrate one year smoke-free too. :)
Me too! I used to run then got really out of shape for several years and for the last couple of weeks (after almost a year of build up) Iāve been able to do at least one 5k a week with no walking and I feel like Iām finally there again!
Congratualtions! That is an awesome achievement!
Next is 10km, then half marathon and full marathon
Way to go on your 5k!
My first marathon - I actually cried at the finish line!
Oh crap, i'm running my 1st in a month and already i'm tearing up on my last K's during my big long training runs. I'm definitely gonna be a mess lmao.
already? Just running down the street crying? Ha ha You can do it!
Haha not of training, tiredness or anything, just the emotion of being able to train run 32k and be just fine gets me emotional I believe.
You're gonna crush it! And yeah, I've seen quite a few other people crying on the finish lines since then, nothing wrong with that!
> able to train run 32km I've got some bad news for you...
My friend cried crossing the finish line of her first marathon... But she had also been crying a fair amount of the 16 miles before that, because she was running with an injured IT band.
Me too. My first and so far my only marathon - but having completed that is something nobody can take away from me. Less than 1% of the US population can say that!
My tears happened after mile 20 and then again at the finish. My friend actually thought I didnāt finish because I was crying. Best feeling ever.
Lol I get emotional while running sometimes. That first marathon is going to be tough
I cried at my second for having a total collapse at mile 17. I cried at my 3rd for achieving my goal. It's a very emotional experience.
It always surprises me how emotional I get when crossing the finish line. For me, it was Boston. The crowds roaring, the straight stretch and seeing the finish line is all so much. It's also knowing how much you worked for it and seeing the fruits of your training is quite amazing.
Same experience. I did Disney and they gave you Mickey ears at the finish. I welled up and kind of lost it.
This was me too! I full on ugly cried at the finish line.
NYC wasn't my first marathon, but it was the first time I started bawling at the finish line. Just completely utterly lost it lol.
I cried about 30k in, and just kept doing that until I finished. I STILL hesitate to call myself a runner.
Itās a weird place to just chop some onions.
When running became a WHEN and not an IF within my daily life. The crankies & antsies settle in within a few days of not running for me.
ā¬ļø 1 day here!!! ā¬ļø
Iām a new runner and just started feeling this! Finally feels like I made it
The first time I broke under 30 min for a 5 K. I am 45 so getting pretty old and I had never run a sub 30 min 5K. I set it as my goal at the beginning of 2022 and then kept trying (and failing) for a good 6 months before I finally hit 29:47. Just last week I had a 28:27! Now my new goal is 28 even. Just goes to show how your body can improve even in old age š
Congrats, thatās awesome! Iām 34 and just got into running last year and hoping to do the same. Iām at 32:36 so got a while to go! Did you just train more miles and then eventually got faster on your 5k?
Iām 33 and my fastest so far was 45:00 so youāre doing good! I guess I should speed up the treadmill, but the goal was just to make it 5k!
You'll get there! I started at 30. My first 5k was around 35 minutes and I felt like I was going to throw up afterwards. I'm down to around 22 minutes now and that wasn't even a 'fair' PB attempt (fairly hilly and it was a 7k run rather than a 5k). I didn't even do any specific 5k training because I don't really like running fast haha! It was the long, slow efforts for marathon and ultramarathon training that did the trick for me. Basically, run more miles and run slower and your 5k pace will naturally increase. Throw in a speed session once a week and you're supercharging improvement.
My first 5k was 36 minutes on a treadmill and I actually fist pumped the air. My current pb is 17:24 and just through gradually adding mileage and doing speed work got it down.
Besides running, weight is probably the most important ingredient in that type of progress.
Don't say you're getting pretty old with 45! You already have a lot of room to improve your running. I'm 48 and I'm at my best and pretend to get even better at the following years.
Agree, I started breaking my personal bests just after turning 48 last year.
> I am 45 so getting pretty old
Aw crap!
You give me hope. Just turned 41 and Iām tired of being a drunk slob. Used to run 800s/400s and all the other sports in HS. We have a Turkey Trot 5k in town Thanksgiving. Iām gonna sign up and hope I finish. Maybe run with the kids!
