How Do You Not Hate Running?

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Replies

  • KombuchaKat
    KombuchaKat Posts: 134 Member
    spartan_d wrote: »
    A lot of people here say that you don't have to run in order to be fit. That's only partially true.

    You don't have to run in order to lose weight or to help avoid certain degenerative diseases. However, you do need to run so that you CAN when you have to... in an emergency situation, for example. When you have to rescue a child that's fallen into a pool, for example. Or when you need to escape a dangerous situation.

    So you don't need it in order to trim down a bit. If you want to deal with the rigors of life though, I'd urge everyone to do a least SOME running, even if it's not the backbone of one's fitness program.

    Fail
  • spartan_d
    spartan_d Posts: 727 Member
    spartan_d wrote: »
    Would you agree that those people are exceptional, though? The vast majority of people, even those who are otherwise fit, would not be able to complete a marathon in decent time. Relying on examples like these is foolhardy, to say the least.

    I know quite a few people who don't do much running in between marathons.

    When you run one every weekend you don't need to do a significant amount mid-week, giving you time for other things :)
    Hahaha. Yeah, doing a marathon every weekend is obviously different... and exceptional. In that case, each marathon is basically training for the very next one.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,971 Member
    edited December 2017
    As others have repeated, provided you don't had an impairing disability you don't have to be a "trained" runner to "run" when you need to do so. Will you be able to run a marathon? Probably, not, few can. Will you need you to do so. Certainly not.

    In an emergency, you just need to be able to sprint for the few secs or a maybe minute to get to safety. Most people can do that as long as they know where the threat is coming from.

    I'm sure there were a at least a few really FAST runners in Las Vegas when the shooter opened fire on the crowd but no one can outrun a bullet, especially if they don't know where it's coming from.

    There were a lot of slow untrained runners who were able to find cover out of the line of fire. So, being a "runner" probably had little to do w/the the chances of survival that day. Location on the grounds probably had more to do with it than that.

    Also, FWIW, as I said b4, I hate running and have no interest in ever running again. However, that doesn't mean that I can't run. I just choose not to do so.

    I'm 67 now. The last time I had to run was in the police academy when I was 46. I was old for a cadet but I could still run faster than 1/2 of my class of 40 people made up mainly on 20-30 yr olds.

    I am in as good, if not better shape now, than I was then, and I think I'd still do well overall in comparison w/other people 20 yrs younger than me and would still expect to end up in the midde of the group, which wouldn't be bad for an old man surrounded by 40 yr olds.

    LOL! ;)
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,971 Member
    sgt1372 wrote: »
    As others have repeated, provided you don't had an impairing disability you don't have to be a "trained" runner to "run" when you need to do so. Will you be able to run a marathon? Probably, not, few can. Will you need you to do so. Certainly not.

    In an emergency, you just need to be able to sprint for the few secs or a maybe minute to get to safety. Most people can do that as long as they know where the threat is coming from.

    I'm sure there were a at least a few really FAST runners in Las Vegas when the shooter opened fire on the crowd but no one can outrun a bullet, especially if they don't know where it's coming from.

    There were a lot of slow untrained runners who were able to find cover out of the line of fire. So, being a "runner" probably had little to do w/the the chances of survival that day. Location on the grounds probably had more to do with it than that.

    Also, FWIW, as I said b4, I hate running and have no interest in ever running again. However, that doesn't mean that I can't run. I just choose not to do so.

    I'm 67 now. The last time I had to run was in the police academy when I was 46. I was old for a cadet but I could still run faster than 1/2 of my class of 40 people made up mainly on 20-30 yr olds.

    I am in as good, if not better shape now, than I was then, and I think I'd still do well overall in comparison w/other people 20 yrs younger than me and would still expect to end up in the midde of the group, which wouldn't be bad for an old man surrounded by 40 yr olds.

    LOL! ;)

  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,971 Member
    Dup post deleted.
  • neversaynever_43
    neversaynever_43 Posts: 59 Member
    There's definitely the starter stuff. Get good shoes, start slow, nobody really cares what you look like, etc.

    But to really enjoy running I need distractions. I listen to a lot of stuff on my iPhone - music and podcasts. And I get out for a trail run whenever I can. For some reason when I'm jumping over trees I barely think about running.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    I also enjoy hiking, and especially going for long hilly, mountainous hikes with great views.
    ...
    About a month ago, I took up running.
    Running is my second favorite thing after hiking.
    But by being a runner, I can easily pump out 20-30 mile days in the mountains ;) . it's really effective cross training!
  • tuolon
    tuolon Posts: 107 Member
    I'm a swimmer.
  • spartan_d
    spartan_d Posts: 727 Member
    edited December 2017
    People here keep missing the point.

    Can someone who never runs at all in an emergency? Sure, but that's never been in dispute. The question is whether this person can run well enough to deal with that emergency -- to save her own life, for example. People are saying that they'll rely on adrenaline and the cardio conditioning that they get from stuff like hula hooping. That's basically whistling in the dark -- rolling the dice and hoping that they get lucky.

    People are also saying, "But these situations haven't happened to me yet!" Good for you. That's the nature of an emergency, though. These are situations that aren't extremely common, but for which it's good to be prepared.

    Besides which, it's not just about strength or cardio conditioning. As a personal trainer pointed out to me last night, it's also about training the neural pathways to function efficiently, which is especially important in an emergency. This is why runners do form drills-- to help the muscle memory kick in when it's needed.

    Almost everyone has some basic running abilityt. Also, adrenaline, cardio conditioning, and so forth can help, but only so much. Would these be good enough to deal with emergency situations? Only if you're lucky, which is why incorporating at least some running into one's fitness routine is important for well-rounded functional fitness.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
    I don’t know. Running sucks. I’ve tried getting into it several times and always give up because I hate it. There are other forms of exercise.
  • clicketykeys
    clicketykeys Posts: 6,568 Member
    spartan_d wrote: »
    People here keep missing the point.

