HOW TO START RUNNING *and actually ENJOY IT*: from someone who used to HATE it

Summary

In this fitness video, Emily shares her journey from despising running to training for a half marathon, emphasizing the importance of consistency and mental discipline. She offers practical advice for beginners, such as starting with short runs, incorporating walk breaks, and gradually increasing mileage. Emily suggests using music or podcasts for motivation, investing in quality running shoes, and finding the joy in running to maintain a positive relationship with the activity. She also recommends rewarding oneself after runs to stay motivated.

Takeaways

• 🏃‍♀️ Start with the mindset that running is challenging but rewarding, and it's okay to hate it initially.
• 🚦 Consistency is key in building stamina and improving running ability; aim for 3-4 runs per week.
• 🌟 Push yourself during each run, even if it's just a little, to continually challenge and improve.
• 🎯 Set a goal for your weekly mileage and gradually increase it to build endurance.
• 👟 Invest in quality running shoes that suit your foot type and running style to prevent injuries.
• 🎧 Use music or podcasts to make runs more enjoyable and to help pass the time during longer runs.
• 🏞️ Prefer running outdoors to take advantage of natural scenery and avoid the boredom of a treadmill.
• 🏅 Consider signing up for a race to set a specific goal and to motivate consistent training.
• 👚 Wearing cute or comfortable running clothes can boost motivation and make running feel more enjoyable.
• ☕ Reward yourself with something you enjoy after a run, but ensure it aligns with your fitness goals.

Q & A

What is the main topic of Emily's video?

The main topic of Emily's video is about how to start running and her personal journey with running, including tips and tricks for beginners.

What is Emily's current running goal?

Emily's current running goal is to train for and complete a half marathon.

How does Emily feel about running at the beginning of her fitness journey?

At the beginning of her fitness journey, Emily had a negative relationship with running, finding it scary, unmotivating, and something she did not enjoy.

What was Emily's initial running ability when she started her fitness journey?

Initially, Emily could not run a mile non-stop and was one of the slowest in her class during PE.

How did Emily's attitude towards running change over time?

Over time, Emily's attitude towards running changed from despising it to loving it, as she saw it as a form of cardio that her body reacted well to and helped her lean out.

What is Emily's advice for those who struggle with running at the beginning?

Emily advises beginners to accept that they might not like running at first but to stay consistent, as she believes that with time and consistency, they will start to enjoy it.

What is the recommended running frequency for beginners according to Emily?

Emily recommends running three to four times a week for beginners to build stamina and stay consistent.

How does Emily suggest improving running mileage or times?

Emily suggests improving running mileage or times by incorporating intervals, varying between short, medium, and long runs, and gradually increasing the distance or time of the intervals.

Why does Emily emphasize the importance of having good running shoes?

Emily emphasizes the importance of having good running shoes to prevent injury and ensure comfort during runs, as poor footwear can lead to physical pain and hinder progress.

What is Emily's opinion on running outside versus using a treadmill?

Emily recommends running outside as it is more entertaining, enjoyable, and provides a change of scenery compared to running on a treadmill, which she finds discouraging.

How does Emily suggest maintaining a positive relationship with running?

Emily suggests maintaining a positive relationship with running by not seeing it as a punishment or chore, but as a choice and a privilege, and by rewarding oneself for achievements in running.

Outlines

00:00

🏃‍♀️ Introduction to Running Journey

Emily, the host of the channel, greets viewers and shares her personal running journey. She admits to initially struggling to run a mile but has since progressed to training for a half marathon. She emphasizes the importance of consistency and mental strength in running, highlighting her current goal to run four and a half miles non-stop. Emily shares her experience of pushing through discomfort during her run, drawing motivation from the idea of transforming oneself under pressure, likening it to creating a diamond.

05:02

🚦 Overcoming Initial Challenges

Emily discusses her history with running, admitting to having a poor relationship with it in the past. She describes her initial difficulties and how she transitioned from despising running to using it as a form of cardio for weight loss. She shares her journey of improvement, culminating in running 10 miles non-stop, and the emotional and physical satisfaction it brought her. However, she also confesses to a period in 2022 where she lost motivation and could only manage short runs, setting the stage for her renewed goal to run a half marathon in 2023.

