Running That Doesn't Suck

INTRODUCTION

No, this book is not fiction. Running doesn’t have to suck. But first things first. How do you currently feel about running?

Rest assured, you will feel differently about the negative answers—and closer to achieving the wishes and wants—even by the time you get to here of this book. And you’ll feel better still by the time you get to the end. Promise.

No matter what you answered above, Running That Doesn’t Suck is for you. It’s also for your friend, family member, coworker, neighbor, CrossFit buddy, yoga classmate, parent or teacher at your kids’ school, or anyone you know who says they wish they liked running, but they hate it. (Go ahead and buy this book for them, too, to change their life.)

Running is hard. It hurts, especially at first. And it can hurt the second, third, fourth, and tenth time you try it if it’s brand new to you, or if you’ve been forcing yourself to do it in a way that isn’t true to who you are (see quiz here!). But, for real, less suckiness can be achieved. Set out on a run using the tips in this book, and soon your perception of running will change. And then, magic: your body will hit a new gear. Your breathing will actually sync with the movement of your feet and your arms, and your brain will be loving your body for giving it a taste of that runner’s high you thought was a myth.

And your body will be loving your brain for making you go.

Why do I know this? Because I love running, but I used to hate it. In high school, my hatred of running turned me into a sneak. I was on the track-and-field team, but as mostly a high jumper, and those big foam pits you land on after jumping over the high jump bar? They work great as hideout bunkers for teenagers who don’t want to jog the two-lap team warm-up.

I played volleyball and soccer and had no problem chasing after a ball. On the track team, I did some sprinting and hurdling races, with the sight of a finish line no more than a hundred or two hundred yards away. But running any sort of long distance? I thought it sucked.

The summer before college, I had to change my ways. I planned on trying to walk on to my college volleyball team, and the coach had told me we had to run a sub-seven-minute timed mile.

Having been a California kid who’d grown up loving the beach, I figured I’d head down to Twenty-Fifth Street in Del Mar with my running shoes. (Any excuse to go to the beach.) I thought, I’m an athlete; I can do this.

I made it, maybe, to Twenty-Third Street. Two blocks.

I stopped, exasperated, exhausted, and annoyed. I walked a little. Then I looked down the beach and thought, Make it to the next lifeguard tower, which was another three blocks away. I don’t think I made it that day without walking. But I kept going back, always eager to get to the place I loved, apprehensive about how far I’d get without having to walk.

On one of those early runs, I figured out to run down on the hard-packed sand, where the water laps the shore and creates a much harder—springy, even—surface than the deep stuff. And on one of those runs, I made it to that next lifeguard tower at Twentieth Street, then Seventeenth Street (eight whole blocks from where I started!). And I had a new goal: to make it to the next lifeguard tower, which was about two miles away on the next beach south.

That summer, I learned to love running. I started pushing my pace, trying to beat the setting sun. Make it to that pile of seaweed before the sun dips fully into the horizon. I got faster; I craved the motion of running. I made it to the tower on the next beach over and back, regularly. I went off to college, ran that sub-seven-minute mile, and walked on to the volleyball team. In fact, I ran the mile a lot better than I fared playing volleyball, and when I walked off the team that spring, I kept running.

Decades and thousands of miles later, I’ve spent years as a contributing editor to Runner’s World and have been a running and outdoor sports journalist for twenty years. I’ve interviewed elite runners, amateur runners, running coaches, physiologists, sports psychologists, gait analysis experts, scientists studying effects of running, running specialty store owners and employees, running gear designers, and extraordinary folks of all sorts spanning the wide world of running. Over the course of my career, I’ve researched and written about everything from how to improve your speed, form, and joy while running to what to wear in virtually every degree of temperature, to the proper etiquette in nearly any running scenario you might find yourself in. I’ve written a trail running book called Trailhead: The Dirt on All Things Trail Running. I’ve run and raced and adventured around the world, and the blissfully simple movement of running is part of my identity. It’s part of my soul. But I didn’t always love it, and I’m on a mission to help others find the joy in it that I have.

I want to help you decode running, to stop being afraid of it, to stop hating it. It really doesn’t have to suck. In fact, running can be awesome—you can love it!—if you approach it the right way.

This book is your key to unlocking that approach.

EMBRACE THE SUCKINESS

You may currently hate all runners, their short shorts and sports bras or nerdy singlets making you cringe. Runners tend to say things like “Running changed my life!” and “I feel so much better after I run!”—to which you may want to retort with things your mother probably wouldn’t approve of.

