One of the main reasons why people end up hating running is because they get out of breath so quickly and struggle to keep going – at least, that was the case for me. I used to try and run my local route as quickly as possible to get it over and done with, but I was trying to push the pace without having any base fitness to work with, so I often ended up feeling drained of energy and unable to catch my breath after a 1km amble.

Slowing down, while hard for my ego, made it so much easier to settle into a rhythm, which in turn meant I finished my runs feeling less like I wanted to lie down and never get up again. Running shouldn’t feel like punishment, so if you’re in pain, particularly out of breath or just aren’t feeling it, know that it’s OK to slow down or even stop and walk for a bit.

6 small things you can do to improve your relationship with running