How did you get over the initial struggle of starting to run regularly ?

It was so long ago that I don't remember. I don't think I really went hard at it. Never ran with a watch. Turned out, I blindly trained the exact right way a beginner should train. I only got into trouble once I got just little knowledge. Sometimes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Long story short, I just went out and ran with no watch and no measured distances and it worked well in the beginning.

Went from couch to 10 miles in three weeks as played football

Best advice is slow down. Don't be afraid to crank out literal 12 minute miles. The goal early is to build up your aerobic base. Ie. Pack in the easy miles without getting injuring your body.

I just did whatever. Before starting training in the summer for xc for the first time, I'd already been running 1-2 miles a day for another sport and doing like 20 mins of cardio on machines as a warmup for weight lifting. I ran 3 miles every day that summer with additional strength training. It was enough to jump into running up to 6 at xc practice.

If you are truly unfit and feeling the training is brutal, just do something. Do something enough times, you'll probably be able to run a 5k.

Far better to just leave your shoes right next to the door and get out first thing in the morning when the weather's good in the summer, and just run by feel, ignoring time. At most, throw in a few easy strides 3-4 times per week, but you won't even need that for months.

There was no struggle.
Don't overthink it, just run when you want to.

You got this. Idiot.

https://www.reddit.com/r/running/comments/1lngesj/how_did_you_get_over_the_initial_struggle_of/

I started keeping a diary. Knowing a missed day meant I was going to have to write something like "nothing" at the end of a day kept me accountable to myself. And I made a rule that I had to get my gear on and go outside and run for at least ten minutes. If I really didn't want to run after that I could quit. Lydiard used to say that the hardest step on any run was the first one out the door.

Initially it wasn’t a struggle

it was novel, new and fun. Each run just kept getting easier.

after several consistent years and then several years of on and off injuries, I’ll let you know once I get back over the hump

This was me at the start of my run streak. I had to keep in mind "Consistency, consistency, consistency." Pretty easy to do when your local YMCA was too busy being closed because of the scamdemic.

I don't know, I was 14 and my coach made me.

didn't have this problem when i started. i was willing and motivated to run as much as my body could handle. NOT MUCH.

I've had a few times coming back into it since, that I've needed to talk myself into it.

The latest time I just forced myself into a streak. I said okay, you're gonna go on a 27 day streak. Somebody said it takes 27 days to make something a habit. I don't know if I buy that stuff, but it was a starting point, so I went with it.

For me, a run constitutes at least 3 miles. Unless I'm doing a several month streak. I may let 2 slide on occassion.

I was coming back from a pretty bad Achilles injury about a decade before and did the one min run followed by one min walk for a week or two and was back full swing in no time!...if the desire to run is there, you will eventually find yourself running everyday!!

When I (re)started running 21 years ago, I ran only three times a week. I always felt fresh and looked forward to the next running session.

Once I got used to it, I started running four times, five times and then six times. Even when I double on some days, I still take one day off per week, and that keeps me fresh.

I am not saying this is the rightapproach. But that's how I got over the initial struggle and learned to run regularly. So that's my answer.

I was chasing squirrel

I miss the days when this forum would have told this poster this was a forum for elite runners not runner's world.

I was going into my sophomore year of high school and joined the XC team after years of soccer. At that age you don’t know any better and just go with it.

If I remember correctly, going for a jog was super norm but not very regular for me.

Once I decided to do a half marathon, and found a beginner 12 week schedule, I just followed it.

Rinse and repeat for a year. At the end of the year signed up for a marathon and walked it win.

Then started doubling twice a week etc

In the beginning it was all excitement with newbie gains.