Earlier in the month, I crossed the 5000 km landmark of running. Looking at the numbers, it felt like I ran everything at a stretch. But looking back, it will be a decade this year since I stepped out for my first run, and seven years of recording my runs.
A lot of lessons learned on the road. One I will share today is that the numbers add up. One km here, 2 km there, 5 km on a bad day, 10 km on a good run day, all added up to become 5000 km. It’s been a total of different runs, runs through cities, meeting with amazing people. Some runs were smooth, some sucked. Some runs were fast like a cheetah, some were slow like a snail. Early morning, late-night runs, runs through different seasons.
I can go on and on about the memories, the runs to raise funds, wins through the run, the run I lost my gold chain, the run that sparked the light of a new beginning for me, or the one I questioned my sanity for stepping out to run. Looking back, I’ve learned you just have to decide at the starting line and continue running.
Sometimes you get tired and rest, some days are all fun, but they’re all part of the process. If you continue to show up, one day you will look back and see how far you’ve gone. Ever since I discovered this, it has helped in every aspect of life, be it faith, business, work, skills, starting little, staying committed, and continuing the race.
We are all on different paths, our paths are unique, and most importantly, runners don’t get lost, they find new paths to new adventures. Thanks to Nike for being part of my run, and cheers to all the runners around the world.
Michael Okunloro | Elevate Your Style 