All I want to do is stop!

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  • craftyshan
    craftyshan Posts: 2
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    Sometimes I don't listen to music when running, I listen to a book or a podcast! Keeps me very very focused and the time flies by. But I also love running :)
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    Running on a treadmill is horrible. Running on sidewalks in neighborhoods or along roads is even worse! But... I :heart: running cross-country on trails. It's amazing.
  • EmmaNilsson77
    EmmaNilsson77 Posts: 38 Member
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    You might find it useful to do a bit of reading on sports psychology-Runner's World has a lot about it, and it fascinates me. But the short version is, if you spend all your time thinking about how much it hurts and how much you loathe it, well, guess what? But if you take a mental turn and think positive, even very contrived "oh we are having fun now! This is great! I feel great" ... eventually, you start to believe it.

    I think you should try to stick with it until you can do a good 15-20 minutes without stopping; that's where it really kicks in for me. It took a while for me, getting over that initial hump of being so untrained, but I just finished my second half, so it did take.

    That said, if you really, really hate it, and can't trick yourself into liking it... find something else you do like. You'll get a lot of support for weight lifting/resistance training on these boards (I do a body weight strength routine myself), or dancing, or hiking... anything that you'll stick with.
  • wonderwoman234
    wonderwoman234 Posts: 551 Member
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    I love to run but unfortunately can't do it right now because of injury. When I first started running as an adult, it was not any fun. But as I got fitter, I began to enjoy it and then when I got to the point of feeling a runner's high, I LOVED it! As someone else said, the first 10 minutes can be tough but once you warm up it gets better.

    Running outside is great as it allows you to enjoy nature and the sights around you. When I used to run outside, I would never listen to music. I enjoyed the sounds of my breathing, my cadence on the pavement, and the birds instead (both in Boston and later when I moved to the burbs). It was a chance for me to reflect on my life as well.....good meditation. Running on a treadmill is BORING and required music for me to make it to 5 miles!

    Now I do spinning classes with lots of people and loud music. It's a blast! I also do the Arc Trainer which mimics running in a way, but with less impact. I have to listen to music when I'm on that. but I enjoy it, too.

    If you don't like running, do something else that puts you in touch with your body, spirit and mind. You will probably enjoy it more!
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    There are tons of exercise routines that would have the same benefits as running: simply going for long walks, getting a bicycle, a spinning class, swimming, aerobics type of classes, circuit training, dancing, martial arts, other sports like basketball. Why insist on running if you hate it?
  • lwestmill
    lwestmill Posts: 91 Member
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    I've recently started running. About ten seconds in, maybe even five, I'm ready to stop. But I keep going, chugging along at 4.8 miles an hour. I'll start thinking, "So I'm almost at a quarter of a mile which means I am only almost 7/8 of the way through this. I really want to stop!" The entire time I'm running that's all I think about is how much I want to stop or worse, what fraction or percentage I've either ran or have left to run and how I should really just stop. I hardly even get out of breath, it's not my body, it's my mind. Is this normal? I can't possibly be enjoying myself and yet I signed up for a 5k so now I have to want to stop running for an extra 1.1 miles! That's a really long time! What sadistic part of myself enjoys doing this to me? Will it ever get better?

    Damn! I have always felt this way! I lasted 2 weeks in track in high school and I always felt so guilty. I'm 50 years old and I flipping still feel guilty that I gave up on my team! (it was a Catholic school with very little kids) . But you have said "EXACTLY" how I have felt for YEARS! Thank you! Thank you! Thank You!
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    I put on music to suit whatever mood I am in or aiming to be in and just sing while I run. With some of those runs you can't do that. In that case my mind is focused on the next obstacle.. or how much the last one sucked.. or food.. usually food.
  • MePlus20
    MePlus20 Posts: 55 Member
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    If that is all you are thinking about, then it sounds like running just isn't your thing. I think it's important to find exercise that you *enjoy* doing, and focus on doing that instead. For me, it's dance. When I dance, I lose track of time and I have so much fun. It is only a happy accident that it also counts as exercise! Maybe you just need to find a different physical activity that is fun for you instead of work.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
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    If you're pegged on running, then maybe find someone to run with. Though I run alone now (only about 3 miles a day) I found if I did it with someone and we conversed, the run seemed so much shorter and tolerable.

