At the beginning of this year, I set several goals for myself, one of which was to run 1,000 kilometers (approximately 620 miles). Today, with about 40% of the year still remaining, I hit that goal.

Ever since elementary school, I've enjoyed being active and playing sports, though my preferred mode of exercise has varied considerably throughout the years.

Until about halfway through high school, the only physical activity I enjoyed was playing team sports such as soccer, field hockey, cricket, basketball, and volleyball. I had never really set foot in a gym unless mandated by a P.E. class. I despised mile runs, even though I ran several in the course of a game. When I stepped onto the court/field, I got absorbed by the thrill of competition and awashed with waves of adrenaline, only realizing my physical exhaustion long after the game had ended.

I began lifting weights with my soccer co-captain in the 10th grade. We had reached the point in our adolescent soccer careers when sheer athleticism and energy was insufficient to guarantee victory. We needed strength in order to stand our ground on the field. We would squat until our legs wobbled, bench until our chests gave up, deadlift until our lower backs admitted defeat. We were always in control, careful to avoid injury, but we took it very seriously.

I continued lifting weights all throughout high school, college, and beyond. I'd set goals for myself, achieve them, and then set some more. Whenever I travelled, I was sure to find a local gym to get my workout for the day in. If there were no gyms around, I would get creative with my own bodyweight and the help of any furniture or props around me. Backpacks made great substitutes for dumbbells.

This continued until March 2020. All of a sudden, gyms shut down, and I had to make do with a jury-rigged gym setup at home. Over time, I found my workouts becoming less and less satisfying, and began to experiment with some alternatives. That's how I discovered an unlikely love for running.

Running had long been anathema. Cardio counteracted all the hard work I put into strength training, or so I'd been told.

I began running outside, along Manhattan's East River. Initially, I ran as a warmup before the "real" workout: lifting weights. However, I gradually started running longer and longer, promoting running from merely the opening act, to the star of the show.

The path I ran along stretched out 4 kilometers south, at which point I'd turn around. Some days I couldn't run the full 8K, in which case I'd just turn around early. Other days, I felt like I could run forever, in which case I'd loop back around for an extra few kilometers.

The feeling after a long run is hard to put into words. Paradoxically, there's a sense of heightened energy, accompanied by an increased focus, with notes of euphoria, all against a backdrop of pride and satisfaction. I run in the mornings, and a good run sets the rest of my day up perfectly.

I'd always wondered what people think about while running. I used to view it as such a chore, something that required a strong distraction like a TV show or podcast to avert your attention from the immensely boring and taxing activity you were putting your body through.

But now I view it as a valuable opportunity to think deeply. I'll still put on some music for some background ambience, but once I get into the rhythm of a run, typically around the 1 kilometer mark, I can switch on autopilot and get completely lost in my thoughts. I'll swirl around ideas and update my mental to-do list. It's astonishing how many problems I've been able to solve midway through a run. After a run, and sometimes during one, I'll scribble all my thoughts down to make sure they're preserved.

With so much of the year still left, I'm setting a stretch goal to hit 1,000 miles (approximately 1,600 kilometers). I may hit it, or I may not, but I'll continue to enjoy running either way.