Learning to Love Running

In high school, I always wondered if parents forced their kids to run track or be on cross country teams. I never understood why the kids would just voluntarily join something so miserable. It never occurred to me that maybe they actually enjoyed running.

I've never been much of a runner. Every time I step onto that track or onto that treadmill, I simply feel disgusted and I am already dreading what is to come. It is a love-hate relationship. I hate the running part, but I love the benefits.

I've been thinking. I am sick of running to just exercise. I want to run to actually enjoy it. I want running to become an activity that I reward myself with at the end of each week. I realize this is going to be a hard path, especially for me. I do not know what it is going to take and I do not know how long of a process it will be. But I am willing to try anything at this point.

In the past couple of days, I have been reading others blogs and stories and finding out what they love about running. I've taken what I thought would help me and combined it with other thoughts that may help you.

Do you want to become a dedicated runner? Do you want to learn to actually love running? Well then, read on..

Find Inspiration: This is an important step. How do you think I got the motivation to write this article? I had to read others blogs and testimonials. It helps a lot to see that others are going through the same thing as you and that they have overcome these struggles. It is possible to fall in love with running or just exercising in general, you just need to find the right story to inspire you.

Make it Part of Your Life: Have you ever heard the expression, “when you love something, surround yourself in it?” Do not get confused with the expression, “when you love something, set it free.” That would be the opposite of what we are going for,  here.  Anyways, running can have the same effect. If you want to create a new passion for something, you have to think about that passion at least once a day. Learning to love running is a process. You will have to actually try  and love it. At least that's what I had to do. Try reading an article on running everyday or talking about running with a friend.

Take Your Time: This step has two different meanings. First, when you're starting off with a routine, don't push yourself too hard. This will cause you to despise running, trust me. It happened to me. Second, once you're involved in a routine, make sure you are starting off each run slowly and finishing strong at the end. This will make you look forward to that pushing point at the end and you will feel more accomplished after the run.

Make it Fun: This last step is probably the most important of all. Whatever you do, whatever you take from this post, remember to make running fun.  I don't care what you have to do to make it fun. If it's dancing around, or listening to your music too loud, do it. Do whatever makes you pumped to run! Don't worry about looking silly, this is your time  to do and be whatever you want. Make it your play time.

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Author Bio : Katy Stephens is a 19 year old college student who enjoys writing about health and wellness. She has a passion for graphic design and writing blogs.  If you'd like to see more, check out her: Google+.