running for people who don’t like running

what i’ve learned after 3 years as an inconsistent runner

at the start of the Toronto Marathon half marathon in May 2022, at the end of the Sporting Life10k in May 2023, at the end of the Sporting Life 10k in May 2025.

I signed up for my first ever running race in the depths of Covid depression back in February of 2022. I felt aimless, listless and restless, and I needed something to focus on that would give me a sense of purpose. I was on a call with a good friend (who is a runner), and she mentioned signing up for a half marathon in May. I decided that that felt like the perfect goal to set my sights on.

I had never really run before this. I did briefly run in high school, when I signed up for a fitness class that required it, but that stopped as soon as the class ended and I never went back to it. So in essence, February 2022 was my very first time ever running, and I had decided to do 21.1kms with 16 weeks to train. To me, this was the perfect motivation: a 10k was too easy, I knew I could probably do it with minimal training, but a half was definitely out of reach for me unless I stuck to a plan. I told everyone I knew that I was running it, so I couldn’t back out, and started training.

I used the Nike Run Club half marathon training plan for this- it was exactly 16 weeks and I stuck to it as much as possible. I still use Nike Run Club for my runs because I love Coach Bennett’s guided runs so much (there is definitely an entire subsegment of runners who have a parasocial relationship with that man, myself included. I would die for him).

Btw, he has a Substack, and you can subscribe to it here:

I ran my first half in May of 2022, with a time of 2:17:00. My only goal was to finish and not walk, so I was happy with that time. Since then, my relationship with running has been very off and on. It definitely fades in the summer, because I really can’t handle the heat well, and I just tend to get busy doing other, more fun things. The only way I tend to stay consistent with running is by signing up for races, so I’ve ran the Sporting Life 10k twice since then: once in May 2023, and once this past May. In 2023, I ran it in just over 1 hour, and this year I completed it in 56:35!

screenshots of my Nike Run Club runs in 2022 vs 2025. Improvement!!

A few things I’ve learned since starting to run (as someone who never ran before):

• Zone 2 cardio isn’t for everyone. If I were to “run” in Zone 2, I would be walking. My rule of thumb for easy runs is conversation pace instead (it helps to run with a friend and actually carry on a conversation!)

• Start slow. Like, really slow. My first ever run had a pace of 8min/km. That’s how you build your cardio, and how you make sure you don’t hate running. When I was a kid, my mom used to run, and we would joke that her running pace was slower than her walking pace. Honestly, it might have been, but she followed the golden rule of going slow and was able to run races and stay injury-free because of it.

• You don’t need fancy gear to get into running. I trained for my half marathon without an Apple Watch, with old workout clothes, and used my rain jacket as a running jacket in the cold. The only thing I splurged on was a comfortable pair of shoes to get me through all the kilometres, and even then, I only bought one pair for all of the training and to do the race in.

• Nobody on the trail knows how far you’re running. I used to be so self conscious that other runners would know that I’m only running 3km at my super slow pace. But then I started to realize that they honestly would have no clue how far I’m running, or had ran. Maybe I’m really sweaty because I’m wrapping up a huge 30km run! Or maybe I’m just a bit out of shape, they don’t know. This mindset helped take a lot of pressure off of me, especially at the start of my running journey.

• You don’t need to share your running progress if you don’t want to. I didn’t use Strava to share my runs with others until I got a bit more comfortable with my distance and pace. Now I don’t care if everyone knows that I just ran my slowest 5k to date, but when I was starting out, that I’m-not-quite-good-enough feeling was really strong, so I mostly kept my actual pace and distance progress to myself.

• Your run might always kind of suck for the first few kms. I never get a “runner’s high,” but I do find I get into a more focused flow state after the first 3-5kms. I guess my body just needs a while to warm up, and I will say it has gotten easier, but I never really like the first couple kilometres of a run. If you feel like you’re stuck and always hating your runs, just try going for a 7k run instead of 5k and see if that helps.

• Being motivated by extrinsic factors doesn’t make you any less of a runner. Who cares if you only run because you’re afraid of not finishing a race! You’re still out on your run! Not everyone loves running (myself included!).

• A run is a run no matter how small. I think a lot of people trying to get into running feel like if they don’t run at least 5k, it’s not a real run. I think that’s silly (and Coach Bennett agrees!). I heavily utilize the “short runs” section of Nike Run Club’s guided runs. Most of my runs are actually under 5k (and yes, sometimes that means I never really hit my flow, and that’s okay)!

• Run with a friend! I always hated the idea of running with other people. It felt weird, and awkward, and what if I’m slow? What if we stop talking and now I don’t have music to distract me? Turns out, if you have good running buddies, a 45 minute run just becomes a fun gossip session. Your time and pace don’t matter.

• Fuel your body properly. When I was first training for my half and started running more than 20km per week, I was starving all the time. You need to fuel properly (that means CARBS!) in order to be able to go longer and faster without feeling like shit. I’m not a dietician, so I won’t give you any specific advice, but if you’re hungrier than before you started running, that’s normal and you should be eating more.

• Try guided runs. I also thought this sounded crazy before I started doing it, but the guided runs (especially Coach Bennett’s) from Nike Run Club were an absolute game changer for my running. You can still play your music in the background, but you also get a little voice in your ear talking you through your run. The guided runs are often really insightful; they improve my running, they make me reflect on why I’m running, and they’re also distracting which is helpful when you’re in the trenches sometimes. I find they motivate me especially well on longer (>5k) runs.

Running is something I do because I find it helps me focus and reminds me that I can do hard things. It’s a good way for me to get outside and get my steps in faster than if I were to walk. I’m not obsessed with it, and I’ll never be an elite runner, and that’s ok! You can do things without aspiring to be amazing at them. If it fulfills some sort of purpose for you, whether that’s big or small or silly, it’s worth doing! Sometimes the only thing that gets me out on a run is reminding myself that it’s going to make festival season better, because I’ll have the stamina to be outside dancing in the sun for longer. That is a good enough reason to be a runner. So are a million other stupid, insignificant reasons. Find your silly little reason and start running!

see you next tuesday,

jules

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