name: Michal Rullo
home town: Buffalo, New York
Profession: Producer & Editor
Time elapsed: Less than 1 year
Reason for doing this: I run for my mental health.
Until recently, running hadn’t been in my life. I was a dancer for 19 years, starting at age 2 and then “retiring” at 21. Dance quickly became my whole life. In college, I continued to dance 30+ hours a week, but after chronic injuries and a tumultuous relationship with myself that dance had fueled, I said my final farewell in May 2022.
Leaving the dance world meant healing my body and finding a new home for movement. It wasn’t until 2023 that I went for my first run.
I’ve always been in awe of runners and the sheer mental strength that drives them to do something that seems so physically demanding. Like many others, my experience with running was mostly as a punishment from a coach or trainer. But I wanted to give it a fair chance and my goal was to have fun and stay positive.
My first run was a half mile, followed by a half mile walk in the cool December air. The hardest part of the first month was getting into the habit. It seemed silly to get myself ready just to go out, but I knew it was more about consistency than distance. Discipline was also key in the first few weeks. My goal was to finish the run feeling confident that I was still fit and excited about the next run.
At the beginning of the year, as I was settling into a routine and realizing the benefits of running regularly, I decided to set myself a challenge and a goal. I realized that I preferred distance over speed, and I also learned that the goal of many other runners was the marathon, a feat I had never set out to do myself. But the challenge was appealing, even though the furthest I’d ever run was five miles.
I committed to running a spring marathon, the Big Sur International Marathon in April 2024, which still seemed a lifetime away.
Each week, I increased my running distance a little more, and I focused on yoga and pilates to ease the tension I felt during marathon training. One of the best things I did for myself while training was to let the bad days be bad. I focused on meditation and walking at the end of my runs, taking the time to stand up and regain the mental clarity that wasn’t present during the runs.
But in February, I decided I needed a short-term goal before the marathon to help ease any nerves that might surface on race day, so I decided to run the New York City Half Marathon in March.
I approached the half marathon like a dress rehearsal. I was prepared for anything to happen, but as soon as I started running, my fears disappeared. I had never experienced a runner’s high before when I ran the New York City Half Marathon. The cheers of the New York City crowd and seeing my friends on the course gave me an adrenaline rush on race day that I hadn’t felt since I was a child.
Though I could barely walk the next day, I felt like I could finally call myself a runner after my first race. The NYC Half Marathon gave me the confidence I needed heading into the final stages of my marathon training.
In early April, I set out for my longest run, 18 miles, in Miami but experienced the biggest self-doubt of my training. I walked in heavy, humid air, suffered from heat stroke, and wondered if I was hallucinating the peacocks on the trail or if they were really there.
That run left me feeling defeated, but I reminded myself that my story was still being written with every step. I thought back to all the runs I’d done before, despite the anxiety I’d felt. I told myself that the pace was less important than the fact that I’d actually run. I kept plodding forward, step by step, until my watch beeped for mile 18. Finishing that run proved to me that I was stronger than I thought I was, and that I could cross the finish line in California.
At the beginning of my journey, I barely told anyone about running and refused to join running clubs or add people on Strava because I didn’t feel like a real runner. But as my mileage increased each week, so did my knowledge and confidence. At first, I made mistakes like poor nutrition and not taking enough time for recovery, but my I felt like I had corrected my mistakes, benefited from them, and proven myself.
I feel blessed that my first marathon was in a beautiful place like Big Sur. Running through the hills by the ocean made me feel at home in a sport that I had previously feared and despised so much. I ran mile after mile, sometimes overwhelmed with emotion, because I finally felt proud of my effort.
Although I crossed the marathon finish line two minutes ahead of my goal, I remembered the original purpose I set for myself at the beginning of this journey: to just have fun. Throughout my training, I told myself that there would be good times and bad times, but I defined them for myself. And there was no denying the progress I had made that resulted in me running 26.2 miles in just 20 weeks.
In my life as a dancer, I can’t count the hours I spent in front of the mirror. What I like most about running is that there are no mirrors. One time I ran in the pouring rain on an empty road and jumped into puddles, which was so much fun. I laughed when I got home because I looked like a cross between a bathed chihuahua and a drowned rat. I remembered how I tried to be perfect. Now I know that walking away red-faced and sweaty after an intense workout is proof that I tested the limits of my body, and no one can take that away from me.
Running freed me from the obsession with appearances that was central to my dancing. With running, I feel accomplished not in how I look, but in the burning sensation in my legs. And best of all, it reminded me of what fun feels like. I’m currently training for my second marathon, enjoying the calm, freedom and joy of movement I never knew before.
These three tips have made my running journey a success.
1. Don’t fight your emotions
When you struggle during a run or workout and start to engage in negative self-talk, end the session and try again the next day. Accept that not every run will go as planned or ideal, but keep showing up and practicing kindness to yourself.
2. Don’t worry about pacing yourself
It’s easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others, but instead measure your progress against yourself. Remind yourself of your victories, whether they be personal bests or longer distances.
3. Practice meditation and breathing exercises
Taking up meditation has been really helpful in getting myself in the right frame of mind for my runs. You don’t need to be in silence for an hour, even a few minutes of focus can have a great effect.
Michal’s must-haves:
→Hoka Mach 6: These are my go-to shoes for daily runs and long distance runs. They’re supportive and comfortable and have proven to be my go-to training shoes during marathon training.
→Renoj Resistance Bands: Hip mobility and strength are so important that I always include a 10-15 minute stretching and mobility routine even on my shortest runs.
→Megababe Thigh Rescue: This anti-chafing stick is a must-have for me and has saved my thighs many times, but you can use it anywhere on your body!