I apologize for how negative that sounds! It’s been 3 months. I unfortunately can’t be as consistent as I’d like because of chronic utis. I currently go about 8-10 km/h for 20 mins at a time, 2-3 times a week when I’m healthy. I keep at it because I’ve noticed a boost in my general energy and mood, but I hate pretty much every second of actually running. I read that that’s normal as you start out, especially if you start from zero like I did. But I’ve also read you eventually start to tolerate and then later enjoy it. How long did it take for you to get to that point?
Edit: 5 month update on case someone stumbles across this. My progress is slow, due to frequent breaks due to my frequent colds and UTIs. I’m at 30min 5k. Running still sucks, in part, but it also feels…powerful? I’ve learned to pace myself and run slower, so I’m not all spent after 10 mins. It’s difficult, but I think running too fast really was the biggest problem. Now what I feel during a run is a mix of ‘ughgh I hate cardio’ and ‘this is amazing, I’m powerful, I can do anything I want’. That’s enough to keep motivated. The reason I keep it up is that the former feeling ends soon after the end of the run, but the latter one persists. I try to run twice a week. If I have the time, I go on a hike instead (I live in the mountains). I enjoy those a lot more, but they take up several hours as opposed to 30mins for a run. It’s helped me tremendously with my depression, so it’s so worth it.
Tldr: I still don’t enjoy every second of running, but pacing myself made it more enjoyable than before. And it’s SO worth the mood boost and extra energy (even on rest days). I have depression and I’ve never felt this good in my entire 10 years of being an adult.
Slowing down
Establish whether you’re more a treadmill + space, treadmill + distraction, or trail runner (I can run twice as much on trails than pavement, and on pavement double what I’d do on a treadmill, because I just get bored with the latter two. I benefit from the challenge of variety of landscape and terrain).
Question whether “you” don’t like running or it’s your system understandably resisting exertion. This is the will power aspect. Talk to the resistance, be friendly to it, cajole it, but clear that you’ll be finishing the run.
I benefit from toggling my awareness around. e.g. from my core to my feet, to my breath and my gaze. Keeping my mind busy with that helps distract that resistance.
Give it at least 20 minutes for the groove to kick in. Running really only starts then. Many people keep themselves always in the less fun part
Switch to HIIT running routines. Less time, generally more benefits. So miserable but brief that you don’t have time to process it!