How can I not hate running?

my advice is just to take it easy in the start. It’s much easier to get into a habit it you start slow and easy and work your way up. Also make a route that you can repeat regularly, it makes it much easier to get into a routine. Try to use the time you spend running as time to think. Once you get into a chill pace and completely zoned out thinking about whatever, the run is over so quick. Overall just try to tweak your pace or route or goal until you feel like your enjoying it. It can take a while but it’s rewarding af.

try to reduce your pace right down - ideally you want to be able to hold a conversation while you run.

Try to find woodland trails - I love trail running but can never motivate myself for road running

just get into a routine of going for short runs at a very chilled pace while listening to podcasts - and then slowly build distance

Spend your runs in a location you enjoy.

You can’t. Running absolutely sucks. And this comes from someone’s who’s done marathons as well as 10k’s with obstacles. It just sucks. You can talk to long distance runners and they’ll tell you the same thing. They do it. But it sucks.

Bro take up enduro biking. It's way more fucking fun than running and so much better on your knees. Your body will thank you in 30 years I promise.

Lube up your wallet and buy a bike

VTshredder69Bro take up enduro biking. It's way more fucking fun than running and so much better on your knees. Your body will thank you in 30 years I promise.

Then I have to drive to and from. I want to run cuz it's convenient i can do in anytime and basically anywhere.

I defiantly also want to get into mountain biking but right now the finances will not allow a new expensive hobby

start biking, or nordic ski, running fucking sucks

ParkingLotPissI want to improve my cardio and overall be in better shape. Running is probably the most effective, free and convenient. And I've tried getting into running a couple times but I always just hate it. For a while I was getting baked and then running and that was fine but then once i get back I'm pretty useless for the next couple hours.

How to people actually enjoy it?

-Do it more. Running sucks when you're not good at it and it takes time and focus to be good at it, contrary to popular belief.
-Tourism run. Look up cool hikes, interesting areas to run, or places you'd like to explore and run it rather than walk, bike, or drive. If it's a route you usually drive it can be fun to run. You see things differently. I like running from my town to the town about 12 miles south.
-Podcasts. It helps you zone out the non-enjoyable parts.
-Make sure you have good equipment. At least get a good fitting pair of shoes for the type of running you're doing.
-Run with other people.
-Track your metrics. Get strava or something. Seeing yourself improve feels good.

Hated running even when I was playing sports all the time. Got real outta shape around 22/23. Got into running and couldn't do a mile without stopping. Ran a half marathon 4 months later and ran my first marathon this year.

Getting to like running is equal parts masochism, Stockholm syndrome and acquired taste but you can start to like it if you work at it.

Running still sucks but you learn to dislike the suck less and like the suck ocasionally

**This post was edited on Nov 29th 2024 at 8:51:52pm

ParkingLotPissThen I have to drive to and from. I want to run cuz it's convenient i can do in anytime and basically anywhere.

I defiantly also want to get into mountain biking but right now the finances will not allow a new expensive hobby

Do you speak french? Genuinely curious since you're in Canada.

trail run or even just paths

i hate running on the road or in the city but love running elsewhere.
im lucky as i live close to the mountains but i try to incorporate some sort of scramble or easy bouldering into my runs that that also helps

VTshredder69Do you speak french? Genuinely curious since you're in Canada.

onhonhon baguette tabernac

ParkingLotPissThen I have to drive to and from. I want to run cuz it's convenient i can do in anytime and basically anywhere.

I defiantly also want to get into mountain biking but right now the finances will not allow a new expensive hobby

Road bike.
-start/finish from home
-can go long distances and explore roads/areas you never drive.

SendyMcSendyfaceonhonhon baguette tabernac

dognutz

Esti de câlice de tabarnak j'vais decalisser la yeule

ParkingLotPissI want to improve my cardio and overall be in better shape. Running is probably the most effective, free and convenient. And I've tried getting into running a couple times but I always just hate it. For a while I was getting baked and then running and that was fine but then once i get back I'm pretty useless for the next couple hours.

How to people actually enjoy it?

Bike. Running blows biking is what’s up, save those knees!

The best part about starting running is not running. I started from bad cardio where running a mile uninterrupted was a goal so most of my first month of “running” was a minute or two of running between long stretches of walking. Eventually the balance shifts and the running portion gets longer while the walking just becomes a five minute warmup and then nothing at all because it’s easier to just run at a warmup pace than waste time waiting to run.


Podcasts, albums, audiobooks all work really well for filling the air and focusing on something else while you run. When I was WFH I’d sit in Zoom with my camera and microphone off and go for runs during meetings; it’s hard to be distracted from listening while you’re locked in on a run.

Tracking with apps is nice to motivate and see growth, Strava has gotten really bad with paywalls since I last used it but it still tracks pace at least. Nike Run Club has some great training plans and over 50 audio coaching guided runs that’ll play over or around your podcast/music/books.

how much have you run so far, before deciding you don't like it?

it's like hiking, the worst you feel is almost always the beginning, and then at some point you realize you're happy as a clam and not feeling as worn out and tired and you feel like you could just keep going all day

plus you will notice a huge difference in how you feel on the first, second, third, fourth... day. believe me, ive been running and playing sports my whole life but sometimes the first 20 minutes or the first day back after a break feels terrible. that improves crazy fast though

If you want to be a runner but currently hate it, take a long view. Think about 3, 4, 6 months out. Start slower than you could possibly think is reasonable, and keeps to short distances. Work up very slowly. You'll want to start running faster, but don't. Keep it fucking slow, easy and short. When that becomes ridiculous, just keep doing it. Eventually start increasing and think about a fitness purpose for each run.

