I WANT TO LOVE RUNNING

tlpina82

katiemberndt21 wrote: »

Hey I’m Katie! Lately I’ve been struggling a lot with anxiety. I’m being medicated for it but I want to find an outlet when I’m angry/stressed. I really want it to be running! Unfortunately, I always hated running. I want to learn to love it but I don’t know how! I need friends on here to motivate me to run as much as I can! Maybe then I’ll learn to love it! I also use the run tracking app to keep me accountable. Anything helps y’all! Thanks❤️

I hate running as well. Not because of running, but for the pain i felt during and after a jog.
I have no problem running when playing football (Soccer). So you may want to make things a little more interesting to change the perspective on running.
I passed by a group of adults playing tag in Central Park a while ago. It looked like so much fun. People were sprinting and laughing. Every since it became a movie, people have been getting together all over the country to play. This may make it more fun for you.

Having said that, i work in a highly competitive, highly stressful environment and I found that a little bit of "violence" goes a long way.
Been doing Jiu Jitsu for years now and after each class, i am so tired that there's no stress left in my body.
I sometimes take MMA classes, including Muay Thai and classic boxing, and hitting that bag until your arms and legs are numb is the best *de-stresser* there is. (Well... For me it is)

Hope this helps.

EmmaM1997

I felt the same way. I started with Couch to 5K and when I started I struggled to run for even a minute! But the more I pushed through and just did it the more results I saw which was really motivating. It's surprising how quickly your fitness improves even from one run to another. Just don't push it a the beginning by running too fast or every day and don't feel bad for missing a couple runs, it'll happen. Just get back on the wagon.
Good Luck!

rikkejohnsenrij

I sucked at running, and hated it too...but as a busy mom, it's a nice excersise because I can do it when i want (have the time).
I am using the C25K app - and doing all days 2 times before moving on, as I have a tendency to get injured if I go too fast. I listen to audio books while running, and I'm actually enjoying it by now

mengqiz86

“LOVE” is overrated. Even the best runners have days where they just don’t feel like getting out. After 5 years as a runner I still have that love-hate relationship with running: the toughest part is the first 5 minutes, then you get in the groove. Don’t focus on whether you love it or not - try getting into a routine for a month or two

rnamy23

For me, it was training up to running distance slowly. I started with the couch to 5k program, to get my cardio in better shape. From there I just continued to build on that base. I currently am training for my second half marathon. A year and a half ago, I would have laughed if someone would tell me I would be getting up at 5 am to run 10 miles. I think as your cardio gets better, and when your running feels like more of relaxation than a chore, you will find it to be almost a form of meditation. It really does get better if you stick with it!

drbeanie2000

Random addition here - I want to love running - or at least be ABLE to run - because literally I have dreams about running - not effortlessly, but amazing!

amusedmonkey

I would never have imagined that I would like running. I'm a self-proclaimed couch queen and the thought of me running still feels odd an out of character.

When I first started, I hated it. I could only run for a few seconds. Not a minute, not even 30 seconds, but more like 10 or 15. Walking was no longer as challenging so I wanted something more. I built up my time and then discovered how slowing down is okay, that I didn't have to run as fast as I could and that I can go longer and it feels better that way. The first time I ran for two minutes it felt like such an accomplishment. I loved the feeling so much that I continued running several times a week. I built up my time very slowly. I'm talking something like 2 years to be able to run 30 minutes vs the how C25K expects you to run that long within 8 weeks. It was smooth sailing after that.

During a run, I hate it at first, then at some point during the run I like it, there are even a few minutes where I love it, then I hate it again towards the end, then when I'm done I feel so good, accomplished, and elated.

It has made worlds of difference for my anxiety. At first, I didn't even notice it was doing anything, but after about a year I looked back and thought to myself "I've had fewer serious anxiety occurrences than I ever had in any year", which made me want to continue running even more.

Roadie2000

Unfortunately you may have to hate it for a while before you can love it. I still have a love/hate relationship with it at times. I've found out that it is A LOT more complicated for me than to just "go running" and become great at it.

At first it was the mental aspect of it. It was all about learning how to power through and keep going. C25k was immensely helpful for this, every day I surprised myself by running farther than I did the day before, even though I didn't think I could. For me it's very much mental, I don't get any better unless I push myself more and more every day.

I also learned that I had to take care of myself a little better. It wasn't only about diet, I also had to stay hydrated, do a lot of stretching, foam rolling, etc. It wasn't just about running, it was also about rest and recovery. I had to push myself but not overdo it and give myself shin splints (again) or plantar fasciitis (or anything else).

I found out the hard way that shoes were very important for me. I got fitted for a pair of shoes at a running store, they fit great and had a lot of cushion as recommended for my suppination. I ran for 6 months in them and saw very little improvement. I tried all kinds of things, more stretching etc. and sometimes they helped but not enough. I'd still run about a half mile before my calves and hips started to burn. I didn't believe shoes had that much to do with it but one day I finally decided I was out of options and got a pair that was more supportive and my first run in them was better than I'd had in months. So it's not about just getting fitted, it's also about finding shoes that work for you.

