How I tricked myself into liking running
19 Apr, 2021 02:07 AM
7 minutes to read
Why is it so hard to start running? Photo / 123RF
New York Times
By: Farah Miller
It s good for your mental and physical health, and doesn t require any equipment. So why does it seem so hard to get started? Until last week, the only time I d finished a race was during Track and Field Day in fifth grade. By middle school, I was trying to figure out how to get out of gym class because it was too hard for me to run a mile. Sports, in general, were not my thing. Running, less so.
How I Tricked Myself Into Liking Running
It’s good for your mental and physical health, and doesn’t require any equipment. So why does it seem so hard to get started?
Credit.Erik Isakson/Getty Images
April 16, 2021Updated 8:35 p.m. ET
Until last week, the only time I’d finished a race was during Track and Field Day in fifth grade. By middle school, I was trying to figure out how to get out of gym class because it was too hard for me to run a mile. Sports, in general, were not my thing. Running, less so.
As an adult, I have gone to the gyms, taken exercise classes and worked with trainers. But none of it ever brought me joy, or made me want to keep doing such things. The most sustained exercise I did in the past decade was a regimen of deep knee bends with a colicky baby in my arms after my first kid was born.
Westend61Getty Images
For obvious reasons, racing looks a little different than it did a year or two ago right now. And though many runners might be missing the energy of race-day crowds and crossing physical finish lines, virtual races mean you can still grab tackle miles and enjoy that endorphin rush right from your home turf.
Virtual meets keep the race day vibes going strong, with the added benefit of being more flexible in terms of timing and location, says exercise physiologist Janet Hamilton, running coach at Atlanta s Running Strong. [Throughout the last year], races (like lots of things) got postponed and eventually cancelled, and lots of runners were left feeling a little adrift with no way to set goals, she says. Enter the virtual race. Now we have a target on the horizon.
These Virtual Races Are Just As Swag-Filled, Competitive, And Fun As The Real Thing msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.