I Hated Running for 10 Years Before I Loved It

Is "running" doomed to be hated until you love it? Do people love it right away?

For me, it was 2016 when I officially started going to the gym. I remember just showing up and thinking, this is enough. And honestly, it was. When you are trying to build a new habit, it doesn't happen overnight. Showing up was all I could really manage at the time, and that counted.

I had some background. Back in high school around 2010, I took a weight room gym elective, so I technically knew how to use a lot of the machines. But knowing how to use them and using them well or consistently are two very different things. I had no idea how to rotate exercises or build a real strength routine, so I skipped most of it. Instead, I put myself on a treadmill every few days and called it quits after 5-10 minutes. I could walk, sure, but running was absolutely not happening. I would walk for a few minutes, stop, and go home.

This was my first time ever stepping into a gym, and I was already proud of myself for that. Still, I didn't know what I was doing.

Looking back, I realize I tried to make running a thing for a long time. I did the Color Run. I always chose cardio-based classes in gym. I ran around my old neighborhood when I lived with my parents. I downloaded "Zombies, Run!". And there was not a single time during any of this where I enjoyed myself. Not once. 😅

I was cosplaying as a runner. I wanted it to work so badly, but I never understood it. Eventually, I convinced myself that people who say they enjoy running are lying. Maybe not to others, but definitely to themselves. There was just no way people actually liked doing this. And this is coming from someone who knows what it's like to be confidently incorrect. For example, my favorite alcoholic drink is a dirty martini, and I am fully aware that preferring olive brine over sweet strawberry syrup is the wrong opinion. But here we are.

So...I really believed running was just something people tolerated for heart health, cardio benefits, and that's it.

...until recently??

It's now 2026, and toward the very end of 2025, something clicked. If you do the math, yes, that is ten years of trying to make running happen before I finally felt something.

One day, I found myself excited to go to the gym. Excited to get on the treadmill. And when I got there, I did not want to walk. I wanted to run. This was not my first time running on a treadmill. I had been doing it on and off for years. But this was the first time I craaaved it. Like the way you start salivating when you think about that perfect meal you're going to have after a long week.

I warmed up with a minute or two of walking, and then I started running. I ran for a few minutes straight without stopping. That might not sound like much, but it was huge for me. And I didn't want to stop.

I caught my reflection in the little TV screen on the treadmill and just started smiling at myself. I couldn't believe how much fun I was having. It didn't matter what song came on. Even low BPM songs felt good. I was fully in it.

I don't even know how to fully explain how I got here. I hired a coach a few months ago, and I am blown away by how much she has taught me. She helped me prioritize myself, understand strength training, and set realistic cardio goals. Her support has been endlessly helpful.

I have also just grown more confident in general. In my career, my wardrobe, my accomplishments. I am eating better. I am prioritizing my vitamins. I have been getting sick a lot lately, and taking better care of myself has made a world's difference. I'm surrounded by people I genuinely love. I have set better boundaries. The people in my life, family and friends, are supportive and communicative.

I want to be clear that none of these things are required to enjoy running. This is just my experience. For me, all of it came together.

There was a moment that felt straight out of a movie. Everything went quiet. I was running in slow motion, looking up, noticing the birds (I was inside but you get the picture), and I just thought, I love this. I love this so much. Oh my gosh, I finally love running.

Ten years. Ten years.

Is this the ultimate trust-the-process moment? Maybe. All I know is the journey was worth it.

If you made it this far, are you trying to make running a thing? Is it working? I would genuinely love to hear about it.