Lessons from the First 3km

I’ve always enjoyed running. I don’t train for marathons (yet), but I do enjoy a feel-good run every few days to clear my head. All I need is to plug in my earphones, and I’m set.

Since the very beginning, I always felt that the first 3km of a run is the hardest. Sometimes I had to pause multiple times just to get through a few laps. It’s a struggle every time, especially for a casual runner like me.

Even now, running weekly, I still find myself battling exhaustion. It made me think that maybe I’m just not cut out for it so I shouldn’t bother pushing too hard.

But one day, I decided to push myself a little more—focusing intentionally on my breathing so I could last longer. I had prepared a well-curated playlist beforehand for extra support.

Surprisingly, not only did I manage to run a couple more kilometers, I also experienced my very first ‘runner’s high’.

I discovered that runner’s high is the breakthrough moment when running feels lighter as your body adapts. It’s a euphoric sense of ease that makes the whole route far more enjoyable. According to research, it’s linked to the release of endorphins and endocannabinoids—the same system activated during marijuana use. The more you know!

Related: Spring-Cleaning Your Motivation

When I first experienced it, it felt strange as running had always just been tiring to me. I looked it up and found out it’s common for everyone else. Not just the rewarding rush, but also the initial struggle and exhaustion.

There’s no fixed point when the high hits, but for me, it’s usually after 40-50 minutes of running. And when it does, I don’t mind the discomfort that came before. It’s tiring, but it’s worth it.

That whole experience was eye-opening. It reassured me that my body was simply adapting—not failing. Even seasoned athletes go through the same process, just at a different scale. Knowing that made me feel validated. And it reminded me of something bigger.

Self-growth works the same way. Whether it’s picking up a new skill, stepping into leadership, or building better habits, the early stages always feel harder than they should. You put in effort, second-guess yourself, wondering if you’re doing it wrong. Like those first few kilometers, everything feels uphill and it’s tempting to quit before you’ve even found your rhythm.

This is where many people give up. We mistake discomfort as a sign that we’re not cut out for it. But what if that very struggle is just the warm-up? What if growth, like running, requires you to bear the awkward adaptation stage? Push through, and eventually what once drained you begins to energise you. Skills that felt clumsy become natural. Habits that demand discipline become second nature. Projects that once didn’t make sense become the ones you’re best at.

Even in running, when you feel like giving up, often it’s just your mind telling you to play safe. The key is knowing when to push through and when to respect your limits.

And here’s the thing: not every run brings the high. But when it happens, the sense of reward is powerful. It lifts my mood and fuels my motivation to keep going. To run longer and beat my personal best, one kilometer at a time.

It reminded me that growth isn’t a sprint. It rewards those who stay long enough for their stride to catch up with their intentions.

That’s the part we often miss about growth. It doesn’t always announce itself. Most of the time, it hides inside the stretch, the pause, the doubt. Only later do we see that what felt like resistance was actually the beginning of change.

So if you’re in the thick of something new and it feels heavier than it should, consider this: 

You’re not failing. Maybe you’re just in your first 3km—and that’s exactly where the shift begins.

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