How I Stumbled Back Into Running

3 tips for getting started

I ran 7 miles yesterday, mostly on soft dirt trails surrounded by lush green grasses. The rains had passed through the day before, which kept the air still slightly cool, just perfect for running. As I focused on my breathing — I was on a long stretch of “steep-enough” incline — I noticed a bride and her groom taking wedding photos along an artistic wood line in the forest. In my peripheral view, I saw her white billowing wedding dress, his black stark tuxedo, and about a dozen colorful balloons in between them. Images of balloons and the house from Pixar’s movie Up suddenly flashed to mind, and the whole scene provided a great distraction because I still had a quarter of a mile to go on the hill…

That description is pretty normal for my weekly runs these days, from the distance, to random sightings, to mind games I play so I can make it up a hill, but it took some time to get here. I’ve been running consistently every week for 3 years, and I run now because I enjoy it. I run when I don’t have to. I run for the simple sake of running, and I’d like to share this evolution, starting with how I stumbled back into running, with those of you who may want to start a running journey of your own.

Tip #1: Walk—Set up for success

I didn’t get back into running thinking “I’m going to start running again.” It evolved. I simply started walking. I had created a work-life imbalance and dropped anything related to exercise for many things related to work (or just to catch up on sleep). I felt lethargic and cranky and despised my clothes that no longer fit well.

So, I changed my lifestyle and started walking to work. I walked 25 minutes one-way, climbing a big hill in the middle. This commute, a legitimate cardio workout, helped me live a more active lifestyle, providing a counterbalance to the near all-day sitting that came with my desk job.

But I had to make a few adjustments to build this habit successfully. Since I would show up to work wet with perspiration, I learned how to layer clothing to better regulate my body temperature. I also left 5–10 minutes early so I could cool down and freshen up in the ladies’ room before my first meeting of the day. And I left a pair of heeled boots at my desk that I changed into every morning so I could walk to work in a pair of comfy sneakers (or even flip flops on warm days). Finally, to lessen the weight I carried, I moved all of my documents and spreadsheets to the cloud so I could leave my work laptop at the office and use my personal laptop at home in the evenings.

Because I made a lifestyle change, I had to make a few minor daily adjustments to support the newfound habit. I set myself up for success in walking. I walked for weeks, just in the mornings to work, and my cardio improved noticeably. I breathed less heavily when cresting the hill. I walked the hill faster and perspired less, and I felt physically good after my morning commute before I tackled the workday. This is how I got back into running. I started with walking. Regularly.

Try It: Walk regularly, several days a week. This may require making small changes to support the new habit. Try walking and tracking progress, like 6,000–10,000 steps or 3–5 miles per day, with an activity tracker like FitBit or a phone app like S Health (Android) or iOS Health (iPhone).

Tip #2: Run—Think in minutes not miles

Once I successfully built the habit of walking to work and noticed my stamina improve considerably, I decided to take it to the next level. I started running on a treadmill with no incline. In the beginning, my runs were short — 20 minutes lasted forever and left me breathless at the end. It felt hard but I knew I would only improve. That’s how I reframed it: I reminded myself that this was just the beginning. Everyone has to start somewhere.

20 minutes was a good place for me to start. Honestly, I wanted to run for 30 minutes but adjusted my goal when I noticed how my breathing labored with each step. 20 minutes seemed more realistic (and even then with focused effort and willpower). In addition to the treadmill, I began running outside on the weekends, again starting with a 20-minute run. However, with every weekend, I set a goal to run just as long or longer than the previous weekend.

In the beginning, when I could only run a few miles at time, tracking progress in minutes instead of distance kept my runs encouraging with quicker wins. I could easily increase runs by minutes more than miles. After a couple of weeks, I maintained running for 30 minutes at a time, and I stayed in this zone for awhile, enjoying the feel-good sensation and accomplishment after a morning or evening workout. I was content, and slowly, as I got stronger and could run faster for longer, I started to think of my workouts as 3-mile runs instead of 30-minute runs.

Try It: If 20 minutes of running seems too long, then break it up into segments. Try walking for 5 minutes to warm up, running for 10 minutes, and walking again for the last 5 minutes. Or, alternate walking and running for 5 minutes each.

Tip #3: Run consistently—Schedule runs to build the habit

Running 30 minutes 2–3 times a week was manageable for me to work into my existing schedule. It didn’t require too much of a time commitment but it did require enough that I needed to shuffle a few things around in my workday. I started scheduling my workouts, blocking off time (5.00pm–7.00pm) in my work calendar. If I didn’t, then either executive hallway conversations, end of day meetings, final emails, project plan updates, or other work-related tasks would keep me in the office. Having a hard stop at 5:00pm set boundaries for both my colleagues and myself, ensuring that I left on-time for my date with the gym.

Using the calendar as a tool to schedule runs every Tuesday and Thursday helped me find the time to exercise in an already busy work week. I even scheduled weekend runs in my personal calendar and gradually, I found myself lengthening my weekend runs by half-mile increments because I could feel myself getting stronger — plus, I enjoyed playing outside.

When reviewing my schedule for the day, I would mentally prepare for all of my meetings, including my final meeting at the gym. I began to look forward to it, and on especially challenging days, that final meeting served as a beacon guiding me to the reward at the end of my day. I knew I could let off steam with a run if I just made it to that last Out of Office appointment. This calendar trick helped me establish a rhythm for working out consistently every week.

Try It: Schedule 2 runs during the work week as regularly occurring appointments to build the habit — whatever it takes to find the time for this new craft — this running hobby or stress reliever or health improvement program.

I used to run every week in middle school and high school — because I had to. After high school, when I no longer competed in Cross Country or Track meets, I only ran from time to time with weeks or months in-between runs. Running became more of a way to kickstart a new fitness routine rather than a weekly enjoyable habit. However, when I made a lifestyle change a few years ago, I unintentionally stumbled back into running. And after decades of occasional running, I’m back to running every week but this time — because I want to. I’ve changed the way I view running, which has helped me sustain the habit. I’m here for the journey, one I’d like to share for as long and as far as my legs will take me.

Read on for more tips on sustaining the habit.