How Can I Learn to Enjoy Running?

[Languagelover23]

Hi everyone! My ship date is supposed to be April 11th, 2011, but I'll be leaving in January instead (just around the corner!). That is, if I can get my run time down.
Problem is I really and truly do not like running, though I don't mind the calisthenics much. If you enjoy doing it, what do you like about it? And do you have any running tips? As you can see, my run time is not good (though to be fair, I've only been at it less than a month).

[lake9]

Well i get runners high so thats always awesome.
Another thing is to play mind games with yourself, A big part of running is mental. One mind game i play on myself is i inmagine a di yelling at me... or i say to myself if i run this and push through the pain at the end i will get my egal globe and ancher...(that brings some hardcore motivation for me) just play mind games with your self to keep you motivated. NEVER THINK YOU CANT DO IT AND NEVER STOP!


good luck!

[sparkie]

Set goals. Pick something ahead and run to it. Mind games, sure. Busts up the whole.

Better your time? do sprints, cause if you need to better your time,, You gotta learn to streach out your gate. Longer strides. Sprinting will help that. Also it will expand your lung capacity.

Running tips? Breathing. Left right left= in in out. in in out. Short breaths to match your tempo. Again,,,, mind games.

Trust me. Try it.

[sparkie]

Enjoy running? You will enjoy it when it becomes easier.

[Nerd]

Sparkie hit the nail on the head. You enjoy it more when you see an improvement. Just look at my signature. My very first IST I ran a 13 minute 1.5 mile. Then it went down to 12:30, and then last night I ran 11:20.

My motivation? I am preparing for war. All of us are since all of us are trying to be Marines. Eventually, even though you are a girl, you might be in that situation, with a 30 lbs plate carrier, ammo, a weapon, water canteens and other equipment, possibly carrying a hurt buddy, where you will need to be BOOKING it, and that's what motivates me.

I pretend i've got all my gear on and my squad is bolting through a Hadji city being shot at my AK's. we're out of ammo. No fighting back, only running as hard as you can. Obviously i pace myself when i'm trying to get a good time, but the little mental role play just motivates the s*** out of me.

another tip that helped me - run when you don't want to, and do it often. my own example is that I hate mornings (boot camp will fix that I hope). I'm a night owl, but I hate mornings. So I run at 0400. I run 3 miles almost every other day at 0400 if I can make myself wake up and do it.

If you train when you're at your best and when you want to, you'll never improve

[lake9]

Sparkie hit the nail on the head. You enjoy it more when you see an improvement. Just look at my signature. My very first IST I ran a 13 minute 1.5 mile. Then it went down to 12:30, and then last night I ran 11:20.

My motivation? I am preparing for war. All of us are since all of us are trying to be Marines. Eventually, even though you are a girl, you might be in that situation, with a 30 lbs plate carrier, ammo, a weapon, water canteens and other equipment, possibly carrying a hurt buddy, where you will need to be BOOKING it, and that's what motivates me.

I pretend i've got all my gear on and my squad is bolting through a Hadji city being shot at my AK's. we're out of ammo. No fighting back, only running as hard as you can. Obviously i pace myself when i'm trying to get a good time, but the little mental role play just motivates the s*** out of me.

another tip that helped me - run when you don't want to, and do it often. my own example is that I hate mornings (boot camp will fix that I hope). I'm a night owl, but I hate mornings. So I run at 0400. I run 3 miles almost every other day at 0400 if I can make myself wake up and do it.

If you train when you're at your best and when you want to, you'll never improve

lol i think you watched alot of Generation Kill
just saying.

[NMSU11]

Get some cadence to listen to. I usually do an easy 1.5 in about 12 minutes just by keeping pace with the cadence. It really helps a lot!

[Aitrus]

I guess I have a different view on this than some people do. I just accept the fact that running SUCKS. No way around it. But doing things that SUCK make you a better person, a better man, eventually a better Marine. That's my motivation.

[Languagelover23]

Thanks everyone for your replies! I don't like to sound whiny, but I just have to be honest about hating to run lol. But, I am willing to do it and even try to enjoy it. I'm sure I will definitely like it more when I get better at it : )
Does anybody else find that the first 1/2-1 mile is much harder?

[lake9]

Thanks everyone for your replies! I don't like to sound whiny, but I just have to be honest about hating to run lol. But, I am willing to do it and even try to enjoy it. I'm sure I will definitely like it more when I get better at it : )
Does anybody else find that the first 1/2-1 mile is much harder?

what i do in first mile is sprint at top speed. then i slow down pace catch breath and push through the last bit as fast as i can.
best 1.5 mile time i have gotten is 9:52. still to lazy to update my sig though.
my ship date even changed to feb 7th :\ sad i am.

[Languagelover23]

what i do in first mile is sprint at top speed. then i slow down pace catch breath and push through the last bit as fast as i can.
best 1.5 mile time i have gotten is 9:52. still to lazy to update my sig though.
my ship date even changed to feb 7th :\ sad i am.

Hmmm I'll try that. Sounds like a good idea actually. It's like it's more painful to run before I get warmed up. That first half of the run sucks for me!

[calebh180]

I also HATE running, and its alot harder to get motivated to get out of my warm bed in the mornings at dark:30 and run when its anything below 30. I got a crappy run time this month and thats going to motivate me every morning until next month because i want to be the best, just push yourself to be the best.

[lake9]

I also HATE running, and its alot harder to get motivated to get out of my warm bed in the mornings at dark:30 and run when its anything below 30. I got a crappy run time this month and thats going to motivate me every morning until next month because i want to be the best, just push yourself to be the best.

21 pull ups?
but only 47 crunches and 13 min 1.5? how is that possible holy crap lol. thats a weird build. keep on pushing!

[calebh180]

21 pull ups?
but only 47 crunches and 13 min 1.5? how is that possible holy crap lol. thats a weird build. keep on pushing!

yea haha all i do is pullups, i do them ALL the time, id say i do around 250-300 a day

[lake9]

yea haha all i do is pullups, i do them ALL the time, id say i do around 250-300 a day

damn thats beast. Crunches are easy as hell because those muscles never have to recover. you could probally get about 100 crouches in about a month easy.