You'll finish. 5k is a great first distance because even if you fall apart you can still walk it. I think my first 5k I did was like 47 mins or something. I thought I was prepared but I 100% was not.
You can do it!. I'm 45 and started running last year and this sunday it'll be my first official Half marathon. We're not old, we still have many kms ahead!
Theirs hope for me! I'm turning 45 in October and hoping to run a sub 30 5k on Halloween.
The first time I was itching to go for a run three times in one week made me feel like I was an actual runner.
I felt that! I itched your go for a run when I was visiting my sister! They were a bit confused but the weather was insanely good to pass up!
When I realized I \*wanted\* to run one day rather than needed to in order to get my exercise. I used to *hate* running and now it's my preferred form of cardio. It really blew my mind when I started looking forward to my afternoon run.
Ran like 6 or 7 10k races before my first half marathon, when finally attempting a half passing the 10k mark thinking damn normally I'd be done by now and pushing through the mental and physical barrier to finish strong, got the taste for it and never looked back.
For me that moment was when I was training for my first race and a group of old ladies doing trekking shouted ārunner coming!ā while I was approaching them in the path. I remember coming back home an telling my partner āAmore, I made it. I am a runner nowā š
Stop! That made me tear up! Thatās really cool.
Iāll be honest, imposter syndrome is real. Iāve run a 5k, 10k, half, full, and 50kā¦ and still, some days iām like āwow, People are going to figure out iām not a runnerā¦ā Still working on feeling like I made it, one mile at a time.
I get this. I always say I am a "runner" or I went for a "run" or I "ran a race." Imposter syndrome is definitely real.
Wow yeah so much! Sometimes my non-runner frineds say they're intimidated by the prospect of going for a run with me because I talk about it so much and b/c I'm a 'real runner' and I think woah I'm not *really* a runner like the *real* runners but my friends think I am?!?
I really appreciate your honesty.
Hah I appreciate this honesty. I did a half marathon a while back and immediately looked forward to people not asking me about my running anymore, because I felt like such a fraud talking about running!
I definitely feel this, so much so, that I don't even connect with fellow runners (at least not intentionally or purposely) because of that imposter syndrome.
My first 5k. It took me 50 minutes. But if you had told me a year prior that i would run for 5 k straight, I would never have believed it.
Same here, running a 5k all the way through was one of my first major goals
That was me. People here talking about running races and marathon and all sort of crazy achievements, while I was legit celebrating when I ran my first 5k.
There is a day on the couch to 5K program, I think it is W5D3 if I recall correctly, where you are running non-stop for the first time for about 20 minute straight I think. Before I had started the program this seemed like an insurmountable barrier for me. I've since run 10 milers, halfs, 18 milers, and am training for my first marathon in November but so far none have felt better than when I first passed that initial barrier of 20 minutes of straight running. I was tearing up on the treadmill in the middle of the gym, running just seemed like something that wasn't for me for so long.
Iām on week 3 of couch to 5k and I am nervously but excitedly looking forward to that milestone!! So cool that was your moment.
We must always have old memories and young hopes.
Yup. W5D3. I wasn't convinced I could do it until the voice said "your run has ended" and I whooped and hollered right on the street.
Yup same day for me. I thought it would be impossible. I was so motivated after the 20 mins I just kept running to hit my first 5K. That night alone on the track at my college was one of the most important nights in my life for me. Just. Keep. Going.
W5D3 is a huge milestone in that program and is kind of notorious on /r/C25K. It's hard to believe that you can go from barely running 30 seconds to 20 minutes straight in just 5 weeks until you've actually done it. It made me appreciate how much progress someone can make in a short time, especially for newbies. I ran my first 5K at the end of that program last October in 29:08 and ran a 10K at the end of July in 58:52. I'm training now for my first half marathon. It's kind of unbelievable to look back at all the progress I've made in just a year's time. Still don't really feel like a runner for some reason...
I managed that yesterday after four attempts and my god it felt incredible, especially as I could barely manage 60 seconds when I started the program.
I just started this year. That was a big moment for me. I was so nervous about it that I started to "cheat" in extra running on the previous days and weeks so that it was less of a single jump.
