I know. I know. I know. You’re not a runner. Or you hate running. Or you think running is the last effort to prevent a psychotic break. I get it. I’ve been there. And honestly, I can’t really assure you that none of those things are true because the why behind running really depends on you as a person. What I can tell you about is my journey from saying “I’m not a runner,” to being a girl who runs, and runs consistently.
Now I know you might be saying things like, I already told you, I don’t run. Or remember how I said I hated running; I wasn’t kidding about that. Or I don’t hate myself that much yet. But I’d like to encourage you to keep an open mind because, the way I see it, there really are only two outcomes to you finishing this article
1. You are encouraged to try something new and stretch your limits
2. You read a mildly entertaining account of some girl you don’t know choosing pain and calling it a hobby
Either way, you can be sure that your choice to start running, or only do it as a means of survival, is an educated decision. Based on the research experiment, that is me. I went from barely running an 11:00 mile to running a half-marathon in 2 hours after only 3 months.
Find your why
When it comes to beginning any new endeavor, the why is vital. This is the thing that will keep you going on hard days, drive you on motivated days, and excite you on silly days when you are talking about your new activities.
This can be as profound or as simple as you want.
Think: pushing your limits, building a stronger aerobic base, meeting new people, reaching a new furthest distance, exploring new areas, or anything that brings joy to your heart.
It can really be anything, but it should make you feel excited.
For me, this was to exercise consistently and get back into cardio.
Make it fun
The next key thing that helped me go from someone who would stop at nothing to avoid running to a person running a half-marathon was that it became fun. And that’s probably where I lost you. I know. I know. Trust me, I get it: running hurts, it’s hard, it’s not fun.
That is, until it is.
It takes a couple of runs for it to stop sucking and figure out what brings you joy in the midst of the pain, but then it becomes something to look forward to.
A way to work off some steam. A time to explore new music. A way to bond with a friend.
Identifying how your runs can be more fun is vital to the process of turning one run into two and later into a habit.
Finding a book or podcast you may not have time to listen to otherwise. Look for a playlist that fits the vibe and romanticize your run. Recruit a running buddy & set a schedule. Go somewhere cool and enjoy exploring. Try different times of day. See sunsets, sunrises, people going about their lives, and simply observe. The possibilities are endless, and honestly, there is no wrong answer as long as you are having fun.
Start Running
Just start running. Start with short runs. It’s ok if it’s slow. It’s ok if it hurts or feels like you are not improving. What matters is that you are running. Don’t feel like you have to increase mileage all at once or speed up drastically. It’s actually better that you don’t. That is actually a good way to get hurt.
Be patient. Be consistent. Just run.
Once you are running, pick a plan. This helps create direction in your plan. If you are hoping to run a certain distance, most running apps, social media, or running blogs have training schedules. If you are just running to get in shape or work off some steam, just choose a couple of days a week and set a distance or amount of time to run each time.
For me, I used a 16-week half-marathon training schedule that increased distance each week and usually followed a set pattern with varying workouts.
It usually went something like
Monday: 20 min run
Tuesday: workout with pushes that could be fartleks, progressive, or tempo runs
Wednesday: a medium time, like 30 min easy or 3 miles easy
Thursday: Rest day or cross-training
Friday: medium-length workout like 4 miles progressive
Saturday: long runs that increase from 3.5 miles to 12 miles
Sunday: Rest day
This worked for me, but yours does not need to look the same to be valid or effective. The thing is, while having a plan is good. Give yourself grace and listen to your body when you need to take a break or want to push a little more.
Set Goals
When we hear goals, a lot of the time we imagine some far-off, distant future, summiting a mountain, achieving what feels impossible. And in many ways, a running goal may feel similar. It doesn’t have to, though.
A good goal can be anything from being able to run 2 miles straight to running a marathon to breaking 10 minutes in a mile to completing an Ironman.
The important thing is recognizing what you want to come from your running journey. These should align with your why, where you find fun, and the type of training and runs you are doing. It is ok to start small or big with goals and adjust from there.
Many times, we approach goals like they are an immovable force, but especially in something like running, there is no shame in letting the journey shape them, push them, or change our perspective on them.
Pick something you’d like to achieve through a run and go from there. Set goals for individual runs. Set them for a number of runs you’d like to do in a week. Set them for the end goal. But know what you are running towards.
Reflect on progress
As you go, it can be easy to feel discouraged by setbacks, slow days, pain, injuries, or low motivation. This is where reflection is vital. Reflect on how far you’ve come, what you’ve conquered. Think of all the times you thought you couldn’t or all the impossibilities that are now regular.
In my case, this started happening once my runs consistently exceeded 3 miles. Before that had been the longest I had really done, excluding a single 4-mile run I had done. So by week 4, every long run I was doing was a new personal best in terms of distance. And I started getting faster, but there were still days when I would be slower than the previous one, and I had to remember back to the time when I would run 11-minute averages for 2 miles. Now I was doing 4 miles at a sub-9-minute pace.
Instead of discouraging yourself or seeing where you think you are falling short, look to how far you’ve come. You’ll be amazed.
I began to realize that I, the person who “was not a runner,” was averaging 20 miles a week and had run hundreds of miles in a couple of months of training for a half. Tracking my stats on Strava gave me a sense of pride and accomplishment, especially on hard days.
Regardless of what your end goal is, track your progress, celebrate your little wins, and become your own biggest cheerleader. You might hate running, but odds are you don’t hate the feeling of overcoming. The feeling of doing more than you thought you were capable of. Seeing just how strong you can be and feeling your confidence grow as you go.
Are You ready?
In the end, the true secret to being a runner is running. Or don’t. It really doesn’t affect me one way or another. But I do encourage you to consider it. You might be surprised by what you learn about yourself in the process. You may discover how much you actually hate running or how much it frightened you to try something that could hurt so much, or you might uncover a new passion.
Or you can accept that most people who willingly do cardio for fun are slightly unhinged. But are we? Or have we just discovered how alive we can feel, finding our limits and pushing past them?
Remember my 2 outcomes from before?
1. You are encouraged to try something new and stretch your limits
2. You read a mildly entertaining account of some girl you don’t know choosing pain and calling it a hobby
Which will you choose? I understand if it’s the second, but if I’m honest, I really hope you try the first.
You never know what you might find out about yourself along the way.