My journey to loving running was a tortuous one. It began at my small high school in Portland, Oregon, where the cross-country coach, often too short on athletes to field a competitive team, would poach members of the soccer team for important races. During my junior year, I was one of those reluctant recruits, and over the course of a half-dozen races I learned two lessons. The first was that I was reasonably fast but would never be a podium threat. The second? That running sucks.
I realize that statement doesn鈥檛 exactly square with the headline of this essay, but bear with me. After 25 years of lacing up my foam-cushioned shoes and heading out the door nearly every morning, I think I鈥檝e collected a decent amount of wisdom about the sport, the most important of which is that you can鈥檛 skip over the part of running that sucks. You can learn to move through the discomfort of pushing yourself physically and the boredom of traveling the same neighborhood route for the 50th time, but on some level, on most days, there are long stretches during which even a slow jog can feel more like work than play. This is especially true when you鈥檙e just starting out, and it鈥檚 why a lot of people give up鈥攐r never fully commit in the first place. Who wants to subject themselves to that kind of suffering?
It鈥檚 a fair question, but with an undeniable answer: A lot of us. There are 55.9 million runners in the U.S. alone, . You see us on the streets every morning during your commute, and you should definitely join us. Ask a hundred runners why they鈥檙e out there and you鈥檒l get close to a hundred different reasons. Motivation is a very personal thing. But there are a few common themes that keep people in the game, despite the suckitude.
Running is the key to unlocking a life of adventure. The fitness base it builds translates to nearly every outdoor sport, from hiking to climbing to surfing. If you can run, almost everything else is easier.
Running has essentially no barriers to entry. There isn鈥檛 any expensive gear required. You can run in a cheap pair of Chuck Taylors and jorts. Or go barefoot if you like. No one in the running community cares if you鈥檙e wearing a simple cotton T-shirt or a $95 moisture-wicking performance top.
Even if you think you鈥檙e not a runner, you are. Maybe it鈥檚 been years, but you almost certainly know how to run. If you鈥檙e looking to start out, just run 100 yards down your block. Slowly. If that鈥檚 when it begins to suck, that鈥檚 OK. Walk for the rest of your 鈥渞un.鈥 Tomorrow try 150 yards. Congratulations鈥攜ou鈥檙e now a runner. You don鈥檛 have to bag a marathon to call yourself that.
A good soul-cleansing run is accessible anywhere, at any time. Your running shoes won鈥檛 get a flat tire. Your daily run doesn鈥檛 depend on fresh snow or good surf. You can run when it鈥檚 zero degrees and when it鈥檚 100 degrees. And you can set out from any front door鈥攚hether that鈥檚 your house or the hotel you鈥檙e staying at in Midtown Manhattan.
Those are the practical reasons to take up running. But here鈥檚 the truth: most of us, including me, learned to love running because it鈥檚 a drug. The so-called runner鈥檚 high鈥攁 shot of endocannabinoids that kicks in after 30 minutes or so鈥攊s real. It鈥檚 also free and healthy for everyone. String together a few runs and you鈥檒l probably feel it. String together a few weeks鈥 worth and it will start to alter your brain chemistry. I know this because on the days I run, I have less anxiety, think through problems clearly, and remain unflappably optimistic. On the days I don鈥檛 run? Best to keep your distance. That鈥檚 what really motivates me to run every day, and why I think everyone else should, too. It鈥檚 why I can tell you that while there are things about running that will always suck, they don’t really matter鈥攖hat pushing through the suffering to achieve a goal, whether two miles or 26.2, is worth it. Because running will change your life.