– What do you do?
– I run.
– How do you not get bored while running? Running is so boring! Do you listen to music or what to avoid boredom?
The conversation that most of the runner hears regularly. Why some people find running boring unless if they have a ball to be chased? Many non-runners see running as a monotonous event where doesn’t happen much, it always remains the same. You only put feet in front of each other and it’s even harsh, you get exhausted.
My point is not to speak all the varieties of running training here, or how to make running entertaining.
In reality, running is so much more than just running. When you start to run, especially if you haven’t run all of your life, it’s harsh and you find yourself struggling and maybe want to give up. Each time you go for the run, you face the feeling, you have seen others run easily and effortlessly and you feeling everything else put easy, you might hate that and think “well this is boring”. Those effortless looking runners have probably can years of work to get that point, and still, it’s not easy for them all the time.
Maybe you haven’t run enough. In some point of the running, you will face yourself and you might not like it. It might hurt, feel ugly and everything feels pointless but when you keep going, you judge less and love more. You find to beauty, the beauty of yourself and you face yourself stronger than ever before, not only physically. When you are outside alone, without music and podcast. Just you, your shoes, time and road in front of you. Depending on your feeling and day, your mindset can be all over the places. You might think your boss word, all the household works that waiting, dinner to make, the longer you continue you start to recognize increasing heart rate, heavy breathing and legs which weights tons, you start to doubt yourself, and want to stop and walk back home. Why running is so boring, you ask yourself. Is it boring or are your thoughts boring? When you come to that point when you want to stop, continue, focus breathing. Your thoughts might disappear and you only feel difficulties to move your legs. Still, continue, prove yourself that you can do it, some point in some running session you find it. You will find that amazing flow when everything feels effortless, there are only you and the road, nothing else, that magical moment is the reason to run. Nothing is boring in the flow zone, everything is perfect.
You have to travel through discomfort and boredness to find flow.
If you still find running boring after you really tried and give it change, maybe it’s not for you, or maybe you are not ready to face yourself and your deepest thoughts. Life is a journey, so it’s your growth and running too.