I hate running. I used to believe that, over time, this would change. I thought, over time, that I would grow to love running out of sheer repetition. This has not happened.
I used to think that if I could write for a living I’d never have to work—my hobby would be my job. This also has not happened. It turns out that when you have to do something for multiple hours every day it’s not always fun. Sometimes the day goes by quickly because of how much fun you’re having, sure, but not every day. Some days you don’t feel like being creative but have to anyway. Some days you have absolutely nothing to say but need to keep talking because that’s the job.
Sometimes things are hard, is what I’m saying. It’s a universal human experience.
Companies, naturally, are trying to sell you things to “solve” this unsolvable problem. The logic of consumerism runs deep in all of us thanks to the hundreds of hours we’ve all spent listening to advertising’s constant rituals. In thirty second we see a problem presented, a solution offered at a reasonable price, then a moment of ecstatic relief as the product solves the problem. It’s the story we’ve all seen more than any other, drilled into our heads, shaping the way we see the world whether we realize it or not.
So obviously we all think we’re one purchase away from solving things that aren’t really solvable. Do you hate running? Buy a Fitbit and you can turn those dreaded workout into something fun. Are you having trouble feeling motivated? Maybe buy this fancy project management software, or notebook, or anything else you might come to believe will finally make it easy for you to do things you don’t actually want to do.
I am not, for the record, saying all of these things are useless. They have real purposes. But no tool is every going to make it easy for you to do things you don’t want to do. I am never going to like running—I’m just going to have to convince myself to do it anyway.
I’ve found ways to make running suck less. I do it first thing in the morning—that way I don’t spend all day dreading the workout to come. I always run with my wife, which creates the social pressure I need to actually follow through. I listen to music while I run, mostly so that I have something to think about that isn’t how much I hate running. And we basically always run the same route—that way I know exactly how much running is left and can avoid the need to make any decisions while I’m tired and angry.
None of this makes running fun. It does make it suck less. And part of doing things you dislike—or even doing things you like on days you’d rather not—is realizing that there’s never going to be some purchase or trick that will magically make it easy. There is never going to be some magic moment of truth where things click and you stop resisting the things you know you need to do.
Sometimes you just have to push through it. Sometimes it’s hard, and that’s okay. Do it anyway.
Featured image from the forth century CE depicting someone who enjoys running more than me.
Stuff I wrote this week
It’s been a few weeks since I published anything here—I’ve been away from home for a while. Here’s some stuff I published while I was out.
- 4 battery myths (and why they’re not true) PopSci Please stop putting batteries in your freezer. Please.
- The Five Coolest macOS 26 Features People Don’t Know About Lifehacker In which I dig into a beta operating system and talk about what I, personally, am interested in.
- How to Use Markdown WIRED It’s law that every tech journalist write this article at least once and it was my turn.
- Why induction stoves are better than gas PopSci My life improved profoundly when I ditched gas.
Stuff you should read
- It matters. I care. Molly White/Citation Needed A plea for sincerity and hard work in an era defined by cynicism.
- Why does every commercial for AI think you’re a moron? Ismail Muhammad/The New York Times Hilarious, accurate.
- An obituary for reading the internet Anne Helen Petersen/Culture Study Pocket is shutting down and, with it, the idea of actually reading things online.
