Many people start running with big goals. But within weeks, the excitement fades—and the shoes start collecting dust.
Why does this happen so often? It usually comes down to one core issue.
It doesn’t feel like it’s getting easier
If you’re new to running and every step feels hard, you’re not alone. This is the norm. Breathing feels out of control, your legs get heavy after just a few minutes, and the idea of an “easy pace” sounds like a cruel joke.
Most beginners assume that after a few runs, their body will begin to adapt and things will start to feel easier. But aerobic conditioning doesn’t happen overnight.
Research shows it can take eight to twelve weeks of consistent training before your cardiovascular system improves enough for running to feel noticeably more comfortable. That’s a long time—especially when you’re struggling through every mile right now.
Until then, it’s a lot of effort with very little visible payoff. And that’s where many runners quit. Not because they’re not making progress, but because they don’t feel like they are. In this phase—when improvement is happening beneath the surface—it’s easy to think: “Maybe I’m just not a runner.”
Your brain hates this part—and that’s normal
Resistance also comes from the brain itself. From a neurological standpoint, the human brain is wired to avoid discomfort and conserve energy. Running challenges both. It elevates heart rate, burns through calories, and introduces fatigue. The brain responds by triggering signals to stop, slow down, or question why you’re doing this in the first place.
That inner voice—“This isn’t worth it,” “You’re not a runner,” “Why is this so hard?”—isn’t a personal flaw. It’s biology. And knowing that can take some of the sting out of it.
You should recognize that these mental objections are not facts. They’re reactions. And they get quieter the longer you stick with the process.
Related: How to Build Endurance and Stamina When You’re Starting From Zero
Progress is happening—but it’s invisible at first
Your body is adapting from day one. You might recover a little faster after each run. Maybe you can run for five minutes instead of three before taking a walk break. Maybe your legs feel a bit less sore the next day.
Improvement, in the early weeks, is often invisible—lower resting heart rate, better sleep, improved mood—and easy to overlook unless you’re paying attention.
New runners often miss these wins because they’re watching the wrong metrics. Pace and distance might stay the same for weeks. But other systems—your lungs, heart, muscles, and even your brain—are getting stronger in the background.
Try tracking perceived effort instead of miles or minutes. Can you hold a conversation while running? Is your breathing under better control than last week? Those are real markers of progress.
How to get past the quitting point
The runners who make it through the hard early weeks usually have one thing in common: a plan. Not a perfectionist, rigid plan, but a consistent, forgiving structure that allows room for adaptation.
That might mean using a run-walk approach (like Jeff Galloway’s method), setting time-based goals instead of distance-based ones, or simply committing to show up three times a week, no matter what pace you run. The important part is that your goal now isn’t performance—it’s consistency.
Focusing on effort, not speed, helps reframe what success looks like. A slow run isn’t a failed run. Walking during a session doesn’t mean you’ve gone backward.
The key is shifting your focus from instant results to long-term habits.
Give yourself at least 6-8 weeks before you expect running to feel smoother. And remember: the struggle phase is not a failure. It’s a rite of passage. Every runner has been through it—and many quit before they realized they were just one more week away from a breakthrough.
Related: 7 Things to Avoid if You’re New to Running
Comparison kills motivation
It’s tempting to look at others and wonder why it feels so easy for them. Or to remember how fast you used to run in college. But comparing your day one to someone else’s year five is a shortcut to frustration.
This is especially true in the age of fitness apps and Instagram updates. What you don’t see: the years it took someone to build endurance or the fact that they also struggled when they started.
Focus on your own journey. If you ran three times this week, that’s progress. If you showed up when you didn’t feel like it—that’s a win.
The good part is coming—but only if you stay long enough to feel it
Every experienced runner remembers those early days—the runs that ended with walking, the nagging self-doubt, the burning lungs. What kept them going wasn’t talent or strong will. It was patience.
If you’re in that uncomfortable stretch now—when progress feels slow, when the effort feels disproportionate to the results—know this: it’s working. Your body is adjusting. And very soon, the moment will come when you realize, halfway through a run, that you’re not struggling anymore.
That’s when it clicks. And that’s when running becomes something you want to do—not something you have to survive.
