TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — In Tuesday’s episode of Run for Fun, we are joined by a podcaster named Cole Pepper from Jacksonville, Florida. His podcast “Running for Coverage” spotlights people in the running community in northeast Florida.
As a former local TV sports reporter, Pepper knows the world of athletics, and he is a runner, but this episode focuses on the mental aspect of running.
While our digital show focuses on making running fun, Pepper says he’s a big fan of complaining about running. His philosophy is that running builds a community, and runners can bond over the shared agony on the journey. After the run, there’s a great sense of accomplishment, and it’s easy to forget the hard parts along the way. It can be mentally helpful to remember the obstacles you overcame to reach the finish line.
For some people, that acknowledgment can help teach or trick your brain into overcoming the obstacles again the next time around. Knowing that you’ve already tackled them once means you have the confidence to face those obstacles again.
Pepper calls this positive complaining. Coach Maria has a similar philosophy to psych yourself up for a run or a race. She says if you tell yourself that this run is going to be the hardest thing you’ve ever done, your body expects the pain. When you hit the hard parts, it’s often not as tough as you expected, and the run feels easier.
For more tips on making running more enjoyable to help incorporate it into a healthy lifestyle, be sure to watch or listen to previous episodes of Run for Fun.