Help me learn to like running........

What can I expect to gain health-wise?

Stronger heart muscle. Muscle tone in your legs. Improved aerobic conditioning.

At what point do those endorphins kick in? I'm beginning to think they are imaginary

You'll know when they do. Just keep running. They aren't imaginary.

Will I ever grow to actually LIKE to run?

Maybe, maybe not. You'll have a better chance of liking it if you find interesting places to run and you slow down so you can enjoy them without feeling like your heart is going to explode through your chest. Slow and easy is the way to go.

What is a good pace? Last night I ran 1.5 miles in 19 minutes, burned 146 calories....is that good? What should I be aiming for?

A good pace is whatever pace is right for you. Don't worry about it. Just run easy. It will take as long as it takes.

Anything else you want to share would be most appreciated! TIA!!

Slow down. Also, maybe try starting with the Couch to 5K program. Google it, there are many iterations of it.

Listen to Carsonruns.

x2

Running is probably one of the biggest mental challenges I have ever faced. Your mind will tell you to quit way sooner than your body is ready to. TBH, hitting some running milestones were some of the greatest accomplishments I have achieved since I became serious about fitness! Just go slow and enjoy it. It DOES get better. It just take some practice. C25K is a great place to start

Good luck!

To me, I just love the freedom in running. I used to run in high school and recently started again about six months ago. Now I run a 5k (not officially) at least twice per week. I tend to go at a fairly good pace, somewhere in between 6.7 and 8 mph. I just consistently challenge myself to improve my times. I think switching it up between the treadmill at the gym and running in the neighborhood help as well. Get some good tunes to listen to while running and if outside just take in the scenery around you! Hope this helps. I think it really is something inside of us that make some of us love running!

for me it was a big game changer to listen to audiobooks. sounds silly but in fact i always thougt runing / cardio is sooooo boring - now i concentrate more on the audiobook than on what i'm doing while listening (ok you still should focus on the way )

Carsonruns had it right!

I despised running before doing C25K. I really like it now, it's a great outlet for energy and also a good workout. :]

1) Slow down. As a matter of fact, run as slowly as you physically can for awhile.
2) The first 10-15 minutes suck. They suck for newbies and they suck for Olympic Marathoners. You need to run (slowly) for about 30 minutes before there is a hope of identifying running as feeling good.
3) You gain cardio fitness. In real terms, this means that your life becomes easier. You can spend all day at an amusement park without being completely drained. You can chase your two year old for as long as she wants without "Mommy needs to rest for a minute." Your friends will ask you to slow down on walks because you will unconsciously just be faster. You will take fewer breaks while gardening. You will easily walk up one, two or three flights of stairs.

If you try a Couch to 5k program, check out the message board:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/47-couch-to-5k-running-program-c25k-

It's one of the most supportive places on MFP.

I have just started the c25k...it is hard,as I'm not built to be a runner!
Big boobed with poor joints!
However, I'm just about to start week 3..... with trepidation!
But I'm losing weight just by doing it!
And I've been at a plateau for weeks!
Yep...just by three thirty minute sessions a week!
3lbs loss this week...
I feel less tired and after each session, I actually feel like I've had a good workout!

This may not be what you want to hear, but .... I tried to like running for a period of five years. I got so I could do 2-3 km nonstop, and 5km with two 1-minute walk periods. Running always made me feel absolutely exhausted. I did not like the way it made me feel. I could never get comfortable running, and, though I tried to like it, I hated it.

I have decided I would rather hike uphill all day long with a weighted backpack than run for 30 minutes. So, I have stopped running, and I weight myself for hill walks, instead. And I don't mean leisurely hill walks, either. I hustle.

There are alternatives to running, with equal benefits to fitness and bonus calorie burns.

Just a thought.

I learned to enjoy running by running one minute walking one minute running one minute walking one minute....and so on and so forth for thirty minutes until I worked up to a decent pace and time. Now I love it! Once I got my first runner's high, it was on.

I have always hated running, so I don't do it. I find other ways of getting in some cardio. I mountain bike, do exercise videos, and walk my very hilly road.

Good tips above....for me, it's really, really good music. Running (other than sprinting or hill runs) is way too boring to me, but music helps if I NEED to do it (which is rare now). There are certainly a ton of other things you can do, though. What about HIIT training or plyometrics or swimming or hiking or a cardio machine or video (if you feel that straight cardio is a must).... Don't torture yourself . Find something you like and that also kicks your booty. Good luck!

P.S My most satisfying achievement wasn't finishing a marathon with thousands of people at a finish line...it was completing my first ever mile without stopping at a dreary industrial estate with no crowds or family waiting...just knowing I did it in 15 minutes, little quicker than walking pace.

