One Sunday, I sat in church, listening to the pastor deliver a message that struck a chord. He challenged every man present to get his act together — from work to exercise. It wasn’t the kind of motivational speech that made you feel good; it felt more like a scold. And I needed it.
Right then and there, I made the decision to do better in the exercise front. Specifically, I decided to start early morning runs.
The very next day, I woke up early, laced up my old shoes, and went for it. I managed about one and a half kilometers before I felt like passing out. The following morning, I ran two kilometers. The day after that, three. Soon, I was running at least eight kilometers every morning. By 5 AM, I’d be up, shoes on, and out the door.
The feeling after each run was simply incredible — a kind of satisfaction that made the early mornings worth it. I began to notice changes beyond just physical fitness as well. I felt more energetic, more focused at work, and even my sleep had improved.
But after consistently running every morning for about four weeks, I started experiencing severe pain in my legs. The culprit? My shoes. I had begun this routine without proper running gear, just an old shoe I had lying around. I guess its a good thing I hadn’t let that stop me initially, but eventually, the lack of proper running shoes caught up with me.
The pain became unbearable, and I had to pause running. But it wouldn’t be for long because the benefits I gained from running were too good for me not to continue. The benefits were undeniable, and I was going to get back to my running routine as soon as I can.
Months have since passed. The leg pain is gone. I’ve started and stopped running several times, and if I’m honest, I’ve struggled to find the same drive, energy, and consistency I had at the beginning.
If there’s a lesson here, it’s this: consistency is fragile. Once you lose it, it can be a challenge to get back. Before you think of consistency, think about resilience. Make sure you have the things that will allow you keep going — not just today, but tomorrow, and the day after that.
Make sure you’re prepared to sustain your journey, not just start it.
If you run in bad shoes for too long, soon, you might not be able to run at all.