10:05

📈 Strategies for Running Improvement

Emily offers advice for beginners looking to start running, emphasizing the importance of consistency and gradual progress. She suggests a routine of three to four runs per week, including a mix of short, medium, and long runs, and recommends using intervals to build stamina. She also stresses the mental aspect of running, encouraging new runners to view the activity as a challenge to overcome rather than a dreaded task. Emily shares her personal strategy of alternating between running and walking to manage her runs effectively.

15:05

🎉 Maintaining a Positive Running Relationship

In the final paragraph, Emily discusses the importance of maintaining a positive relationship with running. She advises against viewing running as a punishment and instead encourages seeing it as a privilege and a form of freedom. She shares her own transformation in perspective from using running as a means to an end for weight loss to appreciating it for the movement and the capabilities it reveals. Emily concludes with a personal anecdote about rewarding herself with a Starbucks drink after a successful run, highlighting the importance of positive reinforcement that aligns with one's goals.

Keywords

💡Running

Running is a form of aerobic exercise that involves propelling the body forward by coordinating the movements of the legs and arms. In the context of the video, running is the central theme and the primary method of exercise that the speaker uses to improve physical fitness and mental discipline. The speaker shares her personal journey from being unable to run a mile to training for a half marathon, illustrating the transformative power of consistent running.

💡Half Marathon

A half marathon is a road running event that is 13.109 miles (21.0975 kilometers) long. The video's speaker is training for a half marathon, which serves as a significant goal that motivates her to push her limits and improve her running abilities. This goal is used as a backdrop to discuss the challenges and rewards of running, as well as to provide a tangible target for viewers who may also be interested in long-distance running.

💡Consistency

Consistency refers to the practice of maintaining a regular routine or habit. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of being consistent with running to build stamina and improve performance. Consistency is portrayed as a key factor in the speaker's progress from running a mile to training for a half marathon, and she encourages viewers to set a regular running schedule to see improvements.

💡Mile

A mile is a unit of distance equal to 5,280 feet or 1.60934 kilometers. The mile is used in the script to measure progress in running, with the speaker recounting her initial struggle to run a mile non-stop and her eventual ability to run much longer distances. The mile serves as a milestone for tracking improvement and setting goals in the speaker's running journey.

💡Mental Discipline

Mental discipline is the ability to control one's thoughts, emotions, and actions to achieve a goal. In the video, mental discipline is highlighted as a crucial aspect of running, as it involves pushing through discomfort and maintaining focus during long runs. The speaker discusses how mental discipline is developed through consistent running and how it contributes to the overall running experience.

💡Endorphins

Endorphins are neurotransmitters that are released in response to physical exertion, such as running, and are associated with feelings of pleasure and pain relief. The speaker mentions endorphins as one of the biochemical rewards of running, contributing to the sense of accomplishment and well-being that follows a run. This concept is used to explain the addictive nature of running and the positive emotional effects it can have.

💡Intervals

Intervals refer to a training method where periods of intense effort are alternated with periods of rest or lower-intensity exercise. The speaker suggests using intervals as a strategy to improve running performance by gradually increasing the distance or time spent running non-stop. This method is recommended for tracking progress and for making running more manageable, especially for beginners.

💡Rewards

Rewards in the context of the video are incentives or treats given to oneself after achieving a goal or completing a challenging task, such as a run. The speaker discusses the importance of rewarding oneself for running as a means of motivation and positive reinforcement. She provides an example of treating herself to a low-calorie Starbucks drink after a long run, emphasizing that the reward should align with one's fitness goals.

💡Stamina

Stamina refers to the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort. In the video, building stamina is presented as a key objective of running, with the speaker sharing her experiences of increasing her running distance over time. Stamina is seen as a measure of progress and an essential quality for long-distance running, such as completing a half marathon.

💡Pace

Pace in running is the speed at which a person runs, typically measured in minutes per mile or kilometer. While not explicitly mentioned in the script, the concept of pace is implied in the discussion of improving running performance and setting personal records (PRs). The speaker's journey from running shorter distances to longer ones involves adjusting her pace to maintain endurance and efficiency.

