My Advice for Becoming a Runner Who Keeps Running

It’s a simplistic feel-your-way kind of method.

Photo by Hamza Ali on Unsplash

I am directing this advice to those who have the desire to become a runner but feel they don’t have the willpower or the resolve to do it. Or maybe you don’t think you’re enough of an athlete to be a runner.

You don’t have to be. By running, I mean any pace that is more than a walk. I don’t pay any attention to the distinction between runner and jogger. I do get a little offended by someone who refers to me as a jogger, but mainly because the word “jogger” has different meanings and some can be offensive to a runner.

You will need a pair of running shoes. They don’t need to be expensive, just designed for running. It makes a difference.

Why become a runner?

Why am I offering this advice? Running is an easy-access activity. It’s cheap. You can do it anytime, even if you have to run around your home or in place. The latter options are not ideal, but not everyone lives in California like I do. (I hate the treadmill but when I lived in Pennsylvania, sometimes it was my only option.)

Once you get into a routine with running, two benefits occur. One, you will be in better shape. Two, you will have time to yourself, dependent upon the distance you run, to think and process whatever comes into your head. I promise that if you persist with running, it will become therapeutic.

That’s how I started running. I was thirteen years old, and when I would get mad at my mother, I would head outside and run around the block. I’d come back, having avoided saying what would have gotten me in big trouble. I went on to run track and cross country. I wasn’t a star but I could hold my own.

Choose a route and target distance

To get started, you’ll need to choose an initial route and distance that you want to work up to. You’re going to start by walking that route, but the goal is to be able to run the entire route.

If you have never run before, I recommend a mile. It may seem like a lot, but it will feel like a substantial accomplishment once you achieve it. If you have run before or maybe played other sports, you can choose…