There is a particular flavor of suffering I fear: where something is not just unpleasant, but is requiring active effort from you to continue having the unpleasant thing happen, and so you have to not only suffer the suffering, but also the constant thinking about whether maybe you should stop right now—and so are also having to dip peripherally into questions of free will and will power and who you are and if you will ever do anything and if you are fundamentally bad, and all this while you are already quite taxed by the original suffering.
I like this. No dancing at stoplights for me bc I have no dance genes, but the rest of it is right on. Especially the part about aiming at a distant landmark to stop at, rather than stopping immediately when you run out of gas. And the part about music. I used to make mixtapes for running, and would select any music that could give me chills, whether it was The Who or Mozart. Recently I have been listening to podcasts while running, but I think I need to go back to dramatic music bc I miss the "surge".
I've run consistently for about 20 years now, ranging from struggling to get out for a few miles a few times a week (now) to running competitively (100+ miles per week with a bunch of intense highly structured workouts).
I did not naturally like running, but have mostly liked it for a long time now. By far the biggest factor in how much I enjoy running is how fit I am. When I'm fit, running is amazing. When I'm not, it's a slog. There is essentially no ceiling on this - running feels just ever more awesome the better I've been at it.
What helps the most when I'm not fit is running in nice places. Especially on singletrack trails through the woods.
Also, nowadays, slowing down and not pushing too hard on easy runs. I have to remember that [pace I'm used to running for easy runs] isn't easy when, e.g., I weigh 20 pounds more.
I was initially motivated by seeing my numbers improve, and was young enough (14ish) that improvement was rapid. Before long I became fit enough that running felt great, which helped me stay consistent.
Something that worked well for me back then was doing the same thing every day - a 1.25 mile loop, that I always ran at absolute maximum effort - and tracking my performance. Writing down my times, and feeling proud of new records, was a big part of what kept me going.
Now, in my 30s with 3 kids and very busy, it takes a bit of intentionality to fit in enough running that I remain fit enough for it to be self-sustaining. Routines, habits, getting rid of friction, etc. And occasionally I'll have some setback (injury, especially busy time at work, etc) that causes me to lose enough fitness that the feedback cycle switches from positive to negative and it takes some effort to get back.
> c) If a thing is enjoyable at least sometimes, then you can enjoy it 100% of the time you are doing it by just not doing it when you aren’t feeling it.
Getting into run has been one of my happiest accidents! There are some seasons that require push and discipline to reach goals and some that it’s just because it feels good mentally and physically afterwards. Running is so good for processing emotions and learning about life. It’s just one of those things that seems crazy until suddenly you’re on the other side being the crazy person who loves it!
I like this. No dancing at stoplights for me bc I have no dance genes, but the rest of it is right on. Especially the part about aiming at a distant landmark to stop at, rather than stopping immediately when you run out of gas. And the part about music. I used to make mixtapes for running, and would select any music that could give me chills, whether it was The Who or Mozart. Recently I have been listening to podcasts while running, but I think I need to go back to dramatic music bc I miss the "surge".
I've run consistently for about 20 years now, ranging from struggling to get out for a few miles a few times a week (now) to running competitively (100+ miles per week with a bunch of intense highly structured workouts).
I did not naturally like running, but have mostly liked it for a long time now. By far the biggest factor in how much I enjoy running is how fit I am. When I'm fit, running is amazing. When I'm not, it's a slog. There is essentially no ceiling on this - running feels just ever more awesome the better I've been at it.
What helps the most when I'm not fit is running in nice places. Especially on singletrack trails through the woods.
Also, nowadays, slowing down and not pushing too hard on easy runs. I have to remember that [pace I'm used to running for easy runs] isn't easy when, e.g., I weigh 20 pounds more.
I was initially motivated by seeing my numbers improve, and was young enough (14ish) that improvement was rapid. Before long I became fit enough that running felt great, which helped me stay consistent.
Something that worked well for me back then was doing the same thing every day - a 1.25 mile loop, that I always ran at absolute maximum effort - and tracking my performance. Writing down my times, and feeling proud of new records, was a big part of what kept me going.
Now, in my 30s with 3 kids and very busy, it takes a bit of intentionality to fit in enough running that I remain fit enough for it to be self-sustaining. Routines, habits, getting rid of friction, etc. And occasionally I'll have some setback (injury, especially busy time at work, etc) that causes me to lose enough fitness that the feedback cycle switches from positive to negative and it takes some effort to get back.
This is fantastic.
> c) If a thing is enjoyable at least sometimes, then you can enjoy it 100% of the time you are doing it by just not doing it when you aren’t feeling it.
Probably generalizes!
Aka retirement!
Yeah - but IMHO also try yoga, resistance training and martial arts.
This is nice, it's basically a better version of https://dynomight.net/2021/01/25/how-to-run-without-all-the-agonizing-pain/
Getting into run has been one of my happiest accidents! There are some seasons that require push and discipline to reach goals and some that it’s just because it feels good mentally and physically afterwards. Running is so good for processing emotions and learning about life. It’s just one of those things that seems crazy until suddenly you’re on the other side being the crazy person who loves it!