Why We Train (Actually)

What are you training for?

Most athletes run to accomplish a specific goal: finish a race coming up, complete a new longest distance, shave some time off your PR, etc.

In any case, we like to claim that there’s another option: training to increase our enjoyment from running. If you’re reading this you likely already enjoy running, but let’s break it down anyways.

Training for Comfort, Not Perfection

Is there anyone in your life who’s wanted/tried to get into running? Ready to love it like you do? Then maybe strung together a few runs, maybe even signed up for a race, then eventually stopped altogether?

We all know someone like that, and have all been that person ourselves.

Our hot take: we need to stick with it just long enough for running to start getting easier - then we will learn to love it. In a way, we are training to enjoy running.

As we do it more, it gets easier and more comfortable. If we can get to the point at which running feels comfortable, we've made it. Running becomes something we look forward to, that we can stay consistent with, and build a passion around.

Importantly, it does not matter how seasoned of a runner you are. We can always improve how comfortable we feel, and simply shift our baseline for easy running to faster paces, longer distances, etc. The important part, is that we're running comfortably. 

But Hang On A Sec

Let's be real: running is never “easy.” We just learn to love it more. “Easy” would be scrolling through Tik Tok on the couch. This is not news to anyone, but it’s important to keep in mind that comfortable/easy running is just a relative understanding. Remember your first run ever? Yea. Lot's more comfortable now.

The goal isn’t for running to always feel literally effortless; it's about expanding the zone of comfort. The more we train, the more we raise our tolerance. This means we can run more regularly, handle longer distances, and genuinely enjoy the daily grind of it all.

When running feels comfortable, we can let our minds wander, enjoy the scenery, or get lost in our favorite music. It’s easier to tap into that elusive runner's high when our body isn’t fighting us every step of the way. Comfortable running means less mental effort, more flow, and, ultimately, a deeper love for the sport.

So, The Point Then

So, what’s the real point of all this training? It’s not just to conquer a race or beat a personal record. It’s to prepare ourselves to enjoy running to its fullest extent. It’s about transforming those daily runs into a source of joy and fulfillment. Because when running becomes a pleasure rather than a chore, we build a routine that keeps us coming back for more (sorry for the rhyme).

Training for races is great too. The beautiful thing here, is that we can always do both - train to accomplish a specific goal, and training to love running.

Final Thoughts

Training is about making running something you love and can do comfortably. As we build up our endurance and improve our fitness, we’re not just preparing for races—we’re setting ourselves up to enjoy running every single day. So, keep training, embrace the process, and remember that the real victory lies in the ability to run with ease and joy.

With this mindset, we can build a routine we love and train consistently. And with consistency, we build passion.