Everybody hates running. Do it anyway.
in Blogs
One of the things I’ve learned about working out consistently is that it gets in the way of other stuff. Like writing blogs about beating the crap out of the fatskinny.
I’ve been working out nearly every day for over two months now and I am happy with my body for the first time in..years? Maybe ever. I’m still occasionally doing the Jillian Michaels thing, but mostly I am just running. A little every day: sometimes twenty two minutes, sometimes thirty five. On Sundays, when my ex has my son for the day, I get out and do a long run: at least an hour, always over ten kilometers. And it’s shaped my boody and annihilated the last rim of baby fat from around my midsection, but more than that, better than that – it’s made me a happier person.
I’ll admit: I’ve always been a runner. I felt a pre-disposition towards it because I never had any degree of hand-eye coordination and there’s nothing simpler than donning a pair of running shoes and just…going. It requires no special skill, no learning. But, I can’t say I like it. No one likes running. This I believe firmly: this is why I kind of silently roll my eyes when I hear my friends say,”I can’t run. I hate running.”
Well – yes you can. And everyone hates running.
I’ll clarify.
Running is kind of an exercise in torture, even for the most dedicated road shredder. Your legs turn to putty, your heart scrapes against your lungs, your blood pounds in your ears. It hurts, more and more the faster and longer you go. You can’t wait to stop, your everything is sweating, and often the whole exercise is made more painful with knee injuries, glute pulls, shooting pains in every area of the body.
Every time I feel the overwhelming, pulsating need to stop and walk I think: I’ll just make it to that hollowed tree. OK, now I’ll just make it to that stop sign there. And often I think: this sucks and I hate it.
But near the end, when I realize I’ve just run 5 kilometers, that I’ve just let my body take over my mind for half an hour without worry about my kid or work or world domination by secret lurking aliens, everything reverses. That “I’m gonna die” feeling gets replaced with, ” I totally effing did this” and the sense of self-accomplishment overarches all the dying things in my aging suburban body.
Those five minutes after a grueling run, while I suck back cold water and think about the fat melting and the toxins sweating out of my body – are like healthy crack. And the more I run, the better this feeling gets.
The advice for all those who say they can’t run, they hate running is: just do it. Run 5 days a week for a month, even for twenty minutes. If, at the end of that time, you insist you still hate it, I’ll let you off the hook. But I’d be willing to wager you’ll be as addicted as I am.
Tags: just do it, running, training, working out
April 14th, 2009 at 1:37 am
OK, I am going to mark this post as a favourite and come back to it. I have signed up for a fun run in May, hopefully I will have done some training before then.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:27 am
This was so awesome. I think you’ve struck on the missing word in Nike’s slogan.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:32 am
I also hate/love running. I know exactly how you feel–you have perfectly articulated what all of us/those “runners” out there have hit upon, and why we can keep going.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:35 am
I’m with you. I hate running for a slew of reasons – my fat jiggles uncomfortably when I run, I have shin splints, I and I find myself often wanting it to just END.
But I DO it. I push through it. Each day, I go a little further, a little faster, push a little harder. And that sense of pride when I’ve finished is the stuff of true happiness.
Thanks for this post. It’s nice to know that the fit people blowing by me on the trail may hate it the same.
April 14th, 2009 at 6:15 am
Here’s why I hate running – the boobs. Triple Ds are not conducive to all that bouncing.
April 14th, 2009 at 7:17 am
I’m glad that you hate it, too. I gives me hope.
April 14th, 2009 at 8:10 am
You are so right! I just (like 5 days ago) started running and while it’s hard and I hate it and the sweating – god it sucks, it makes me feel so good. Seriously, I can do this?!
Just a quick story – yesterday I read about little baby Thalon passing away and I was gutted. I had just read about Maddie 2 days before and I really couldn’t take it. My heart breaks for these mothers. I couldn’t get out of my baby funk all day, but I went home, put on my running clothes and 40 mins later, I felt so much better. (I am in no way saying those mothers will feel better from a run. I’m saying a motherless stranger who felt terrible hearing about their deaths, felt a smidge better.)