    Can someone who never runs at all in an emergency? Sure, but that's never been in dispute. The question is whether this person can run well enough to deal with that emergency -- to save her own life, for example. People are saying that they'll rely on adrenaline and the cardio conditioning that they get from stuff like hula hooping. That's basically whistling in the dark -- rolling the dice and hoping that they get lucky.

    People are also saying, "But these situations haven't happened to me yet!" Good for you. That's the nature of an emergency, though. These are situations that aren't extremely common, but for which it's good to be prepared.

    Besides which, it's not just about strength or cardio conditioning. As a personal trainer pointed out to me last night, it's also about training the neural pathways to function efficiently, which is especially important in an emergency. This is why runners do form drills-- to help the muscle memory kick in when it's needed.

    Almost everyone has some basic running abilityt. Also, adrenaline, cardio conditioning, and so forth can help, but only so much. Would these be good enough to deal with emergency situations? Only if you're lucky, which is why incorporating at least some running into one's fitness routine is important for well-rounded functional fitness.

    I'm calling baloney on this. For most emergencies, running is a minor part of dealing with the situation. Running will be less important than balance, flexibility, and coordination. Parkour will probably be about the most useful training program (outside of something designed specifically for emergency response). Someone who gets their cardiovascular fitness from running will not have any significant advantage over someone who gets their cardio from, say, Zumba.
  • clicketykeys
    clicketykeys Posts: 6,568 Member
    For the OP - this song. I used to hate running, and now I don't.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSavwX4C240

    I still dislike running. But this song is what got me away from HATING running. It actually makes me WANT to run, and it's helped me improve my pace and my endurance. And it's short enough that I know I can run to the break, speeding up a little bit about every 30 seconds (supported by shifts in the music), and it gives me a little cool-down at the end.

    And who knows, if I keep it up, maybe I'll continue to dislike running less and less, until I don't dislike it any more.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    edited December 2017
    Make sure you can comfortably walk for 30 mins to an hour

    ditto on this. Running is hard; walking is comparatively extremely easy, so I would agree that you should make sure that walking for significant lengths of time at a decent pace is easy before trying to run.

    Go easy at first.. A lot of people need to go slower than even C25K - either starting with much more walking with very short bits of running before working on their week #1 and/or repeating weeks. Also-your body will need to adjust to it. Don't go too long or too frequently when starting out - this can lead to injury.

    Find somewhere you enjoy (or a new somewhere every day) if you get bored easily. New sites to explore while running makes it much less tedious. (Not inconvenient if you run after work and drive since you will already be in the car heading from work to home and can just take a detour). There are sites like ridewithgps.com where you can pre-plan a route of known distance. Also, pick some music that makes you want to run (unless you prefer running without- some people do) and/or within a certain bpm range that will encourage you to keep to a cadence that isn't either too slow or too fast (Spotify has some playlists for this).

    Strength training will be helpful to the running. Stronger arms and legs will result in less fatigue while running. (weak quads= legs will feel like noodles early on in a run; weak arms = lower cadence thus lower speed (less of a concern starting out); weak hamstrings=difficulty on uphills and more prone to injury,..). Meanwhile, the extra aerobic endurance you develop running (and I have come across nothing I can do locally that taxes it as much even when I'm going slow/'easy' .. mountain climbing requires travel and cycling is only this intensive if I'm really pushing the speed or drive out to the hills) will help you in pretty much everything else (climbing stairs, hiking,..).

    On the running-saving lives thing (totally off topic anyway)... Agility factors more than running endurance in many of these scenarios (so the Zumba-ers might actually have the advantage there). And strength, swimming ability will be more important than running speed for that kid. Whether you are physically capable of pulling him up and out (while maintaining balance and not falling in yourself)(so bent-over-row & deadlift ability here) or hold him afloat if you have to swim to him (swimming skill) will matter more than a few seconds of sprinting speed (which most people can manage whether runners or not).
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    edited December 2017
    spartan_d wrote: »
    People here keep missing the point.

    Can someone who never runs at all in an emergency? Sure, but that's never been in dispute. The question is whether this person can run well enough to deal with that emergency -- to save her own life, for example. People are saying that they'll rely on adrenaline and the cardio conditioning that they get from stuff like hula hooping. That's basically whistling in the dark -- rolling the dice and hoping that they get lucky.

    People are also saying, "But these situations haven't happened to me yet!" Good for you. That's the nature of an emergency, though. These are situations that aren't extremely common, but for which it's good to be prepared.

    Besides which, it's not just about strength or cardio conditioning. As a personal trainer pointed out to me last night, it's also about training the neural pathways to function efficiently, which is especially important in an emergency. This is why runners do form drills-- to help the muscle memory kick in when it's needed.

    Almost everyone has some basic running abilityt. Also, adrenaline, cardio conditioning, and so forth can help, but only so much. Would these be good enough to deal with emergency situations? Only if you're lucky, which is why incorporating at least some running into one's fitness routine is important for well-rounded functional fitness.

    Oh, I thought the point was: the OP literally HATES running, she even leads the thread with that, plus she has asthma so hey, should she get out and running? If so...how? If not, how can she get lean and healthy in some other fashion?

    And that has been answered (pretty well, IMO).

    So...you're welcome, :) and merry Christmas!
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,439 Member
    edited December 2017
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    spartan_d wrote: »
    People here keep missing the point.

    Oh, I thought the point was: the OP literally HATES running, she even leads the thread with that, plus she has asthma so hey, should she get out and running? If so...how? If not, how can she get lean and healthy in some other fashion?

    This is gold. Well done, @LAWoman72