{"id":30233,"date":"2009-03-31T09:28:08","date_gmt":"2009-03-31T13:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nomeatathlete.wordpress.com\/?p=225"},"modified":"2020-04-14T14:42:51","modified_gmt":"2020-04-14T18:42:51","slug":"how-to-not-hate-running","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/how-to-not-hate-running\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Not Hate Running"},"content":{"rendered":"

Up to this point I haven’t written a thing about running on this blog.\u00a0 It’s been all about cooking, particularly vegetarian or almost-vegetarian cooking.\u00a0 I’ve tried to choose recipes that are hearty and nutritious (remember “vegetarian” could also mean Coke and fries) and could complement a training program, but certainly one could enjoy this food without ever thinking about running or exercising.<\/p>\n

My assumption is that most of the readers of this young blog are interested in healthy eating but are not runners, which is nothing to be ashamed of since even a slight interest in not<\/em> eating yourself to death sets you apart from vast majorities of Americans.\u00a0 But still, in writing about running for the first time, there is some risk of alienating those readers who have grown accustomed to enjoying the recipes and the pictures of me eating food.\u00a0 But you know what, it’s not called No-Meat Television Watcher, so I’m willing to take that risk.<\/p>\n

That said, I’m not going to immediately start discussing how to take ten minutes off your marathon time, how to avoid chafing, or prerace Port-a-Pot strategy (although come to think of it, vegetarian Port-a-Pot strategy might make a great post later on).\u00a0 These are topics best left to blogs specifically about running.\u00a0 Like RunnerDude’s<\/a>, which I just found yesterday and have added to the “Links” section of this blog.\u00a0 On just the first page there’s information about shoes, energy bars, technical apparel, and yoga for runners, so if you’re at all into running then check this one out.<\/p>\n

My focus here is more on introducing you to running (and when I say “running,” I’m referring to distance running, 5k and longer).\u00a0 I’ll be the first to admit that running is not the healthiest sport out there.\u00a0 The rate of calorie burning is something like 1000 per hour, but it’s high-impact and therefore tough on your joints, bones, and muscles.\u00a0 Truthfully swimming and cycling are probably lower-risk endurance sports, but the fact is that not everyone has access to a pool or decent roadbike.\u00a0 And my favorite thing about running: you can put on a shirt, shorts, and a pair of shoes, and literally go from desk jockey to road warrior in three minutes.<\/p>\n

When I talk to non-runners about running, their response is usually “That’s awesome that you like running that much; I love the idea<\/em> of doing a marathon, but I just hate the actual running.”\u00a0 A well-known variation involves replacing “hate” with “suck at.”\u00a0 Well here’s a secret for you:\u00a0 I don’t really like running much either, and I’m by no means gifted at it.<\/p>\n

As recently as sophomore year of college (eight years ago is still recent, right?), I hated<\/em> running.\u00a0 I decided to do a marathon precisely because it seemed impossible, and for whatever reason, things that seem impossible are as exciting to me now as they were to that stupid college kid.\u00a0 So a couple of friends and I gave it the old college try, and while the results weren’t pretty, all three of us crossed the finish line in San Diego a few months later.<\/p>\n

Like I said, we were stupid.\u00a0 We didn’t know anything about training, and we went about it all wrong.\u00a0 It didn’t occur to us that maybe when we have to run n<\/em> miles tomorrow, we shouldn’t drink n+<\/em>1 beers tonight.\u00a0 So while the process didn’t do much to ease my hatred of running, it did accomplish something else.\u00a0 It made me realize that I love training<\/em>.\u00a0 There is a subtle but important difference here.\u00a0 I still don’t particularly enjoy doing an eight-mile threshold run where the specific instructions are “maintain an uncomfortable pace,” and there’s nothing fun for me about running 20 miles on a precious Sunday morning when I’d prefer to leisurely do the crossword puzzle with a cup of coffee.\u00a0 But when I step back and realize that I’m training<\/em> for something, that the sacrifices I’ve made and the pain I’ve endured will allow me to do something that a few months ago was impossible, then I realize why I run.\u00a0 And it sure makes the pizza, milkshake, or whatever else I reward myself with taste a whole lot better.<\/p>\n

I’m not asking you to start running if you don’t run already.\u00a0 You probably have plenty of other pressures in your life without my nagging, and besides, it’s not for everyone.\u00a0 All that I want is for you to reconsider your reason for not running, and to appreciate that you don’t have to enjoy the actual act of running to get a tremendous amount of gratification out of the process of training for something which, to say it again, on some level seems impossible.\u00a0 And please don’t misunderstand me; the actual act of running does become much more enjoyable as you train your body to perform more efficiently.\u00a0 The bulk of my actual training mileage is done at a comfortable pace, and in fact all of yours could be if that were your priority.\u00a0 Finally, if for whatever reason you physically cannot run, then everything I’ve written could apply to biking, swimming, or something else that you are able to do.<\/p>\n

Running Tips for Beginners<\/h3>\n

So for those of you who are just getting into running or want to start, here’s the advice I can offer based on my experience and learning:<\/p>\n