The Race to the Start

Despite the relative shortness of my life, I would consider myself a life long runner.  I focus primarily in distance events such as 5ks and 10ks.  As a long distance runner, I have developed a love hate relationship with the sport.  Admittedly it is a lot of hate, with random and short patterns of love.

Over the past six years I have taken numerous breaks betweens seasons, and upon arriving here at Penn State, taken a longer break from running than I should.  Each time I take a break, I dread the consequences of my actions.  That is, starting to run and getting back into shape, or as I am currently, trying to get into shape.  

Starting anything that involves long term commitment can be difficult.  Imagining the results of consistent running is easy.  Who wouldn't want to effortlessly glide through an eight mile run, or brag about a recent half marathon personal record? Despite the possibilities, it can be extremely difficult for many runners.  Motivation can be scare, bad weather might aid you in your procrastination, or simply your busy life can get in the way of training.  If you actually start running, it hurts.  The fierce burn of overworked lungs, the unpleasant tightness and lactic acid buildup in the legs, or the physical exhaustion make the first few runs feel like a jog through hell.  

Lets be honest, starting most things as college students takes an immense amount of effort, namely getting out of bed.  Starting the day is hard enough, let alone the plethora of tasks ranging from big or small that we begin or continue to work on.  So what can we do to combat the urge to put off the health benefits and relaxation of running?

As I said earlier it is very easy to get caught up in the end goal.  The easiest way to get into a continuous routine of running is to start short and run slow.  Trying to go far and fast will only make you hate running even more than you most likely already do.  Try something easy like committing to a schedule of running three days a week, starting with fifteen minute runs.  For any of you that have never ran consistently, the beauty of it is that running is customizable to your health needs and level.  When you establish your plan, stick to it and keep yourself accountable.  In doing so you accomplished on of the most difficult tasks in the sport.

Running is an activity that you often will hear compared to life.  There are many struggles in life that are reflected in both casual and competitive running.  To get to the end, one must always start.  So give it a try.  Brave the cold temperatures or hit the treadmill and enjoy what the sport has to offer.