How to start running

When I was in my late teens and early twenties I tried a few times to start jogging. We lived close to Tveitevannet, a lake which is 1.8 km around and quite flat, and this was the venue for my few attempts. Unfortunately they all ended in complete frustration. I could only run a few hundred meters and then I would be completely out of breath and exhausted. I did not see the point of this endeavor and I simply gave up!

About ten years later I was inspired to try again. This time we lived on top of a hill, about 2 km from the same Tveitevannet. I had just met Benedicte, who lived close by and would soon become a close friend. I was impressed to learn that she could run down to Tveitevannet, around, and all the way back up. She had started not long ago, and this motivated me to give my old running project another try. If she could do it, then maybe I could as well?

At least it was easy to get started. It was 2 km downhill to the lake, so no problem to run all the way until I reached the lake. (I am much more cautious about running downhill nowadays.) Around the lake I would run some and walk some, and then walk all the way back home. After a while I could complete a whole round around the lake without having to walk. The clue is to take it really easy. Just run very slowly until you can do a few kilometers without walking, before you try to increase your speed. The next phase was to try to run up the hill on the way home. Again, walk some, run some, until one day I could run it all! Albeit very slowly! It took only a couple of months from the first attempt until I could run the whole course, from home and back.

Why did it work when I was 30 but not when I was 20? I think I was much more motivated the second time; I was quite desperate to do something about losing weight and getting in shape. Being older, I was also perhaps more patient. Having a role model, who was around my age and in a similar work/family situation, definitely helped a lot, too. It is really great to have somebody to run with, especially in the beginning. You can push each other, and appointments make sure that planned running actually does happen.

If I could, then you can, too. Just do it!