A Non-Runners Guide to Running

Over the years I’ve tried to reinvent myself as a runner many times. I always had an image of myself, running through woodlands, with dewy sweat across my brow and lithe legs striding kilometre after kilometre. I’d picture myself stopping occasionally to drink greedily from my water bottle and re-hydrate from the exertion. After, 10k or so, I would stop, stretch out and congratulate myself on another personal best. This was what I thought a true ‘runner’ was.

Nothing short of this image would satisfy me, and so every time I committed to running I was left woefully disappointed in myself and quit within weeks.

I really wanted to feel the endorphin high ‘runners’ speak of, the mental state of zen as they plough through the kilometres, I wanted the ‘runners’ body!

The reality was so very different for me. Every run was painfully hard, grinding and I felt every excruciating minute. I tried listening to music, listening to podcasts, listening to audiobooks. Nothing helped me to ‘zone out’ of the run.

I bought books on running, I bought trail running trainers, road running trainers, bare feet trainers (don’t ask, that’s a whole other story). But after a few motivated weeks, I would become disheartened by my lack of progress towards becoming a real ‘runner’. And quit.

But this time has been different! My friend and I started running together in June 2020 and we are still running regularly now. Some weeks we run as much as 20k!

So what changed?

What made running stick this time? Put simply, I stopped trying to be a ‘runner’.

1 — Remove the friction

My friend and I made an agreement we would go out at least 3 times a week and run, walk or shuffle for at least 20 minutes. No fancy trainers, no fitness trackers and no distance goal. We would just commit to being outside, moving our bodies and enjoy one another’s company.

We stopped overthinking it, over planning it, over goal setting and simply took it for what it was. We were never disappointed after a run and were energised by spending 20 minutes together sharing life plans and ideas. I would come home afterwards and feel I’d done something positive for myself physically, but also mentally and that felt good.

Running doesn’t have to be goal orientated. It doesn’t have to be something you succeed or fail at. It doesn’t have to be something you track and analyse. It can simply be a way to get outside with a friend and enjoy their company.

2 — Who cares how fast you get there

We run very slowly! Like really slowly. It’s so slow I think Strava would track it as a stroll! But over the past 3 months we have reached a point where we are always running, no matter how slowly we run, we no longer walk.

This feels great! It feels like a sustainable achievement. It’s taken a long time to get to this point but it happened organically rather than via a training schedule. I haven’t felt the frustration I used to feel of not ‘progressing’ as quickly as the schedule said because I wasn’t measuring it.

The key is to just put one foot in front of the other at whatever pace feels comfortable, without judgement or unrealistic expectations.

3 — “Know your why”, Simon Sinek

Is there any situation where this question isn’t key? No!

Ask yourself why you want to run, because if you really don’t want to, you won’t. If the reason why isn’t strong enough, then find a different form of exercise.

I thought my ‘why’s’ were; to be healthy, drop a few kilograms and look fit. However, it turns out non of those things are important to me. I would like them of course, but they don’t motivate me.

When I questioned myself further, I actually wanted to be a ‘runner’ because it would benefit my mental health. (I wrote about my mental health journey here.)

Endless studies show the positive benefits of running and mental health. How the brain releases more serotonin and dopamine when we run outside. And unsurprisingly the studies proved to be right for me too.

So now, even when I don’t want to go outside and run, my ‘why’ is strong enough to make me get my shoes on and go, no matter how slowly and how far.

8 months on, I’m still not a ‘runner’ but I run, and there is a big difference in my mind. I have taken away the pressure to be ‘good’ at it and to achieve targets and goals. Now I run so I can be outside with a good friend and flood myself with those feel-good hormones….. And that is enough.

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This post was previously published on Change Becomes You.

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