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I did this about four years ago. I hated it. Even running with my collie or listening to audio books didn't help. It just felt like a miserable chore, every tim

I did this about four years ago. I hated it. Even running with my collie or listening to audio books didn't help. It just felt like a miserable chore, every time I put on my running shoes. In the end I just quit. Now I hike every weekend, at least 10 miles, which lets me go out with family and friends. I also do various martial arts with my son, which as a shared activity is so much more enjoyable. The only time I'll run again is if I'm being chased.

chongli 4y ago
Did you get all the way through the program? Did you have good quality running shoes? I remember it being miserable at the start, but after I finished the program (and was going beyond 5k up to around 12k) it started feeling amazing. It was really strange. It went from painful to just plain addictive! But then Canadian winters intervened and I got out of the habit and never got back to it again. Since then I’ve had a pretty bad ankle injury (at work, not from working out) and I miss running so much!
- mr_mitm 4y ago
  Not every sport is for everyone. I feel the same. I even ran some 10Ks, but I hate every second of it. Maybe I'm too heavy or my joints are already screwed up too much, but I much prefer weight lifting and basketball.
  - jeltz 4y ago
    Obviously not everyone like running (I especially get the boredom argument) but I doubt your joints are screwed up if you do weight lifting (stresses the joints quite a bit) and basketball (totally massacres joints). If your joins can survive basketball then your joints should have zero issues with running unless it is something very specific.
    - mr_mitm 4y ago
      Basketball and similar activities probably are what killed my joints. I have MRI pictures of my knees and lower back showing different kinds of damages in each and had sprained ankles several times. These were gradual damages according to my doctor. My hips have felt funny lately, too. These days, I can barely walk for three days after playing basketball or running, but weight lifting still works. Anyway, all I can say is that running always made me feel much worse than the short sprints and jumps in basketball, whatever the precise reason may be.
- blairbeckwith 4y ago
  I'll never tell people they have to, but winter running can be really enjoyable. I committed this year to doing as much of my training outside through the Canadian winter as possible, and so far it's been a dream. I ran through the storm that ripped through Ontario right before Christmas and caught myself thinking that I wasn't sure how much worse conditions would have to be for me to stop having a good time. Like the beginning of your comment, it ultimately comes down to gear. An ankle injury is a good reason to not push yourself running, but the weather need not be :)
  - jeltz 4y ago
    Yeah, when the weather is right winter running can be amazing. The perfect is running in like -4 C with crisp air and everything covered in snow or frost.
    - nikanj 4y ago
      The amount of light exposure you get is incredible, with the crisp air and the all-white world reflecting the sunshine. So good against seasonal depression
      - iamacyborg 4y ago
        You don’t get great light exposure when it’s cold and you have to wear tights, long sleeves and gloves
        amanaplanacanal 4y ago
        You still get exposure to your face and eyes though.
  - user1234 4y ago
    Yeah man I love winter running/walking! I went out during the -45C wind chills too. That's why I had to get some ski goggles. My eyes were freezing shut! Plus during blizzards the snow is like little razors on my eyeballs. That's the last bit of winter gear I think I needed. There's something about it though that I love. I can't force myself to get to the gym a block away but I'll go outside in blizzard conditions and really enjoy myself!
- MarcScott 4y ago
  Yeah, I got up to 5k. I think that most of the problem was running the same route every time. There's no new experience, it's just a slog on the same roads and paths. When I know I'm going out on a hike, I pick really nice places to go, where there's beautiful scenery. I take my son, my nephew, and friends. We go to the pub afterwards. Also it's not an after work activity, but a dedicated day. Half the year in the UK, before you start work, or after you clock off, its dark.
  - igouy 4y ago
    > When I know I'm going out on a hike, I pick really nice places to go, where there's beautiful scenery. Now imagine doing that but instead of being limited by how far you can hike in the time, you can go further because you're running. > I take my son, my nephew, and friends. We go to the pub afterwards. Now imagine that even though it's an after work thing and maybe in the dark, you meet up with some friends and talk while you're running.
twawaaay 4y ago
I am sorry you hated it. The first time I started running I hated it too. But that was just because I did not know how to run or what to expect. I think my very first run was something like 250m after which I through the shoes and vowed never to try again. But once I learned how to run, calibrated my expectation on how running looks like (I was trying way too hard before) and got my body couple months to adjust I started genuinely loving it even though initially I was forcing myself to do it for health reasons. I think running is something that you can stick to for long enough to be able to figure out if it is actually for you.
para_parolu 4y ago
I’m happy other people have similar experience. I enjoy physical activity but running is just too boring.
rconti 4y ago
If you ever try it again-- run slower. Like, really slow. It took me YEARS to figure this out.
idk1 4y ago
I was writing a comment very similar, I tried it and hated it, I thought running was the worst thing ever and just could not enjoy it even though I was most of the way through the program. What I do now is go cycling/spinning for 30 mins at the gym with an audiobook, it feels like the same proper cardio, but everything else is different, I'm not outside, I don't have to watch out for anything, it's warm, by bones don't feel like they're all getting shaken about.

