Here’s how I learned to enjoy running after only a month of practice

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After many years of failed attempts, I have actually grown to like running.

My boss, David Allan, was one of many people in my life who would paint such a rosy picture of a morning jog, and I have to admit that I always thought each of them must just be lying. (Seriously, David runs 6 miles home from work. What sane person does that?)

Surely those people weren’t shuffling down the street in a mindless slog that feels like it never ends, out of breath, not feeling like they’ve gotten a workout, thinking, “Wow, now that’s a great time.”

Because that was always my experience.

Don’t get me wrong — I love to exercise. I will spend all day looking forward to a dance, yoga or martial arts class. But running — the exercise that can happen almost anywhere, any time and for very little expense — always felt miserable.

I decided to give it another try after a conversation with David, so I signed up for a 5K race to give myself a deadline and spent a little over a month putting his advice into practice.

Begrudgingly, I will admit that I came to enjoy running. And if I can, you can too. Here’s how.

Just get outside

When I went away to college, my dad gave me a piece of advice that has served me ever since.

“When you are feeling lonely, sad, overwhelmed or unmotivated, just put on your sneakers. You don’t have to put pressure on what you do next. But once your shoes are on, you might find yourself at the gym, on a walk to see friends or doing the laundry that’s been piling up,” he told me.

Setting myself up to do something that will help me feel better without pressure to accomplish everything on my list always works. I found it helped me get in an enjoyable running habit, too.

Waking up thinking that I have to push myself to go sweat it out was a big obstacle to overcome. The routine became much more enjoyable when my main goal in the morning was to get my shoes on and get outside.

Running was just the thing that ended up happening as I enjoyed a little sunshine, my favorite playlist or an audiobook that I was engrossed in. And that was a lot more motivating when I was starting from a very anti-running mindset.

Changing my goals

Especially as someone who likes physical fitness, running always felt like a failure when I was trudging through it or even — the horror — slowing for a walk break.

If I didn’t look like a gazelle and move like a cheetah, what was I doing?

Measurable goals are a big part of establishing a habit, but the goals that I was measuring had to change for me to enjoy running.

My mile times, heart rate, and keeping up with my former-track-team running partner had to go out the window. Instead, I asked myself these two questions: Did I go for a run today? Did I take it easy enough that I could do it again tomorrow?

I had to download a coaching app, not to get me to go faster, but to remind myself to take it slow.

As frustrating as that was at first, I found that once I gave my body time to just get used to running, I started naturally being able to go farther and faster, and feel like more of an athlete. As it turns out, patience and compassion for my body’s abilities in the moment actually paid off.

The right environment

Becoming someone who runs meant I had to enjoy it, and a big part of enjoying it was feeling comfortable.

For me, that meant getting really picky about how, where and when I ran.

Running in a green space or to my favorite coffee shop gave me the familiarity and peace to not worry so much about where I was going, what road traffic to look out for, or what I might encounter along the way.

I also chose to jog along routes I knew to be populated and well lit, and I selected headphones with an awareness mode so I could be aware of my environment as I enjoyed whatever media kept me going.

I knew I needed to start my running journey solo to keep my competitive drive from pushing me to keep pace with a faster running partner. So, prioritizing my feeling of safety made a big difference.

It doesn’t have to be a passion

Have I joined the cult of the running obsessed? No.

There are so many other ways I prefer to be active, and I try to make those the centerpiece of my physical fitness life.

However, I recently finished a stressful day stuck to my desk chair, and at the end of it, I found myself putting on my sneakers and going out for a run without even thinking about it. And it felt really good.

For me, that is a big win. I’m so happy to have an activity I can do without having to schedule it with someone else or budget for the membership cost.

And who knows? Maybe as I keep going, add in running buddies and find myself meeting speed and distance goals, I’ll become one of those obnoxious people telling you about how I, too, can’t get enough.

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