9 True Things No One Tells You About Running

So maybe you’ve decided to make your New Years Resolution to start running. That is great and welcome to the community! Like everything, we all started as beginners somewhere.

It doesn’t matter if you recently walked your first 5K, or whether you’ve completed 100 marathons. We all started as beginners as we entered this crazy world called running.

From a non-runners perspective, running seems easy. You move in a straight line from point A to point B. Heck, you might even go from point A back to point A.

However, it turns out there is a lot more that goes into the sport. I’ve been running for about five years and by all means I’m not a professional or even a veteran, but there are so many things I wish someone had told me about running:

1) Running can be boring

Some days, it’s not exciting, it’s lonely, and you don’t feel great. In fact, as runners, we have absolutely no idea we why keep moving…but we do.

2) There will be days rolling out of bed is hard

Not every run is easy or effortless. In fact most are not! Some days, the run will feel hard, you’ll feel demotivated, and you’ll wonder why you’re even running at all.

Once you see success, that hard work will pay off and the sense of accomplishment from your run or PR will far outweigh how hard the run felt.

3) Running never gets easier, you just get faster

Every runner is chasing a goal: whether it’s to finish their first race, BQ or run 50 marathons. Every goal possesses a challenge.

Each day, we get stronger and build more endurance. Even the elites struggle with motivation and bad runs!

4) Running shoes are expensive but necessary

You must take care of your feet, and without the proper running shoes, you are far more susceptible to injury.

Get fitted by a specialist at a Running specialty store for your first pair of running shoes. It is not about what “looks good.”

5) You’ll own more pairs of running shoes than you ever thought possible

Once you dive into the sport, you will quickly start to find yourself with more running shoes than regular shoes.

Your closet will be littered with several different brands and styles. Or who knows, you might have several pairs of the exact same color and style.

(MORE: 13.1 Unforgettable Summer Half Marathons)

6) The same goes for running gear

Along with shoes, you’ll also continue to purchase more and more running gear and apparel. You’ll make a slow transition from wearing pants, to fancy leggings to work out tights and capris.

Did you just get done with a run or have you been relaxing in those leggings all day? The world will never know…

After all of your apparel purchases, your laundry quickly becomes: running clothes and non-running clothes.

7) You don’t lose much weight running

Many people believe running, or marathon training is their ticket to weight loss. Ask any “rungry” runner, and you’ll quickly find that is not the case. As runners we are always hungry!

Speaking of food, many runs will become centered around eating and drinking beer. Who knew runners like to start runs at local breweries? Social running will become your new happy hour.

8) Your social life starts to revolve around running

Your decision to be social with your non-running friend’s life will begin to revolve around when you can run. Staying out until 11 when you have a long run the next morning? No, thank you…

9) You’ll become a ‘morning person’

Soon, you’ll become a morning person. Remember those Friday nights you would hang out for happy hour? You’ll begin to transition from a late night person to accomplishing long runs before 9 am on weekends.

After running a few months, your feet will be disgusting, and slowly your pedicures will become less and less. If you do get a pedicure, you’ll thank your pedicurist profusely and leave a bigger tip than the actual pedicure.

Finally, from the friends you make to the goals you accomplish, running will change your life.

Hollie Sick is an avid runner who’s completed more than 30 half marathons. Read her blog, or follow her on Twitter and Instagram.