Sunday Sundries: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

As I might have mentioned two or three or, you know, 57,000 times, I've taken up running as a thing that I do. I realise that this isn't that remarkable a hobby, millions of people do it every day, but for me, it's nothing short of miraculous. I have never been able to run. Never, ever, ever, ever. I never thought I'd be able to, that I'd just be an enthusiastic walker for all of my life, but I started the couch to 5k programme, I stuck with it even after the first day when even my ribs felt bruised and I felt like I was dying, and I'm now three runs out of the programme, still going strong. Here's what I've learnt along the way.

• Nothing is harder than starting: Nothing. Deciding to go on the first run is one thing, actually doing it is another. For me, at least, the unknown is the scariest, but in this case, you just have to do it and get it done and then you know. For me, the most soothing thing was doing it in the park near my house, so I knew I could go home if I had to.
• Sometimes, you have to just stick with it: After that first run, when I felt like I was dying, I wasn't sure that I was going to continue because oh man, pain is horrible. Weirdly, it was my nan's hairdresser, who I happened to see two days after the first run, who said 'but if you give up, all that pain will have been for nothing and you'll have to do it again if you want to start again.' That really spurred me on to continue, and stayed with me even when it got really hard.
• All other runners are your friends: I'm serious about this. When you cross paths with another runner, it's just natural to smile at each other, and it feels very "yay us!" (But not in a gross way). It's gotten so that I smile at runners even when I'm not running, and I may have referred to all runners as my friends. All the time. It's a little bit weird.
• People smiling at you while you run is very encouraging: It's why I smile at runners, because maaaan, they are doing something hard. It feels like a tiny little reward anyone looks at you happily while you're running, even if they're probably smiling at something else, I don't know!
• Endorphins: It takes a few runs for the endorphins to really start (although I felt so pleased with myself the first time that I was preeeetty cheery) but maaaan, they are awesome. They can pretty much carry you through the day, and completely make you want to keep doing it.
• Week 4 is a killer: This is specifically about the couch to 5k programme, and shiiiit. Week 4 is so hard and will probably make you want to give up, endorphins or no. If you're doing it and week 4 is an asshole to you, just rest assured in the knowledge that it really does get easier and you'll never have to do week 4 again.
• Sports bras are really important: Unless you want to run around grasping at your breasts, you'll want a good sports bra. I'm not exaggerating when I say it's my most important and indispensable bit of running kit.
• The Nike Running App is very good: I've been fairly wary of Nike my whole life, so it irks me to recommend one of their products, but I did recently learn that they were instrumental in getting the women's marathon into the Olympics, so they get this shout out for their (free...) app. Once you're done with couch to 5k (if you even go that route) it's a really good way to track your runs, keep track of how you felt on each run, and other fun stats that will appeal if you're a bit of a nerd and like numbers. This is absolutely me.
• Sometimes you have it be told something you already know to really absorb it: This is true in all of life, I know. But here's my story: I finished the couch to 5k programme and it was like I forgot how to run completely. I had no stamina, I had to keep slowing to a walk... It was not good. I asked my housemates boyfriend (who is doing a phD in sports science, so is very handy in such situations) what I could do to improve my stamina, and he told me to go slower, for longer. Go slower. For longer. And I knew it, and I'd almost grasped it the few times I'd had really good runs, but I just needed to be told it that one morr time to really get it. Which reminds me...
• Find your pace, and stick to it: I just thought you might need to hear it too.
• Above all, enjoy it: There's really no point in doing exercise you don't enjoy, and this is no different. I'm jot going to say that running is always a pleasure, because it isn't, but I love it a lot more than I hate it, and that's what keeps me going. That and the endorphins, the glorious things.

So yeah. That's basically everything I've learnt about running from doing running. Sometimes it's the hardest thing in the world to get up and go outside and run, but sometimes there's nothing I'd rather be doing. It's still so insane to me that this is something I do, but there it is, and I love it.