{"id":943,"date":"2026-06-20T18:12:34","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T16:12:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/20\/trading-boredom-for-endorphins\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T18:15:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T16:15:15","slug":"trading-boredom-for-endorphins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/20\/trading-boredom-for-endorphins\/","title":{"rendered":"Trading Boredom for Endorphins"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Waking up bored this morning, I scrolled through my socials, had another snooze, got dressed, and even played a few games. Yet the boredom refused to leave.<br><br>Eventually, I changed into my running gear, laced up my Kiprun Cushion 500s\u2014still my favourite running shoes\u2014and headed out with Connor.<br><br>About 1km into the run, the shin splints arrived and stayed with me until about 30 minutes after we finished. A good reminder that skipping a proper warm-up before exercise usually comes at a cost.<br><br>Despite that, Connor and I completed our 5km in 32 minutes. Not my fastest time, but every run doesn&#8217;t have to be a personal best. Sometimes it&#8217;s simply about showing up, getting your steps in, clearing your mind, and enjoying the journey.<br><br>As we ran, the clouds grew darker and the temperature dropped. Winter is certainly making its presence known, but cold weather has never been enough to stop me from getting outside and moving.<br><br>&#8220;The miracle isn&#8217;t that I finished the run. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.&#8221; \u2014 John Bingham John Bingham<br><br>Namo Buddhaya \ud83d\ude4f<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Waking up bored this morning, I scrolled through my socials, had another snooze, got dressed, and even played a few games. Yet the boredom refused to leave. Eventually, I changed into my running gear, laced up my Kiprun Cushion 500s\u2014still my favourite running shoes\u2014and headed out with Connor. About 1km into the run, the shin [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[44,26],"tags":[180],"class_list":["post-943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-10km-arc-road-race","category-trails","tag-runningjourney-winterrunning-mindovermatter-runwithpurpose-keepmovingforward"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/dji_export_photo_20260620160527145.png?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":339,"url":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/14\/breaking-barriers-my-valentines-day-half-marathon-triumph\/","url_meta":{"origin":943,"position":0},"title":"Breaking Barriers: My Valentine\u2019s Day Half Marathon Triumph","author":"Rey De Bruyn-Walters","date":"14 February 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Run with love, and every step becomes lighter.\" Valentine\u2019s Day 2026 will forever be etched in my memory\u2014not for roses or chocolates, but for the pounding rhythm of my shoes on the ARC Irene road, the cool breeze on my face, and the moment I shattered my personal record in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Road&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Road","link":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/category\/trails\/10km-arc-road-race\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260214210127384.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260214210127384.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260214210127384.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":167,"url":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/01\/10km-trail-run-the-big-red-barn\/","url_meta":{"origin":943,"position":1},"title":"10km Trail Run @ The Big Red Barn","author":"Rey De Bruyn-Walters","date":"1 February 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Had a beautiful 10km Trail Race today at The Big Red Barn. I pushed as much as I could to break my own personal record of 26 min and 2 seconds for 5km. My legs just didn't want to move as fast as I wanted to. I ended up with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Trail&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Trail","link":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/category\/trails\/trail-running\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260201161303245.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260201161303245.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260201161303245.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":901,"url":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/02\/chasing-trails-tails-tenacity-a-rainy-race-day-to-remember\/","url_meta":{"origin":943,"position":2},"title":"Chasing Trails, Tails &amp; Tenacity: A Rainy Race Day to Remember","author":"Rey De Bruyn-Walters","date":"2 May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The morning began with doubt\u2014rain tapping against the windows, a cold chill in the air, and the quiet thought that maybe the race wouldn\u2019t happen at all. But 45 minutes later, everything changed. The skies cleared, the breeze softened, and at Grootfontein Bike Park stood two very excited German Shorthaired\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Trail&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Trail","link":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/category\/trails\/trail-running\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img-20260501-wa00101460032414418336007.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img-20260501-wa00101460032414418336007.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img-20260501-wa00101460032414418336007.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img-20260501-wa00101460032414418336007.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img-20260501-wa00101460032414418336007.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img-20260501-wa00101460032414418336007.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":210,"url":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/07\/arc-irene-10km-race-recap\/","url_meta":{"origin":943,"position":3},"title":"ARC Irene 10km Race Recap","author":"Rey De Bruyn-Walters","date":"7 February 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I took on the ARC Irene 10km race \u2014 and what a challenge it turned out to be! With 121m of elevation gain, an average cadence of 157 spm, and my heart rate sitting between 156\u2013172 bpm for 92% of the race, it was a true test of endurance.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Road&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Road","link":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/category\/trails\/10km-arc-road-race\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260207124610546.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260207124610546.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260207124610546.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":483,"url":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/19\/the-easy-trap-6-8-kilometers-of-grit\/","url_meta":{"origin":943,"position":4},"title":"The &#8220;Easy&#8221; Trap: 6.8 Kilometers of Grit","author":"Rey De Bruyn-Walters","date":"19 February 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"My personal trainer has a funny way of describing workouts. Today\u2019s challenge was introduced as: \"Easy one... but hard!\" On paper, it looked simple enough. Two machines, one goal, and a race against the clock. But as any athlete knows, the simplest workouts are often the most brutal. There is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;The \"Performance\"&quot;","block_context":{"text":"The \"Performance\"","link":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/category\/the-performance\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260219233334366.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260219233334366.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260219233334366.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":240,"url":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/08\/dancing-with-heat-and-rivers-my-trail-marathon-story\/","url_meta":{"origin":943,"position":5},"title":"Dancing with Heat and Rivers: My Trail Half Marathon Story","author":"Rey De Bruyn-Walters","date":"8 February 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The sun was already fierce when Connor and I lined up at the start. At 29 degrees, the air shimmered, heavy with promise and challenge. My German Shorthaired Pointer wagged his tail, eyes bright, already scanning for the rivers he knew would be waiting.\u00a0 We set off at a steady\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Trail&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Trail","link":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/category\/trails\/trail-running\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260208180309554.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260208180309554.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260208180309554.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260208180309554.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/debruyn-walters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/dji_export_photo_20260208180309554.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph3bPZ-fd","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=943"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":945,"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/943\/revisions\/945"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debruyn-walters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}