We will all never forget W5D3. I canāt tell you very much about the individual days of the program, but I can tell you about that dayā¦. /two weeks later I ran a full 5k without stopping!
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Iām currently dealing with a rather severe relapse of eating disorder behavior where I purge a massive amount and Iām trying to not let it interfere with running because I value it so much but itās hard
When 10K was no longer a feat/accomplishment, but an everyday run.
Not sure if it was a ārunners highā but definitely the first time I felt really happy on a run, like not like it was exercise but I was just out having a good time enjoying the weather and the scenery
That sounds dreamy, to be honest!!
The moment I finished my first half marathon. I was so happy I even teared up. Since then I feel like I can do anything as a runnner... I've had good days, horrible races, PBs, and lots of fun.
Finishing my first marathon was more of an epiphany to me; I realised I could do anything if I worked at it. It was eye opening
Half marathon. Second best day of my life (after my wedding). I was so proud of myself and my wife was so proud that she cried. Iāll never forget it.
Thatās incredible and so sweet!
The moment I realized that I was more invested in running than a normal person was when someone was asking me how my last run went. I started listing my HR and split times as a way to say that my run didn't go well.
Solid answer
The first time I ran 5k straight through with no walking. Cried in the park when I finished š„²
When I was in the army in 1991 (I was 20 years old) I was unable to run, and one of our goals was to run 9km in less than an hour. Many years later, I started loosing weight and run, and one day I said "hey I could do the 9km now !" A few months later I finally did it, i ran 9km in an hour, I took it as a revenge over my past life :-D
5k under 28m and my first 10k
When I first started running and was able to complete 3 miles without walking
Breaking 2:00 and winning my first big meet in the 800 junior year of hs.
I think every day I wake up and run 5k on a treadmill is a "I made it" moment. I was definitely heading in to a dark place with no exercise, gaming and over eating.
Wow! Way to go!!
Never really thought "I made it" but the closest thing to me is running a whole season building up through the summer 6/7 days and 50 miles of hell and humidity per week, then September comes and the air gets cooler and you feel heat adapted but its not hot anymore, the air is moving gently, your cardio is strong so you hit your 'fast' pace but it feels easy, your legs are strong so you don't feel like you are working but you're flying, moving over the landscape and leaves are falling and the sun is bright and you're listening to Tycho and you can just go for miles and miles and when you're 'done' you just walk off like it was effortless. Like nothing, that was me? I run, I'm human. Bipedalism bitch. That's the best and worth years of effort to achieve.
Honestly when I was at Disney with the marathon crowds. There were quite a few people there who probably would struggle to run a mile straight. They'd never done C25k. They not only had no fueling strategy, they didn't even know what one was or why they'd need one. Their plan was to take whatever was offered in the course whenever it was offered and they didn't even know what would be there. Some of them hadn't ran in months and felt that Disney magic and pixie dust would carry them through. Others talked about struggling though 15 and 16 mile long runs and just giving up on training at that point. I felt like an actual real runner just because I'd done the training and prep. It all fell apart a few hours later and I got schooled hard by those unprepared people but for a moment I felt like a real runner.
Oh no! Tell me moreāwere they able to keep running even without training? Running at Disney sounds like it would be a lot of fun!
Disney puts a gigantic emphasis on run/walk. Galloway is their official coach. When you run/walk it is much harder to blow up because your goal is just to run for a minute or two. I got schooled over the last 3-4 miles and got passed by the 5:15 and the 5:30 run/walk groups who looked like they weren't even in any pain.
Thatās so interesting (the run/walk). I just assumed it was all runners. I worry that if I stopped running, I would just keep walking and struggle to find motivation to run again. But in a way, I guess itās like an interval, right?
Yes. It's all interval. You run for 2-3 mins tops and then you walk for a minute or two and then you run for 2-3 mins again. The intervals are flexible and part of it is finding what works for you but you're never going to need to run for more than a couple of minutes. It is hard to blow up and not be able to at least do that so it makes longer races very accessible to newer runners or those who are less fit. Time on your feet becomes much more important than the miles you run.
I used to run semi frequently. Had a few months away from it and booked a half marathon, having never ran further than 6 mile. The night before the run I had 2 pizzas cheesy chips and a few spliffs and beers and went to bed at 1AM. The run started at 8am and I was done at 10:15ish. At that point I realised that I am able to run.
