I always admired the simplicity of running as a sport.
You just need good shoes, some shorts and a shirt and your good to go. But I was never able to establish a running habit in my life. I loved going out for a long bike ride, but running always felt terrible.
Somehow, all of this changed last year in April.
I finished my first half marathon last month.
Here are 3 things I learned that might help you to start a running habit too – even if you currently hate running.
**Start with very short runs**
In the past I always started running with runs that were too long.
I thought a proper run must be at least 5 km. Everything shorter would be a total waste of time.
Last year, I started my running again with very short runs. The first three weeks or so I didn’t run more than 2 kms per run, but 5 days a week.
Although I was completely out of shape, I didn’t feel completely destroyed after these short runs but I was proud that I went out for a run this day.
And this built momentum for me to keep going. I went for a run to feel proud of myself and since it didn’t hurt, It wasn’t hard to bring up the willpower to do so.
**Start slow. Really slow**
This is another classical mistake I made and I’m sure many others make:
I ran too fast.
Running too fast lets your heart rate rise and your metabolism changes from aerobic to anaerobic. And when the lactate in your muscles accumulates, it starts to hurt.
Staying in lower heart rate zones like your „Zone 2“ (60 – 70 % of your maximum heart rate) does feel much better, it’s also a very effective way to build your base endurance.
Another benefit is that you don’t feel so exhausted after your run which makes it easier to go out the next day.
And the risk for injury is lower too. And trust me: Getting injured while starting to run regularly is easier than you think.
So go out regularly, but run veeeery slowly. I mean very slow. In the beginning I often altered between running and walking. I still do it.
**Optimize for enjoyment, not performance**
This point somewhat summarizes the other two.
When starting any new habit – like running – it’s important to focus on making it enjoyable. Improving your performance can come later. All of these advanced tactics to improve your performance don’t matter if you don’t train regularly.
It doesn’t matter how your running workouts look like, as long as you do and enjoy them. Otherwise you won’t stick to it long enough for your running habit to form.
For me that meant short and slow runs that didn’t hurt. They were actually fun and I felt great afterwards. Not only was I proud of maintaining my momentum, but I also felt absolutely great after these slow and short runs. And I treated myself to a little snack or a cold alcohol-free beer afterwards.
All of this associated running with a…