💡Treadmill

A treadmill is a type of exercise equipment designed to simulate walking or running while staying in one place. The speaker in the video discourages using a treadmill for beginners, recommending outdoor running instead due to its more engaging and natural environment. The treadmill is presented as a less motivating option compared to running outside, which can offer visual stimulation and a greater sense of progress.

Highlights

Introduction to Emily's channel and her personal running journey.

Emily's current training goal for a half marathon.

The importance of pushing yourself during runs to improve.

Mental push required for long-distance running and the value of discomfort.

Emily's return from a challenging four and a half mile run.

Tips and tricks for starting and maintaining a running routine.

Emily's history of despising running and her initial struggles.

The transition from hating to loving running and the role of consistency.

The physical and mental discipline required for running.

Strategies for improving mileage and times through interval training.

The significance of quality running shoes for injury prevention.

The motivational impact of wearing cute running clothes.

Advantages of running outside over using a treadmill.

Using music or podcasts to entertain and motivate during runs.

The benefits of signing up for a race to improve running.

The importance of keeping a positive relationship with running.

Seeing running as a privilege and not a punishment.

Emily's personal reward system after a run.

Final thoughts on the value of running and the sense of achievement.

Transcripts

hello hello welcome to my channel my

name is Emily if you're new here if

you're not welcome back and today we're

talking all about how to start running

before we get into the video I'm gonna

go on my own run and then I'm gonna come

back and talk to you guys but for those

of you who don't know I am working on

running a half marathon I originally

started not even being able to run a

mile and then I worked my way up to 10

miles now I'm currently training for a

half marathon so today on my running

plan we have a four and a half mile run

scheduled so I'm gonna go do that and

then I will talk to you guys all about

running in a second

okay we're four miles in

I'm feeling tired

but I'm not like at the point where I

can't keep going

and I know this I don't want to keep

going but this is the point where I'll

talk about later you have to push

yourself

a little bit every single time so my

last long run

I did four miles this long run I do four

and a half

I'm literally dying it's hot I'm sweaty

my feet are starting to hurt but we're

pushing because I know I can and the

only way

to improve is to get uncomfortable

and to just keep working with running

and the thing that's how challenging

about running

is that

it's a mental push forever like I've

been running for 40 minutes and I've

been mentally pushing myself

for that entire 40. it's not like

a quick one and done thing you have to

keep going and I just heard the quote on

my podcast pressure creates diamonds in

this case

you're the diamond

put yourself under some pressure

I'm back for my run I just got back so

I'm super sweaty so I apologize in

advance for how I look but I completed

the four and a half miles I did it

non-stop which is my goal

and I won't lie it was hard there were

times I wanted to give up but in those

times I pushed myself kept going changed

up the podcast I was listening to these

are all things that we're going to talk

about later but I just wanted to tell

you what I did in the moment because now

I'm here my run is complete and I feel

the achievement of doing it non-stop

that's all stuff that we're going to

talk about later I have a bunch of tips

and tricks that I wrote down about how

to start running and how to stay

consistent with it so we're just gonna

go through it talk it out but before we

do that I want to give you guys a

background because if you haven't

watched my fitness journey video already

I definitely recommend that you do that

because you can get a better sense of

where I've come from in all forms of

fitness and my body and how I changed it

and my diet switches and all of that but

I don't think I've ever really gotten to

depth in my history of running so let's

talk about it I was the kid in PE who

would dread the mile I could never run

it non-stop I was probably one of the

slowest in my class and I would do

anything to get out of the mile I hated

it like I would fake being sick on

Fridays just to skip Friday run day so

I'm coming from a history of just

despising it I had the worst

relationship with running and honestly

all Fitness when I started my fitness

journey in 2020 I obviously could not

run it was just very scary to me very

unmotivating just not something that I

enjoyed at all but it is a form of

cardio and I noticed that my body really

reacted to it and of course I was

switching up my diet as well but running

I noticed that my body really reacts

well to it and leans me out so I decided

to start running and yes I did start

with using running as my form of cardio

as a goal to lose weight not as a

punishment but I did see it as a workout

that would get me to my dream body which

we're going to talk about in a little

bit and I couldn't run a mile non-stop I

still couldn't obviously I was starting

from a place of no experience but over

time I just stayed consistent and

eventually in 2021 so it took me about a

year I ran 10 miles non-stop which was