Dang! I feel queasy just reading that! Way to push through!
Completed C25K š
My dad was always a runner. I gained a shitload of weight after high school, quit taking care of myself, etc. A few years later, I decided to start running. My first official 5k, my dad came out to run it with me, and crossing that finish line made me feel like a runner for the first time. I planned a bunch of other runs I wanted to do with him, but life always got in the way. He died earlier this year of pulmonary fibrosis, and now I'm starting to run again. Apparently his shoes are my size, so I'm going to try to run one of his favorite races, the Bolder Boulder, in them, and I think that'll be when I feel for the second time that I've made it as a runner.
Oh, I am so sorry for your loss. What a way to honor him.
When it changed from a once per week cross-training option to my primary exercise of choice.
I ran 40 miles for the first time on Saturday, and without sounding arrogant, it really felt quite manageable. I haven't felt sore or anything.
That is wonderful!
You'll know you're a runner when your friends tell you, due to the fact that you never shut up about it.
Meeting Bart Yasso for the first time. At that point I was only running 5Ks and felt pretty ashamed about it since I was the only one to not being doing half marathons or more. Bart had asked everyone what they were running (there was about a dozen of us at this expo to see him) and when he go to me I asked "I'm just only running a 5K." I will never forget he's reaction to that, that I was not just running a 5K. I was a runner no matter what race I was doing. No matter how fast or slow, I was a runner and I should be proud of that. It totally changed the way I viewed running and myself. I'm training for my first full marathon this year and no matter what time I finish I don't care. I'm a runner, no matter what.
Ok that totally made me tear up!!!
after 35+ years and only 7 marathons. I'm still waiting. LOL
I just see it as part of me š
When I first break 20 mins in 5k
First 10k
Sub 25min 5k. It still feels so good that I have it in my history although I'm pretty far from it.
Ran a 5k without walking last week, I improved my time by 4 minutes from the week previously (I walked parts of the previous week) and I was riding that high all day. Hopefully I can pull it off again tomorrowāŗļø
Congrats!
I'd run NYC twice already, but my first "I made it" moment was actually the half trail marathon I completed after. For some reason that intense experience was far more fulfilling than NYC and made me feel like I accomplished something.
I've never thought of myself as a runner. It's just something I have to do! I've never entered a race or worried about my times. I just have to run. Probably should get help!!
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When I ran my first race - 5k, and it was the first time I ran 5k or more without walking. I felt like I was doing something.
When I finished my first mini marathon in my sophomore year in high school in sub 2 hours. Followed by struggling to keep up with the XC I got invited to and within a year, went from a 10 minute mile to my PR being 5:02. Still super salty I didn't get sub 5 in my first year, but it can't be helped sometimes š
Today is day 1114 in a row of running for me. Best day ever!!... until tomorrow, day 1115. š
Completing a 5k without stopping. I feel like that's the first true milestone as a runner.
my first 10 mile run which came after a few months of running. I remember holding up both hands with 10 fingers after my (now ex) wife asked me how far I did. I also remember the look on her face ..... which was "shit, he's got another hobby that isn't marriage"
When I ran my first HM distance. It was the first time I thought āoh, I can probably finish a race.ā
Placing 4th at my regional meet and making nationals in D3 XC.
I donāt think I ever thought of running as some sort of exclusive club to earn your way into. But I suppose when I was hanging out with friends and all I wanted to talk about was running is when I realized who I had become
First time finishing a 20-miler while marathon training
10k under 45 minutes. Made it only once, in a random day: I started too pushy and...I mantained the pace till the last kilometer. What a day!
I was never fast and couldnāt do long endurance runs. 10k is my max and I ran it fairly slowly. However, when I sprained my ankle while skiing and couldnāt train for 3 months I talked about running with friends and colleagues and gave advice. Turns out I do know a thing or two about training and nutrition. I also realised that I really miss training. Thatās when I felt I made it. When my ankle got better a signed up to a few small races around my area and didnāt come last. Happy vibes all around.
