Like others, I have had many starts to running. Most recently, I consider my first run to have occurred about a year ago. About 12 years ago, I broke both my legs amidst half marathon training. I wasn't a runner as a kid: I miserably walk/jogged The Presidential Physical Fitness Test every year in school; later I tested out of PE in high school by joining the musical theater troupe and taking an extra science class. So in college, when I decided to start running on a treadmill because of anxiety around the *~freshman fifteen~*, I really didn't have a plan. But my siblings and I decided we were going to run a half marathon together. I still didn't have a plan. I just ran until I got tired and hoped I was going to make it past the finish line (it was 2010 and I didn't have a watch or find running culture the way I have now!). Then I broke both my legs just 6 weeks before the half marathon we'd signed up for. So, running cemented itself in my body as something I couldn't do and I turned away from running for over a decade.
Fast forward to summer 2023 - I asked a bunch of friends to sign up for a relay triathlon with me, and they begrudgingly agreed. We did the tri in April 2024, and I was the biker. As it turns out, biking is my least favorite of the three sports, so my most recent start to running happened immediately following that tri. I bought some shoes and my first run was a 20-minute walk+run on the peloton app on my phone. This time, I was armed with a watch and a water bottle and a fitness instructor in my ear telling me what to do. Honestly, it helped me be less aimless. A year later, I've done 3 5ks, a half, and a 10k. I'm slow. And my body in my 30s doesn't run or recover like my body in my late teens and early 20s could. I'm signed up for a 5k, a tri, and two half marathons in the Fall, and even if I finish DFL, I'm just trying to move my body and get stronger in these strange times we're living through (at least here in the US). I kinda hope this was my last *~first~* run :)
I have a couple first runs lmfao but they’re a clear progression of my life. I was overweight my entire life. My mom has always been a health nut and pushed me to be healthy and exercise. I just enjoyed eating and snacking significantly more.
My mom used to push me to run since I was fairly active. I did sports but did them chunky. If I slimmed up maybe I could take one of them seriously. So I tried to do cardio. It truly sucked. Running alone in the Florida heat and humidity was the worst thing ever. It sucks as a fit adult so you can only imagine how it felt to an overweight pre-teen. Safe to say it didn’t become a habit.
Next was freshman year of college, my mom told me I gained significant weight and I wasn’t happy with the way I looked. My roommate was a T&F/XC runner for the university. I hit the track one day and was once again miserable for a different reason. The weight made my knees hurt and I could barely run a decent pace without walking. That didn’t last long once again.
Then came Covid, my junior year in college. I had nothing to do but workout so this time it became a habit. I jumped rope to increase cardio fitness and slim down a smidge then started running. It started less as an enjoyable activity and more as a build a habit since you need to do this for yourself. Five years later and I’m cruising 7 min miles for double digit miles, have joined a run club with wonderful people, and have done multiple races. It was a wonderful change of lifestyle for me.
I love that. There are definitely multiple 'first runs' through life. My friend had a kid recently and talked to me about her first run back feeling like she was starting all over again, but it's SO cool that you've got to where you've got to. One hell of a journey of making running suck less!
I did study on “why people did their first run” with my surroundings. I figured out people either want to lose weight/have already been diagnosed with some disease like diabetes, hyperlipidemia and something similar; either they feel depressed, stressed. Then I summarized, people who ever started to run, are all “sick” people, physically or mentally. We all want to cure ourselves.
Well in China, we don’t have those school cross country team traditions, people normally hate running at school, or they really have talents, will be recruited to professional athletes team, but that’s not very often for most of people.
There is truth in us being sick. If we had enough natural movement within our regular daily lives, the ceremony of going for a run might cease to exist.
I guess so. But actually I don’t feel like stop running, it’s such a good source of endorphins and I just feel so great after a run every one or two days. I made new friends because of run, I travel for a race, no matter marathons or trail running. Just really enjoy this life style. I can’t imagine how would I change this in my rest of life.
It was summer time and a friend texted me from a picnic get together. Someone bet him he couldn't run an 8 minute mile, and so he tried and failed miserably. So I downloaded an app to track my run, and tried the same. I think I did it in like 16 minutes or something, and then had problems walking down stairs for a week. That's when I just turned 40, too. Turning 49 next month and thankfully it doesn't hurt walking down stairs anymore haha
I didn’t even think about PE or XC as a first run - even if it definitely, technically was. I remember an XC coach who was proud of me, even though I came on last, and I remember skipping to give myself breaks from running during a grade 10 fitness class
But the first real run I remember was when I was 23, in a summer camp sweatshirt and probably some yoga pants, in very cold Canadian weather, maybe a kilometer tops, with my partner. It absolutely sucked. But I somehow did it again, and still am lacing up every other day for the last 16 years.
That's it. Your *real* first run. Now I'm trying to think back to what I wore on my first run. I think my old school kit! Probably would look tres chic (if not a little tight) today haha.