After all that, it started to get better. Then I had to worry more about chaffing, blisters, and staying hydrated on long runs. There's always a new set of challenges for something that seems like it should be so easy, but I just keep going.

lisafrancis888

The turning point for me to enjoy my running rather than just been glad I’d done it was simply to slow down. After an injury I slowed down one day and enjoyed it so much more. Try it. Throw walks in if needed.

hesn92

I had my first actually enjoyable run yesterday. I started with walk/run intervals and ended with me running for 15 minutes straight which I don’t think I’ve done since jr high. It’s true what they say, that the first 5 minutes or so is hard but after that you kinda get in the groove and feel like you can just keep on going. Of course I was going like sloth pace, but I was still running. I was so proud of myself. Keep up with it and you will get better.

tahu010

tahu010

I absolutely despised running, mainly because it wasn’t easy at first, due to me not being physically fit for it. I wanted to find a way to build up to loving it and I noticed the more I gained the stamina, it became pretty easy and enjoyable. There are a lot of interval running workouts on Pinterest, but this one kind of suited my schedule for my weekly workout routine best.

tahu010

tahu010

Here’s another one I tried out, but had to adjust to the first one I posted. I noticed on the previous one that it didn’t take me a full week to gain the stamina to complete the full run/walk in that week. After about 3 days I was ready to move on to the next week run/walk, because the current run/walk was a breeze and I wanted the challenge.

MelanieCN77

mjwarbeck wrote: »

I never liked running. Weights? No problem. Exercise bike? No problem. Hated running. Now, to be fair, I am focusing on treadmill running, so running outside might have been different.

With that being, I started to transition to the treadmill in January. At the time, I was close to 230 and a type session was a 20 minute walk at 4.5 mph. From there I just kept going. At first, I increased duration. Then I would alternate improvements to duration and speed. And at the end of each week, I wanted an improvement.

Today I just set a personal best, still on the treadmill, 3.2 miles in 24:52. Top speed was about 5 minutes at 9 mph. Not bad for a now 46 year old who hated running.

By September, I want to approach 20 minutes in a timed 5km race. :-)

Do you mean a 9 minute mile? Although if you're homing in on a 20 minute 5k, dang, nice pace!

autumnblade75

MelanieCN77 wrote: »

mjwarbeck wrote: »

I never liked running. Weights? No problem. Exercise bike? No problem. Hated running. Now, to be fair, I am focusing on treadmill running, so running outside might have been different.

With that being, I started to transition to the treadmill in January. At the time, I was close to 230 and a type session was a 20 minute walk at 4.5 mph. From there I just kept going. At first, I increased duration. Then I would alternate improvements to duration and speed. And at the end of each week, I wanted an improvement.

Today I just set a personal best, still on the treadmill, 3.2 miles in 24:52. Top speed was about 5 minutes at 9 mph. Not bad for a now 46 year old who hated running.

By September, I want to approach 20 minutes in a timed 5km race. :-)

Do you mean a 9 minute mile? Although if you're homing in on a 20 minute 5k, dang, nice pace!

If top speed were 9 minute miles, for the whole race, we'd be talking about a 28 minute 5k. I think he's serious about that 9mph.

malpat1315

The thought of running is enough to induce some anxiety BUT it is always worth it. Back in high school I ran to relieve stress and 3 or 4 miles at an 8 minutes/mile pace were no problem. I stopped running in college and have just recently decided to give it a go again. 4 weeks ago I pushed myself to run for 7 minutes at an 11.5 minutes/mile pace and I thought I was going to die! Yesterday, I was able to run at the same pace for 27 minutes! It takes time, and like everyone has mentioned....the first five minutes are the worst. If you can get past that, you are golden! I took my momentum yesterday and registered for my first ever 5k race this fall!

DeshotelK

drbeanie2000 wrote: »

Random addition here - I want to love running - or at least be ABLE to run - because literally I have dreams about running - not effortlessly, but amazing!

I literally had dreams about running too. Not from anything. Just running. So one day I started C25K. From that day on, I've never had a dream about running again. That was a few years ago. I have back problems and knee issues and haven't run in over a year now. I'm about to get back to it though. I really do miss it. It was such a stress reliever for me.

apullum

What do you hate about running, and why do you want to love it? There's no reason you have to love running. There are many, many types of physical activity you might like better: hiking, cycling, swimming, etc. Don't force yourself to do something you truly hate.

If you just dislike the idea of running at the beginning of the run...that's normal. I think it's very common to dread a run before you do it, and for the first mile or so to be tough. A lot of runners don't really enjoy it until they're a couple of miles in, when your muscles have loosened up and you've "hit your stride," so to speak. Many of us have to psych ourselves up and work through a few minutes of discomfort in order to get to the enjoyable part. Unfortunately, when you're first starting out, those first few uncomfortable minutes might make up almost all of your run for the day. When I was doing C25K, I didn't start enjoying it until I was able to run comfortably for about 8 or 10 minutes at a time, and I felt like I could easily keep going by the end of that run.

If you're a new runner and you're starting by just going out and running however far you can run, I'd encourage taking a step back and using C25K instead. There is a big difference between learning how to run vs. just starting from scratch.

Also, run outside if at all possible. Treadmills are the worst.