the farthest I ever ran and it felt

amazing this was a point in my life

where I was in love with running I would

go and run if I was sad mad just

confused like running was my way of

coping and I loved it I looked forward

to my runs and it was a great place to

be then I don't know what happened but

in 2022 I just really stopped running

like I lost all my motivation it just

wasn't a priority anymore and I started

lifting a lot more and I kept consistent

with it so I would kind of have

maintenance runs I would do like two

miles here and there but I really lost

progress and I couldn't run more than

seven miles which you think is still a

lot which it is but I wasn't at the

point where it used to be where I could

run 10 miles and I definitely didn't

enjoy it that was a big thing I used to

be at a place where I loved running it

was basically where I found peace and it

got to a point where I was not looking

forward to my runs I would so much

rather lift it was more of like ugh I

have to do this it was very much a chore

it's been a goal of mine since I ran 10

miles because it's so close to half

marathon to run a half marathon so my

2022 goal for myself was to run a half

marathon and then obviously I didn't

complete it so now we're in 2023 I put

that on my New Year's goal again and I'm

hoping that in the process of working my

way up to a half marathon I fall in love

with running again and I will say it's

getting easier and I am looking forward

to it more so that's my history with

running and kind of where we're at now

where my goals are with running all of

that so let's get in to how to start

running for beginners okay so if you're

someone who's already kind of started

running and you enjoy it that's

completely different but right now we're

talking about the people like myself in

the past who hate running because I feel

you I've been you and we're gonna get

you past that the first thing we're just

gonna state it sucks running sucks most

people starting running you're gonna

hate it and that's the hard Truth for

most people it's not one of those

workouts that you just do and you fall

in love it's one of the ones that you

dread and that's okay but you have to

accept that you're not gonna like it at

first but I can confidently tell you if

you stick with it you will fall in love

with it and you will start enjoying it

so don't be discouraged if you don't

like it the first time the key to

starting it all upping your mileage is

just getting out there even if you can't

run non-stop for three minutes run

non-stop for one minute but you have to

stay consistent because I think

something that can be super discouraging

about running is if you can't run very

far non-stop you feel like you have to

stop there when that's not the case if

you can only run non-stop for five

minutes go for 10 minutes but take a

walk break there is nothing wrong with

walk breaks but you just have to push

yourself to get out there set a goal for

how many times you want to run in that

week and run that many times it really

is all about about consistency because

it's all about building stamina and it's

also mental discipline so you just have

to be consistent get yourself out there

I would recommend running three to four

times a week and just stay consistent

keep pushing because every single time

that you go out you will get better and

you will make progress this is another

thing I do want to mention even when you

feel like you're not making progress you

are making progress because there are

days where one mile feels super easy and

there's going to be days where one mile

is super hard but either way if you push

yourself through that mile you're making

progress because running is so much

about your mental discipline as well as

your physical discipline to just keep

going going back to the relationship you

have with running like I said you're

probably gonna hate it at first you

might be coming from a place where you

already do hate it but if you stay

consistent I promise you're going to

start falling in love with it because

what you hate is the feeling of not

being able to move your body you feel

like you're not fit enough it's just

very discouraging when you can't run a

mile non-stop but the love starts coming

when all of a sudden you can run a mile

Non-Stop and then you're gonna hit two

miles Non-Stop and there is truly no

form of like validation and this sense

of achievement that anything can give to

you other than running like hitting a PR

when you lift weights is completely

different than hitting a PR for a

certain speed or a certain distance when

running and also the endorphins and

dopamine released after run is unlike

any other workout so as you start

building up your stamina and hitting

these achievements you're gonna start

falling in love with it and it's going

to get addicting so you're going to hate

it at first but I promise you if you

stay consistent you're gonna fall in

love with it so now we're going to talk

about the strategies to improving your

mileage or your times and just how to

get better at running at least for me I

started running I would say three to

four times a week and you don't have to

push yourself every single time so you

shouldn't be pushing yourself to go as

far as you can every day I would

recommend doing a shorter run a medium

run and then one long run every single

week Monday could be your short run

Wednesday could be your medium run and

then Saturday could be your long run if

that's the day that you have more time

