How do I get better at running when I don't ENJOY it? Or do I give up?
Every spring I decide to get back into running, so I'm not just hiking the trails near my house, but running them so I'm burning more calories. And I can get so far in my training, but ultimately, I just DON'T LIKE DOING IT. I'd much rather walk briskly and do the occasional sprint when I feel like it.
And then yesterday I was at the gym and trying to punch out my current run/walk ratio on the treadmill, and decided to do some other intervals instead.
So, 30 secs at 3mph, then 30s at 4, back to 3, 30s at 5, back to 3, then went to 6, 7, 8, 9mph, then back down the pyramid. And I LOVED IT. I was really pushing myself, considering that my natural running speed is 5mph. I honestly thought I was going to fly off the treadmill at 9mph.
So do I give up on my dream of running non-stop for 5 or 10K? And just walk and do intense intervals for fun a couple times a week?
I feel like a failure for not enjoying running. But I'm trying to be realistic about what I know I do enjoy.
I LOVE doing weights. I wish I could do them every day (BTW, can I?)
I really like my elliptical. I like swimming. I like biking. I like walking. I like wall-climbing.
But it seems like everyone here runs, and everyone finds it so easy! Why can't I get into it?
And before you even go there, melkor, I've read Rachel Cosgrove's article several times. I know she's right. :)
I'm pretty similar to you. I hate running and don't understand how people can find it enjoyable. So instead I walk at 4 mph which is a comfortable walking rate for me, and it's fast enough so that I can actually get somewhere in a reasonable amount of time.
In my opinion, exercising shouldn't be something you dread. If running isn't your thing, then don't run.
I, like you, do not like running. Intervals on a treadmill are okay, but I just can't stand running at the same pace for 30 or 40 minutes. I never hit that runner's high, I always feel tired and sore (not good sore, just sore), and I just get bored. So I do other things. I jump-rope or run stairs or swim or even just follow aerobics videos in my living room.
It sounds like you've got a lot of things that you like doing that are still great for cardiovascular health, so why punish yourself by forcing yourself to run? If it's really your dream, then go for it, but I honestly think that if you don't like it then you should maybe reassess your goals. You don't HAVE to run to get a great cardio workout!
When I first started running, I hated it. Literally, would do anything to NOT run. That and from being a gymnast all my life, running (distance) uses slow twitch muscles while gymnastics uses your fast twitch muscles, so it was completely different for me. But I decided that if I wanted to lose the weight I wanted, I was going to have to put up with some "pain" for awhile. I figured when the weight was gone, I'd find another way to keep in shape (biking, rollerblading, anything that seemed more run than running at the time). One year later, I'm still running... and absolutely loving it. Actually running races now and am running a half-marathon in 2 weeks!
There is hope. For me, it took a lot of self-motivation... and forcing myself to get started and keep going.
It's not that I'm not motivated. I have DREAMS about running. I did it last fall and ran my first 5K. I've done clinics before to try to improve. I can get out and do the training 3-4 times a week.
But the rest of the day and all the next my plantar fasciitis kills me, and ultimately I'm not enjoying the experience. Not to mention my HR goes through the fricking roof, and not in a good way.
I just feel like a failure for not succeeding at it when it seems so easy for other people. I'm generally a short, mesomorphic body type which loves heavy weights. Maybe I'm just more fast twitch oriented...
Well I suppose if it's causing you physical pain, then it is ok for you to not run. You don't need to feel like a failure... just because running works for some people doesn't mean it will work for all. There's something that will work for you that you will enjoy... experiment with some other types of things and see what works best for you!
Good luck!
First, I love to run, and I'm not one of those tiny little thin-muscular women who are the stereotypical female runner, either. I'm 5'3 and weigh in the upper 140's. I know that everyone's body is different, and I know there is such a thing as "fast twitch" or "slow twitch" dominant, but I'm not sure if it's that big a deal.