You cant just go out running and run how you feel. You'll fail and will always hate it. You really do need to be deliberate in how you approach the whole thing. Have a plan. If you don't have a plan and don't stick to it, you'll never get running fitness and will always hate it or you'll get injured.

PartyBullshiitYou can’t. Running absolutely sucks. And this comes from someone’s who’s done marathons as well as 10k’s with obstacles. It just sucks. You can talk to long distance runners and they’ll tell you the same thing. They do it. But it sucks.

This.
I race skimo, hike long distances and loves endurance sports but I hate to run. It hurts; heels, joints, back... also its so slow! Its a crawls pace comparing to biking.

Trail running sucks, but at least the scenery is worth it.

my suggestion to help overcome the suckiness in running: get high. Seriously, weed makes running way more fun!

Everyone in this thread saying that running will always be bad is wrong as fuck. Humans are literally the most optimized animals on planet earth for sustained, long distance land travel. I would argue that everyone with the standard complaints that come with running would benefit greatly by breaking it down to its very base, which ideally means changing your diet to mostly vegetarian with maybe 10% of your diet being animal product. Eat protein and carb rich foods like pinole, corn, beans, nuts, and chia. Ideally you would work on your running technique first, just as with any other sport. People assume that running is running, and your form is naturally good, but just like skiing and swimming and virtually any other sport, running form and technique should be practiced and improved upon. One thing you can do to help this is to run barefoot, or in minimally supportive shoes. People always want arch support in their shoes, but the reason there is an arch there is to bear a load, just as an arch in a bridge. Ideally, a barefoot stride should first strike the ground with the outside ridge if your foot, (near your pinky toe) then the weight should shift to the ball of your foot, where the arch loads up and springs out, pushing off the ground with the forefoot and transitioning to the toes. Strides should be shorter than you think, with the feet being kept right under your hips. Trying to step to far ahead if your body is a common issue. Your heel should not be in the equation at all while running, heels are for standing and walking. Your stride should kick up high, nearly scraping your ass, before falling down and striking the ground right below your hips. Modern shoes have destroyed your hardwired connection from your brain to your feet, and lots and lots of modern running ailments are caused by poor running form, enabled by modern shoes. The reason why Kenyan runners dominate the sport is because they ran as kids without shoes. Their form is exactly how our bodies and evolution intended it, so it is therefore optimized. I know you old farts are barely reading this shit cause I’m young af and don’t have chronic pain yet but believe me and everyone else who fully overhauled their outlook on the sport. Once you have fixed your form then you can start puttin heavy miles on. But before then you are building up your foundation. It’s not gonna be a quick and easy fix but it’s gonna make the rest so much easier. The first layer of a pyramid is the biggest

I ran XC in high school and I mean yeah running is basically learning to ignore your body sending your brain ever increasing signals of pain and suffering in an attempt to get you to stop. To start you should be totally aerobic, slow ass gentle jogging no lactic acid buildup. If you do that every day for like a month you will notice it starts to get a lot less miserable

you can't expect to like it. people that do it a lot still hate it. you just got to power through it because its good for you. i dont do it because it sucks lmao.

ok I've come the conclusion that running is a stupid activity for people who hate themselves.

ParkingLotPissok I've come the conclusion that running is a stupid activity for people who hate themselves.

how far/long did you run? it always kinda blows at the beginning especially when you're just getting (back) into it. then at some point 20 ish minutes in you're warmed up and in your groove and feel you like you could just keep running all day. the ol' runner's high

Rock_InhabitantEveryone in this thread saying that running will always be bad is wrong as fuck. Humans are literally the most optimized animals on planet earth for sustained, long distance land travel.

Horses, caribou, wolves, other wild dogs, camels, etc.

PoikenzHorses, caribou, wolves, other wild dogs, camels, etc.

We stand upright on two feet so we can breathe independently from our stride.other animals are limited by one breath per stride. All those animals you listed can be run down by humans within a few hours

I like running… or at least, I don’t mind it. I think you have to approach it realistically when you’re starting out. I see a lot of people crash out of training plans because they fucking Naruto sprint a mile and feel like dogshit afterwards. That’s unsustainable.

I think someone else mentioned Zone 2 cardio, or running at a slow enough pace that you can maintain a conversation. That’s what you need to be doing. Another good training tip is to focus on time rather than distance. It’s better to maintain a Zone 2 heart rate for an hour straight than to huff, puff, walk, and limp your way through a 10k for some strava cred. As you feel better you can increase the time you spend running or run on more difficult terrain.

start biking for cardio, running is ass

PoikenzHorses, caribou, wolves, other wild dogs, camels, etc.

On long enough distance, we beat all of those (somewhat dependent on terrain and temperature). Prehistoric humans hunted by just following animals at a moderate pace until they got exhausted and collapsed.
Running is great. The first few weeks of getting back into it suck, but once I'm acclimated it's way easier than biking

X_MEMESWERVE_XXstart biking for cardio, running is ass

but do i have to wear the dorky shit and act like i'm busy like a fighter jet pilot when i see other people like all the other bikers? or is that just optional and you all choose to do it of your own accord?

only folks who give cyclists a run for their money is fishermen. you come around a corner where a fisherman is and they give you this look like, oh great, civilians... just when i was about to outsmart this fish