Running Experiences, A Diary of a Nature Lover

Running is most ancient and accessible sweetener of human wellbeing.

Csaba Németh

The benefits of running:

Prologue

As a school kid, I didn’t particularly like running or any other form of exercising. This can be attributed to two things. First, it was mandatory, and second, I had overweight. I had to wait many years for my first “voluntary” run. When I went to university in Veszprém between 2013 and 2019, I had to collect sport signatures. Although I was an active mountain biker, I didn’t belong to any club that could have provided me signatures. Most of them came from gym workouts and badminton. I also tried running, but as a beginner, running in the city center of Veszprém wasn’t a very well-considered decision. Although my circulatory system was used to aerobic exercise, running – especially running on hills – uses completely different muscles. I was happy to be alive in my first group run.

However, during university, I was not scheduled from early morning to late night, so I could easily fit in hobby like running. Hence I was a mtb rider, I prefered natural environment and running on asphalt wasn’t that interesting for me. So I chose the local forest for running. The vast majority of my runs were between 40 minutes and 1 hour. Fat burning starts after 30 minutes of excercising, so 40 minutes were necessarry. Runs above 90 minutes left bigger strains on the body, which I didn’t like. I already had a main sport, and I was not able to concentrate on multiple sports. I have never wanted to become a succesful runner. I only run for fun and for its benefits. For me every run is succesful, if I was able to get out of the bed early and I could end it without getting injured.

At first I used to run 5K then after a while I discovered better training places and this required me to run longer. Now I usually run 10K, which is around one hour moving time. Unfortunately, above 20 °C, my biggest struggle is the hot weather. The vast majority of races fall in the warm season, it can be very bad until my body gets somewhat used to it. For me there is no offseason. I enjoy running in colder weather more than in summer. In my first year in the Winter I got up in the darkness and run with a light on my head. It was super bad. Now I rather arrive late at work, but run when the sun is already up. I usually run on Tuesday and Thursday so I can manage my body battery better. I have 3x weight training on each week and I spend the rest days with cycling. Time management is not ideal, but I can’t make a better training plan with a dayjob. Upper body is important for riding offroad. Most cyclists only have one sport, so they can spend 3x more time in the saddle than me.

trainings

31:15:45

time spent with running

303 km

annual distance

2337 m

elevation gain

Electrical devices: After you start running sooner or later you most likely end up purchasing some kind of watch/gps. Phones got fairly big and carying them while running is challanging. Moreover they usually have worse signal and can’t really track you well. For a lot of excercises heart rate monitoring is needed. When I studied abroad in 2017, I made a running break. My “comeback” run happened in January 2023. I have a sentimental personality. After spending a few years in a given place, my motivation can drop. The change of environment has a positive effect on me at first, but then as the daily routine in my life develops, my field of vision starts to get narrower narrower. The positive things simply disappear and negativity starts to gain control over me. So far, I have been able to deal with this by moving to another place. The reason for the change was mainly work-related, where I am still not that lucky. I managed to find of a work related to my study field, but the rather low/under average salary leads to constant stress both physically and mentally. It does not matter if I work in my home country or abroad, I always felt like I put a lot of work in the job but it has been never paid out.

Around 2020 there was a big change. This was a really dark year for me. I have lost my appetite for traveling and I still haven’t regained it fully. That’s why I started running again, so I could get out of my comfort zone again. Initially, I bought a first (or second?) edition Garmin smartwatch (Garmin Vivofit) to see if I could fit running workouts into my everyday life. It measured steps, distance, and of course heart rate using a chest strap. I later replaced the smartwatch with a more accurate GPS watch (Garmin Forerunner 15) because I missed the map in Strava workouts and it would have been nice to be able to look back at my heart rate. After a couple of hundres of KM I bought a biceps hrm, which uses only Bluetooth connection and the watch doesn’t have it. So an upgrade is needed. I still haven’t decided which watch should I choose.

Basic pillar 1: weight training

As a beginner, I was surprised by how much stress running puts on certain muscles in the upper body. Training these muscles is essential for becoming a better runner.

Basic pillar 2: stretching/yoga

It is recommanded for everyone and essential for older people (over 30). You can find a lot of yoga exercises on the internet that are useful after sports. I alternate stretching/rolling.

Basic pillar 3: foam roller

For rich people, there is the opportunity to use the help of a masseur 1-2 times a week. Other people, like me, have to use some kind of foam roll make do with rolling. It is easy to learn how to use it. My first roller was very hard and did more harm than good. It is worth choosing a softer design. On the evening of running days, I usually massage my legs with ointment/ice gel.

Running experiences: At the beginning I was incredibly happy when Garmin recognised my excercise as a run. If you are new to running or you had a longer break, you usally walk more than run. You need time to improve your running form. After two years of running I am still surprised about how these up and down emotions follow themselves during a run. Sometimes you feel yourself really strong, and after 5 minutes you have to take a break or walk. During running you have to manage your energy level more. If you spend all of your energies running up the hill, your legs get tired and in the downhills you can’t freewheeling. If course you can still get yourself into the state of flow.

Running clothes: I was absolutely surprised by how expensive running related clothes are. Let’s take a closer look. It’s worth wearing a headband against sweat or a cap in the winter. As a running top, I use synthetic T-shirts or cycling clothes I got from previous races. Running pants are a bit more complex. As a whole year runner, you need at least three pairs of pants: summer shorts, long pants for colder weather, and a thermal pants for cold weather. Personally, I don’t like wearing lycra and other close-to-the-skin pants. They are uncomfortable, so I only wear loose-fitting pants. Running socks should be thicker to provide better cushioning and to wick away sweat. And finally, the most important and expensive accessory: a pair of good running shoes. I used to run with a Nike. When I started running again, I took them out again, but after 6 years they were not comfortable anymore. A replacement insole helped until I decided to buy a more expensive/branded running shoe. These were the Mizuno Wave Rebellion shoes. I didn’t have any foot pain right after the first run. I thought about trying another brand, but if they work well why should I invest time and money. Anyway, after two years of usage I ended up stocking up some older Mizuno shoes. So even a runaway model costs you around 100$ (on sale!).

I ran ~400k with my first pair of Mizuno shoes. The sole looks like brand new, but the textil parts have already a lot of tears and other signs of wear. And I had to go to a shoemaker. The internet tells that you can expect 500-800k from a running shoes. I this is rather an optimistic estimation.

Fueling: For me this is as simple as it gets. I usually run two times a week before work. I wake up, take my shoes on and go outside. I have to admit that running on empty stomach right after waking up is not the best for the body. If I run longer than 5k I take a foldable silicine cup with me to drink some water from a fountain. After a succesful running I often buy some fancy food like: donuts, salmon or avocado.

Running events: I think they start around 15$. Personally I don’t see any reason why should I pay for a 5-10k run. Fortunately I don’t run longer distances. If I were living in Hungary, where the are a lot of hiking events, I might take apart on them as a runner. But when I am at home (in county Zala), it is one of the worst regions for hiking.

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