Is Running Boring?

It is common to hear people describe running as boring. Of course, that is their prerogative, but I think there are good reasons question that choice of description. Do they really mean something else? Are they basing that on very limited experience? Have they been lead to believe erroneous things about running that distort their perception of the activity?

Almost everyone likes to go for a walk. The main differences between walking and running are speed and level of effort. Higher speeds don’t qualify as boring for most people. Needing to exert more effort might be less comfortable, but, again, boring doesn’t seem like quite the right choice of words.

It can’t just be the repetitive put-one-leg-in-front-of-the-other aspect, which is the same as in walking. Besides that, there is repetition in almost any activity, work or hobby related. Think of things like playing volleyball, knitting, fishing, or planting a garden. These all involve significant parts that have to be done over and over to get it done or participate.

The less experience a person has in a certain activity, the more challenging it can be to do it for very long. It may feel more tedious sooner because of lack of strength or skill. However, once competence is increased, it is usually enjoyed more. For instance, playing an instrument will not be nearly as enjoyable in the beginning stages. It can even involve a lot of practice in technic or developing muscle memory that take sheer determination. However, playing an instrument can hardly qualify as boring. Similarly, there is a lot of potential to develop in running and enjoy it more.

So, maybe, people say running is boring, when what they really mean is that it is hard. But chances are they are making it hard due to misconceptions or pressure other people make them feel. The joy is sucked right out of it by what they think they have to do. Just like would happen if someone told you that dancing had to be done in ways that hurt. Or if it was popular to say weight lifting always had to be done at extremely high loads and until you felt exhausted. Running done at comfortable speeds, with gradual build up of stamina can be quite pleasant. Add the occasional burst of speed and you have a great recipe for fun.

There is also the affect of having the right equipment, or using the wrong equipment. If you try to dance in work boots, or swim holding a rock, or play the guitar with leather gloves on, it is going to be worse than boring. It is going to be extremely frustrating and you will probably not get any better at it. The same goes for running.  The typical modern running shoe hinders proper foot action. The typical shoes worn the rest of the day deform and weaken the feet. All of this footwear consequentially interferes significantly with the ability of the feet to run and the body to feel good while running. This will make running seem much more tedious than it is when done right.

Still, keep in mind that tedious does not have to mean boring. Being bored is more a state of mind and lack of interest. It connotes a mental choice. It is not an attribute that inherently belongs to an activity, but a person’s response to it. We can choose to lapse into a feeling of boredom in the many daily activities that require attention or we can learn to find the good and meaningful in them. Letting ourselves concentrate on the tedium by default makes things feel tedious when they don’t need to.

That doesn’t mean that it is always the best choice to continue with tedium. Sometimes the sense of tedious is due to tiredness or mental saturation. It might be best for good attention to and proper completion of the task to take a break, do something else, make progress in segments. Trying to do too much too soon is the destruction of many a good goal, including exercise and running.

Sometimes the tedium in anything can be moderated or dispelled by attitude or keeping goals in mind. I can choose to take satisfaction in very clean pan I wash, giving myself mental high-fives, or I can spend a lot of grumpy time in the kitchen. But the fact is that there are many good, and enjoyable benefits from a clean kitchen. I can also have fun doing it in a variety of ways, from enjoying the warm water on my hands to observing the sparkling surfaces.

I have one daughter who tells me that running feels more tedious to her for the first mile, until she gets into the flow. She really likes the flow after that though, so uses that to help her through the less pleasant first mile. It is very helpful to identify these types of factors. Then we can manipulate them to our advantage and overall enjoyment of activities.

Some people say running has no purpose and that is why they don’t like it. This doesn’t ring true to me since everyone does things for enjoyment that have no productive purpose. Watching movies, coloring, playing soccer. Group game activities may have a different sort of social interaction, but they are still just games. None of these has any real purpose, but people do them. Running at least increases stamina, is a chance to get out in the fresh air, provides opportunity to appreciate the scenery, and can be quite relaxing. Solitary activities often refresh and allow for healthy problem solving.

If you want to claim the need for serious purpose to exercise, it is well to recognize that while there are some very physical jobs, there are not many common ones that strengthen the body aerobically. They can also be stressful and unbalanced in how they stress the body. Aerobic exercises like running, swimming, biking are uniquely able counteract such stress while providing their own benefits. It seems to me that counts as a good purpose.

It really comes down to perspective and what is going on inside your head. Do you want to find excuses for not doing something? Are you really looking for ways to problem solve the glitches? Do you mind spending time inside your own head? I’m not saying running has to be everyone’s favorite activity, but I’m suggesting that boring is not really what is going on.

I obviously don’t think running is boring. The main reason I challenge other people calling it boring is that I think it discourages inexperienced or discouraged runners. Many more people might enjoy and benefit from running if it wasn’t spoken of in these terms.

Finally, running can’t really be boring, because young children typically love to run! They enjoy the motion and testing their limits. Children don’t do things that are simply boring. If you really want to feel young again, running can help with that!