How To Like Running
17 February 2024
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Have you ever seen somebody run in your neighborhood and think they’re absolutely crazy? Like how…? …. why? It’s a mystery is the conclusion I came to. Every time I was forced to run or forced myself to run to get some sort of cardio workout in, I dreaded it, hated it, and generally had all the negative feelings about it.
Well what if I told you that with implementing a few running tips, you can like it and even be that person in the neighborhood regularly running and not looking miserable? These super simple changes will blow your mind and make running a whole lot better!
If you want to try running and actually enjoy it, this post is for you!
I will be going over:
How I went from hating running to loving it
Running make it or break it: shoe edition
Music is everything
The goal of a lifetime
These are simple tips that can be implemented to make your running experience a good one. So keep reading if you’re interested in making running your new hobby!
How I went from hating running to loving it
I grew up absolutely hating running and not understanding why people voluntarily did such an activity. Like truly I wanted to know what was going through their brain and what made it seem bearable. Well fast forward to 2022 when I started dating a runner and after watching him and doing my own research and following some running accounts, I have figured it all out. It felt absolutely ridiculous how easy it was to change my mind about running but it sure did!
I decided to take a running class at a local community college to help me with some accountability and was given the goal of running or walking about 2 miles per day, 7 days a week. I started this and within a couple of weeks, I had developed bilateral shin splints and couldn’t run. After talking to my boyfriend and researching, I decided that I could do better with some good running shoes.
To Fleet Feet I went. FleetFeet is an amazing running store in California, and I had a great experience in finding some good running shoes. The staff used a device to evaluate my stance and my feet and after they watched me walk and run in the store, they gave me some shoe recommendations based on all that information. I ended up walking out with running shoes that felt like I was walking on a cloud! And when I was able to run again, I used them and was not disappointed! I also didn’t get shin splints after investing in a pair of nice shoes. Definitely worth the money!
I still didn’t love running after this, but it made a huge difference comfort wise that contributed to my change in opinion of running. Another was listening to the right music and actually setting a more specific goal for myself that gave my runs a purpose. All of these things turned me into a “runner” and running became my “me time.”
So take this story and my advice and run with it!
Running make it or break it: shoe edition
As I mentioned before, getting a decent pair of running shoes will make your running experience so much nicer. I used to get cramps in my feet and shin splints frequently when I was using my work shoes as running shoes. I love Asics shoes while working at my animal nursing job but boy they do not compare to Mizuno’s women’s running shoes. Mizuno is one of the brands that the staff recommended at Fleet Feet. All of the shoes they recommended were nice but with the cramping and with the feeling I had that there really wasn’t much material between my foot and the ground, I wanted something with extra cushion. The Mizuno shoes did that for me.
If you have a job that keeps you busy and on your feet for most or all of your shift, check out the shoes I wear and get for a good price on Amazon here!
So my suggestion is to go to your local running store and have your feet evaluated for the right shoe for you. I promise you won’t regret it. When your feet are feeling comfortable during a run, the more likely you will actually go on that run and that will lead to more positive experiences with running.
If finding a local store is proving difficult, and you know your shoe size, check out Mizuno’s running shoes! They’re the best!
Music is everything
Another simple change that made me a runner is a little more subjective but after talking to a few runners, this tends to be the answer for a lot of runners; music. The issue I was having was not only with lack of motivation/hype to get me through a run but also hearing my breathing was making me focus more on how tired I felt and led to me stopping more and making me feel like a failure.
Listening to my almost labored breathing made me want to stop running in that moment and also prevented me from going on runs. The ragged breathing would distract me from being outside and enjoying the views. It also made me focus on how hard the run was and made it seem harder! The runs felt harder and longer than they were and I would associate running to the irritating ragged breaths and all the other negative feelings that came with them. So I turned my music up to drown it out and kind of lose myself in the music while I ran.
Prior to running, I would listen to really upbeat music so I could match that energy, but I learned that you don’t have to do that all the time to keep going! As some of you know, I am a Swiftie all the way. Love, love, love me some Taylor Swift songs. So branching out to new things other than high energy music, I tried out listening to slower songs with a story. Like Carolina and All Too Well (ten minute version - Taylor’s version). Now I’m a slow runner so this song will take me about a mile out but when you’ve previously thought running was super hard and unenjoyable, getting through one mile easily really helps you make progress!
Check out my post here about the Taylor Swift songs that I played during my 10k race!
I listen to a lot of music when I run. I love some country music, I’ve listened to classical music, pop, rap, R&B, etc. Be open to trying different music or even trying a podcast! You will be surprised at what will make you pass the time on the run quickly!
The goal of a lifetime
The last thing that really changed my mind about running and runners was creating a goal for myself. Having a goal in mind creates purpose, pushes you, and helps create a bridge from motivation to discipline. Discipline is what got me through my 10k last year. My first 10k and won’t be my last! I ran more intermittently than regularly before I made myself the 10k goal. I saw an ad for a 10k in Sacramento, California hosted by Kaiser Permanente for a women’s festival run and saw all the colors and pictures and fun and signed up immediately! This led to more regular runs which allowed me to improve my endurance dramatically. It was truly amazing to see and feel and finally notice that a 4 mile run was no longer impossible in my mind and just a little fun challenge…. CRAZY, RIGHT??
I still feel weird about calling myself a runner but I think I made that switch with these simple changes that allowed me to appreciate my body and what it can do and be trained to do a lot more. I started fueling my body for my runs and then just for my day, and food stopped being this almost toxic thought where there was “good” and “bad” food. It became more balanced and a healthy way of viewing food, my body, and why I exercised. Making these small changes helped me get a better handle on my self worth, my self esteem. This led me to make healthier choices in my life like how much sleep I got and how I spent my day. I craved that purpose and the high I felt after completing a run. And this is how I learned to like running… and you can learn to like running too!
Give these tips a try and see how you like running afterwards!
Take care, y’all!
Jen
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