Getting out of my comfort zone

A wise man once said, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

For nearly three years, between 2022 and 2024, my comfort zone ended at my doorstep.

Every step outside my house was already beyond my comfort zone because of my health condition.

Despite being diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 2015, I had managed to stay active for several years. Between 2015 and 2021, I completed multiple 100 km cycling rides and did a lot of running, including a half marathon.

But after a couple of flare-ups in 2021 and 2022, things became complicated. My bowel movements became very erratic. I couldn’t predict them, and I couldn’t understand what was causing them. I wasn’t even sure whether food was the problem.

During those three years, I was literally a prisoner inside my house.

More importantly, a prisoner of my mind.

As I mentioned earlier, 2025 turned out to be a good year for my health.

So when I made up my mind to “Live”, around the end of 2025, the first decision I took was this: let me train for a half marathon. For me, that was the way to push myself out of my comfort zone — both physically and mentally.

And so there I was, at the end of November 2025, bravely signing up for a 14-week half marathon training plan, hoping to run the race in mid-March 2026.

Little did I know that I would be tested along the way. But as the Tao Te Ching says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

I bought a couple of new running shoes. Took out two older pairs from my cupboard. Bought a whole new pack of running socks.

One fine Sunday, I laced up and went out for my baseline run.

It was just a short 30-minute run — nothing big. After all, I had completed a 10 km run only six weeks earlier.

From then on, there was no stopping.

I planned all my runs in the evening, because by then my bowels would usually have settled. Sometimes I would drink coffee in the afternoon to clear my bowels before the run. On some days I ran at 4 p.m., and on other days I left as late as 7:30 p.m.

Slowly, I began listening more carefully to my body.

During those 14 weeks, my life revolved around running — four days a week, without fail.

There were days when I was not comfortable running because of bowel issues, a cold or fever, or back pain. But I did not skip a single run. I might reschedule a run, but I never skipped one

At the end of the 14 weeks, I was happy that I had completed all 48 runs as per the plan.

Between mid November 2025 and mid March 2026, I had run close to 400kms as part of my training. 

Yes, there was a bit of pride in knowing that I had found the discipline to stay consistent for 14 weeks.

But more than anything else, there was gratitude to God for helping me do it.

Whether I run the race, complete it, or achieve the time I had planned — well, that is a story for another day.