Your biggest stumbling block, it seems, is physical pain. That is a very valid reason not to enjoy doing something! :) The two biggest things that will cause physical pain when running are poorly-fitted shoes and improper form. You say you've done clinics, so I assume you are using proper form. If your plantar fasciitis is acting up, though, that could be a symptom of shoes. You might need orthotics, or possibly a different type of shoe that supports your foot and matches your gait. If you have a running store nearby and can afford it, go and get your shoes professionally fitted. Proper shoes = proper support which means you won't subconsciously try to adjust for it, which then throws everything out of alignment and causes pain.
Sorry to be long winded, and you probably knew all that already.
I will still say, though, that if you seriously don't like running, then I think your mental, emotional, and physical energy would be better spent doing the things you love. Why keep beating a dead horse and setting yourself up to fail?
And as for the 'runner's high,' I believe you have to get to a fast enough pace, run it for a long enough amount of time, without feeling exhausted while doing it...to experience it. It took me a LONG time to get there...that's just me though. Good luck! Be encouraged! =)
I have a love hate relationship with running...
You kind of sound like me- You want to like it, but don't :)
first get your feet better!! you can't run in pain :)...
I set mini goals and each time I beat the goal I feel good about running, so each time, I am able to run either a little further or a little faster- depending on the day's goal and then hopefully it all comes together in the end and I run my best 10k ever- This will be the third year and this time I have built my own competition for myself instead of just getting through it....
I'm the same way! I want to like running, but I just don't. I agree with everyone else; biking, walking, swimming, the elliptical and weight lifting is a great variety of exercise. I wouldn't worry about running miles; just walk briskly and sprint when you feel like it. I usually try to walk quickly for 1 lap, and jog for another. But if I don't feel like jogging, I don't. There are plenty of exercise options out there and you sound like you enjoy most of them anyways :-)
feydruss,
your story is so similar to mine. i too dream of running, i fancy myself like an athlete, but the reality is so different. i do not have plantar fascitis like pain after running but my HR really goes thru the roof. And i have not yet run my first 5K yet. The best i have managed so far is 3.5KM in 30 minutes and i was so proud that day!
I used to do run at 7.3KM per hour (thats not even a run by many standards) and tried to last 30 minutes but would invariably tire out so fast. so i have switched to interval much like what you do. At the end, the distance is my goal and achieving that distance of 5KM within 30 minutes is my first goal. Another thing i notice is that once you push yourself for a higher speed for just a minute then running at the lower speed for another minute does not feel so tiring. so when i was on 7.3 all the time it seemed such an effort, but when i distracted myself by pushing it to 7-8-9 and back down again to a comfortable walking pace and then push myself up again, i am able to do it.
so in a sense, it seems like a failure for not running 5K at a stretch, but i guess if we start enjoy interval training and reach the distance, we will finally be able to run non-stop as well. at least i have made up my mind that i am not going to consider myself a failure as long as the distance goal is reached. walk-jog-run-jog-walk seems to work for me. And yes, when i see others on the next treadmill do this so effortlessly, it does hurt. but then we need somebody to challenge us all the while, dont we? good luck.
Original Post by feydruss:
So do I give up on my dream of running non-stop for 5 or 10K? And just walk and do intense intervals for fun a couple times a week?
Yes, and yes. If you don't enjoy running, but enjoy all those other sports you mention, then don't run. Interval training such as like you mention is better for weight loss than constant pace running anyway.
Doing to the Learn to Run is making me "enjoy" running for the first time in my life. Even if I don't get past running in intervals, I like it. That said, I don't recommend any exercise that you don't enjoy. I started running because my walking stopped being a good cardio workout and I need to keep my workouts under an hour.
But I love dancing, dancing has elements of running/jogging, skipping and other aerobic exercise. You just have to incorporate a warm up and cool down and get your heart rate up.
Sometimes when I'm jogging, I'm just looking for the high. And if that's all I get, I'm ahead of the game. I get something in return for all that work.
Thanks everyone! Meenakshy, I think maybe we were separated at athletic birth. :)
I guess I wanted someone to tell me that I'm not a failure for not sticking it out, and instead just experimenting with what works for me instead of the training programs I set myself up to do (and probably fail, ultimately). And some of you did. Thanks.
