running: it's not for everyone, but it could be.

Of all the thousands of ways in the world to burn calories, running seems to be the most elusive. It shouldn't be, but to the general public, running 3, 4, 10 - or the ultimate 26.2 miles - for "fun," seems like a suicide mission appropriate for the craziest of the crazies.

But it doesn't have to be.

I hate running. It's what I hear from most people who don't do it, my fiance included. It's so haaaard, they say. And they're right. It is. And sometimes, it's downright awful. And honestly, it's not for everyone. But in my most unprofessional opinion, I really think it could be. Just because it's hard, just because it isn't always fun, doesn't mean it isn't for you.

So here's what I've got. I've had several people over the course of the past year or so, ask me how I started running. What programs did I use, what intervals, what pace, what distances, what shoes, and what kind of sanity did I have when I fell in love with this crazy sport. I don't think people ask because they think I'm good. I think people ask because let's face it, I won't shut up about it. And I'd like to think that, despite setbacks, roadblocks and momentary lapses in motivation, I've made running seem approachable to people who otherwise would have deemed it only for the already athletic "gazelle." More on gazelles later. I've provided you with the basics - the basics on how I started running, what I did, what I used, and how I managed to keep going after I got to the end of my street and realized my body was screaming at me for putting it through such torture. It's my best advice, however unauthorized that may be.

Get fitted. Getting fitted for proper running shoes is essential. The people at running stores - I mean true running stores, not Dick's Sporting Goods - are knowledgeable. They'll watch you walk (or even run on a treadmill) and be able to fit you with shoes that will work for you. Don't think you need fitted? Think again. Check out this article from Runners World and see just how many weird things your feet can do. It can be a costly trip, but seeing chiropractors and podiatrists for the next year because your feet are throbbing and your back aches will be more expensive. And painful.

Pick a running program. Or start your own. When I first started running, I used the Couch to 5k program. It sets you up with 9 weeks of running schedules to prepare beginning runners for a 5k race. But truth be told, I didn't love the schedule, or the intervals. I experimented with the first few sessions, but then adapted to a pace and interval I was comfortable with. I started on a treadmill so I could easily monitor my time and distance. I did intervals of 2 minutes walking, 1 minute running for about 30 minutes. Then I'd move it up to 1 minute walking, 2 minutes running. From there, I just played with intervals until I was running 5 minutes at a time, with 3 minute walk breaks. I started running for 30 minutes at a time, then vowed to run a full 3.1 miles (a full 5k) using those intervals. In time, I was running the whole thing.

Walking is cool. When I first started running, my ultimate goal was to never take walk breaks. Not stopping to walk during a run was the ultimate sign of success for me - the entire point of running was, at the time, to actually run. When I caught the running bug this past spring again, I started experimenting with Jeff Galloway's half marathon training program. He talks a lot about intervals, and bases it off your average pace (and a few other super fancy factors). It was a mental struggle to come to terms with walking as a major part of my runs, but now I cannot live without it. Prior to using this technique, I was running a 5k in about 38-40 minutes. Now, my 5k PR is below 33:00. I run faster and farther because my walk breaks, which start early on in my runs, give me the opportunity to preserve energy. Don't let anyone tell you walking isn't cool.

Get a good playlist. Good music is essential to getting in the zone. I envy the ones who can run sans headphones. I update it constantly - especially when I'm lacking in the motivation department. Pick songs that pump you up or motivate you to be better. Don't be afraid to sing along while you run. Seriously. Whatever gets you through.

Understand that it will be hard. The most common reason people stop running is because it isn't easy right from the get go. If you run to the end of your street and you're already ready to puke, I promise you aren't alone. We've been there. Well, I have. I was over 200 pounds when I started running - carrying that extra weight on my knees made even one mile seem impossible. My advice? Don't stop. Do not get discouraged. Go back out the next day. Do walking and jogging intervals, and tell yourself you'll go two driveways farther than you did the day before. Keep going. Whatever you do, get up the next day, and go again.

