My 2025 Running Log: From Setting Goals to Making It Part of Daily Life

At the beginning of the year, I set a few new habits for myself, hoping to better take care of my body and mind.

• Morning exercise: Daily Baduanjin + push-ups

• Before bed: 20 minutes of standing meditation

• Learning: Listen to English podcasts

  Among these, Baduanjin is for regulating body and mind, since I have digestive issues and need to practice qi cultivation; push-ups are for building upper body strength and improving athletic ability—from kneeling push-ups to now being able to do 30, it’s been a year or two of on-and-off progress; and standing meditation is because sensitive people need a ritual at the end of the day to settle down.

  The running goal is simple: Run for 30+ minutes, three times a week🏃, followed by 20 minutes of English podcasts.

First Attempts and Setbacks: My First 10km and the Illness That Followed

At the end of January, I started my running plan. Unexpectedly, by early February, I completed my first ever 10km! That experience also taught me a lesson: when you can’t find a bathroom🚽 on an uphill road, you realize that all worldly honors are fleeting😳.

However, good times didn’t last. The night after running 10km, I threw up, and then stopped for several days—probably caught the flu. That period was really tough. The cold kept getting worse, and just thinking about running made my heart pound wildly😅😅😅😅. No choice but to switch to walking, or turtle-speed cycling 30km as alternative training.

To make things worse, a pigmented mole on my foot that was affecting my running started causing trouble, so I had to get a small surgery to eliminate it. Now with both a foot injury and a cold, I was forced to rest. Looking back, from January 22 to February 9, I ran 6 half-hour sessions and one 10km, then fell ill.

Recovery and Restart: Finding My Rhythm in the Rain

The double blow of surgery and cold made me rest for quite a while. During that time, the only thought in my mind was: “Hope my foot heals quickly so I can start running again!”

By late February, I finally began recovery training. Honestly, at first I felt a bit resistant to running. After about 10 minutes, my hands finally started warming up. But after finishing 5km, that feeling helped me regain confidence.

Once, sitting in the classroom from morning to afternoon, I felt like I was suffocating and just wanted to get some fresh air. Another time, after indoor PE class, I looked at the rain outside the window and hesitated for nearly half an hour, but finally decided to try running in the rain🏃. Luckily the trees🌳 along the river blocked most of it, so the rain wasn’t too heavy. That was quite a special experience.

Getting into the Groove: Making 5km a Daily Routine

Entering March, my running frequency became more and more stable. From running three or four times a week at first, to eventually five or six times a week, 5km became my baseline.

During this period, I was also constantly adjusting and observing my body. For example, I found that eating nuts made my stomach uncomfortable—after stopping, I felt much better. Sometimes when school was busy and energy couldn’t keep up, running felt a bit tiring. When the seasons changed and my rhinitis flared up, running was tiring, but the warm feeling after finishing was really nice.

Running also brought some interesting episodes. Once after running, I happened to catch the martial arts club’s team building event—we borrowed a Tai Chi training base for a barbecue. I was the “fire god” that day, tending fires for two hours, feeding five grills!

Challenges and Reflections: When Running Meets Life’s Chaos

One week in April, my running rhythm was completely disrupted. Diarrhea, English group presentation, martial arts morning practice, catching a flight… all sorts of random things piled up, making that week’s running a mess. Although my English presentation was well-received, the running rhythm was indeed broken. Reflecting on it, I mainly didn’t prioritize well.

But after adjusting, I achieved my second-ever 10km! The night before, I ate three servings of carbs, plus Friday morning I had no 8 AM class, and the weather was perfect—a light drizzle made it especially cool. The whole process was very enjoyable. I felt like I could keep going, but was afraid of catching a cold so I stopped, haha.

During the May Day holiday back home, with relaxed schedules and diet, running also slacked off. Two mornings I couldn’t get up, two mornings I went for walks with Mom, and after returning to school I had to readjust.

Internalized: When Running Becomes Part of Life

After several interruptions and restarts, I found a method that makes running easier to stick with.

Starting late May, I made running the first thing I do after waking up each morning. Eliminating the step of cycling to class made running feel more internalized as part of life. Those weeks, I basically achieved “perfect attendance,” running half an hour every day. I also found that measuring runs by time is better than by distance, since my condition varies day to day.

By June, finals, tour guiding, and various things made me feel close to burning out. Although I ran slowly, I kept running every day. What I’m most proud of is achieving the “no hospital check-ins” accomplishment this semester🥳🥳, all thanks to running!

Seeing myself still persisting every day, I can’t help but feel respect for myself, haha🌝.

This process taught me that developing an exercise habit isn’t something that happens overnight. There will be setbacks along the way, and you’ll encounter all kinds of challenges. But as long as you find the rhythm that works for you and keep adjusting, it will eventually become a natural part of life, bringing you unexpected strength.