Has anyone else STOPPED running?

RUNNING_AMOK_1958

I hated running my entire life. When I was 53 I hopped on a treadmill one day and it has been a love affair ever since. I don't love all running though. I hate the treadmill, but I love to run intervals on it. I especially love to run outdoors. From what you describe it sounds like it's the ENVIRONMENT you hate, not running itself. Find somewhere else to run. Get a new pair of running shoes. Get a GPS watch. Change one thing and give it another try. As for running in bad weather, I don't understand people that won't run in the rain. I'm wet and sweaty during my run anyway, so why would I care if I got rained on? When I started I could only run for a minute or so. Now I can run for two hours, I have the cardio fitness of someone half my age, and I fit easily into a size 4. What could be better than that?!

TheBlindTigress

Yep, stopped running after a stress fracture in my foot and I've yet to pick it back up again. Not a big runner, either. I've always found it boring and painful.

Cycling...now that's a different story. I ride 150+ miles a week and I've never felt better! Side benefit: I can ride the 22 miles to my favorite brewery, pick up a half gallon of my favorite beer and then ride home and not feel the slightest bit guilty in the pint that I have when I'm done.

conidiring

Tried it, it didn't "stick". The days I would run I really dreaded it. I thoroughly enjoy all my other workouts and so why do something I dread when I can get a great workout and enjoy myself at the same time. Running isn't the "be all" of exercise. Do what you like and you'll continue to exercise...do what you don't like and you be bored, dread it and potentially quit exercising altogether because you hate it so much! Life is too short to do things you dread...

98bikinisuitedlbs

Not judging but my running years are over. I ran when I was in my 20s in college and injured my meniscus. I have had three knee surgeries and most recent in 7/7. Good bye running, elliptical, cardio machine. I am now a Pilates queen with some variation of ballet. My body is much toned. I do lots of resistance training with hand weights, resistance bands and squishy ball and much happier. :blushing:

knitapeace

As for running in bad weather, I don't understand people that won't run in the rain. I'm wet and sweaty during my run anyway, so why would I care if I got rained on?

Do you wear your glasses when you run in the rain? I don't have contacts and I can't see a darn thing when I run in my glasses in the rain. I need wipers! :laugh:

daworley

I do not run. I have never liked it. My husband had a high school record for 20 years (!), our oldest son has a middle school record (he will be 30 in October), our youngest son has a high school record and Kansas State 2012 Gold Medalist in the 4 X 100 relay (he started the relay in the blocks, talk about a nervous mom), but I do not and have never ran. Now, due to a meniscus injury about 18 months ago and subsequent surgery where the surgeon took too much cartilage, I never can run. I do other cardio and fitness activities with walking being a favorite.

cwolfman13

Not sure why so many people think that to be fit you have to run...running is not necessary to being fit.

No...running is NOT necessary to be fit. It IS, however, necessary to train for and compete in triathlons...so I do it. :flowerforyou:

I was responding to the hand wringing the OP and others do in this RE...she's concerned that all will be lost if she isn't running...I see this a lot on the forums...people trying to force themselves to do something because they think they have to and they think it's necessary to general fitness when they would be far better off to just do things they enjoy doing...

It's a lot more fun and a lot more sustainable to find activities for which you can be active and improve your fitness while also having a good time. Some people love running...like my wife...she's a marathon runner, etc...I personally detest it and find it utterly boring...conversely, I can spend hours on my bike and never grow weary of it.

RunnerElizabeth

I will stop running in December to switch focus. By stopping i mean I will only run 3-5 miles 3 or 4 times mon-Fri and i will only run 1.5 to 2 hours on Sundays. So roughly 30 mpw...that's not running at all. And i'll start adding swimming and biking (excellent alternatives or additions to running).

That being said, I don't think you gave running a fair shot. Track running is super boring. Outdoors is where it's at!

I hated running more than anyone. And i was so bad at it! So bad! It became a thing for me. I was determined to get good at it. It took me 14 months of diligent effort to work to running 5k (in 40 minutes). That is a ridiculously long amount of time to work on c25k. It sucked! But once I got there, something clicked. And now i love it. I'm running 50-60 mpw and training for my first marathon. And my 5k is faster than 40 mins.

So, in short, if you run more, and outside, not on a track you may still like it. Or try swimming or biking.

kmbweber2014

I didn't read the replies so I might be repeating something. If you don't like running don't run. I don't think working out should be miserable, if you aren't doing something you enjoy you should change what you are doing. That being said I found running boring until I found the Zombies! Run! app and now I look forward to runs just to get further in the story and to build up my Abel.

DAM5412

I hate running and used to joke that if anyone saw me doing it, they ought to as well, because something bad (think Godzilla!) was definitely chasing me!!

But when I turned 40 this year I wanted to do something which was going to be good for me and have a long term benefit. I was never into fitness, and so working out regularly and running is very hard for me. But I did a C25K program in April and I have been going slow and steady ever since. I ran my first 5k last month and am signed up for two more in October.