As long as I keep moving every day, I'm happy with my progress. Well, except for today. I overdid the weights yesterday and I have a session with my trainer tomorrow, so I'm healing up and doing a lot of wincing. :)
I'm very happy that exercise is a big part of my daily routine now. It's a habit, and I love that. But it will only stay a habit if I enjoy doing it.
Hi,
Well maybe you haven't gotten to the point where you "need" running yet... I started off on the elliptical (love it btw), love weights, love the stairmaster. When I knew I needed running was when I started doing 1hour of elliptical, 1 hour of stairmaster, and 1/2 our of the bike and I never got tired. A level 15 on the elliptical was no longer challenging and I wasn't really sweating. So I walk 1/2 mile at 4.0 mph at 2.5% incline, then run for 2mi at 6.5 at 3% incline, and then walk at 4.5 mph at 5-8% incline for 1/2 mile and I usually get done in about 35 mins and it's a good 350 cals burnt... and I'm sweating. :). But don't get me wrong before I "beat" the elliptical I hated running too... now I like it bc it's one of the only challenging things left! lol! Maybe you'll get like that too?
-Mel
Personally I hate just flat out running but I like interval training and I too have a dream of one day running a 5K (not sure I can handle a 10). So, since I know how badly I would love to run that 5K I am slowly working up to it. I enjoy walking and running when I am not winded and doubled over in pain ( I get really bad cramps in my abdomen) so if I work up to it by slowly increasing my pace and how long I run, I don't get winded right away and I really enjoy it. :) Hope this helps.
IMO, Running is one of those things. I hated it and still do. But, I'm not going to drag my kids to the gym as often as I go now this summer when they are out of school. SO...I need something that will give me the most bang for my cardio buck. And running is it. I can run early in the morning. I have a love/hate relationship with running. I started slowly only being able to jog-4.5 on treadmill for 1/4 mile and today I'm up to 2 miles. I have a little more than a month to increase to another mile to team up with a running partner who I'm sure runs faster than me. My personal goal is a 5k at the end of October. The latest I read raved about interval training-so good for you to be able to go that fast! I would literally fly off the treadmill at 9, just like that commercial!! Bottom line, do what works best for you. But if running at a distance bothers you, than gradually add to your distance-1/4 mile at a time. Also, I have to have a jogging playlist on my ipod to carry me through. Still like slow torture, but a goal nonetheless!
Good luck deciding.
Why do something you don't enjoy?
Well, I was talking to DH about it this morning, and he feels that the best test of my cardiovascular fitness is running 5K without walking. I'm not positive he's right, but he's a doctor, so he's positive he's right. ;)
In any case, I think I'm going to try to stick with it, but make sure that I'm running at times and in places that bring me the most pleasure. I've got some new shoes, which should help a little, and some new music on my iPod. I've also told my cousin that I'd do a clinic with her in July, so I've got more time to train before then and then someone to run with later in the summer.
I still want to improve at running, but I want to like it too. I really really want to like it. Maybe I'm just making it harder than it should be, so I don't enjoy it. Maybe I need to slow down a little, or adjust my training program. So I'll keep working on it, but I won't ignore doing the other things I love!
With all due respect to your husband and his education and training, mmm.... he's not exactly right about the "Best" test of fitness being running a 5K. It is a good test, yes, and a valid one, but I disagree with it being "the best."
There was a thread that touched upon this subject a while back. If I can find it, I'll edit with the link to it. But basically, you have to look at it this way: Lance Armstrong ran a marathon last year (the NYC or Boston, can't remember which.) He placed something like 900th, yet he won how many Tours de France? Which I'm sure nobody will disagree requires just as much physical stamina and fitness as a marathon (if not more?)
There's no debate that Lance is in AWESOME physical shape. Cycling is a great cardio activity, as is running. But if the "best test" of Lance's fitness was based solely on his performance in the marathon? Then...that doesn't make sense.
Gonna go see if I can find that thread.
Edit: Meh of course I can't find it now.
