Enjoyment x Time = Fitness

Social media has a way of distorting the simple things, turning training into a statement of identity instead of an act of enjoyment. Somewhere between influencer advice and algorithmic noise, it’s easy to forget why we run in the first place. Beyond this performative hardship, it's worth remembering that 99.9% of us aren't going to the Olympics or relying on running to put food on the table. Running, and the process of training for a goal is 100% optional and something we choose to do. For many of us this is an intentional choice, and a privilege, to be able to introduce and interact with some element of challenge in our day to day lives. That means that enjoyment can be and should be pretty high on the list of priorities.

Running for the most part is a very simple sport. Endurance adaptations are chronic and the sport rewards long term consistency over short-term solutions or shortcuts. The simplicity of running and endurance training is that the more of it you do, the better you get, with some caveats. The important part of this is if you're enjoying what you do, you're likely to do more of it. Enjoyment x Time = Fitness So why is it we see people struggling with the process of running and what can you do to align your running more closely with enjoyment? Ask yourself, what do you enjoy about running? What is it about running that you enjoy? What is your why? Your why doesn't need to be something deep or complex, it might just be that you love running as a form of exercise. Understanding your why helps recentre things when you go through periods of injury, illness or low motivation.

Do you struggle with motivation? Are you intrinsically or extrinsically motivated? Motivation follows action, not the other way around. You have to start to feel good and not wait until you feel good enough to start. It's also normal to go through periods of high and low motivation and recognising and accepting this early on is an important part of developing. Understanding the relationship between motivation and discipline is also an important part of developing as a runner. There will be times where motivation will drive the process and other times when discipline takes the wheel. Is running a crutch for you? Do you have any other tools to manage your physical and mental health, or is running the only thing you can rely on? What happens when running is off the table due to injury or illness? It's easy to fall into the trap of being mono focused and tying your identity and self-worth to running while neglecting other areas of your life that can bring immense value. Training might also look like a bike ride, time in the pool, talking with an expert in the mental health space, taking a day off, learning new exercises in the gym, reading a book or going for a walk.

The addition of structure doesn't mean the absence of fun. Find what you love and do it. Once you've found it, you can build structure around it. If you don't know what it is that brings you enjoyment in running, try things. Experiment with different distances, different surfaces, a new race or new locations to run. Do you want to progress? An important part of progress is an acceptance that progressing often means working on weaknesses and exposing yourself to periods of discomfort. Again, this is a choice and totally optional. Going back to the above point about structure, training can still be fun. Planning long runs around exploring new routes, doing workouts on your favourite stretch of trail and jumping in with other people are all great ways of sustaining the enjoyment of running. Enjoy where you are and be where you are. Progress and enjoyment aren't opposites; they can coexist together. Social media consistently pushes the next challenge and the next big thing. You shouldn't feel pressured to run a marathon or sign up to an ultra if you have no interest in doing so. Enjoyment can be found in shorter distances and in environments outside of racing.