According to research from the European Journal of Social Psychology, it takes an average of 66 days to form a habit (with a range of between 18-254 days). At the time of writing, Friday February 2nd 2024, I’ve been consistently running three times a week for 8 weeks (or 56 calendar days), and I feel confident in saying – the habit is well and truly formed.

According to Strava, I ran a total of 108.8kms in January 2024. My longest run was 15.04kms at a pace of 5:34/km, within which I set a 10km PB of 54:57. I’m really proud of these stats, particularly considering I’m a newbie runner. Pace aside, I’m overwhelmingly pleased with the commitment I’ve shown to marathon training. When I set up the blog, I wasn’t sure if it would be a complete waste of time (and money). If you’ve read the about post, you’ll know the point of the blog was to hold myself accountable to the post-operative goals I set. Nonetheless, despite best intentions, grandiose plans have often failed due to questionable discipline.

Truthfully, I had no idea if I would continue running when other parts of my life edged closer to pre-operative, pre-injury normality. Thankfully, however, I’ve managed to remain disciplined long enough for the habit to stick – who’d have thought. In the whole of January, I missed one training session, and that was due to pain on the rear of my knee (I think it’s called the popliteal fossa – what a name!) What’s more, I sometimes enjoy, and even look forward to, my runs (emphasis on sometimes).

While the numbers show the objective progress, they don’t capture the lessons I’ve learned from my first full month of running and dedicated marathon training. The following is a brief overview of those lessons, some of which I’ll expand upon in a future post. Hopefully, if you’re a current runner, you’ll find these points relatable. If you’ve not quite taken that first step, I hope these lessons inspire you to lace up your shoes.

1. Running doesn’t always need to be hard, but if you’re just starting out, it’s likely going to be.
   
   I’ve read, and seen bits and bobs on the internet, about the 80/20 rule. The rule states that 80% of your runs should be done at an easy pace, your heart rate remaining in Zone 2 for the duration, with the remaining 20% being hard(er) efforts. Let me tell you, as someone who hasn’t done much cardiovascular exercise for a number of years, this isn’t possible. Even after playing around with heart rate zones and using an external HR monitor to conduct lactate threshold tests, there’s no way my body is sufficiently conditioned to run in Zone 2. While I’m not a medical professional nor running coach, if my experience is anything to go by, I’m here to tell you not to focus on or worry about Zone 2 running. Instead, if you want to follow the principles of 80/20 running, try completing your easy (recovery) runs at a pace where you’re able to maintain a conversation. If you’re running alone, sing or talk to yourself! If you’re unable to do that, consider the trusty run-walk to keep your average HR down.
   
   The important takeaway from this, is not to get bogged down by the details. It’s easy to think there’s something wrong with you or that you’re just not built for running when you can’t accomplish the feats commonly prescribed in running books or by online content creators. But I’m here to tell you, your time will come. While running doesn’t need to be hard, it’s important to accept and lean into the fact that anything is hard when you’re new to it. So remind yourself – right now, this is the hardest that running is likely going to feel. It’s only going to get easier (or you’re at least going to become more accustomed to the pain) from here.
   
   That’s not to say that we shouldn’t aim for the long-term goal of Zone 2 running. I just want you to recognise, like I have, that it takes time to build your aerobic base. I’ve already started to realise, even in the last four weeks, the positive impact on my heart. I’ve seen my average HR on easy runs drop by approximately 10 BPM, while simultaneously seeing increases in pace with the same RPE (rate of perceived exertion). With consistent effort, I’m positive that I’ll soon be able to run in Zone 2, and so will you. Don’t overcomplicate it.
   
   
2. Running can be extremely beneficial to your mental health.
   
   Personally, I think I could dedicate an entire article to this point (and I probably will). I’ve always heard people talking about the positive mental health benefits of running. As an advocate of the antidepressant effect of physical activity, and having experienced analogous effects from sports such as rock climbing, this makes total sense. But I always perceived running to be an overly-difficult, mostly miserable sport where people had to suffer for the duration to reap some tiny, post-run high related reward.
   
   Of course, as I’ve continued to run, I’ve realised this isn’t strictly true. Running can be, and often is, an enjoyable activity once you get the hang of it. However, there’s still some truth that there’s an element of suffering to the sport, and it’s here that I think the propensity for positive mental health benefits really is.
   
   The ability to overcome something difficult or challenging in sports such as running can have tremendous knock-on effects in other areas of our lives. If I think back to the first goals I set (and if you do the same), the thought of running for even a couple of minutes, let alone the duration it would take to complete a 5 or 10km, was daunting. Me? Run? 10kms? You’ve got to be joking. What an unlikely, difficult challenge. But then you tick it off. You overcome something perceived as difficult and you begin to consider what other challenging circumstances you might be able to overcome if you really put your mind to it. The gains to self-belief, self-esteem, and self-efficacy are there for the taking.
   
   Another aspect (and believe me, there are many) of the relationship between running and positive mental health, is the sense of gratitude its curated. If you’ve spent any time on the internet in the last few years (which, if you’re reading this, i’m assuming you have), you’ll know that gratitude journaling is all the rage. While I’ve never been great at making a habit out of it, it’s a major takeaway from running. I feel incredibly thankful and enormously grateful that I’m even able to run. I’m amazed at the body’s ability to adapt and grow in response to the stimuli you throw at it. While I don’t light incense and literally thank my body at the end of each run, perhaps I should. It’s astounding that these little legs can carry me through so many miles.
   
   As someone who’s struggled with major depressive disorder for a number of years, the level of gratitude imbued by running makes me realise how fortunate I am. I’ve taken quite a lot of shit these last few months, and honestly, without running, I think I’d be a mess. With it, I’m thriving. If you need a reason to continue, or take up, running, this is it.
   
   
3. Skipping a workout or two isn’t going to detrimentally impact your long-term performance.
   
   Last week, as mentioned above, I picked up a niggle while re-introducing bouldering to my routine. It was slightly painful to walk on for a couple of days, and as a result I decided to skip said week’s speed workout. I felt somewhat guilty and partly worried that skipping a workout (and potentially more if the problem persisted) would set my performance back; maybe even limit my chances of completing the marathon distance. To my surprise, the next two runs were some of the best. While one was just a recovery run to ease back into things, the other was my longest and the one I set a 10km PB in.
   
   As I mentioned in another article, I think many of us have been exposed to the type of health and fitness content that criticises people for taking that extra rest day, or makes us feel guilty if we’re not constantly performing to the best of our abilities. While this approach might work for some, for most it’s likely to lead to injury. The reality is, there’s going to be weeks where we need to take an extra rest day, where life gets too busy, where other activities have to take priority. The sooner we accept this fact and don’t beat ourselves up about it, the better.
   
   
4. Progress isn’t always linear.
   
   In the 8 weeks I’ve been running, I’ve seen my pace and distance increase while my average HR for the same RPE has been decreasing steadily. While it’s really great to see these objective measures of progress, it’s equally important to understand and plan for bad days. It’s essential to take the bad with the good.
   
   I remember a run a couple of weeks ago that felt hard. Possibly harder than any of my previous runs. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t panic! It’s completely normal. Perhaps you slept a little worse. Maybe you ate more or less than you’ve previously eaten before a run. Or maybe there’s a little more stress in your life. No two days are exactly the same, so expecting your runs to be is a little silly! You’re going to have bad days. Love them, and move on.