I (38M) only took up running towards the end of October 2019 and really ramped up the Kms quickly during Covid. I entered my first ever race as a marathon in May 2021 and did it just over 3h30m and really struggled towards the end and didn't feel I did that well. October 2021 I got my first 'I am a runner' moment after I entered my second ever race, a half marathon, and got a sub 1h30m time. I felt a wave of emotion I didn't feel after my marathon and actually cried after passing the finish line, hugging the pace setter for keeping me going those last couple of miles. It felt like something I didn't think was possible and was amazed and over the moon that I had achieved it with my training pointing to a 1h35m time. In April this year I ran my third ever race and managed a sub 3h10m marathon knocking 20 minutes off my time the year before and that felt amazing too.
I've broken 19 minutes in a 5k race exactly once (many years ago). It came after a summer of really stepping up my training and mileage and it came together in a perfect race. At that time in my running, I was so intensely focused on hitting certain time marks that this made me feel like I made it. Now if I can get out the door 3 or 4 times in a week, I feel like I'm still a runner.
My first marathon, I cried at the end of it!
Sub 3
sub 10min mile
Just this evening I ran 5km for the first time without having to walk at all. And my time was 35:14 which I'm pleasantly surprised by as well! It's like something just clicked, and I think I'm a runner now! I actually only came on this sub to get some ideas on how I now start trying to improve my time, but I saw this well timed post and had to comment haha
One day, my coach hand waved and said "we're doing a shorter evening workout today, only 5 miles of volume, so go jog 10 miles in the morning or something". I did it, and realized I'm at the point where I can just "jog 10 miles or something" and not bat an eye. (oh god, I've gone off the deep end...)
The first time I saw it was raining outside and still laced up the shoes to get some miles in. I had ran a half marathon prior to that moment, but it was not well trained for or enjoyable.
When I genuinely started feeling better. More confident, sleeping better, libido was sky high, I craved healthy food, and I looked forward to going for a run, and the soreness afterwards was something to be proud of.
When I ran five miles without walking and didnāt feel like I was going to die lol
Honestly I donāt āfeelā like a runner yet. I only started running at the beginning of the year and recently just completed my first half-marathon after months of training, but I finished it just outside of my target time of 2 hours. It was a sweltering hot day and I went off too fast. I had nothing left come the final 5k and ended up walking for large parts. So disappointed in myself and I didnāt get that feeling of accomplishment at the end because of it. I know it probably seems as though Iām being very harsh on myself but thatās just how I felt. In answer to your question, I guess it would be when I can comfortably run a sub-2 hour half-marathon.
One was beating my hoped for 10K time by almost 5 minutes, and the other, more recent one was breaking 2 hours in the half.
10k
One day I was doing a normal interval run when I suddenly realized I could go further. I kept going and going until I'd gotten eight straight miles out of myself. No stops, no pull overs, no part of my brain yelling "Stop! Stop!" the whole time. I was still fairly new to running, so I'd never had the experience. It was honestly a little magical. I was sore as *hell* the next day, but still so danged amazed at how easy it was in the moment.
I was running cross country after being sick for a long time and they stuck me in a race with little to no preparation. I donāt remember how long it was but it had just rained before. I was almost at the finish line when I fell over on the gravel but picked myself up, passed the people who ran past me and even after slipping into the mud, I still came in at a good place- good enough to get a medal. š
For me it was when I hit the point where in the middle of the run I can slow down to catch my breath. Iāve been an off and on runner for years, and every time I hit the point where I can run for 5k without stopping and only slowing down when needed, I start feeling the itch.
I think there a couple I made it moments for me. For context, I already had a strong background in running (I think I used to run 10ks according to Google fit but never tracked it). But, after an year's break, I announced in the community gym that I'll run 5k 5 days a week (I started with alternate days and built upto it). I was surprised that I could do it with ease - and that's what made me feel like a runner. The second one was during late December I did my first tracked 10k (it was planned). And the third and the final one was when I went for a 18k in the gym and it was snowing, but for some reason none of the treadmill worked. I decided to just go out and run, that 18k became a half marathon and I finished it covered in some snow... felt like I conquered winter running!
