I’ve been wanting to gush about running for a while on here, but I couldn’t settle on a form (ode? sonnet?). That is, until I read Ben Kuhn’s recent post about why and how to write on the Internet. It made me realize that if others knew all of the great reasons I love running, they might want to try it themselves.

The only other preface I’ll add is that I know running is not “for everyone” although I hesitate to even say that because I do think it’s for more people than know it. It takes a long time to get into good running shape and even longer to develop a friendly rapport with it. But I’ve given weightlifting the good old (literal) college try, and I still can’t stand that, so I won’t fault anyone for not loving running as much as I do.

Why

It’s Cheap

The “overly kitted up runner talking about how cheap running is” is an old joke at this point. Like any hobby, running attracts its share of gearheads, and every head needs some gear (except for a few people I’ve seen running barefoot maybe). But compared to other sports (not working out at all is a false economy anyway), running gear is a subset of other sports gear, and it doesn’t require classes or memberships. On the cost front, it’s second only to calisthenics. I’ll cover gear in more detail in How.

The byproduct of requiring so little gear is that running is also a cheap time investment. You don’t have to go anywhere special to do it. (It’s also one of the few sports that’s just as good in the rain). At any time, at home, you could go from not running to running in at most 15 minutes. Combine this with it being an efficient workout (it doesn’t take much time to get tired), and it could take no more than 2 hours out of your week (which would be perfect if it was a real slog and you hated it).

It’s Meditative

I have little experience with meditation, but I understand one popular form involves not emptying your mind but rather noticing thoughts enter your mind and letting them leave without judgement. When I call running meditative, I mean it is sort of an analog version of this. My folk neuroscientific explanation is that sustained aerobic activity consumes oxygenated blood that would otherwise be going to your brain. Random thoughts enter and leave, but it’s difficult to maintain a coherent train of thought (or any kind of swoon).

The same sort of phenomenon occurs when running in a group. In the beginning of a run there may be some light conversation, but it usually dies down when everyone starts to get tired. It’s one of the rare moments in life when you can enjoy a nice long comfortable silence with other people.

It’s funny. Thinking back, one of my ulterior motives for joining Cross Country in high school was to achieve a runner’s high. Seven years later, I can’t confidently say that I ever have, but that’s not to say that it’s been all pain. In addition to the above, I’ve also experienced what fellrnr calls Stillness in Motion. He seems pretty adamant that it’s not meditation, but it feels of a kind.

It’s Simple

I recently alluded to running a marathon during a period of low motivation. In that post, I elided the fact that this was not hard (this may be the most idiosyncratic point in this post. I’m good at following through with things I’ve signed up for). What I mean is that running is hard but simple. It’s so simple that you could probably even do it with a severed spinal cord (probably not). Form doesn’t even matter that much. If nothing hurts way more than it should, your form is probably good enough. You just have to do it.

I’ve found that I most easily lose motivation for things that are hard and complicated: when I don’t know what I’m doing, and I don’t know how to do it. That’s when I get frustrated and don’t feel like doing anything. Running is an antidote for this poison. Not only does it remind me that I am a person who can do hard things, it is a motivating activity in itself. After a run, I feel more like doing something else productive. (I know there are some questionable causal arrows flying around here that I’m not going to address). Even aside from mustering motivation, as a person who tends to over intellectualize things, it’s nice to have an activity that’s simple other than, say, watching Netflix or doing chores.

How

I’m going to steal Ben Kuhn’s first two points. Just like writing on the Internet, you should run consistently and pay attention to feedback.

Run Consistently

Admittedly not as vital as writing consistently, but running is best done as a habit. It’s good to get any exercise regularly, but running is especially painful and unfun when you’re not in shape for it. It’s better to err on the side of more, shorter runs than fewer, longer ones. It should not feel like an ordeal every time you lace up your shoes. Eventually a few days without running might leave you feeling antsy. (Since I started running seven years ago, I don’t think I’ve taken a break longer than about 2 weeks.)

Similarly, you should aim for a steady, maintainable pace. It’s better to go slower than to alternate between too fast and walking. (This is a very broad generalization which doesn’t apply if you’re doing interval training or as I understand it, C25K. This should be the standard for an easy run where you’re trying to get into a groove). I usually run at a pace slow enough that it’s comfortable but fast enough that it’s hard to think. The more you run, the wider that band will be.

Pay Attention to Feedback

Unlike writing online, you should listen to feedback from your body rather than from others. (A friend of mine who started running was worried about people judging her, but one of the nice features of running is that you’re not in people’s field of vision for long, so they don’t have enough context to make judgements.) The most common running injuries are from overuse. As long as you gradually increase the intensity of your runs and listen to your body, there’s low risk of injury. Try to get familiar with normal pain so you can tell if something is wrong.

But beyond that, be aware of when you’ve had a particularly good or bad run. What contributed to that? Do you prefer to run in the morning or evening, on familiar or new routes, on flats or hills, trails or pavement, fast or slow, long or short? There are a lot of different ways to run and make running closer to what you want it to be.

Run with Other People

As I mentioned above, running with other people is a unique experience. Having someone to keep you accountable makes it much easier to run consistently. I doubt I would have gotten into running if I hadn’t started by joining my high school cross country team.

A common rule of thumb is that an easy run should be done at “conversational pace”. That is, the pace at which you can comfortably hold a conversation. The easiest way to do that is to actually have a conversation which is easiest to do when your interlocutor is also running. If you can’t sucker convince a friend into running with you, there are free running groups in most cities.

Run without Music

I can’t recommend running with music (or podcasts) (mostly because I don’t do it!) My work is all on a computer, and I’m an otherwise very online person which includes listening to a lot of music and watching TV. For me, running is a break from all that.

I won’t deny the power of music to make time move faster. During Boston winters, sometimes I would have to run on a treadmill, and music was invaluable to preserving my sanity. If you find music really necessary to run, then go ahead, but I would encourage everyone to try running without it. (I wasn’t planning to address treadmills, but since I mentioned them, I wouldn’t recommend them unless you need them to train for something or you’re a joyless person.)

Gear

I’ve intentionally put this section at the end because I think it’s the least important. Running hurts anyways, so it doesn’t matter if your clothes are a little uncomfortable. I buy about two pairs of ~$100 running shoes (1 season old Brooks Ghosts) every year. You can find decent, older models for less, and if you don’t run as much, you don’t need new shoes as often. This Christmas, I received some fancy running socks which feel like they’re from the future. Before that, the literal cheapest Hanes cotton ankle socks were perfectly serviceable. I probably hang on to other running clothes longer than I should, but even so, most of them are free tees, and the rest last long enough that I don’t worry about the cost.

As for nonessentials, I’m on my second Timex Ironman, which I use for alarms, laundry, and telling time in addition to timing my runs. It was about $40. I’ve had this one for over a year and had the one before it for over 6 years. It’s not a satellite watch, so I also use the free onthegomap to track out new routes. I have a pretty good sense of direction, and I enjoy exploring, getting lost, and serendipity, so this system is perfect for me.

Races can get expensive ($50-$200 in my experience). They’re not necessary to enjoy running for most people, but they can be a good source of motivation, and it’s impossible to match the excitement of running in a race, so I encourage everyone to try at least one.