to do so at least for me what worked is

pushing myself in intervals so you could

either go for distance or time so if you

can only run half a mile non-stop go for

a mile but run half a mile take a little

walk break run another half a mile and

then on your long runs maybe try to go

0.75 Non-Stop and then take a walk break

and do another 0.75 you could do these

intervals as big or as small as you need

if you can only run 0.1 non-stop do that

point one take a little walk break and

do another point one and then slowly

slowly push yourself up that mileage now

the next time run 0.15 Non-Stop and as

you get more consistent and you build up

your stamina you can increase those

intervals same thing for time some

people choose to go for distance I would

say I'm definitely more of a distance

person but especially if you're very

scheduled like you only have time to run

for 30 minutes and you know you can run

for 10 minutes on stop run those 10

minutes take a little walk break run

another 10 and then as you move on maybe

now you're doing 15 non-stop with a rest

break and then another 15. so there's no

harm in taking walks and intervals are

really great because not only are they a

great way to track progress because one

day you can maybe run half a mile and

then in a week you're running a mile

non-stop but they're also just good ways

to stay consistent and push yourself so

I would always recommend intervals and I

would say running three times a week

short medium and long is the ideal way

to start but also whatever works for you

if you only have time to run once a week

twice a week that's all gonna work

you're still gonna make progress it

might just be a little bit slower make

sure that you have good shoes you don't

want to hurt yourself and and if your

feet are hurting during your run like

you're setting yourself up for failure

basically and it's normal to be a little

bit sore you're gonna feel tired on your

runs but you shouldn't be having like

physical pain so before you start

running make sure that you have quality

running shoes and running shoes can be

really expensive so I'm not saying go

spend 200 on shoes but just make sure

that they are quality shoes Nike has

great running shoes

hokas on clouds Asics no shade to Asics

I had them they didn't work for me do

what you want with that information but

I really like my hokas and it's so

individual everyone's feet are so

different there are shoes for stability

there are shoes more cushion less

cushion like you have to just figure out

what works for you but just make sure

you have a pair of quality running shoes

and this is just like a fun little extra

tip make sure you have like cute running

clothes because if you feel cute in your

clothes when you're running you're gonna

feel way more motivated I'm a very

neutral person as you can see so I'm my

running gear is a lot more neutral but I

also have some like bright colors and on

days where I'm feeling a little bit less

motivated or I need a little spark of

Happiness the bright colors when I'm

running outside just makes all the

difference and that's another thing

running on a treadmill is probably one

of the most discouraging things that you

will ever do so I recommend someone

who's trying to start running you should

start outside go get into nature feel

the sun on your body not when it's too

hot don't run in like the middle of the

day also setting yourself up for failure

you don't want to be like dripping in

sweat if you live somewhere where it's

hot and I understand that there are

people who live say In Minnesota where

it's like snowing and you can't run

outside but if you are able to run

outside I recommend running outside

because it's going to be so much more

entertaining so much more fun you're

gonna see people get outside it's just

gonna feel so much better than running

on a treadmill where you literally feel

like you're going nowhere for like an

hour so definitely run outside if you

are able to another big thing is find

something that entertains to you that's

why I like to run outside because like

you can look around because running can

get boring especially if you're running

alone listen to music or podcast I would

say for my shorter runs I'm definitely

more of a music person when I need just

like 10 minutes of a burst of motivation

high energy stuff like that but when I

do my longer runs like I'm running for

40 minutes non-stop I just throw on a 40

minute podcast because then not only are

you exercising and working your body but

you're also working your mind and you

can gain a lot of knowledgeable

information through podcasts or if you

just want to be entertained there's like

criminal podcasts where it's all about

like solving Mysteries and stuff just

find something that entertains you and

do that because you want to make your

run as enjoyable and entertaining as

possible because sometimes there are

times where your body feels fine and you

know you can keep going but your brain

is just so bored of the activity that

you just want to stop so definitely try

listening to music or podcasts another

good way to really like kick start your

running is to sign up for a race there's

a lot of different ways to approach it

and you could definitely do it in like a

slower way where you're kind of just

figuring it out and running around doing

whatever but if you are someone who

really wants to improve their running

and push themselves you could sign up

for a race that's say in four months

