First Steps, Without Any Big Plans 🏃♂️🌲
If someone had asked me years ago why I ran, I probably wouldn’t have known how to give them a good answer. I didn’t start running because I wanted to be the fastest. I had no big plans, no medals 🏅 in mind, and no desire to chase records. One day, I simply put on my running shoes 👟, stepped outside, and started running.
And then I did it again. And again.
Slowly, running became something more than just a way to stay active. It became a place I could go whenever I needed some peace and quiet.
When I run along forest paths 🌲, across meadows 🌾 and along trails 🏞️, the world seems to slow down for a while. The pace of everyday life fades away, the noise disappears, and all that remains are my footsteps, my breathing, and the path ahead. In those moments, it doesn’t matter how many kilometres I’ve already run or how many are still ahead. What matters is simply being there – on the trail.
Running has a strange kind of power. While I’m running, my thoughts become calmer 🧠✨, problems seem smaller, and sometimes ideas just come naturally. Sometimes I run and think about life, sometimes about new projects 💡, and sometimes I simply listen to the wind moving through the trees 🍃 and enjoy a feeling of freedom that is hard to put into words.
That was when I slowly began to realise that running isn’t just a sport. It’s a moment when you get to be alone with yourself.
And sometimes, that is worth more than anything. ❤️
⛰️ When You Have to Stop to Move Forward
Of course, running isn’t always a beautiful story.
There came a time when I had to stop for a while. Problems with my lower back kept me away from running for almost half a year. Six months without running. For someone who doesn’t run, that might not sound like much. For me, though, it felt like a very long time.
That was when I truly realised just how much running meant to me.
I missed my morning runs through the forest 🌲. I missed the feeling of tired legs after a long run 🥵. I missed that moment when you reach the top of a hill ⛰️, stop, take a deep breath 🌬️ and tell yourself: okay, I made it.
I even missed the simple routine – putting on my running shoes 👟, stepping outside, and just going.
Sometimes, you only realise how much something means to you when you no longer have it.
When I finally returned to the trail after such a long break, it didn’t matter how fast I ran or how many kilometres I covered. My first runs were slow, cautious, and short. But every kilometre felt special. Each one was a small victory. 🎁🏃♂️
Every step meant that I was back where I wanted to be – on the trail. That’s when I made myself a simple promise: As long as I am able to run, I will run. 🔥
❤️ Running That Brings People Together
This year, I made a few more changes. I changed my diet 🍎🥗, started training with more structure, and learned to listen to my body more closely. The kilometres started adding up, and there were more of them every month. Sometimes even several hundred.
But despite all of that, I don’t really feel any different from when I first started. I still see myself as just an ordinary runner. A runner who loves long distances 🌄, enjoys exploring new trails 🧭, and, above all, loves sharing that energy with other people. Because one of the things that makes running so special is the way it brings people together.
Out on the trail, you meet runners you’ve never seen before, yet somehow you still exchange a smile 🙂 or a quick hello 👋. Sometimes someone gives you a little encouragement 💬, and sometimes you’re the one encouraging someone else.
And it is in these small moments that you realise that running isn’t just a sport. It’s a community. 🤝
That’s why I especially love runs that also have a charitable purpose ❤️. There’s something special about knowing that your steps are not just kilometres recorded on your watch or in an app 📱, but that they can also help create something meaningful and good.
From this idea, the event “Heart Story – Banjšice 24h” 🏃♂️❤️ is slowly taking shape. The idea is simple, yet powerful – to bring together running, nature 🌲, movement, and a heart for others.
24 hours of perseverance. 24 hours of support. 24 hours of community.
It’s not about breaking a record. It’s not about who will be the fastest. It’s about the energy that is created when people come together for a good cause. ✨
If I had to describe my running story in one sentence, I would say something very simple.
I’m not a professional. I’m just someone who puts on his running shoes 👟 and heads out onto the trail. Sometimes fast ⚡, sometimes slow 🐢, sometimes tired 😅, but always with a smile and a sense of joy.
Because as long as I can run, I know I’m on the right path.
And somewhere among the forest trails 🌲, hills ⛰️ and endless kilometres, the same thing keeps taking shape, time and time again – a story written by the heart. ❤️🏃♂️