I went through a summer of running about ten years ago when I ran many 5ks. Thats it. No history of playing sports at any level. I've followed training plans religiously this year and that helped "do it right". My first half marathon was using Nike Run Club which is fantastic because it "teaches you how to run". My next plans were with Hal Higdon and Garmin.
I needed to do some soul searching into my excuses for not running. I'd always think to myself, "I'd like to run, but I'm tired", despite having done nothing physical all week beside walking between the coffee machine and my desk, or getting into/out of my car, or walking the grocery isles.
I ended forcing myself to think of tiredness in a more granular way. If I feel tired, I classify it as either "mentally tired", "emotionally tired", or "physically tired". I realised I was quite often coming home from work mentally and emotionally tired, and using that as an excuse to do no physical exercise. I didn't "care" to run because my soul and mind were depleted. Then I recalled all I've known and read about physical exercise cleansing the mind and the soul (somewhat). So I started thinking of it as a way to solve mental and emotional exhaustion.
I promised myself to grind for a few weeks on the habit (IF: home from work & emotionally | mentally tired THEN: run 2-5km). It absolutely sucked for 2 weeks, as I was just adding physically tired to the pile (as I felt like a sack of shit afterwards and felt down on myself for being unfit). The 3rd week however started to feel a bit better, and from that point on I was starting to feel a net positive impact on my 'tiredness' after running. Once I hit that point it was a positively reinforcing habit that, literally, had legs.
If you’re capable of walking for 60-90 minutes, Couch to 5K is a good place to start. Otherwise losing weight and walking 6K+ steps a day 3+ times a week is a good place to start, just to get your feet prepared for the load that running will put on the body. I started with couch to 5K at the beginning of August and completed it in September. I just got to the point of being able to run 5 miles in one go and I’m now running 15 mpw. All it takes is being consistent and you will see rapid improvement.
1. Sign up for a local 5k race 3 months into the future, thus forcing yourself to train.
2. Set up all your running gear the night before.
3. When you wake up and don't want to run, tell yourself all you need to do is put your shoes on and then you can go back to bed / not do it (at that point, a lot of "well I'm already up" kicks in).
4. Run slow. Really slow. Walk whenever you need to. Hell, walk the whole time if you have to.
5. Follow a couch to 5k program.
6. I personally enjoy running as a form of exploring streets I've never been down, trails I don't know the end of, and cities I'm new to.
I think a big reason people hate running is they run too fast too soon. Run 15 minute miles if you have to. Shuffle! Slowly! The joy is in being outside and moving your body.
This is all great advice; signing up for the 5k months in advance was a big motivation.
Running slow is probably the most significant bit though - I think new runners end up hating running because they're immediately starting at an unsustainable pace.
I also successfully set up a "three times a week" running program and typically run 5km each time and sometimes 10km on the weekend. Today I completed Year 2, Week 52, Run 3. So I'm feeling pretty good about that.
>I'd love to know how you pulled this off...
Here is what worked for me. Maybe some or all of it will work for you.
The foundation rule is: I will not injure myself. (I'm pushing 50 and don't heal like I used to)
To avoid all-or-nothing thinking I explicitly decided against making this a lifetime commitment. Instead I would re-evaluate at 4-week intervals if I wanted to continue. Knowing there was a GO/NOGO milestone in the near future really helped me get through the first few weeks. (After the first few cycles I had integrated the jogging habit into my lifestyle and didn't need the GO/NOGO milestones anymore)
Then, I sat down and figured some stuff out in advance. Namely:
1) Deciding (and committing) what days and times I will jog.
For my schedule, Tue/Thu/Sat mornings before work was best.
2) Decide what I will do if the weather is bad, or there is some other reason why I could not go at the scheduled time.
3) Define a set route to follow.
I follow the same route every time. I never need to think about it and I don't get bored since there are several unique stretches of environment along my route. Also all the plants and things change through the seasons which is something to notice and appreciate.
What worked best for me was to follow a set path until mid-way through my run, then turn around and retrace my steps. (Setting a countdown timer on my watch to beep when I was halfway through the session, rounding the session time up a bit if necessary.)
4) Follow an established program.
I chose the popular "Couch to 5K" program. Using the "NHS Choices 5K" podcast with Coach Laura.
5) Set the bar for success as LOW as possible.
For me, a run "counts" if I put on my jogging clothes and shoes. Then step outside my front door and walk even a single step away from the house. Seriously. I can turn around right then and go back inside and it counts as a win.
For my personality, consistency and reliability are FAR more important than time spent or distance travelled.
6) Accept that I'll need to repeat episodes. Let go of needing to progress through the program at the pre-determined pace.
The important thing was getting out and moving. The program is advertised as taking 9 weeks. It took me a lot longer than that but I accepted that up front so it didn't bother me.
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I quickly found that carrying my phone in my hand was uncomfortable, so I bought an armband holder for about $10.
I also found using wired earbuds was a hassle (the wires) and maybe dangerous (they block environmental sound). So I bought a pair of "AfterShokz" bone conduction headphones for about $150. They're great and I'm glad I got them.
Finally, I should note that I only started the jogging plan after I got my weight down to under 200lb. For that, I went with the "Slow Carb" eating plan since it was simple to follow, seemed sustainable long-term, and gave me a "cheat day" once a week. Honestly, as far as I can tell, just about any popular eating plan will work. So if you need to lose some fat (like I did), just pick one and try it for a few months to see if you like it.
My goal for next year is to participate in a 10k race, as well as improve my 5k times.