Get a cool app. Tracking your runs, however obnoxious it is to see on social media outlets, is motivating. People like to see their mileage and calories rack up. Invest in a heart rate monitor (one with a fancy GPS if you want, too), or just download the Nike+ Running app and hear famous athletes and runners tell you how awesome you did after you end a good run. Whatever you do, invest in some sort of mobile app to track what you're doing. If you do post it to sites like Facebook, you'll be motivated to make the post a "worthy mileage" for others to see. I don't care what they say, caring what others think can be strangely motivating.

Take care of yourself. Carb-loading is really only necessary for long distance runs, but drinking 3 margaritas and eating Taco Bell on Friday and then wondering why your Saturday morning run sucked probably won't end well. Eat good fats, whole foods and lots of protein. If it has more than 5 ingredients on the label, you probably should skip it. Get enough sleep. Get. Enough. Sleep.

Allow yourself to think about other things. Running is more of a mental struggle than anything else. When you first start, it's hard to think about anything other than the run, especially if you're also overweight. All I could feel in the beginning were my knees aching, my lungs screaming and my fat jiggling up and down as I shuffled like a basset hound down the street. Make valid attempts at looking at that ugly pink house down the street and forcing yourself to think about something other than running until you pass that house. Distracting your mind from what your body is doing will disconnect the notion that you can or can't do it.

That being said, engage yourself. On the runs when you know your body is quitting out before your mind is ready to, you have to play the game. You know your body better than anyone, and you have to determine if you should listen to your body, or mentally push yourself because there's no way you're going down on this run without a fight. You choose your success. You push yourself. The moments when you don't want to do something because you're tired, hungry, pissed off or your socks don't match - what you do with those moments is what determines your successes and failures.

Be realistic. If your thighs rub together, giving you the infamous "chub-rub," don't wear super short running shorts that set you up for failure. Invest in a good bra (like this one I wrote about recently). If you know you're exhausted and busy after work, forcing yourself to run when you're already burned out from the day is probably not going to promote optimum success. Deciding you're going to pick up running today and you're going to run your first half marathon in 2 months is probably going to make you miserable, too. No one says you have to go from zero to marathon in 26.2 minutes. Deciding to get out there in general already makes you a rockstar.

Invest in some self discipline. Just like school, driving a car and learning the ropes at a new job, learning how to run takes practice. It takes discipline to get up and run when you'd rather sleep, to skip happy hour to get the run in or to not binge drink the night before a race. It takes training and effort to continuously go out and run. Nobody is going to hold your hand and make you go. The only person who can do that is you. Hold your own hand. Push your ass out the door. Just. Go. You never regret it, I promise.

Envy the gazelles, embrace the basset hound. I wrote a whole post on basset hounds and gazelles. Those skinny, already-athletic people who make running look effortless are enough to make us basset hounds want to scream. Basset hounds are people like myself - as an overweight runner, I sometimes feel like I'm shuffling like an over-heated, slobbery basset hound running through a field in the middle of August. I envy the shit out of gazelles - they push me to be better, run faster, run harder. But once I embraced my inner basset hound and learned to love the runner I am, I was much more at peace with my running. Know what kind of runner you are, and be that well. Push yourself, be the best you can be, but never hate what you are. Ever.

Most importantly, give it time. You will not be a marathon runner overnight. It may take you two weeks to feel confident with a 1 mile distance. And that's okay.  Everyone is different, and that's what makes running so great. I have several "running friends" who can share similar running stories and experiences over happy hour drinks for hours, but every single one of us got here differently and at a different pace. But the one thing we all have in common is that we all decided that we wanted it bad enough. I can't promise the sore knees and the blisters will go away forever, but I can promise you that if you stick with it long enough, one day you'll get a rush from knowing what your body is capable of - and from knowing that no one else but you pushed it there.

Good luck, friends!