The Friday Running Blog:
Coach Nick;
5/8/2026
The Hardest part about Going Running, isn’t Running, it’s Going.
It’s critically important to learn this about ourselves. We can talk all day about running mechanics, but if we don’t get out the door, we wont be running.
We fear the difficulties. We fear not being at the level we think we should be at, and what that might look like to others. We think the weather wont be comfortable enough, and on and on…
Good news; The fact is; it does not take long to change clothes, put on shoes, and head out the door.
If we are Fully Aware that; Going out the door doesn’t take long, and that our Biggest Struggle is the Mental Struggle of the ‘Going.” Then we can push through this tough part. We can push through the rationalizing. If we have a previously established habit of not going running; we can push through that too.
If we can push ourselves to get out the door, we can run. And contrary to popular belief; the running part, really is not about pushing yourself hard. It’s about Remaining Consistent with the Habit of Going out to run, and making Tiny Incremental Increases to training time/ distance.
Sure, the running part can be hard too. There are a lot of physical adjustments at first that can be uncomfortable. And at any level of fitness, there will be some days that really just don’t feel great. Knowing that some days are tough is important, so that we don’t let them discourage us. We can walk when we need to. We can rest, we can stop when we’ve reached the limit of our body for today. Also remembering that every day will feel different, regardless of exactly how you are progressing overall. We can take pride in ‘the Going,” even if today’s running didn’t go well.
Going wont always be a challenge. As you develop the habit of running within your life, your confidence and comfortability with the process will improve. You will experience many days where you feel motivated to get out there and explore. You will develop a Desire to Go. Yes you will actually develop a desire to go running. Healthy Habits feel good for the mind, body and soul. So over time, our resistance goes away, and is replaced by satisfaction in the process. But there will still be the tough days that sneak in. And it’s those days that we remind ourselves, “This is the tough bit, I can push through this, I can seize the day.” It’s this process that keeps the habit alive and healthy.
5/1/2026
Transitioning to a ‘Forefoot Running Style,’ is a gradual process. And I mean extremely gradual. There are no short cuts here. The muscles and tendons are being used in a new way that the body is not used to. It’s plyometrics. It’s using the tendons and muscles as springs. It takes time to adjust.
How gradual? How much time? You will likely only be able to run about 10% of the distance you’re used to running with the ‘common running style,’ (in which the entire foot touches down). It will likely take months to get back up to that volume of running. But when you do get back up to those distances, your overall form and strength will be far superior. And throughout the entire process, you will be far less susceptible to injury. (note: you don’t need to have a pre-established distance with the ‘common running style,’ if you’re starting from scratch/ ‘couch potato’, you can do a few intervals of less than a minute.)
The gradual nature of this transition, is what helps it become a way of life. Since there’s no shortcuts, there’s only healthy routines. These healthy routines can build upon each other.
The truth is, it requires a lot of faith in the process. We’re all for ‘Couch potato to Marathon.’ ( or wherever you’re starting from, and wherever you’re heading to). But you can’t predict where you’ll be by race day, nor can you predict exactly what times you will accomplish as you progress. It’s much safer for the body to let it take as long as it takes to get there. Goal times and race dates are important if you want them, but never at the cost of going beyond what the body is capable of; Today. What your body is capable of; is different every day. Whether you are gradually getting healthier, or gradually getting less healthy, your abilities will vary from day to day. Learning to listen to what your body is capable of today is crucial for a healthy, injury free running experience.