Running. I grew up hating it. I did everything I ever could to get out of it – whether it was for gym class or sports or fun – I refused to partake in running. I always thought it was going to kill me.
I don’t feel embarrassed to say that at this point in my life because past me really did hate running. I hated that I wasn’t good at it and hated that it made me feel like I was going to die if I took another step.
However, it seems that I have decided to revisit the idea of running for fun, and it is much less annoying than I remember it being.
My roommate Madison has become one of the largest influences in my day-to-day life. From editing papers of mine, listening to me rant about overdramatized stories, and doing face masks once a week, we spend A LOT of time together and for better or worse, a few of her habits have become mine and a few of mine have become hers.
One habit I seem to have picked up from Madison is my drive to become a fit person who actually takes care of their body more so than just eating well, but actually moving and working out. And it was right after spring break that I said to Madison “I think I want to start running.” I said it slightly as a fact and slightly as a question, wary of how much I would actually stick to it, but Madison made sure I would.
So, a week later, once it was nice enough outside to breathe and not 20 degrees outside, Madison woke me up on a sunny Sunday morning and said, “Let’s go, I know the exact route I want to take you on!” I kid you not, I was extremely surprised that I even got out of bed, let alone actually ran along the esplanade.
Immediately I felt results. I felt amazing! We’ve been starting small, a mile to a mile and a half, working my way up to longer distances, but right away I understood why people enjoy running.
I’m not going to sit here and say that I drop 15 pounds in a week or that running miraculously made me more productive in some way. But I will say that I immediately found myself in happier moods where I wanted to do more things and was ready to converse with everyone (which was never the case, if anything I shied away from talking to people so I wouldn’t get irritated), I also felt like my skin was thanking me. My pores felt opened and my skin felt refreshed!
I even feel well-rested and I’ve started to wake up without an alarm and on time for class!?!?! I’m not even sure who I am anymore, liking to run, getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and waking up on time?
I’m extremely glad I started to run and I this is just the beginning – very much the very beginning, I’m not even a month into running yet.
I can honestly say that it isn’t as hard as I thought it would be to start running and actually continue doing it. I figured I would do it once and then never again, but it seems to be something that will inevitably become a habit because of how great it makes me feel.
My one suggestion for anyone who is even remotely thinking about running is to just go do it. Just plan a route for a mile run and go outside and do it. I’m not saying run the whole way through, but go outside and set a few goals. But run. Just go run.
The weather is getting more beautiful every day and personally, I don’t want to waste my time inside when I can be outside, breathing in fresh air, and feeling good.
Having a friend to motivate you is also another way to get into running a lot faster! Without Madison, I’m not sure I would ever have actually started running and I’m positive it wouldn’t have lasted longer than three days. She’s already planning for us to run a 5k in the fall, so I have motivation over the summer to keep running!
Running really isn’t as scary as it seems. I promise. If I can do it, anyone can. No joke, I thought of running as the devil growing up, and here I am now, promoting the idea to everyone I know! Just give it a try, you might be surprised!
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