I read this and thought "yeah, this guy's a runner."

Everyone is different, but for me, some of the best moments of my life have come while running, usually alone, always outside and never with music. They are different depending on what I'm doing --- it's great pushing myself through a 9th 400M interval at a pace faster than I used to be able to run one, but it's also great running in the mountains near the Appalachian trail during a quiet snow fall.

I also think that the more accustomed to running you get, the easier it is go out and cruise for a few miles, and that's when it's really enjoyable --- your body doing something it's great at, eating up the distance and feeling like you could run forever.

I started running when I weighed 230ish pounds. The only running I did before that was laps in a gym class or a short sprint to catch a bus. I took a ladies only clinic at our local running store. It was a completely unintimidating way to learn to run - they started you out slowly - 1 (walk) and 1 (run) - by the end of the clinic you could run 10 and 1. Not only that, you didn't feel like you were in it alone - there were others there with all different shapes and sizes wanting to accomplish the same goal. A year and a half later I registered for my first charity run (not a race) - it was a 5 km. It was awesome - just being out there with people running for a cause. I loved it. I loved the adrenaline rush of being with a group of people.

During that run, I decided I was going to train to run my first half marathon a year later. I 85% attribute losing over 100 pounds to training for the half marathon. Literally the weight started melting off. And, I got to eat SO MUCH FOOD - it was awesome. Fast forward 3 years and I have now decided I am going to train for my first marathon. I just find it exhilerating. Athletically I am pretty average (at sports and stuff) - I was never picked first in teams at school or anything like that. I also like the fact that you don't have to enter a race to beat anyone (unless you are elite) - it is all about beating myself, my own time (not 100% true - there are a few other runners that I secretly hope I beat their times - but being competitive is healthy and it drives you more). By the way, I have set a goal that I will run my first marathon in 4 hours or less - and I know I will do it. I won't win the race, but I will beat my own goals.

In terms of how it makes me feel, alot of people may do yoga or meditate to de-stress - for me running does that. I have gotten to the point where my mind just empties when I run - it doesn't matter what is going on, I am just in the moment. It also gave me this crazy determination and drive.

One big perk I find with running and especially when training, your long runs typically on a weekend. So, if you are prone to eat badly on the weekends this totally helps. If you go out and eat really bad food the night before a long run, your long run will suck (for me I did it once and got total stomach cramps). It will be hard, you will be tired, so that greasy burger and fries stops looking as appetizing and really starts looking like a road block). So, as a result, it helps you to keep dedicated to eating right becasue you know if you don't fuel your body correctly you will feel it the next day.

I guess that is my long winded way of saying, maybe register in a run - find a short charity race that raises money for a cause you really care about. And, register in a clinic. Not only will you feel like you aren't alone, you will also learn amazing tips from the clinic coach but you will also learn invaluable tips from speakers they bring in (if the clinic does that).

Getting you to the point of loving it. I love to listen to music. I made a playlist of upbeat songs that I love, that have a good beat (I try to find songs where the beat is about the same as my pace - I find it easier to keep up the pace when running to a beat). I have songs that will pull me through a wall (the craziest one is Rasputin by Bony M). When you get tired, slow down a bit. And, if you find yourself slumping, pretend someone is hovering above you with a string holding your head up. It will be easier to breath.

Good luck to you if you want to keep up running. Honeslty, I wish I would have a youtube to show the day I started - it would have been a before and after if I can do it anyone can do it inspirational clip.

Everyone has great advice. My added two cents (especially if you are a competitive person) is to remember that you are only competing against yourself. It doesn't matter how fast anyone else can run a mile or a 5K or a half. My goal is to better my own time when I hit the starting line. Also know that there are going to be days when actually running sucks but its always a great feeling once you are done.

I suggest you find a goal race. Maybe an away race. Train for that race using a training plan. Its harder to skip a run when you know you have a race to attend in the future. Then start the race and race against yourself. Enjoy the atmosphere and don't worry about how fast everyone else is going.

Deciding to complete a race helped me become motivated to run more. At first I dreaded every day I was supposed to run. I started c25k but found my cardio level and previous running experience made the first 4 weeks boringly easy but that I was struggling with enjoying anything past that. I ended up just repeating week 5 several times and like a light switch I was suddenly enjoying running again.

Once I had a known distance (race) to train for I found the free resources on http://halhigdon.com/ are fantastic. I first followed the training plan for a 5k, then 10k and finally the 15k and the distances almost came easily and my pace improved just by following the plans.

Good luck in your training endeavors.