However, I am really worried about keeping up the running into the winter here in the Northeast. So, I'm going to be joining a gym, just to have a place to go to and run. I may or may not keep at the running throughout the winter, and I have been worried about wasting all my hard work. But I am looking at it as an opportunity to try and do other fitness things.

I still do not love running, have not ever got that "runners' high that everyone has talked about, but I do recognize that I've improved as I've pushed myself along and that I have benefitted from the running.

ZenInTexas

Before you swear off running forever please go outside. I would have given up a long time ago too if I was running in circles in a gym. That sounds like hell.

SonicDeathMonkey80

I quit for 1.5 years. Dumbest thing I ever did, but I didn't have anyone to show me what I was doing wrong, or how I could be better. As far as stopping altogether for seasons and whatnot, that's fine, but don't be surprised if your performance suffers. If you want to get results, it requires consistency and determination.

Running really isn't a means to an end. I'm not going to learn how to knit just because I want to make a Death Star pillow. It's a lot of time and effort to put into something you don't really like.

DavPul

Judging running based upon doing laps around a track is like judging swimming by taking a bath.

i do not like running by my house, i will not like running with a mouse. some people just don't enjoy running. if the OP has found other ways to get fit that she actually enjoys, she's waaaaay ahead of the game. way too many people trudge along doing something they hate just to reach a certain "burn".

if you like to run, go run like the wind. if you'd rather do something else, go find your joy.

SonicDeathMonkey80

Judging running based upon doing laps around a track is like judging swimming by taking a bath.

i do not like running by my house, i will not like running with a mouse. some people just don't enjoy running. if the OP has found other ways to get fit that she actually enjoys, she's waaaaay ahead of the game. way too many people trudge along doing something they hate just to reach a certain "burn".

if you like to run, go run like the wind. if you'd rather do something else, go find your joy.

Amen. Life's short, do what you want to do.

CodeMonkey78

I stopped running about 48 hours ago, but I'll probably start back in 5-6 more hours .

Seriously, if I ran in circles on a track every day, I'd quit too. I can't even stand running indoors or the same outdoor route every day. It gets old and you'll never enjoy it.

Try mixing up your surroundings. Run outside.. Hit the trails and check out the awesome scenery. If you change your surroundings often, you may enjoy running again.

But if you can't stand running, don't waste your time. There are plenty of other ways to burn calories.

vmclach

Even people who dedicate their lives/entire fitness to running "quit running"../

I know a lot of guys who could run sub 3 hr marathons (6:52 per mile for 26.2 miles) who completely gave up running. They might go out and run 3-5 miles 1 time a month for "old times sake". Sure, they aren't nearly as fast as they were, but that doesn't stop them from going out every once in awhile.

My mom was similar to you. Never ran in her life, she picked it up, but only for the summers because she's a teacher & the winters here are brutal! She is able to pick it up again fairly quickly. She even underwent chemo for the past 6 months.. She went to go try to run this weekend for the first time.. She used to run a 26 min 5k, but she made about .25 miles in 3.5 min. She was proud.

It's all about what you want to do. If life gets in the way, that's okay. You can always come back to tunning

scraver2003

You need to find something you enjoy. I don't think physical fitness should be torture. I agree, though, with others that said if I only ran on a track, I would have given up long ago. I doing 5ks and such. It gives my running more of a "purpose". Next year, I want to try some swim races. I have done one triathlon and one Spartan and plan to do more of both. I have taken Zumba and step classes and spin classes... There are so many things you can do - find something you like. Bike, hike, raquet ball, basketball, prancercize...

bigsistruck

I LOVED running when I had the opportunity to go outside and lived near a state park with a nice wooded trail. I grew up in the country and that's when I started running and joined track in high school. I bought a treadmill and actually liked running on it for about a year and a half...and then all of a sudden I experienced burnout and I quit exercising altogether. I was hurting from years of running abuse on my body and was getting bored with it. That's how I gained almost 40 pounds...but I now do DVDs and step routines and I LOVE it. I did beat myself up about not running though, in my head it was the hardest/most calorie burning thing to do and I felt guilty when I started the DVDs instead. It does take a while to accept that another form of exercise is just as good, if not better for you!

SKME2013

Once I learned you burn the same amount of calories walking I stopped jogging. If you run 2 miles or walk 2 miles it works out to the same calories. It just takes a little longer. Don't risk injury.

That is plain wrong! See here.

http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?page=single

Anyhow, I love running and the fact that I get a lot of fresh air while doing so. I started with the free app C25K and am now on C210K. I ran my first ten kilometer run last weekend and for me this was a great achievement, being 49 years old and a former smoker, who could not run more than 100 meters without running out of air.

I make sure though that I have enough rest days where I do other sports.

Stef.

TheBrolympus

I'm not going to learn how to knit just because I want to make a Death Star pillow. It's a lot of time and effort to put into something you don't really like.

It would need to learn to crochet to make a Death Star pillow.