Jutta is a 55-year old from Austria, a single mother of two (17, 22), and an adoptive mother of a stray cat and a stray dog – she’s freakin’ awesome. She works full-time in the Export department of a plastic pipe producer and also volunteers at Animal Care International. Jutta is a very busy lady, but also, very ambitious; she’s only gotten into running for a year or so and has already completed a few 5 kilometre and 10 kilometre runs + a half marathon. In January, she challenged herself again by setting a goal to run 5 kilometers everyday for 30 consecutive days. Here’s her story 🙂

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

I’m lazy by nature, but consistent and if I say I’m going to do something, I do it. So I always need to set goals to keep myself going. I decided to challenge myself to run 5km every day consecutively for the month of January and started during my Christmas holidays.

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

I’m a casual runner and started about a year ago. My usual running schedule consists of 2-3x per week; 1-2 shorter runs (5-7km) and one longer one (around 10k or so). In the first year I started running, I took part in a few 5 and 10k races and finished one half marathon.

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

The biggest challenge for me was fitting in the time to complete my daily run. With my current lifestyle, it was difficult to find a schedule that suited me.

How did the challenge impact your life?

The daily running gave me more confidence, the time and mental space to let my thoughts run free, the opportunity to indulge in several podcasts; something I really enjoy. Even if I wasn’t keen on getting out the door, I always felt better after my run. I felt physically stronger, suffered less from headaches, and learned to listen to my body.

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

After completing #RUN30, I was equipped with the knowledge that I can complete any challenge that I set out for myself. I’m connected to freaky running people all over the world (e.g. Emily Rudow 😉 ) and I love the exchange via social media.

I’d recommend #RUN30 to any doubter. The self-experience is crucial to everyone.

Ready to begin your own consecutive running challenge? Sign-up for #RUN30 here.