That’s okay. And also, don’t worry—you don’t have to wear split shorts and singlets (although you can if you want to). You’ll see in Chapter 4 that running gear comes in all shapes and forms, from hipster cool to yoga-turned-running to full-on running geek. And you can talk about running however you want.

You probably also get tired of answering the question “Do you run?” with your go-to “Only if I’m being chased” line. Or you say something like “Running doesn’t agree with this body,” while you present your body with dramatic hand motions.

Maybe you have a bad association with running. Your junior high PE coach made you run laps for talking too much in class, or maybe you’ve tried to shed pounds by forcing yourself to run and it either didn’t work or left a bad taste in your mouth (though perhaps that was the fat-free muffin you were making yourself eat). Maybe you think you will forever equate running with something negative.

But like any psychologist will tell you, it’s healthy to embrace your emotions. It’s okay to say you hate running, to admit that you think it sucks. But in doing so, know that you’re one step away from changing how you feel about running. You’re closer to moving past the “hate” emotion. And you will move past it with the pages of this book.

Read on. Your attitude toward running is about to change.

THE “LEARNING TO LOVE” PART

Think about the things in your life you look forward to doing. (Picture anything, even the perverted stuff. No one can see inside your brain.) Now think about how awesome it would be if running could become something you looked forward to doing. An activity you crave in mind, body, and spirit. Then it no longer becomes, Ugh, I have to go work out, but rather, What time can I blow out of work so I can go run? You no longer have to self-motivate. Your newfound love of running is motivating enough.

A 2016 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that positive emotional reactions to certain types of exercise have a direct correlation to people sticking to that exercise long term.

This may sound obvious: Find a form of exercise you enjoy, and you’ll stick with it. But so many people choose something they think they have to do to get fit, and they end up quitting because it just wasn’t fun.

If you’ve picked up this book and have chosen running as your new form of exercise, or want to change your attitude about running for any reason at all, something inside you wants to love it. Keep reading, and this book will teach you how to love it.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE?

You may be reluctant to call anything you do, or have done in the past, “running.” That’s nonsense. Own it. Positive self-talk can do wonders. Here’s what makes you a “runner” who can call what you do in a forward motion “running.”

TRUST THE PROCESS

SMELLING THE FLOWERS WITH MIRNA VALERIO

THE MASTER KEY: KNOW THYSELF

Knowing yourself well is the key to successfully navigating so many aspects of life. Know girls’/boys’ nights out are overwhelming to you? Don’t go, and catch up with your friends in small groups. Know you shouldn’t lead a work meeting unless you drink a double espresso? Head to the coffee shop and start pounding.

If you’ve tried to become a runner in the past but got frustrated and quit somewhere in the process, chances are you were forcing yourself to run in ways—times of the day, locations or types of surfaces, in certain company—that didn’t mesh well with your personality.

For instance, if you’re the type of person who craves nature, forcing yourself to run on concrete or on a treadmill likely won’t make you fall in love with running, but trail running would. And if you’re a gym rat or ex–field sport athlete who loves going fast for short amounts of time, running track intervals with a running club might be the perfect scenario for you.

Knowing yourself—and acting on that knowledge—transcends all when it comes to making running not suck. To home in on what might work best for you in your pursuit of learning to love running, take the “Know-Thyself-to-Become-a-Runner” quiz here.

The rest of the book will unlock wisdom and advice to help you set your unique self up for successful, non-sucky running.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

After the ever-so-valuable “Know-Thyself-to-Become-a-Runner” quiz here, this book is broken down into ten chapters that you do not need to read in order. Your answers to the quiz will direct you to certain chapters for more information on specific topics, and the rest of the book serves up further information and advice that can help anyone love running more. Seriously.

Feel free to flip to a specific chapter—like when you’re looking for a no-nonsense guide on what running shoes to buy (here) or a good stretch to coax a certain ache to go away (here), or read this cover to cover for an overall shift in how you approach—and more important, perceive—running. (Plus, inspiration and jokes.)

In the pages to come, you’ll discover why, with what, with whom, where, and specifically how running can work for you. You’ll learn how to take care of your body so you don’t break down (and so you can’t use that as an excuse to quit). You’ll discover why your knees (and other body parts) might hurt and how to make them stop hurting. You’ll learn about nutrition, etiquette, and setting flexible goals.

But this is not your standard beginner’s running book. It is not normal. Because we are acknowledging off the bat, here and now, that you currently hate the feeling—and maybe even the thought of—moving your feet one in front of the other, slightly off the ground one at a time.

In fact, the following chapters are broken down by reasons you might have for hating running, then go on to turn those negative feelings on their heads. We’ll zap each one until you’re out of excuses reasons.

