Beginners running - How can I keep going?!

Misssynth wrote: »

VintageFeline wrote: »

It's very probable it's psychological more than anything. Was talking about this with a new to running but already fit friend. We find there's a point at which your legs get a bit tight, for us around 5 minutes and if we can just run through that our legs settle into it and we can keep going after that.

Yeah I think that's it, my legs start to get tight and my brain goes 'ok walk now until they losen again' and it's just a cycle of that. I need to push myself to run through it.
I do a lot of gym work too, and I don't have this problem weight training or using the cross trainer. Just something about running!

Whoever said above that running is just as much a mind exercise as a body one was right IMO. Not always - some runs are easy and even a joy, totally - but there is something about distance running for a lot of people that requires some mental fortitude, and that takes practice.

I mean, I'm sure there are people who do it effortlessly but from what I know anecdotally from talking and reading with other runners, I'm not an anomaly in that during a lot of my runs there is an inner monologue of "okay, keep breathing, don't slow down, no you can't turn around yet, by the end of this block it'll be six miles and you can turn around, no, keep going, you can make it to that street and then you can make it to the next park and then you can make it to the intersection, how far have I gone now is it another mile yet, have I slowed down, okay keep going, hey you have to turn that corner before you stop, no you don't need to stop you can go ten more blocks, don't look at the street signs don't count the street signs keep going," etc etc etc. My body is fine and my body can keep running without anything bad happening, but sometimes it's a test of willpower with my brain. I sometimes need distractions because my brain isn't trained well enough yet, so I do use music and audiobooks and Zombies, Run! and new routes and whatever else I can employ to turn my run into an enjoyable experience.

For treadmill runs, I'm even guilty of reading books on my tablet and I don't care. I get that for some people, running is this meditative, endorphin-y thing and they don't want to spoil it with distractions, but for some of us it's just....exercise, that is sometimes fun and sometimes hard work. And sometimes it's more like Type II fun. Regardless, the better you get at it the more fun it is and then the days where it's a joy happen more frequently in my experience (unless you keep challenging yourself to go faster/longer/harder...)

Keep it slow and stretch, stretch stretch. Dont give up, run at least 4 times per week. Walk/run or just walk if you have to. Do not worry about time and distance, it will come eventually. Dont push yourself you might have an injury which is huge setback. Again, stretch more