I apologize for how negative that sounds! It’s been 3 months. I unfortunately can’t be as consistent as I’d like because of chronic utis. I currently go about 8-10 km/h for 20 mins at a time, 2-3 times a week when I’m healthy. I keep at it because I’ve noticed a boost in my general energy and mood, but I hate pretty much every second of actually running. I read that that’s normal as you start out, especially if you start from zero like I did. But I’ve also read you eventually start to tolerate and then later enjoy it. How long did it take for you to get to that point?
Edit: 5 month update on case someone stumbles across this. My progress is slow, due to frequent breaks due to my frequent colds and UTIs. I’m at 30min 5k. Running still sucks, in part, but it also feels…powerful? I’ve learned to pace myself and run slower, so I’m not all spent after 10 mins. It’s difficult, but I think running too fast really was the biggest problem. Now what I feel during a run is a mix of ‘ughgh I hate cardio’ and ‘this is amazing, I’m powerful, I can do anything I want’. That’s enough to keep motivated. The reason I keep it up is that the former feeling ends soon after the end of the run, but the latter one persists. I try to run twice a week. If I have the time, I go on a hike instead (I live in the mountains). I enjoy those a lot more, but they take up several hours as opposed to 30mins for a run. It’s helped me tremendously with my depression, so it’s so worth it.
Tldr: I still don’t enjoy every second of running, but pacing myself made it more enjoyable than before. And it’s SO worth the mood boost and extra energy (even on rest days). I have depression and I’ve never felt this good in my entire 10 years of being an adult.
I didn’t enjoy running until I worked myself up to doing longer distances, like 8k+ runs - before then it was a painful chore I felt obligated to do, now I go stir crazy if I don’t get out for a run at least twice a week.
That being said, even now, runs are a slog until I get into my groove, which happens around the ~3k or 15-20 minute mark, but once I get there I’m happy to keep going for another 10-20k
You mention going by time and not distance - I assume you are on a treadmill? Personally I can’t stand treadmills, it’s monotonous, and there isn’t as much air movement around you, so it’s harder to thermoregulate.
Haha that’ll be a long time yet, if ever! But thanks for the input, it’s helpful to make my expectations more realistic.
I do run outside, I’ve just read and heard a lot of people recommend to go by time rather than distance as you start out from zero stamina, which was the case for me. Zero as in gets winded after one flight of stairs.
Going by time when you start out may just be a more realistic way to set goals you can stick to when you don’t know your pace? Once you settle into your pace, you should be able to map out some routes that will give you an X minute workout (give or take)
One thing I learned embarrassingly recently while training for a race way outside of my comfort zone - slow the hell down. If you start off running fast you are just front-loading the lactic acid buildup in your legs, which will make the back half of your run harder - if you are tracking your runs with a Fitbit/Garmin/phone, make a conscious effort to keep a consistent pace - even if it feels like you are running in slow motion at the start, you will find it much easier to run longer, and your overall pace will be faster as well.
I actually went for a run after reading some of the comments and someone inspired me to pay more attention to my pace. And I think you (and the other person) might be right on the money. I did try to start slowly but still went at an average 10 km/h (according to my phone), which is probably just too much for my level. I’ll pay attention to my pace the next few times and learn to be more in control rather than over exerting myself early on. I’ll try to start out in slow motion. Thanks!