It’s all too common to feel like a “bad” runner — but it doesn’t have to be that way.
A snapshot of a watch boasting an impressive six-minute mile time. A sweaty selfie taken after an “easy” trail run, completed before sunrise (of course). A video clip showing a glowing, smiling face while crossing a half-marathon finish line.
It feels impossible to escape these humble brags if you use any form of social media. And to members who are wiped after five minutes on the treadmill or breathless halfway through a 5K, these posts can trigger one common feeling: I suck at running.
Let’s be honest, running is tough. And even if you find this style of cardio training to be no-sweat, it doesn’t mean you’re necessarily enjoying it. Half of runners worldwide say they either hate running or barely tolerate it, according to a Strava survey of 25,000 people. Only eight percent of participants said they loved running.
In reality, everyone could benefit from adopting a new set of tools that makes running less mentally overwhelming and physically exhausting — less of a chore you’re forcing yourself to endure. It’s worth the effort: Runners have a 30 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 45 percent lower risk of mortality compared to non-runners, research shows. That translates to a three-year boost in life expectancy.
Improving your relationship with running all starts with Precision Run. An Equinox exclusive, Precision Run was created to unlock the potential in every critic and member who’s ever declared they’re “not a runner.” It emphasizes your one-minute personal record (i.e., PR). It’s a self-owned, hyper-personal metric. Unlike your heart rate or pace, it wasn’t designed to compare yourself to anyone else in the studio. Running is no longer a competition between you and the members running on the treads next to you — it’s you vs. you. And it’s a hell of a lot harder to feel like you suck when you’re performing against only yourself. The other tenant poles of Precision Run — the BITE (Balanced Interval Training Experience) method and the custom Woodway treadmill — make the physical experience of jogging or sprinting less tortuous and more achievable.
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A run that traditionally makes you feel miserable can turn invigorating when you bring community into the fold. Meet with a local run club, take a Group Fitness class, or join an in-person or on-demand Precision Run class. “PR is there for you always, to remind you [that] you don’t suck,” says Precision Run founder David Siik. “And when you feel like you do, we will usher you across the finish line, one step at a time.” Science backs this idea up, too: Feeling a sense of “groupness” during a workout class can make you feel more enjoyment and pleasure, as well as encourage you to work harder than if you were training solo.
Aspiring runners also make the mistake of brushing off the tiny elements that make for an enjoyable workout, including the activewear you sweat in. Your clothing choices reflect how you feel about yourself and how you want others to feel about you, research shows. And having positive feelings about your clothing is tied with positive views of your emotions, sociability, and work competency. In other words: Go for a jog in apparel you love, and you may feel the same way about yourself, even if the work feels brutal.
The list of seemingly trivial but truly make-or-break factors goes on and on: nutrition, music, you name it. The wrong energy gel can send you straight to the bathroom, while high-fiber snacks can make you feel sluggish. On the flip side, jamming to your favorite album can make your run more interesting and enjoyable, and these tunes could make your long, exhausting endurance workout feel less strenuous, too, science shows.
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Even your mindset matters. Simply believing that athletic abilities can expand and develop with some effort and learning (known as a growth mindset) has been linked with improved sports performance. If you believe you’ll become a better runner, there’s a good chance you will. It’s not always easy to maintain that positive perspective — and that’s where a Precision Run Coach, your personal hype-master and expert trainer, can prove valuable.
Following these nuggets of advice is one piece of the puzzle. Join us on Instagram to fully dismantle the mental, emotional, and physical barriers to running you’re facing. Running may suck now — but this is just the start of your journey. Lace up your sneakers, and let’s get to work.