Keep running!
April 14th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Uhh… I meant baby-less stranger. It’s still early here.
April 14th, 2009 at 8:57 am
I’ve been running off-and-on for about 6 years and you put into words exactly how I feel. Great post!
April 14th, 2009 at 9:11 am
Kristin,
Thank you for writing this post. I’m just getting back into running. I’m using C25K program and slowly building up to a 5K run. I was always wandering if this pain is there all the time or if it ever gets easier. I’s awesome to hear that even such experienced runners as you are have the same problems, that’s it is not just this terrible shape that my body is in. You really inspired me with this post. Thank you.
April 14th, 2009 at 11:58 am
my favorite part of my facebook page (yup, you know you have facebook too) says “i love to hate to love to run.” i couldn’t agree with you more!
April 14th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
I’m doing C25K and I really, REALLY hate it. BUT, I LOVE the feeling of finishing the run WAY more than I hate the actual running. That’s probably exactly why it’s so rewarding.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
I hated running (really, hated running!) when I was doing the “run 3 minutes, walk 1″ kind of training style. The day I just decided to run until I couldn’t run anymore… and did the 3.5km loop around our neighbourhood without stopping (and without dying) is one of my favourite moments! Since then, I’ve realized that it’s all in the mind and I just need to get out there and run. Am actually looking forward to all that pain and sweat and lung-scraping feeling once I get this baby out of me and can hit the trails again.
I still definitely don’t love running (more of a grudging, acquaintance-type friendship), but I do love the feeling after a good run and that makes it worthwhile. Thanks, Kristin!
April 14th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
I say that I love running, but really what I love is finishing a run. I don’t like to run 5 miles, but I like to come home and say to my husband “I just ran 5 miles!”
April 14th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
I DID try to like running, honest to God I did. I housesat near a park with a great 1 mile trail one summer and I got out there four times a week and did a mile or two. Two and a half months. I. Hated. Every. Second. All I have to show for it is my knees pop when I stand up now. And I still hate running. However, I am jealous that runners get to work out for a shorter amount of time than walkers.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Truth be told, I love running. Love it, love it, love it.
I ran for years but my knees can no longer take it. Every once in awhile I will run anyway, but end up limping home and hurting for days.
I miss it. Truly.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
That is IT in a nutshell. I’m right there with you, hating every step until the last.
April 14th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
I think you just motivated me to go on a run. I should test out my new lungs…
April 14th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Well said. I really, truly do LOVE to run (was tortured during my last months of each pregnancy when my body just . . . wouldn’t) but I totally agree with you that, no matter what, in the beginning, IT SUCKS. Until you can comfortably run three miles at a steady pace without stopping, it’s going to feel pretty terrible. AFTER THAT, you may or may not begin to like it.
April 14th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
I am just starting the much talked about “Couch To 5K” and blogged about it (www.justatitch.com). I love your slogan—I really do think most people hate it and love the “do it anyway.”
Thanks!
April 14th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
You hit the nail on the head. Running, you are SUCH a dick, but I love youuuuuuuuu.
April 14th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
I’m a recreational runner at ripe old age of 48 and I ditto everything you said, except one thing. It does take a certain amount of coordination – I tend to shuffle my feet when I run and over the years I’ve managed to trip and take a header at least a half-dozen times. I have the scars to prove it.
Once, at a kiddie birthday party, one of the dads says to me: “You must’ve had an interesting childhood.” I look at him like WTF? and he goes: “Your knees,” referring to the battered knobs peeking out from my shorts. I had to laugh.
Here’s the latest of my self-inflicted indignities:http://www.flickr.com/photos/kkz161/3442964460/
April 14th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Funny, just a couple hours after reading this I read another article much the same: How to Not Hate Running: http://www.nomeatathlete.com/nutrition-training/how-to-not-hate-running/
I just thought it was funny.
In addition, Kristin, he has some great vegetarian recipes on his site. The site is still new and growing so I expect there will be a lot more recipes to come!