because then that really holds you

accountable and you obviously want to be

successful in the race so it's going to

be a lot easier for you to stick to your

running plan when you have this big

event in your future you could also sign

up for a race with people then you can

train with them and run together

personally I don't really like running

with people that's just my own choice I

enjoy running alone because it gives me

a time to like be with my thoughts and

it clears my head but I know a lot of

people enjoy running with people because

it gives you someone to have a

conversation with and again it's another

form of entertainment it's all about

making you run as enjoyable as possible

so you could sign up with a race for

someone or you could just go on runs

with someone find someone who's down to

get moving with you because if you are

someone who likes to talk that will make

running so much easier if you have

someone to talk to the last tip that I

have when it comes to running is keep

your relationship with running positive

and don't see it as a punishment because

running is a form of cardio and a lot of

people see cardio as a way just to lose

weight or get to their goal body but

then it starts to feel like a chore when

running it should not seem like a chore

running is a choice and my biggest tip

to you if you take anything away from

this video is to see running as a

privilege there are so many people who

unfortunately are not able to run

whatever it is if you are someone who is

able to run that is a privilege and feel

the movement like running is an amazing

way to move your body and once you push

past the point of like feeling tired you

feel so free just moving your body and

running like sprinting it's just freeing

anything like that if you want to do

cardio and you just want to lose weight

and you have to get your cardio in you

could do the stairs you could do hits

you could go on a walk you don't have to

run as your cardio but if you want to

improve your running that's for you no

one else and you should see it as a

choice a privilege and an amazing form

of movement and freedom of your body

even though I started running with the

goal of losing weight and stuff like

that I wish that I could go back and

undo that because I only really started

to fall in love with running once I had

already lost a lot of weight so I wish I

could go back until my past self not to

see running as a way to lose weight or

part of like my workouts that I have to

do to lose weight stuff like that I wish

that I could go back and just tell her

to enjoy the movement feel the movement

and appreciate what my body is capable

of doing and see how far I can push my

body not in a physical aspect like how I

look but in a physical aspect of what

I'm capable of that's how I'm gonna end

off this video if you are someone who

wants to get into running don't see it

as a punishment don't see it as a chore

it is a choice and a privilege and and

you should experiment with seeing what

your body is capable of because when you

get to the point where you can say I can

run a mile non-stop I can run two miles

non-stop I can run 10 miles non-stop

that is crazy and you are going to feel

so proud of yourself so achieved so

motivated to keep pushing yourself

because running is truly something that

not everyone can do and it takes a lot

of mental and physical discipline but

once you stay consistent and push

yourself it is so so so worth it so with

that I hope that you guys enjoyed

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like those it's a little bit later I

just got ready for the day but I wanted

to pick up my camera to show you guys

how I reward myself for my runs I just

treated myself to a cup of coffee from

Starbucks because I forget if I

mentioned this or not but one of the

best ways to motivate yourself when it

comes to running is to reward yourself

reward yourself for getting out there

for pushing yourself for staying

consistent and doing the thing when it

comes to rewards about Fitness it's

important not to reward yourself with

things that you are trying to undo or

like avoid so for example if you're

trying to reward yourself for eating

healthy for a week or going to the gym

you shouldn't reward yourself with like

a huge Burger which again if you guys

know my channel you know I preach

balance there's nothing wrong with

eating a burger but the point is that

your rewards shouldn't be things that go

against your goals your rewards should

be things that go towards your goals so

I'm not going to Starbucks and treating

myself to this like 800 calorie

Frappuccino I am getting a low calorie

macro friendly Starbucks drink that I

still enjoy so it's like it's a reward I

enjoy it I'm super excited to have it I

don't get the time because I try to cut

down my coffee intake especially when

I've already had a Celsius today and

it's like an expense that I try not to

make but when I do go on my long runs

especially I love treating myself a

Starbucks after so I just want to show

you guys me doing that how rewards can

look and just another great way to make

running more enjoyable so I hope you

guys have a great day I am in a

phenomenal mood after my run I just feel

so accomplished and I can't stop smiling

because it is

10 a.m and I've already run four and a

half miles so I feel super productive

filled to the brim with endorphins and

dopamine and I'm ready to have a great

day so I hope you guys have a great day

and I'll see you in the next one

[Music]