Sub 30 5k
I have never been a strong runner. I enjoy other athletic endeavors, but for most of my life I hated running. About a year and a half ago, I had a conversation with a friend of mine who runs ultras that made me finally understand how running can be enjoyable. I still struggle with it, but since then I've been trying, off and on, to get better. Last year, my goal was to hit a sub 30 minute 5k. I didnt succeed. I technically did it on the treadmill, but for some reason I'm significantly faster on the treadmills at my gym, to the point where I think they may be miscalibrated.
I just recently turned 30. This year, my goal is to run 500 miles, cumulatively, this calendar year. Im on track to hit that if you account for the rate at which Im increasing distance. Yesterday, I ran a 5k outside in under 30 minutes for the first time, and I'm proud of myself. One day, I hope I can get that down to under a 7 minute mile average for a 5k, but I think thats a long ways off for me. I can definitely still feel a bit discouraged about my running, as my progress has been slower than a lot of people's, especially other people who are as generally active as I am. But at the same time, I'm proud of myself. Even if it was slow, I have made a lot of progress. And I think I'll keep making progress.