chongli 4y ago

Did you get all the way through the program? Did you have good quality running shoes? I remember it being miserable at the start, but after I finished the program (and was going beyond 5k up to around 12k) it started feeling amazing. It was really strange. It went from painful to just plain addictive! But then Canadian winters intervened and I got out of the habit and never got back to it again. Since then I’ve had a pretty bad ankle injury (at work, not from working out) and I miss running so much!

mr_mitm 4y ago
Not every sport is for everyone. I feel the same. I even ran some 10Ks, but I hate every second of it. Maybe I'm too heavy or my joints are already screwed up too much, but I much prefer weight lifting and basketball.
- jeltz 4y ago
  Obviously not everyone like running (I especially get the boredom argument) but I doubt your joints are screwed up if you do weight lifting (stresses the joints quite a bit) and basketball (totally massacres joints). If your joins can survive basketball then your joints should have zero issues with running unless it is something very specific.
  - mr_mitm 4y ago
    Basketball and similar activities probably are what killed my joints. I have MRI pictures of my knees and lower back showing different kinds of damages in each and had sprained ankles several times. These were gradual damages according to my doctor. My hips have felt funny lately, too. These days, I can barely walk for three days after playing basketball or running, but weight lifting still works. Anyway, all I can say is that running always made me feel much worse than the short sprints and jumps in basketball, whatever the precise reason may be.
blairbeckwith 4y ago
I'll never tell people they have to, but winter running can be really enjoyable. I committed this year to doing as much of my training outside through the Canadian winter as possible, and so far it's been a dream. I ran through the storm that ripped through Ontario right before Christmas and caught myself thinking that I wasn't sure how much worse conditions would have to be for me to stop having a good time. Like the beginning of your comment, it ultimately comes down to gear. An ankle injury is a good reason to not push yourself running, but the weather need not be :)
- jeltz 4y ago
  Yeah, when the weather is right winter running can be amazing. The perfect is running in like -4 C with crisp air and everything covered in snow or frost.
  - nikanj 4y ago
    The amount of light exposure you get is incredible, with the crisp air and the all-white world reflecting the sunshine. So good against seasonal depression
    - iamacyborg 4y ago
      You don’t get great light exposure when it’s cold and you have to wear tights, long sleeves and gloves
      - amanaplanacanal 4y ago
        You still get exposure to your face and eyes though.
- user1234 4y ago
  Yeah man I love winter running/walking! I went out during the -45C wind chills too. That's why I had to get some ski goggles. My eyes were freezing shut! Plus during blizzards the snow is like little razors on my eyeballs. That's the last bit of winter gear I think I needed. There's something about it though that I love. I can't force myself to get to the gym a block away but I'll go outside in blizzard conditions and really enjoy myself!
MarcScott 4y ago
Yeah, I got up to 5k. I think that most of the problem was running the same route every time. There's no new experience, it's just a slog on the same roads and paths. When I know I'm going out on a hike, I pick really nice places to go, where there's beautiful scenery. I take my son, my nephew, and friends. We go to the pub afterwards. Also it's not an after work activity, but a dedicated day. Half the year in the UK, before you start work, or after you clock off, its dark.
- igouy 4y ago
  > When I know I'm going out on a hike, I pick really nice places to go, where there's beautiful scenery. Now imagine doing that but instead of being limited by how far you can hike in the time, you can go further because you're running. > I take my son, my nephew, and friends. We go to the pub afterwards. Now imagine that even though it's an after work thing and maybe in the dark, you meet up with some friends and talk while you're running.

twawaaay 4y ago

I am sorry you hated it. The first time I started running I hated it too. But that was just because I did not know how to run or what to expect. I think my very first run was something like 250m after which I through the shoes and vowed never to try again. But once I learned how to run, calibrated my expectation on how running looks like (I was trying way too hard before) and got my body couple months to adjust I started genuinely loving it even though initially I was forcing myself to do it for health reasons. I think running is something that you can stick to for long enough to be able to figure out if it is actually for you.

para_parolu 4y ago

I’m happy other people have similar experience. I enjoy physical activity but running is just too boring.

rconti 4y ago

If you ever try it again-- run slower. Like, really slow. It took me YEARS to figure this out.

idk1 4y ago

I was writing a comment very similar, I tried it and hated it, I thought running was the worst thing ever and just could not enjoy it even though I was most of the way through the program. What I do now is go cycling/spinning for 30 mins at the gym with an audiobook, it feels like the same proper cardio, but everything else is different, I'm not outside, I don't have to watch out for anything, it's warm, by bones don't feel like they're all getting shaken about.