Yes, the following pages will help you find that love of running. You no longer have to dread it, or hate it, or swear every time the word running comes up. You can love it. It doesn’t have to suck.

THE KNOW-THYSELF-TO-BECOME-A-RUNNER QUIZ

1. Are you a morning person?

YES. Consider running first thing in the morning.

NO. Don’t force yourself to run first thing in the morning, or you’re bound to hate it. Schedule your run for later in the day.

For more on how to successfully get out the door any time of day, see Chapter 2.

2. If you don’t work out first thing in the morning, will you freak out all day that you haven’t gone?

YES. Run in the morning so you’re more pleasant to be around all day.

NO. Run whenever you can, and revel in your easygoing nature.

For more on managing your time (and digestive system) to run at any time of day, see Chapter 2.

3. Do you suffer from high stress or are prone to anxiety?

YES. Consider running later in the day to help blow off steam, mitigate anxiety, and help you fall asleep by clearing your mind.

NO. Run whenever, you lucky bastard.

For yet even more on running all times of the day, see Chapter 2.

4. Are you an introvert?

YES. Run with others sometimes, but set aside some runs for just you and your thoughts. You’ll learn to cherish—and crave—that kind of alone time… in motion.

NO. Pair up with a running buddy or running group for social motivation. And if you loved playing team sports as a kid, consider joining a running club.

For more on the pros and cons of running with partners, clubs, groups, or dogs, or running solo, see Chapter 5.

5. Are you an animal lover or natural-born caregiver?

YES. Consider running with a dog. The caregiver in you will be motivated by your dog’s need for exercise.

NO. You selfish jerk. Just kidding. Try not to spit on the squirrels you pass by when you run by yourself.

For more on running with a dog, see Chapter 5.

6. Are you a nature lover?

YES. If you love being outside—hiking, gardening, bird-watching, mountain biking, or doing other activities related to dirt—try trail running (especially if road or treadmill running doesn’t do it for you).

NO. If you’re more inspired by the thought of logging meditative—or just plain fast—miles on the roads, or if you want to ease into running in the comfort of your gym, kick off your running there.

For more on where to run to never be bored, see Chapters 2 and 3.

7. Are you supercompetitive?

YES. You’ll likely be inspired by socially competitive apps or races. Just wait until you’re a few months in to start comparing yourself to others, or you might get pissed off and lose motivation. Also, envision yourself racing once you get used to running. Your competitive self will eat that shit up.

NO. Stay away from stopwatches and said apps, and consider jumping into races for fun and motivation, even when you’re just starting out. (But don’t think you need to race to be a runner. You don’t.) Seek out training apps that log your progress and map your runs instead of apps that compare your runs to other people’s.

For more on training/competitive apps, see Chapter 4. For more on racing, see Chapter 10.

8. Are you driven by technology?

YES. You’re in luck. There is an insane number of techy wrist computers that track everything from pace, to foot strike, to distance, to how well you sleep. You’ll find motivation in getting one of these things and geeking out.

NO. For you, simplicity rules. Consider going running without even a wristwatch, and listen to your body. Go by feel. You don’t need to tech-out to be a runner.

For more on options for what to wear on your wrist, see Chapter 4.

9. Are you a music lover or podcast fan, or can you never find enough time to listen to audiobooks?

YES. One word: headphones! Throw on a pair of headphones, and hit the road. Pump music that fires you up, learn something fascinating during a podcast, or “read” a book while you run.

NO. You may also have answered yes to number 6, in which case you’ll likely prefer the sounds of birds chirping, wind rustling, and leaves crunching beneath your feet, and the rhythm of your own breath. Leave the headphones at home and consider running in nature for inspiring, meditative ambient sound.

See Chapters 4 and 5 for more on headphones (and safety precautions for running while wearing them), and music player/phone-carrying devices.

10. Are you intimidated by where to run?Are you intimidated by where to run?

YES. That’s totally okay. If the thought of exploring your neighborhood or a trail solo and by foot freaks you out, run with a friend or a club. If you’d prefer the predictable, hit a track or treadmill.

NO. Embrace your inner explorer. Running new routes—whether they’re in a city you’re visiting or in your own neighborhood can open up a world of possible running routes and be extremely motivating.

Turn to here for how to find a running club and here for how find a running partner. For track and treadmill survival guides see here, and check out Chapters 2 and 5 for how to safely explore while you run.

You get an A+ for answering the above questions honestly and getting one step closer to actually enjoying running. Maybe some of these options even got you excited to try a different approach to becoming the runner you want to be. Get ready to really discover what will work best for you to make running not suck, once and for all.

TEN KEYS TO NON-SUCKY RUNNING