How did you start running? (noncollegiate)

Growing up in Brooklyn, we played a game called manhunt, which is known by other names elsewhere but is essentially a game in which one team of people goes out and hides, and the other team goes out and finds them and chases them down. I was always able to eventually run everyone else down, so I thought I might have some running ability. I was also able to run a decent mile with no training in high school gym class, and was encouraged by others to go out and race in a free local mile road race in high school by some triathletes that trained at the pool where I lifeguarded. My typical time was around 5:00-5:10 with no training, no warm up, wearing jorts (it was 1990) and trainers.

Because I worked throughout high school, I never took the step to join the high school track team, but when I went away to college and did not have a job, I asked to walk on to my Division 3 college team. I finished as our 2nd man in our first home duel meet, and that was that, I was thereafter a runner.

My father forced me into athletics. 25 years later, I'm thankful that he ignored my childish wants and imposed his worldview without apology.

In 1st or 2nd grade I knew I was slow from playing tag at school. Once, around the same time, my family was all at the track so my high school sister could run for basketball or something. I took off and was around 10 laps when my mom got worried and made me stop. That day I learned I could run far.

7th grade and I had the hots for a girl on the team. I hated every practice and every race and vowed to quit after that year. I had hormone-induced amnesia in 8th grade and went out again chasing the same girl. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with the sport in addition to its participants.

Played baseball my freshman year of high school, and the freshman baseball coach was also the head cross country coach. Every day he'd make us start practice with a jog that was about 600 meters, give or take. The coach took note that I routinely and effortlessly finished 200 meters in front of the rest of the team; at the end of the season he asked me to try cross country. I initially declined, but he called me incessantly over the summer so I finally acquiesced and joined the team my sophomore year.

Had no base and got my a$$ kicked in practice on a regular basis for about a month, but I had a knack for the sport and eventually worked my way onto the varsity squad by the end of the year. (And it was a decent team that qualified for the semi-state meet.) Had a decent HS career but nothing special. Walked on my college team (D-I) and earned a scholarship, but will always regret quitting baseball. Running is way too much work for too little reward.

Thus endeth my not-so-humble brag.

Put on my Nike Terra TCs, walked out the door, and took the f$$k off.

I played football/soccer in uk, from there decided to try a track club to improve my fitness. Eventually quit playing football seriously and continued running.

football/soccer wrote:

I played football/soccer in uk, from there decided to try a track club to improve my fitness. Eventually quit playing football seriously and continued running.

The same for me too I found that I was much faster when I didn't have to worry about keeping control of the ball. Ended up running at a D1 school and even went to NCAA XC Nationals. Still love the beautiful game much more than any running event.

My friend and I were sitting in a bar one night in 2001. He had broken his arm snow boarding. I was just out of shape. We felt like we needed to do something other than go to work every day and drink every night. We whittled it down to a marathon or sky dive. We decided to sign up for the Chicago Marathon. He was one-and-done. I'm training for No. 8.

A crackhead broke into my elementary school classroom and I ran for help: That day I realized that I was fast.

When in Jr high, thought it would be a good way to strengthen my heart after several years of restricted activity and treatment for heart disease. Seems to have worked as I just retired and have the time and inclination to start running doubles and maybe try some racing.

I boxed in college so I always had to do some road miles to keep up my endurance. Nothing serious and it was just a means to an end. After college I wasn't a good enough boxer to keep boxing, but I kept running to stay in shape. Then I ran more and more until I was an occasional age group competitor.

After 8 years of having a routine and goals training for boxing, it helped to keep up a running routines and goals.

runner0808 wrote:

How did you start your running journey?

I ran in my youth, and had some decent talent but gravitated towards sprints and other sports. Few things brought me back about 10 years ago. I needed to find some different approaches to control my blood sugar, and after playing pick up bball one night when summer break began, I felt like a fraction of the athlete I was just a few years earlier. Slowly I began incorporating running into my workouts over the next year, and by senior year of college, I wouldn't leave the weight room until I ran for 20-25 minutes after lifting. A couple stoned night runs after college were life changing though. In all seriousness, I hit my bowl a few times, got warmed up and ventured through town, ran 3ish miles. It wasn't some secret PR recipe but the whole mind body connection was on another level I'd never experienced before. I don't get high before runs anymore, but damn, that was the game changer for me. Running my first 26.2 next month. Running is a beautiful thing, I hope to be the 80 year old one day chasing the pack.

It started with Pure Hate. It manifested its apathetic energy into running. It's in my bones, my heart.

https://tenor.com/view/vegeta-super-saiyan-transformation-gif-7714033

Only Pure Love can stop this. But who would go for ... this?

pond scum wrote:

It started with Pure Hate. It manifested its apathetic energy into running. It's in my bones, my heart.

https://tenor.com/view/vegeta-super-saiyan-transformation-gif-7714033

Only Pure Love can stop this. But who would go for ... this?

I ran away from Pure Hate. My father was a violent person and the day that I was able to slip out of his grasp and run away was Independence Day. I will never forget the look of stunned disbelief on his face as I left him behind.

I ran in high school and college and still run today. When I run, I feel free and normal and far from troubles of the past and present. Being able to run is a great gift in my life.

swam played soccer and basketball till HS.

Was pretty good at all of them but was good at soccer and basketball cause I was faster than everyone else and could keep my full on sprint longer than others

So in basketball I was the fast break king. Immeditaley sprint down to the other side on a possession change with or without the ball. Other team had to either try and run with me and fade hard in the second half while I kept it up or give me the open layups. Averaged like 14-20 points a game off fast break offense

in basketball same thing. Played on the wing and just ran by everyone. no dribbling technique. just faster than them. other teams would realize this and would switch up 2 subs so that they always had there fastest or second fastest guy on me. still wore them to the ground.

so I ran. stopped swimming cause it got boring and running I was better at. part of me wonders how good I could have been if I worked on my dribbling skills more or if I developed a good 3 point shot in basketball.

One morning when I was in 5th grade my mom woke me up and asked me if I wanted to do the Red Rose Run (a local race). I said yes thinking that I could cover the 5 mile course in 25 minutes if I tried really hard. I ended up finishing it in 55 minutes and almost dying in the process. I ran occasionally over the next couple of years but not very seriously. In 8th grade I decided that there was probably no way that I would make the varsity soccer team at my high school so I decided to give cross country a shot. I was the slowest one on the team by far. My 5k PR was like 26:00. I kept training and now I am running at a small D3 school and I couldn't be happier.

Jim Ryun's book, and my excursion through Track & Field News.

But I had to do basic training between my junior and senior

year in high, I made it a goal to become fast.

My first taste of running was when I was about 11. Would run with my dad. Then when i was 12 we would run a few laps and I would be first. My PE teacher said I should go out for track. Unfortunately at the time I was in ballet, tap and jazz so my mom said it was too much and that was that.

Years later I finally resumed running by racing my first marathon and qualified for Boston.