April 15th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Every time I’m out there running, I always ask myself, ‘when does it get easier?’ Never feels that way and after three years of doing this crazy masochistic form of exercise, you realize that what you like about it is the discipline it takes to do it. And the fact that you have the discipline to continue. And more importantly, it shows you have some self-restraint over that bag of cheese puffs.
April 15th, 2009 at 11:23 am
I, like apparently everybody, hate to run–but I have my chiropractor’s blessing (nay, WARNING) not to run, ever. I have chronic low back/sacroiliac joint problems which he says would be exacerbated by running.
Granted, I have not stopped my kickboxing, cardio intervals, and other activities that I enjoy, despite being warned about some of them as well. I have to do SOME sort of exercise, after all.
April 15th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
awesome post! was hoping you’d have an update here and was so excited to see one–a keeper, no less
keep it up..I’m in week 5 of 30DS and have convinced hubby to join in. We don’t do it every day, but am working my way up to actually taking a run. woo hoo!
April 15th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Thank you for this. I could write 1000 words, but really, just thank you.
April 15th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
I don’t like to run, I want to run, I’m not going to run.
I did the C25k a few years ago and I got better. Don’t know if I’d actually call what I did running, but whatever it was, it was better.
And damn it, now you are making me think I should try it again. Curse you.
April 15th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
i just started running less than a month ago on the treadmill, mind you, since it’s been too cold in toronto, but it’s amazing to me how far i’ve come in just a few short weeks. i used to have to stop after about 2 minutes and now i can go almost a full 30 without stopping.
i LOVE this post. LOVE.
April 15th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Hey Kristen. I’ve just started running again too – I get bad pains in my shins, but I’m sticking to it. I find that running in trails is far, far more enjoyable than running on the treadmill or the street.
I’m in North Van too and I was just wondering where you run? Do you run trails? Are there any you feel safer on these days, especially with the news of the murder in Vancouver and the bear caught in Lynn Valley today?
April 15th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
You know what? Strike that, sorry. I’m an idiot, I don’t expect you to broadcast where you run especially after I just mentioned a murder. Geesh, duh, Lara.
If you do have any great secret areas and feel comfortable enough sharing with me, pop me an email (purplelara/gmail), otherwise feel free to ignore my dumb question. Sorry ’bout that!
April 15th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Well said! I started running 2x a week about a month ago, and it does hurt!!! My good knee started throbbing, for goodness sake! But it is also addictive. I know I can’t wait until the next session, and neither can my friends.
April 15th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Kristin, you nailed it on the head! I think a lot of people have the idea that people who run are just born with this ability to love running, and that it comes easy. Sure it gets more enjoyable as you do it more, but I still hate it lots! It’s funny how similar this is to a post I wrote on my blog. For me, the joy comes from training for something, knowing that all the work is for a much bigger goal.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:52 am
I’ve tried all kinds of exercise over the years and running has always been the thing I come back to. I think for me it’s the low maintenance associated with running. No gym membership, no bag to lug to class, no time wasted driving to and from an exercise location. I can put on my running shoes, step out the door and I’m exercising. Sometimes quicker than I could talk myself out of a DVD or going to the gym. It’s also free. No excuses, just run. And yes, I usually hate it, or the thought of it, but I’m always glad when I arrive back at my doorstep after a long run.
May 6th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
What a PERFECT post! I just, JUST started running after a life of saying ‘oh I dont/cant run’. The whole time I run I’m thinking ‘I hate this I hate this I hate this…why are my WRISTS sweating? I hate this I hate this..ew my face is so sweaty..oh god cant this be over’ and the second I finish, I think ‘WOW! that was AWESOME!!!!’.
September 7th, 2009 at 8:01 am
I love running. My doctor said I did too much too fast and to NOT run anymore. I ignored him and now need two knee surgeries. I get the same high now from spinning and yoga.
SO, telling people to just get out there five days a week, especially to people who’ve never run before, is a bit unsafe. If I had started gradually and trained slower, I wouldn’t have done so much damage. Even marathon training books have you running every OTHER day.
Your post was definitely motivational…and SO TRUE about the initial hatred. It’s just that it really isn’t for everybody.
July 26th, 2011 at 5:18 pm
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