    I mentioned a treadmill in my first post, and I NEVER run on a treadmill because it's to easy to just get off. At least outside if I run somewhere, I have to at least get back to where I started.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
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    When I did the intervals, all I could think about was how much longer until the walk break. Then I decided to ditch them and just do my route, as slow as necessary but just keep going... (I was getting back into running, not starting out from zero)
    Funny enough, I wasn't any slower overall, but my headspace evened out...
  • alereck
    alereck Posts: 343 Member
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    I hate cardio, I implement in my strenght exercises. If you hate it, stop it.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
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    I've recently started running. About ten seconds in, maybe even five, I'm ready to stop. But I keep going, chugging along at 4.8 miles an hour. I'll start thinking, "So I'm almost at a quarter of a mile which means I am only almost 7/8 of the way through this. I really want to stop!" The entire time I'm running that's all I think about is how much I want to stop or worse, what fraction or percentage I've either ran or have left to run and how I should really just stop. I hardly even get out of breath, it's not my body, it's my mind. Is this normal? I can't possibly be enjoying myself and yet I signed up for a 5k so now I have to want to stop running for an extra 1.1 miles! That's a really long time! What sadistic part of myself enjoys doing this to me? Will it ever get better?

    Pretend you're a cave woman and being chased by a T-Rex.

    Or your ex.

    Or you're running away from a tornado.

    Or whatever form of danger to light a fire under your motivation. ;-)

    If you ever allowed yourself to run long enough or hard enough for the exercise endorphins to kick in (takes about 20-30 minutes), that free high is "oh so delicious" - who on this planet would not want a piece of the free high? At least there's that...

    Combine power walking with jogging. At some point, add some form of intervals. Eventually you're body and mind will adapt and believe it or not, you might start looking forward to it every now and then.

    Mix it up as well with other form of cardio - biking, swimming, etc... - to help your mind understand that most all of it has some form of adaptation and in the early stages has people feeling like they want to stop.

    And the more you run - the more you get to eat. :-)
  • ChelinIL
    ChelinIL Posts: 14 Member
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    About two years ago I bought an oval sticker that said, "I DON'T RUN". I hated running. I hated the way my knees and thighs felt after even a short run. I couldn't even run 1/4 rile without walking part of it or cursing the world. Running on a treadmill is the most boring thing in the world unless you at least have something to watch or listen to, or you set an "internal challenge" to show the person next to you that you can do it. (I'm secretly competitive.. haha.. and I hope my running will make them walk faster or longer.)

    And, I used to use the elliptical for my fitness tests with my trainer, last time I used the treadmill. He admitted he was waiting to hear the "beep beep beep" sound of me slowing it down, but I didn't stop.

    Yesterday I finished my second 5k event of the year.

    Running in groups keeps me motivated. While I may get passed often, it keeps me going. And finished is exhilarating.

    Are you using a Couch 2 5k planner or something like that? I had joined a triathlon training group which helped me greatly.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
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    I also dislike running. I get bored with it easily. Maybe try some other stuff out to see if you find something else that you may like better.
  • Paizzaz
    Paizzaz Posts: 33
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    You might find it useful to do a bit of reading on sports psychology-Runner's World has a lot about it, and it fascinates me. But the short version is, if you spend all your time thinking about how much it hurts and how much you loathe it, well, guess what? But if you take a mental turn and think positive, even very contrived "oh we are having fun now! This is great! I feel great" ... eventually, you start to believe it.

    I think you should try to stick with it until you can do a good 15-20 minutes without stopping; that's where it really kicks in for me. It took a while for me, getting over that initial hump of being so untrained, but I just finished my second half, so it did take.

    That said, if you really, really hate it, and can't trick yourself into liking it... find something else you do like. You'll get a lot of support for weight lifting/resistance training on these boards (I do a body weight strength routine myself), or dancing, or hiking... anything that you'll stick with.

    Thank you! I did a search on running psychology and it turned up this wonderful link: http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/tips-harness-motivation

    I don't dread running, I have no problem lacing up and heading out the door. My body feels fantastic afterwards.

    And as much as I might want to stop while I'm running I don't want to stop running outside of that.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    I hate running for the sake of it but I don't mind if it's to somewhere. So could you run to work or to your mums or whatever?

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