How a Weightlifter Made Running a Habit and Embraced Hybrid Training

• Business Insider health correspondent Rachel Hosie loved lifting weights but hated running.
• Doing cardio and strength training is linked to longevity, so she tried what’s known as hybrid training.
• She made running a habit by not pushing herself too hard and making it as enjoyable as possible.

It’s a cliché that everyone starts running once they hit their 30s. And yet, here I am on my 32nd birthday, reflecting on the fact that I ran consistently for six months, for the first time in my life.

As someone who has always considered myself a “non-runner,” I’m as confused as I am proud of this development.

I consider myself a weightlifter. I’m one of the many people who got into resistance training over the last decade after learning about the longevity, strength and fat burning benefits.

While weight training is on the rise, so is running: Running remained the most popular sport on Strava in 2023, with 4% growth since 2022. This all comes at a time of the rise of what’s known as hybrid training, where people focus on strength training as well as cardio, not just one or the other.

After lifting weights consistently for seven years, I’m now trying to find the balance between the two: Research suggests that this combination is best for longevity.

Here’s how I made running a habit by focusing on making it as enjoyable as possible and not pushing myself too hard.

I’ve loved weightlifting for seven years, but I’ve never loved running

I first tried running when I signed up for a 10k race with a friend in college. During training, it became clear that a) I didn’t like running and b) my knees really didn’t like running.

I bought special sneakers and had a gait analysis done, but on race day, the only solution seemed to be to take pain meds beforehand and push myself. Never again, I thought.

In the years that followed, I joked about going on a run twice a year when I got the odd urge to do so. Every time, I would enjoy the first two minutes, only to feel like I was dying by the third minute.

At the age of 24, I fell in love with weight training and have been lifting steadily ever since. I absolutely adore resistance training and how empowered it makes me feel. I became one of those people who joked about being allergic to cardio (which I now realize was silly).

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There was a brief period in my mid-twenties when I injured my wrist and could neither lift nor play my sport of choice, netball (admittedly cardio, to be fair). Not sure what else to do, I decided to try a Couch to 5K app. I started a few weeks, but once the running bouts increased to five minutes and my wrist healed, I quit.

I was convinced that the elusive “high runner” was just joy at the completion of something so terrible.

I started running again casually

Things changed in April. When a friend who was following Couch in the 5k asked me to walk, I suggested we run instead, just to support him. But it inspired me to redownload the app myself.

I didn’t plan to take up running, but I wasn’t immune to the shift in priorities that many people experience as they enter their 30s and the first signs of aging appear (whether it’s a sore back or “fine lines” on your face ) — combined with a shift in cultural focus toward exercise for longevity rather than just aesthetics.

The Couch to 5k involves running three times a week for nine weeks, gradually increasing the running intervals (and decreasing the walking) until you can run for half an hour. Since I’m relatively fit, I ambitiously decided to go into week four, but I went at my own pace.

I know that when you’re trying to create a new healthy habit, going slow and steady makes it stick longer.

While I used to feel ashamed to run slowly as someone who looked fit at first glance, I gave myself permission to do so. And I also only ran once or twice a week because I did a few gym sessions and played a netball match.

I wanted to give myself the best chance to enjoy the run

As I scored the runs, I felt proud. Taking it easy on myself meant I no longer felt like I was running to death. It felt manageable, which motivated me to keep going. Running just once a week also helped relieve knee pain.

I knew that if I wanted running to become a regular part of my lifestyle, I had to make it as enjoyable as possible. This mostly meant going when the weather was good (easier in the summer months, granted) and, especially as the distances increased, making sure I had a carb-rich snack before heading out to keep my energy.

After completing the Couch to 5K app, I downloaded Strava. I hadn’t been keeping track of distances and soon realized I’d run less than 5k in half an hour. But it was interesting to see how my pace varied from kilometer to kilometer and on different days. Plus the praise from about eight of my friends on Strava made me feel good.

Now I like to run to break up the day, and it actually seems less of an effort than going to the gym. On nice sunny days, I find myself really wanting to get out and run, and I love that as long as I have the right clothes and shoes, I don’t need to go anywhere specific or use any equipment to run. moved.

Running for my long-term health

I still haven’t hit a half hour 5K, but I’m close! Constantly getting faster is motivating, but I’m in no rush.

I’m running for my long-term health and fitness, for the mental challenge and so I can walk the many flights of stairs without getting out of breath. Happily, I’ve noticed an improvement on that front, and I have better stamina when playing netball too.

In time, I’d like to run faster and further, but building the habit feels more important now.

With winter approaching, I know I’m likely to feel less motivated to run (I have absolutely zero desire to run on a treadmill). However, one run a week seems achievable and I’m prepared to push myself to do it a few days.

Some might argue that I should follow a more structured training program instead of just setting out and hoping for the best, but for now, the fact that I’m doing it—and enjoying it—is enough for me.