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Wellness > Health

Lose the Freshman 15: Learning How to Run

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In case you haven’t realized, I am OBSESSED with running. But I haven’t always been.
 
In fact, I used to be one of the many that despised running. And when I say despise, I mean that I literally dreaded the mere thought of having to run.
 
I can remember those days back in elementary and middle school when we had to run a mile or even a half-mile. I had legitimate nightmares about doing it the night before. And while running, I hated every single second of it.
 
I hated it because I was bad at it. So bad that I could hardly run a half-mile straight without having to stop and walk, let alone even attempt to run a full mile straight. There was just no hope for me.
 
I hated running with a burning passion all the way up until the middle of my junior year of high school. I can’t really explain how or why it happened, but one day I got the strangest urge to go on a run.
 
runningSo I did.
 
I did one loop (nothing crazy, I promise. It was less than one mile) around my neighborhood in the 80-degree Florida heat, and it was rough. Really rough. And really challenging. 
 
But it felt amazing. And afterward, I felt like a whole new woman. I felt unstoppable.
 
So I ran the same loop the next day. And the day after that. And yes, even the day after that.
 
I’m not going to say that it was easy, because building up a tolerance for something that you have no affinity for is really hard, but it wasn’t terrible either. So I kept up running that loop for a week or so, and then I decided to go a little crazy and add a little bit more distance to my run.
 
Somewhere around that time, things get hazy. Because eventually, I fell in love with running. It was obviously a gradual process, but I can’t pinpoint exactly when it happened. I just know that I started out barely being able to run a full mile straight, and now I’m running up to six miles a day. (I even ran my first half marathon last month, for those of you that forgot about it!)
 
And now all that hate that I once felt towards running has transformed into love. I love running so much that my body craves it…every day. Even if it’s just a mile, I feel the need to get my body in running motion every day of the week.
 
IMG 3115Running has also become more than just a form of exercise for me. It has become a stress-reliever, an escape from reality, a chance to clear my head from the chaos of life…my crutch.
 
I love it so much that I want you all to love it to! Or, I want you to at least realize that you don’t have to love running to start doing it, and you don’t even have to be good at it to start either.
 
All it takes is a little bit of perserverence and dedication, and even the biggest hater can turn into a running fan.
 
So for all of you out there that are looking to start running – regardless of whether or not you love or hate it – here are a few personal tips of my own to get you in motion:

  1. Start slow: Don’t over-exhaust or overwork yourself in the first run. Take it nice and slow, and easy yourself and your body into running. You don’t have to be the best at it when you first start, so take your time and enjoy the exercise.
  2. Set measurable goals: Don’t expect to be able to run a half marathon your first time running. It’s not going to happen. But you can expect to start small and work your way up to a half marathon. Get yourself comfortable with running – whether it is running an initial half-mile, mile or even two miles. And then set a goal to continue increasing your distance once your body feels comfortable enough with running. But make sure you don’t hurt yourself by running too much too soon.
  3. Create a playlist: I know I’m always inspired to keep running on the days that I’ve got new playlists to listen to. I’ve found that music is one of the best motivators ever, so make yourself a playlist of your favorite music and rock out to it while you start running. I promise you’ll be more encouraged to continue if you’re listening to something that you enjoy.
  4. Be comfortable: The only times I hate running are the times when I’m not wearing comfortable clothing. Make sure that whatever you wear to run in is something that you’re extra comfortable in. Otherwise you’ll be miserable the entire run – trust me, I’ve suffered through many painful runs due to uncomfortable clothing.
  5. Have fun: Running doesn’t have to be work, and it doesn’t have to be painful, either! Like I said above, if you take it nice and slow, I think you’ll discover that running can actually be fun, especially when you’ve got your favorite music to jam out to while you run. I often find myself dancing while I run, and I hope that you do too!

I promise you that running isn’t as bad as it sounds. And it’s actually a GREAT workout! Don’t believe me? Read this. 

So I challenge all of your haters out there to give it a try this week – put on your most comfortable workout gear, equip your ipod with your favorite songs and head out for a nice, easy run around the block.
 
I guarantee you won’t be disappointed that you did.  

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Sara Kaner
Sara Kaner was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California and first fell in love with journalism as a freshman in high school thanks to her wonderful Intro to Journalism teacher. A family move brought her to Fort Myers, Florida the summer after her freshman year of high school, but she continued to pursue an interest in journalism. She is in her second year at the University of Florida and is pursuing a dual degree in Public Relations and Psychology. She is heavily involved on the UF campus and dedicates most of her time to her various organizations and to her friends. She loves people, magazines, sports and social media, and she hopes to combine all three in her job someday. For now, she aspires to attend Law School and specialize in Media Law. She secretly aspires to be Chelsea Handler, but she's happy being herself for the moment, just as long as she can lose the freshman 15 this semester.