Most people don’t start running for a cool, inspiring reason.
I didn’t either.
It wasn’t because I wanted to get fitter,
and it wasn’t because I dreamed of running a marathon.
Before I ever thought, “I should exercise,”
I felt something stronger first:
I can’t keep going like this.
A cold that used to disappear in a day or two
wouldn’t go away even after a month.
It felt like I had to do something—anything.
So I started moving.
1. Constant overseas business trips
In my early 30s,
I spent more than 150 days a year on overseas business trips.
It was a small company.
Paid leave was more of a rumor than a policy.
When I came back from a trip,
I went straight to work the next day.
After about two and a half years,
something changed.
Every time I returned from a trip,
I’d feel like I was coming down with the flu.
“Sir, I’m going to the hospital to get an IV drip. I’ll be back.”
Trip → IV drip → work.
That became my routine.
2. My body started acting strange
When I was packing shipments for overseas delivery,
I’d tape cardboard boxes nonstop—almost without thinking.
Then I noticed something small but unsettling.
The skin around my arms—where the boxes brushed against me—
would turn red almost instantly.
And a thought hit me, out of nowhere:
Ah… my body is at its limit.
3. “Can I sign up for a gym?”
After getting married,
I almost never paid money for anything I actually stuck with.
There were only two exceptions.
One was an English conversation class.
It was an early-morning class—and I went about three times.
The other was a boxing gym.
Evening classes—and I went about six times.
Even that happened when my wife was about
seven months pregnant with our second child.
Looking back, I was unbelievably immature.
And still, I asked her:
“Can I sign up for a gym?”
She didn’t hesitate.
“I’m not investing money in you anymore.
Think about everything you’ve done so far.
Why? So you can quit again after 3 or 4 days?”
There was a brief silence—very brief—
and then she added one condition.
“Then run at the kids’ school track for three months.
If you can do that, I’ll let you sign up.”
I had a lot to make up for,
so I agreed.
4. And it was winter
I woke up before dawn
and stared into the darkness outside my window.
It’s freezing even inside…
Do I really have to go out?
If I quit again,
I’d look like a completely hopeless person.
So I pulled on some clothes,
put on gloves,
and headed to the elementary school track near my home.
A few elderly people were already there,
quietly walking around the dark field.
