This Is How I Learned To Love Running
Patience is key.
I hated running more than anything.
My legs felt broken after running a mile.
Now I can comfortably run 14+ miles without too much effort.
Rough Beginnings
I had been living in South Carolina for a year for military training, and regularly spent my weekends running at the track on base for ~20 minutes at a time.
I got shin splints every time, and I felt I actually wouldn’t be able to run again until the next weekend. I thought running just wasn’t something my body was made to do, but I kept at it consistently as a way to stay fit.
Part of it was simply habit, and doing what I could to stay fit, but being uncomfortable learning all the complexities of strength training.
Why would I learn how to do these dozens of exercises correctly when I can just lace up my Asics and hit the track?
It didn’t make sense to me. Now I love strength training as well, but this article is not the place to talk about that.
Learning To Love It
I moved to the beautiful upstate New York for more training in May 2015 and continued to maintain this habit of painful running.
I noticed something up there though.
I hadn’t been tracking any metrics, no pace or distance, or even perceived effort.
But I realized that I was becoming more comfortable running slightly longer distances. 3 miles instead of 1.5 miles. It was still uncomfortable, but it seemed that my body was becoming accustomed to hitting the pavement on the regular.
On top of that, I was actually motivated, by the sheer beauty of the state, to head out on a chilly day off and run a lap around my regular route.
Turns out, that’s a very important part of running for me, personally.
The fact that I am getting out in nature, being given the opportunity to admire all these vivid colors of the trees lining my route, with all of these other humans enjoying the outdoors, walking and running alongside me, gave me a rush every time I went for a jog.
Having my favorite songs playing through my earbuds undoubtedly heightened the sense of joy I felt out there.
I found myself no longer forcing myself to run, or even doing it out of pure habit.
I wanted to run.
It was consistently one of the highlights of my days off.
There is all this talk of a “runners high” that is experienced after running for a lengthy period of time. However, I had what I would describe as a sort of low dose runner’s high, even with a route that’s only 3 miles long.
I was just enjoying myself out there.
Running Around The Country
After finishing training, I moved, yet again, to the incredible city of San Diego to begin serving my country, on the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
This was such a different environment than any other that I’ve been in thus far. Here, I didn’t have to plan around the weather, for the most part. It was nearly always running weather.
I was blessed to live on the naval base right on Coronado, with a running route along the beautiful coastline.
Now I wasn’t just running on my days off. I was running after work too. The number of days I spent running jumped from around 2 days a week to at least 4. I was running at a pace just outside my comfort zone, but not so challenging that it was unachievable.
Not only was I enjoying this, but my performance improved significantly after upping the frequency and finding the right running shoes for me. I switched from a pair of Asics that I never enjoyed using, to a pair of Brooks that I absolutely loved. They were comfortable and fit me so well.
A Different Kind Of Struggle
About a year after moving to Southern California, we left for a 7-month deployment in the fall of 2017.
And turns out, aircraft carriers don’t have much space dedicated to running. We did have a couple rooms of treadmills that we were free to use, so I was committed to keeping up my regular running routine. But it was a struggle.
It’s hard to enjoy staring at this white wall of metal that is a couple of feet in front of you, for 30+ minutes at a time. Not only did I not enjoy the treadmill nearly as much as being outdoors, but it was difficult to plan my runs outside of my completely trash work schedule that involved being up at all different times of the day.
Also, ships rock and roll. Literally.
Imagine running on a treadmill while the ship is rocking slowly and erratically from side to side. It’s sometimes necessary to actually hold on to those side handles of the treadmill just to keep yourself on there.
I’m proud to say I did maintain my regular running schedule for a majority of the deployment. There was no goal I was striving for, no specific pace or distance. The only aim was to run, consistently.
It was one of my escapes from my hectic daily routine. One of the only things I looked forward to, despite the less-than-ideal scenario of only being able to use the treadmill. It’s a big part of what kept me sane through deployment.
Back On Dry Land
You can imagine the sheer joy I got when we returned to San Diego, and I was able to run on land, in the beautiful, hilly neighborhood of Spring Valley, where I moved to when we returned.
I began exploring all the incredible places nearby to run. The hills around my neighborhood, the mountains, the lakes, the coast, the forest. There were so many diverse landscapes to explore on foot.
It was easy to keep up the running habit. I loved every run. I started aiming to improve my stamina and run longer distances just so I could stay out on the trails longer and enjoy the process for longer.
The furthest I’ve been able to run is 18 miles. The goal was 2 full laps around the beautiful, coastal park of Mission Bay, 22 miles total. But my body only had enough energy for 18 miles, and I was forced to bug an old man sitting in his car in a parking lot, and embarrassingly ask for a ride to mine.
Since that day, I’ve been able to run 5+ miles comfortably on a regular basis, as well as 12–14 miles comfortably on occasion.
I signed up for the San Diego marathon and began training for the big day, but it has unfortunately been postponed due to current events. I’ve since decided to tone down the running and not aim for a specific weekly mileage. I simply get out there whenever my body and schedule allow for it.
There is no goal pace, no time to beat, or distance to strive for.
I run because I want to. It feels good to be out there.
I love the process.
Takeaway
If I could give two pieces of advice to make running a more enjoyable part of your life, it would be these:
- Be consistent
- Know your why
I struggled hard when I started my running routine. When picking up a new skill, or beginning a new journey, there’s typically struggle. When you are aware of that, and the fact that it is a temporary struggle, it is easier to push through it. Know that it will not always be this hard. Be consistent. Consistency is key.
If your reason for running is because you “have to,” to stay fit, you will never enjoy it.
Do it because you want to spend time enjoying the outdoors. Do it as a form of meditation.
No one enjoys anything if they’re forced to do it. You have to have a reason to want it.
I’m incredibly grateful to have found a community on this platform that allows me to share my stories and relate to others. Thank you for reading, and I hope to read your stories as well.
