Chasing the ‘Runner’s High’: How I Went From Hating Running to Loving It

Running, to me, was always a torturous ordeal. But to my own surprise, I am now looking forward to it.

Running for Fitness: Woman running outdoors.

(Photo: iStock/Altered by FIT)

Lungs on fire. Heart pounding. Heavy breaths. Aches in muscles you didn't know you had.

Sound familiar? This was me every time I tried running (mostly forced to by my Physical Education teacher in school). Which is why for years I avoided it like the plague.

But overnight something changed. Cue dramatic sunbeams and harp strings: the urge to run came to me. And thus began my quest to 'become a runner'.

It started as I expected — with a lot of huffing and puffing, some swearing, and a bit of nausea. And yet, I stuck with it. Two months in, and I can now run 15 minutes in a row, I don't feel like dying for most of it, and even enjoy it.

Here's how I got here.

First, a quick disclaimer. I'm not qualified to give advice on exercise by any means. These are just some things I learnt along my journey. Please consult a trained professional before starting any exercise regime.

I Found My Why: Inner Voices and Attainable Goals

When I started running a couple of months ago I just wanted to be able to run without feeling completely winded. I wanted to know what the 'runner's high' would feel like — a point where you're running comfortably, not fatigued, and experience a feeling of euphoria.

Training with the goal of participating in a running event felt too intimidating to me. Instead, every time I felt like quitting I just reminded myself, I'm doing this because I want to, not because I have to.

I wanted to get fit, and I wanted to do it by running — constantly telling myself this, in some small way, tricked my brain into believing it.

Soon I found myself looking forward to 'running time'. When I couldn’t go running because of work or the weather I found myself thinking about it and missing it (me dreaming about working out? Surely I must be in an alternate dimension.)

I wanted to get fit and I wanted to do it running.

(Photo: Anoushka Rajesh/FIT)

However, according to experts FIT spoke to, setting goals can actually be helpful for many.

"Without a goal, you're more likely to stop within the first few days," says Coach Pramod Deshpande, founder of Jayanagar Jaguars, the largest running academy in India.

He says your goal can be anything from participating in a specific event, a distance to hit, or even a health goal you want to achieve.

Furthermore, athlete and motivational speaker, Mahasweta Ghosh, says, break your goals down into smaller, realistically attainable targets. "If you do this, you'll feel a sense of achievement faster and more often. You will then want to keep at it."

It's always the first few weeks that are the hardest.

The Mistakes I Made (And How to Do It Right)

• Bad form

The reason I picked running of all sports was because running seemed like the least complicated workout regime to get into. All you have to do is throw on your shoes, and just do it right?

After all, everyone knows how to run. You don't need any fancy equipment, gym memberships, or technical skills. Right?

This bubble of mine was burst very early on.

I first started with a couple of days of brisk walking, and then decided it was time to take the leap and just start running. But a week in, my knee started aching and I couldn't sleep without a pillow under my leg for support. I had injured myself.

I realised I was running wrong. My strides were too long, and I was landing my feet in a way that was putting too much pressure on my knees. I also wasn't warming up and doing recovery stretches after.

"Running is an impact sport, and every time you run you're loading your knees with three to four times your body weight," Says Coach Ash, veteran marathon runner and Founder of Catalyst Sports, Bangalore. He adds this is why it's important to build some basic fitness before you start running.

Once I fixed my form (with some help from a seasoned runner), and started working on strengthening my muscles and joints, I found it so much easier, and enjoyable to run.

A week into my quest I injured my knee.

(Photo: Anoushka Rajesh/FIT)

• Not going slow

I was also trying to do too much too soon with too little awareness of what I was doing.

"People get injured because they do too much too soon, too fast. You have to understand that this is a new sport and your body needs adaptation," says Ghosh.

"Distance is not what makes you a runner, running is what makes you a runner, so pace yourself," she adds.

All the experts we spoke to recommended slow progression.

I started pacing myself and going step by step.

(Photo: Anoushka Rajesh/FIT)

• No one-size-fit-all regime

The type of running you should be doing, the intensity and the technique will depend on your body composition, says Coach Ash.

This is where trainers come in. They can help build regimes tailored for you.

"Its best to go for a structured training program. This should typically be designed for you, your body and your requirements," adds Deshpande.

"Running is an individual sport, so don't compete with others' progress, and even less with someone who has been doing it for years," says Ghosh.

• Food and nutrition

In the initial days, I equated fatigue with progress. And boy would I feel tired within minutes. I realized my eating pattern had a lot to do with this.

Going for runs in the morning meant I often went on an empty stomach. I also wasn't mindful of what I ate afterwards. But the experts FIT spoke to emphasised the importance of nutrition.

"Beginners tend to feel nauseous when they run and this is often because they haven't eaten enough," says Ryan Fernando, a leading sports nutritionist based in Bangalore.

Initially I would get fatigued very easily.

(Photo: Anoushka Rajesh/FIT)

"It's also important to have a good helping of protein after working out. How much you need depends on your body weight, but generally couple of eggs or a protein shake will do the trick."

Ryan Fernando

"If you're dehydrated you'll get cramps very easily. So keep sipping water while you run," adds Ghosh.

Just Do It: How I Stayed Motivated

Once I had made up my mind to run regularly, and I had fixed my form, it was only a matter of finding ways around the things that I was likely to use as excuses to not go running and tackled them.

For instance, initially, I hated the idea of running outdoors because I felt self-conscious, or because it would be too hot or too rainy, or too dark.

So I started by running on a treadmill in my local gym, and I would go early in the morning when no one was around.

I bought a new pair of running shoes and gym clothes. As silly as it sounds, they got me excited to go running (if nothing, now that I had splurged on them, I had to get my money's worth out of them).

I also noted landmarks that made me cognizant of the progress I was making. "You can make a log book and give yourself a rate card. Recording your small wins can help you keep motivated," says Ghosh.

She also recommends joining running groups and communities for support and motivation.

Once I had passed the 10 minute mark, there it was: the 'runner's high'. It hit me when I found myself running comfortably (not heaving, not in pain), falling into a rhythm, and thinking to myself, 'Wow, this is actually fun.' That was my big win.

I finally found the joy in running that I was looking for.

(Photo: Anoushka Rajesh/FIT)

But after all this, what eased me into falling in love with it (much like with people) was not overthinking my relationship with running.

If these thousand-odd words have inspired you enough to start running, I wish you all the best and leave you with something Coach Ash said, "Go run in the park, run on the grass, run in nature, run under tree branches, run left and right. Take off your adult mask and run like you did when you were a kid."