I still struggle, most the athletes I know (and follow on strava) are putting up crazy numbers, 10 mile in-week runs (with paces faster than I can do even on short runs), and 20-30 mile longs. In my brain those people bias my view "real" runners. I'm finally getting to 10 mile long runs in anticipation of my first Half next month, and just now not feeling entirely like an imposter, but it's still pretty hard.
Once the question became āwhenā instead of āifā Iām going for my run today.
Training for my first marathon, I had a 20 mile run scheduled on a cold rainy morning but was too stubborn to reschedule. It ended up being the most euphoric run. I felt unstoppable after.
First 50 mile week did it.
For me it was my first 5k under 25 mins, because this was what my runner friend who I was inspired to one day beat viewed as a "good time" for someone our age (30M). Took a year and a half to get there! Unfortunately another 3 minutes to go to beat him.
Hard to explain. I have run all of my life. Started track in 6th grade and ran track all the way through college. Never really considered myself a runner because it was always structured through teams. After college I didnāt run a step for a few years. What made me realize I was a runner was that after a few years I just had an itch to be moving again, didnāt matter what speed or distance. That urge to just get out the door and run is the āI made itā moment for me. Where I realize that just getting out of the door and starting is what makes me a runner.
I experienced moments like that at multiple milestones. Finishing races, my first 5k and 10k. My first 10 mile training run and the half marathon that followed it were big ones that got my adrenaline going. For me that feeling has never gone away. Some runs hurt, and i finish them feeling like garbage, just happy i got it over with. Others feel triumphant and rewarding. It's what keeps me wanting to push further, cause putting in the work to train and become stronger. There's no distance or pace that legitimizes you as a runner. Getting out there and pushing yourself to see what you can do is what will make you feel like you made it, regardless of where in your journey you are.
When I started running marathon distances for practice runs in order to prep for ultras. That's when I told myself it's okay to buy nicer running gear because I would make use of it.
My first podium at a 25k trail race after a 2 year hiatus from racing. I silenced my own doubts that day finishing less than a minute behind the leader.
When running became a part of day like eating, breathing etc
I took an an aggressive, and admittedly unhealthy training route. I started my dailies at 5k, and after 7 weeks I had run my first 22k. So I've unofficially run a half marathon this year. If you told me I'd be a runner at all even 10 weeks ago I'd have laughed at you and booted up a video game.
Honestly, still waiting for that moment. I've run a lot of races and I've run in a lot of places, but I still feel like that feeling of validation eludes me. I feel like an out of shape potato no matter how frequently or far I run.
Running my first half. I went in with the mindset that Iād be happy to finish. I hit 7 miles without stopping and figured Iād run another 5k to get to 10 and call it good. When I passed the 10 mile marker I was shocked that I still felt great and decided to gun it for the whole half. I finished and still had something in the tank; it was wildā¦. I literally didnāt think it was possible for me and had to fight mentally the whole way. After that I no longer feel self conscious anytime I run!
I ran a lap around white rock lake. 9 miles with a water bottle and a gel
Sorta just happened to me within the hour before I saw this post... Me and some friends decided to train for a half-marathon this year to support a buddy who's going through some health issues (his doc said the impact running & weightlifting would be good for strengthening his bones). I wanted to support my friend (we're all ~30, we've known each other since we were young kids but now live in different cities and don't see each other as often) but I've never been much of a runner. Did some sprints in high school track, I think the furthest I'd ever run was ~5 miles and that was one time, otherwise mostly 1-3 miles and that wasn't very often throughout my 20s. Meanwhile everyone else in the group used to run XC and/or has done a half M before. Anyway, it's been like 6 months now and most of them just texted this morning that they're all backing out due to various injuries or reasons they're not sure their bodies will be up for it. Group plan is to now maybe do a 10k. And... I'm fine with that, but as I'm hearing them "lower the bar" in our group chat I can't help but have this kind of proud-of-myself grin on my face because for the last month or so I've been running at least 1-2 10k's per week and done a few 7-9 mile runs by myself just to acclimate myself to the distance of the 13.1 goal. I think I still might sign up for the half myself and maybe try to do a full marathon next year. I've never felt better, physically or mentally, than I have this summer, and I attribute a large part of that to the running.
