Runner's Dilemma #38 — When Heading Out for a Run Feels Too Hard
Runner's Log | Runner's Dilemma #38
When Heading Out for a Run Feels Too Hard
You know those social media videos: “me before the run” and “me after the run.”
That video is exactly how we feel.
I have to go, but I really don’t want to, so I dawdle and dawdle.
After a lot of agonizing, I finally step out the front door.
And after the run, I come back home elated, like a conquering hero who has everything.
Running feels this good once it’s done.
Isn’t there a way to start it with a lighter heart?
This is the thought that made it easier for me.
‘Why not just go for a walk?’
I keep my pace slow, 8 or 9 minutes per km, just going through the motions of running.
At a speed that looks barely different from walking, plenty of runners pass me by.
‘Okay, I’ll just go an easy 3km.’
With that mindset, I make it to 1km.
As 2km approaches, my pace drops into the 7-minute range.
My body has warmed up a little, but it isn’t hard.
By the time I’m filling out the 3km, I’m already running in the 6-minute range.
The resistance to running is gone.
‘Should I pick it up a little?’
And when I reach the 3km mark,
starts comfortably.
