Exercise motivation: “I never thought of myself as a runner, but seeing my older sister recently inspired me to start jogging in my late 30s”
Although fitness is a central part of my life, I'm definitely not a runner. Aside from brief training for a 5k run in 2014 (for work, not pleasure) I've never felt compelled to take up running - thanks in part to my really bad knees (first tendonitis, then meniscus tear, which is undergoing surgery had to become). At least until last month, when a voice in my head unexpectedly started urging me to jog. During the Christmas holidays I was again with my older half-sister Katrin who lives in another country. Katrin has been a runner for years, but a new Garmin fitness watch motivated her to take the hobby more seriously. She told me about her training plan, how she pushes herself to go faster and further, and felt more motivated and stronger than ever. Her enthusiasm for running was contagious. My subconscious must have been listening, because the next morning I found a playlist, unraveled my headphones, and set off on my first run in almost a decade. Phone in hand, I pushed ...