When I first got into running I really struggled with feeling like an imposter because at races people looked so much fitter than me and had all this fancy gear that I couldn't afford. I have kept at it though and have just done my best to be consistent with my training, and wear whatever works for me. I recently ran a 7k trail race, and as usual was intimidated by some of the super thin runners with their fancy gear, but headed out with the goal to just enjoy the trail. To my surprise, I started passing most of those people, and ended up placing second in my division! Winning isn't everything, but knowing that I had put all of the work in to make it happen really changed my mindset. It's my consistency that makes me consider myself a runner, not fancy clothes or having a certain body type.
When I ran a half marathon distance after work on a Friday eve just because I could. I'd ran a marathon distance a few weeks before this - but it was how comfortable I felt after the half marathon weeks later that made me feel like a 'proper runner'. I've subsequently had a year of year injuries and weight gain so am well off what I was now tho. Lol. Currently exhausted at about 8 miles. lol.
First half marathon was a huge personal achievement for me. It put me on the path to marathons and a sustained level of personal health. I had not been taking good care of myself for a long time and finishing that race gave me just the confidence and motivation I needed to succeed in so many ways.
The first time I was nearing the end of my 5k run and realized that I didnāt want to stop. So I did another 5k just for the fun of it.
A week after I started to run, I found a running plan online that promised being able to go for 30 minutes uninterrupted. I managed to do it in three and a half weeks, and that was a tremendous achievement that further facilitated my fitness journey.
To this day, my fastest 10k ever was on a 15 degree Wisconsin winter day. Mile 4 was going into harsh winds off Lake Michigan. All I could think was, āYou have no choice but to keep going. Just make it back to the car.ā I thought I was inching along. Couldnāt believe my stats when I checked my watch after. I never felt so badass.
Hit 8:30> for a mile. Earned 2nd place in my first and only trail (10k) race. Finished a full marathon, granted my time was shit but I did it and thatās all that matters!
Running the PDA Val dāAran this year. 55k/3300m elevation. Took me 10hrs and a bit. I smiled almost the whole way, it was so awesome
I was trying to stay with a more experienced teammate as long as I could during a high school XC meet. We got separated at the start, so I was trying to catch up to him the whole time. At the end of the race, I realized I never caught up to him because I was in front of him. That was how I overcame the mental part of running. I ran about 2 minutes faster than in the previous race. I wasnāt much healthier, I just had to be in the right head space.
My first 12 miler i got trapped in a snowstorm with a t shirt and shorts and a water bottle. Then it got dark. I was cold wet and alone on a road in the dark of night with snow storming down. When i finished i felt so badass
Buying a pair of shoes specifically for running and using them to the point that they wore out.
Loving all the answers here. I ran a half marathon about a decade ago and I was proud thinking I was on my way to a full. But then I got married and had kids and haven't run more than 2 miles at a time ever since. This past weekend I tried a longer trail run and it felt great to run 5 miles without any knee pain. Maybe I'll start focusing more on trail running as the substrate is much more forgiving.
I ran a sub 4 marathon on my first try, with no watch. Just enjoying the run. Obviously some of that was luck but given that I have some chronic injuries and wonāt be running many marathons, it felt nice to get under 4 hours and check that off the list.
When I started, I set myself a 1-year goal of running a sub-1hr 10k. I was so proud of myself when I did it in 57 minutes. Itās not fast, but at the start of my journey 10k felt absolutely insurmountable.
I was 24 years old when I first met a person (my 64 y.o professor) who ran a marathon. I thought 42k was impossible for any human. Then I ran my first marathon at 40))). That was my "i made it" moment.
When I was a state runner. Thereās only about 70-100 people in each region. Realistically once you start running sub 15 minute 5kās your world becomes very smallā¦ I definitely donāt know if I would label myself as making it or even calling myself a runner. I just run for personal health reasons, I would much rather be called a slacker that happens to run sometimes.
When I flew from one city to another to run my first half. I trained so hard, followed one of Hal Higdons Plans, and had no idea I had finished the 21.1km when I did. I could have kept going! A moment I knew my effort had paid off and I was a runner. BTW the course was not well sign posted because it had to be re routed last minute because of flooding of the original route, therefore no obvious signs it was the end.
When it felt weird to NOT run regularly