Let’s Be Honest About Your First Run

Your very first run is going to suck during and feel amazing after. 

Your second run? It's going to suck even harder than your first.

They say it takes 21 days to build a habit. I don’t know if that number is true,  but I do know this - it’s harder to show up for the run than it is to actually run.

So when do you get over the hump?

For me, it was around the four-week mark. That’s when it became something I was just programmed to do. A habit, if you will. 

I found myself lacing up my shoes even when I was feeling off physically, when work was being work and kids were being kids.

When that happens - congratulations. You can officially call yourself a runner. That feeling is truly glorious because running is a privilege. Anyone can start, but not everyone can keep going.

The Part No One Talks About

Most people quit running not because their bodies give up, but it’s the mind that taps out first. I’m not immune either. When life gets messy, I skip runs too.

But here’s what I’ve learned: mental training isn’t about forcing yourself to run every day. It’s about seeing running as part of who you are. Something you eventually come back to, no matter how long the break.

On the really rough days, I still get on the treadmill. I’ve screamed. I’ve cried. Somewhere along the way, I realized running had become my way to vent. My therapy in motion.

And yes, it sometimes gets loud. My family quietly clears the area because… well, it’s a LOT to watch 😀. But I do it anyway, because by now it’s simply a habit.

Think of it like brushing your teeth. You don’t debate it, you just do it. 

If you can master showing up four times a week, you’ll be ahead of 90% of beginners.

Try this: Schedule your runs like meetings. Put them on your calendar with reminders. Don’t rely on motivation. 

Rely on structure.

And when does structure fail?

Meet the Gremlin

Here’s one thing to remember when laziness (or life) creeps in and you start making excuses. 

There’s a Gremlin in your brain that loves the easy way out.  

It hates what you’re putting your body through. Running is hard work, and the Gremlin despises hard work. It doesn’t fight you. 

It does something sneakier. 

It soothes you into giving up, disguising comfort as self-care. It whispers that it’s okay to give up, that you’ve done enough, that you don’t have to aim higher. It feeds on complacency. It’s not loud; it’s comforting. That’s what makes it dangerous.

All it wants to do is sit on the couch, go out to eat, or binge-watch your favorite reruns.
A scroll here, a snack there, a distraction that numbs instead of nourishes.The Gremlin lives for short-term pleasure. It doesn’t care what those habits do to you in the long run.

Don’t feed the Gremlin.
Don’t give it space in your thoughts.
Talk to the Gremlin.
Tell it to p!$$ off.
It’s not here to serve you.

When the Voice Quiets Down

And once that voice quiets down? That’s when the magic happens.
The run that once felt impossible starts turning into your therapy, your reset, your reminder that you can do hard things.

Every day you show up, you’ve already won, even before you take that first step.

Hopefully, I’ve scared you just enough, but not enough to stop you. Because I’m not here to talk you out of running. 

I’m here to remind you you’re a badass for doing it anyway.

What’s Next

Next week, we’ll talk about how to make your first run a success -  what to wear, how often to run, and how to avoid burning out.

Until then, keep showing up. Keep outsmarting your Gremlin.

Every time you fight that voice and choose to show up, you’re already becoming the thing you’ve been afraid to claim.

You’re becoming a runner.

Stay Beautiful, Stay Powerful.

Lavanya