Like others, I have had many starts to running. Most recently, I consider my first run to have occurred about a year ago. About 12 years ago, I broke both my legs amidst half marathon training. I wasn't a runner as a kid: I miserably walk/jogged The Presidential Physical Fitness Test every year in school; later I tested out of PE in high school by joining the musical theater troupe and taking an extra science class. So in college, when I decided to start running on a treadmill because of anxiety around the *~freshman fifteen~*, I really didn't have a plan. But my siblings and I decided we were going to run a half marathon together. I still didn't have a plan. I just ran until I got tired and hoped I was going to make it past the finish line (it was 2010 and I didn't have a watch or find running culture the way I have now!). Then I broke both my legs just 6 weeks before the half marathon we'd signed up for. So, running cemented itself in my body as something I couldn't do and I turned away from running for over a decade.
Fast forward to summer 2023 - I asked a bunch of friends to sign up for a relay triathlon with me, and they begrudgingly agreed. We did the tri in April 2024, and I was the biker. As it turns out, biking is my least favorite of the three sports, so my most recent start to running happened immediately following that tri. I bought some shoes and my first run was a 20-minute walk+run on the peloton app on my phone. This time, I was armed with a watch and a water bottle and a fitness instructor in my ear telling me what to do. Honestly, it helped me be less aimless. A year later, I've done 3 5ks, a half, and a 10k. I'm slow. And my body in my 30s doesn't run or recover like my body in my late teens and early 20s could. I'm signed up for a 5k, a tri, and two half marathons in the Fall, and even if I finish DFL, I'm just trying to move my body and get stronger in these strange times we're living through (at least here in the US). I kinda hope this was my last *~first~* run :)
I've got to the stage where I'm always ready for my next first run haha. I love your progress!
I have a couple first runs lmfao but they’re a clear progression of my life. I was overweight my entire life. My mom has always been a health nut and pushed me to be healthy and exercise. I just enjoyed eating and snacking significantly more.
My mom used to push me to run since I was fairly active. I did sports but did them chunky. If I slimmed up maybe I could take one of them seriously. So I tried to do cardio. It truly sucked. Running alone in the Florida heat and humidity was the worst thing ever. It sucks as a fit adult so you can only imagine how it felt to an overweight pre-teen. Safe to say it didn’t become a habit.
Next was freshman year of college, my mom told me I gained significant weight and I wasn’t happy with the way I looked. My roommate was a T&F/XC runner for the university. I hit the track one day and was once again miserable for a different reason. The weight made my knees hurt and I could barely run a decent pace without walking. That didn’t last long once again.
Then came Covid, my junior year in college. I had nothing to do but workout so this time it became a habit. I jumped rope to increase cardio fitness and slim down a smidge then started running. It started less as an enjoyable activity and more as a build a habit since you need to do this for yourself. Five years later and I’m cruising 7 min miles for double digit miles, have joined a run club with wonderful people, and have done multiple races. It was a wonderful change of lifestyle for me.
I love that. There are definitely multiple 'first runs' through life. My friend had a kid recently and talked to me about her first run back feeling like she was starting all over again, but it's SO cool that you've got to where you've got to. One hell of a journey of making running suck less!
I did study on “why people did their first run” with my surroundings. I figured out people either want to lose weight/have already been diagnosed with some disease like diabetes, hyperlipidemia and something similar; either they feel depressed, stressed. Then I summarized, people who ever started to run, are all “sick” people, physically or mentally. We all want to cure ourselves.
Well in China, we don’t have those school cross country team traditions, people normally hate running at school, or they really have talents, will be recruited to professional athletes team, but that’s not very often for most of people.
There is truth in us being sick. If we had enough natural movement within our regular daily lives, the ceremony of going for a run might cease to exist.
I guess so. But actually I don’t feel like stop running, it’s such a good source of endorphins and I just feel so great after a run every one or two days. I made new friends because of run, I travel for a race, no matter marathons or trail running. Just really enjoy this life style. I can’t imagine how would I change this in my rest of life.
It was summer time and a friend texted me from a picnic get together. Someone bet him he couldn't run an 8 minute mile, and so he tried and failed miserably. So I downloaded an app to track my run, and tried the same. I think I did it in like 16 minutes or something, and then had problems walking down stairs for a week. That's when I just turned 40, too. Turning 49 next month and thankfully it doesn't hurt walking down stairs anymore haha
Happy birthday in advance, champ. I fear the stairs will get tougher again for me one day soon haha
One day! But not today. Doing whatever I can to keep these wheels moving
I didn’t even think about PE or XC as a first run - even if it definitely, technically was. I remember an XC coach who was proud of me, even though I came on last, and I remember skipping to give myself breaks from running during a grade 10 fitness class
But the first real run I remember was when I was 23, in a summer camp sweatshirt and probably some yoga pants, in very cold Canadian weather, maybe a kilometer tops, with my partner. It absolutely sucked. But I somehow did it again, and still am lacing up every other day for the last 16 years.
That's it. Your *real* first run. Now I'm trying to think back to what I wore on my first run. I think my old school kit! Probably would look tres chic (if not a little tight) today haha.