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Running doesn't have to be so hard

  • Published
  • By Capt. (Dr.) Mehrdad Mansouri
  • 9th Medical Operations Squadron
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Almost everyone I've met in the Air Force dreads the running part of the physical fitness test, and yet the Air Force places the greatest weight on the running portion of the test. I assume the powers that be value physical endurance and a thin waistline above bulging biceps and six-pack. But why do people dread running? Well, it's hard! But it doesn't have to be.

Twelve years ago while working on my doctorate thesis at Berkeley, I became a runner. My research project was stagnating and I was under tremendous stress to produce results. I needed an outlet to alleviate the stress and to help me focus better. Then one day a friend of mine who ran regularly told me of these beautiful trails where he would run. He would sometimes run above the clouds in the Berkeley hills, and when the clouds dissipated he had the most breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate.

This piqued my interest and I asked my friend to take me to these amazing sites he was describing. I wasn't in nearly as good a shape as he was, but he was kind enough to stay with me. After seeing what he enjoyed everyday, I was hooked. I've since run on the edge of the western world from Big Sur to Carmel, followed the path of Mormons as they descended down to what is now Salt Lake City, run along all the major sites in our nation's capital, and toured cities like Paris and London as a workout.

As an outlet, it allowed me to regain the focus to make significant progress in my research and I earned my degree about a year later.
Since then I have relied on it each time the stress level escalated, and it has never failed me.

In 12 years, I have ran more than 20,000 miles, which includes 11 marathons. You too can run a marathon and enjoy all the benefits of running that I have. What is the secret? Sticking with it and making it fun. I've observed how a lot of squadrons do the running part of PT, and it just doesn't seem like people are having a lot of fun!

In order to stick with it, you have to not push yourself too hard too early. Start out running maybe two or three times a week. Start out with two or three miles each time at a comfortable pace where you can still talk, and slowly increase the mileage when your body tolerates it. If this is too hard, start out with a brisk 30 minute walk two or three times a week, and every week increasingly run parts of that 30 minutes until you can run the entire time without stopping.

Don't expect instant gratification from running. It takes time to get results, but when you become a stronger runner, you will be pleased. You'll find that you'll be a happier person, possibly have less urge to smoke, and have a lot more energy at work. Don't be inflexible and think that you have to run at the same time everyday. Be ready to run at anytime during the day if work permits, and when you think you have the energy to run, just get out and do it. I sometimes run at midnight and sometimes at noon. If you stick with it for at least two months, you'll be hooked like I was.

In order to make it fun, remember how you were when you were a child. Most children like to play outside and like to play with other children.
The same goes for running. Find a friend or a group to go running with. Make the run a social event with your partner or group by planning to go out for coffee or a meal afterward.

Avoid the treadmill if you can. You'll never enjoy being a rat in a cage! Run outside even when it's cold. Your body usually heats up by 20 degrees when you get going, and your lungs will not freeze! I have run in temperatures as low as minus 10 Fahrenheit and I've survived. Make up games for yourself while you run. For example, spot a landmark ahead of you and challenge yourself to get to it within a certain time. Look for running trails to do your runs. Osan has the Buruksan trail two miles from the base where you can escape into a beautiful hilly path away from city traffic. Vary your running routes as much as you can. They say variety is the spice of life, and the same goes for running. Run the local races at the fitness center and in the Korean community.

If you stick with it and make it fun, you can be ready for a marathon within a year. And when you complete that first marathon, you'll feel like you can accomplish just about anything.

I still remember finishing that first marathon in Napa Valley 11 years ago. As I was approaching the finish line, I had the most amazing feeling of satisfaction. Afterward, I really felt that I could take on any challenge that would come my way. Whenever I felt like giving up on something, I would recall how tired I felt at mile 18, but how I kept pushing until I made it to the end.