[monissiddiqui]

This is known in the running community as the MAF method or Zone 2 training and it is key to sustaining an injury minimizing habit of running.

Think about it this way, do you enjoy a nice long walk? Most people do. You also don't have to mentally prepare yourself to go on a walk. Do you enjoy a nice long sprint? Probably not. If you tried to do it every day you would have to mentally prepare yourself for the upcoming suck. That's a huge hurdle to making it a habit.

So why not try to find a sweet spot in between a walk and a sprint? Just build up speed gradually from a walk. Once you have days where you have to psyche yourself up to go for a run, you know you are going too hard. Going for a walk and going for an easy run should not be any different for you mentally, although you might have to take a shower after a run.

Hope anyone who has struggled with running in the past is able to regain confidence with this mindset