Chris is a 28 year old recreational therapist working with people with developmental disabilities. He recently completed the #RUN30 Challenge and ran 5k everyday for 30 consecutive days. Chris now has his eyes set on the goal of running the Scotiabank Waterfront Half Marathon in October. Here’s his story 🙂

What made you decide to start your consecutive running challenge, how many kilometres did you choose to run, and why?

I haven’t really tried running after I had torn my achilles a few years back.  It wasn’t until my siblings invited me to participate in a 5km run earlier this year, where I felt like giving it another try.  My siblings and I can get quite competitive, which makes us want to push harder.  After the 5km event, I felt disappointed with my time, as I believed that I could do better.  This motivated me into wanting to run more, which lead me to finding Emily’s instagram page that highlighted the #RUN30 challenge.  It felt like a challenge that would really push me to give it my all.  5km a day felt like the perfect distance for me to start with, as I hoped to gradually improve each day.

How much running did you do before deciding to do the challenge?

I had done some 5km runs during the previous summer, but it was not something I was seriously into.  I preferred other physical activities, such as cycling and basketball.  Since I completed the 5km, I decided to want to try to push myself further.  I was able to complete the Sporting Life 10K run back in May. It felt like such a major accomplishment, as I have never ran that distance before.

Did you have any self doubts? If so, what were they?

I had doubts as soon as the third day!  My body felt sore, and my ankles were starting to hurt.  It was definitely hard to wake up each morning to go for a run.  It wasn’t until a week in where my body got use to the distance and pace.

The social media aspect of the challenge was certainly helpful, as friends, family, and even random instagram strangers began supporting me through my journey. It made me excited to get out there each morning for the run.

How did the challenge impact your life? 

This challenge had made me appreciate running even more. Finding ways to change up my run allowed me to finally delve into listening to podcasts, which I have found pleasant to listen to.

Running each day has definitely impacted my sleeping schedule, as I have discovered that I rather run in the morning before work; I could come up with thousands of excuses to not do something after work.

Are there any other areas of your life that improved after the challenge was complete? 

Completing this challenge felt very empowering for me.  I am motivated to set new goals, and excited to go through the process.  I feel that I am more patient, especially during days where I felt low energy.  I’ve learned that it was okay to have crappy days (feeling tired, body aches, longer running pace), and that you can definitely bounce back from those moments.

Ready to begin your own consecutive running challenge? Sign-up for your RUN 30 | Consecutive Running Challenge here.