-To My Non-Running Friends –
This is my New Year’s Resolution (please ignore the fact that I just wrote a post about not waiting until New Years to make resolutions):
I want you to start running*.
Here’s my pitch:
It’s gonna hurt.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Even after running for over a year now, the first 1 – 3 miles can still suck whenever I go out for a run. The likelihood is that over the first couple of months, you will rarely get past 3 miles, and you shouldn’t. Most of the time it’s gonna stink. Most of the time it’s gonna hurt. You’re gonna ask yourself why? Why are you running these stinking 2-3 mile runs 3 days a week. Why did you listen to that stupid Luau and start this stupid thing? Why are you not sleeping in/going to bed early/lounging on the couch/cuddling with your significant other? Why Luau Why?
Wrong questions.
Look at the people who have crossed the threshold. The looks on their faces when they are done with a run should be all the answer and motivation you need. It feels good. It makes them happy. The first 1-3 miles become an entrance fee – an investment in the run, if you will. If the payoff wasn’t worth it, they wouldn’t be doing it.
That’s it.
That’s my pitch.
Tell yourself whatever you need to get past the first few months; to get to the point where you can run 5-6 miles comfortably 3 or 4 times a week. That’s when you really start to see the payoff physically. Tell yourself that you need to get in shape. Tell yourself that you want to be at your child’s graduation. Tell yourself that you want to be able to walk your daughter down the aisle when she get married. Tell yourself that you want to hold your special person’s hand when you are both in your 80’s. Tell yourself whatever the hell is takes to get yourself to that 6 mile mark.
Once you’re there you won’t have to tell yourself anything. Your body will tell you. It will tell you it’s time to run, it’s time to let the horses out. It won’t be a fight to get your butt off the couch.
BUT…
You’re going to need a plan. You’re going to need support. Sometimes the simplest of plans can work.
A simple log.
Keep track of every mile and all of the food you eat. It’s not nearly as hard as you think. If you have a smartphone there are plenty of apps that will record both for you. Otherwise, a small pad and mini-pen will work just fine. The simple act of keeping a log can steer you towards healthier habits. That is what worked for me. I dropped the food log about 2 months in when I realized that my eating habits overall were just fine except for the second full plate of dinner I was having every night. As soon as I stopped going back for seconds and thirds every night, the pounds melted away. I have kept a workout log since November 2008. Two nights ago I proudly logged my 1,329th mile of running for 2009.
Start slowly. 1-3 miles per run, 3 times a week. Try to follow the 10% percent rule, building your weekly mileage just a little at a time. Set a goal for yourself for the year. 400 miles. It may sound like a lot. That’s because it is. But if you break it down, it comes down to a little over 33 miles a month – that’s just a touch over a mile a day. You can find an average of 15 minutes a day.
You will stumble. You will have days, maybe even weeks where it all falls apart. It’s inevitable and it’s okay. But as long as you get back up, you will be fine. Stay determined, stick with your plan and you will be rewarded. When you hit the 5-6 miles per run average, you will see the changes in the mirror.
As for support, you can always find it here. I am more than happy to help. Even better, you can find it on websites like dailymile or even Twitter where you will find an instant group of friends who will support and cheer you on. They will help you when you are down, and celebrate when you are up.
My goal this year is to get you to start running.
For my running friends: My goal is to get you to get 10 of your non-running friends to start running regularly in 2010. If 40 of you get 10 of your friends to start running and they do the same next year, and so on, we can have this whole nation running by 2016. Healthcare reform? We won’t need it! It starts now.
*If you can’t run, then bike or swim or cardio-kickbox. Whatever it is that will get you eventually exercising regularly 3-4 hours a week.
Email me here ( runluaurun ) if you would like to leave a non-public comment/question or leave a comment in the comment section:
OH yeah this is what I’m talking about. Your plan is perfection. I am with you on this and will try hard to get folks up and running. Matt what an amazing thing you are doing. I am so proud of you……
Oh and I want a mini pen!!! :O)
HNY buddy!!!
great post! very motivating & truthful!
Okay I’m in. Just one little question, though. Usually when I run, it’s from a monster or the police. So do I need to piss off a yeti or commit a crime first, or do I just start running and expect the yeti/fuzz will catch on to it themselves? Thanks in advance.
the problem is that, if i start keeping a log of what i’m eating, i’ll…know what i’m eating. that would be mortifying!
no, no, it’s a great motivator, good bit of leverage on the old habits.
i’m starting to run more, but it’s hard to reach that point where it feels good. i’m not sure when that kicks in.
one thing i know: it’s tough for me to reach that point where it feels right…but any time i stop, for any length of time, i suddenly feel sluggish. so sometime’s it’s this stealthy thing, the way it’s quietly there, boosting your energy level.
anyway, thanks for these posts, motivating suggestions.
From someone who has traveled the same path as Matt in the past three years, all I can say is that he speaks the truth. Run, fight through the first few months, and you will be changed forever. And yes, dailymile and Twitter will help you get there.
[…] then think about how to encourage them. Pay the benefits of running or being in shape forward. Check out this great post by Matt (aka @luau) about his plan for getting more people running, then go find your people to get […]
This is a great post. Count me as one of the ones you are motivating. I started running last year and fell off the wagon. I’m getting back on now and make a life change not just a running change.
That’s great! 9 to go then! I hope that you stick with it. It’s not easy during the winter months, but as long as you do a little at a time, the change becomes permanent!
[…] in the spirit of my 2010 Challenge, I am adding the Gateway Challenge. I figure if I can get people to start walking regularly, […]
I’m in, and looking forward to getting back into a regular running schedule. We’re planning on a few halfs, and possibly the Goofy Challenge at Disneyworld 2011.
glad that you’re getting back in it! I’m thinking that the Goofy Challenge may have to make it on to my calendar as well!
[…] of running blogs, but he’s from Boston and I miss Boston and on top of that he’s pretty motivational for the new runner. He’s not one of those runners who has been running since the beginning of time and […]
I started running recently and I love it. I run maybe half an hour each day. Don’t know though if it’s okay to run every day when I’m only a beginner, but my body says it’s okay, so I guess it should be okay. 🙂 And I love it, but at this point, it really does seem that I’m always going to persist with this half an hour a day. More than that now just seems unreachable! 🙂
One…. blogger likes this.
*cries*
Sad. But i healthy too!
Dance
Horseback
Thats how i roll.
Both of wich relate to your experience with running. Once you start, you feel the pain (ooo the pain). Once you feel the pain, your addicted. Once your addicted, the pain dissapears. Once the pain dissapears, your life gets better.
[…] recently happened upon a running blog that I liked because the writer seemed to respect the fact that not everyone runs with the Boston […]