Finding Strength in Movement: A Millennial's Journey
Okay first of all… I need you to understand how unserious this is.
Tell me you’re a millennial without telling me - I signed up for a 10KM.
If you had asked me five years ago about running, jogging, or even “a brisk walk,” I would have said, “God bless you, but that is not my ministry.” And yet… here we are. Somewhere between turning 30 and realising my metabolism is not a spiritual gift, something shifted. I can’t explain it. It’s like your body and your frontal lobe have a private meeting and decide: “We are becoming disciplined now.”
Alas. We move.
The Inner Child (Who Only Won Academic Medals)
Ten-year-old me would be deeply confused. You mean to tell me I voluntarily wake up early to run? For health? For fun? For a medal?
If we’re honest - yes, there’s something healing about it. I was the academic medal girl. Certificates? I collected them like Pokémon cards. But athlete? Absolutely not.
And yet… there is something sacred about doing something your younger self never thought she could. Moving my body has become more than aesthetics. It’s stewardship. It’s honouring the body God gave me. It’s realising that discipline in one area spills into others.
Also - seeing progress? Feeling stronger? It does something to your confidence. You start to realise: oh. I am actually capable. I can choose hard things and not die. Who knew?
595 Days of Just Starting
This all began on 8 July 2024. No dramatic announcement. No before-and-after reveal. Just a quiet decision: a healthy lifestyle would suit me better. Since then? 595 days.
Of hitting step goals.
Of choosing the better option more often than not.
Of tracking, adjusting, failing, starting again.
Of showing up to the gym when I would rather scroll.
Of proving to myself that consistency beats intensity.
Nothing compares to moving your body after a long, sluggish day. It clears your head. It humbles you. It reminds you that you are not stuck - not physically, not spiritually.
And somewhere along the way, I started getting to know myself again. Turns out? I am actually quite cool. And capable. (Who would’ve thought?)
But truly - the only thing I did was start.
Running to Win (But Not Just the Medal)
Now here we are. One year and seven months later. Training for a 10KM.
And let me just say: why are we paying to suffer? I paid for a temporary running number… for a medal. A scam. But also… I will be there. In this training phase, I set small goals on every run. One more kilometre. One less walking break. One stronger finish. And when I hit them? There is no better feeling.
It makes me think of First Epistle to the 1 Corinthians 9:25
“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever
It's so easy to be fixated on that which does not last, even though we get satisfaction from it for a little while. I pray that you may find time to do something that challenges you in some way to keep moving or even to start moving. We all deserve a little satisfaction for our self-control and discipline.
Bon courage,
Zola x
Comments