Zeraph

I've tried running before and hated it. Couldn't figure out why for a long time since I am otherwise a very active person, playing sports off and on since I was 9 or 10. I have a treadmill and I had been running on that, I couldn't stand it for long, even though I got the "runner's rush" I still hated it. I felt confined or almsot claustorphobic.

Then I tried facing the treadmill toward a window (was facing the wall before) that helped a bit. Then I tried running outside (normally can't much since its sooo hot here). That helped even more though I still had problems keeping up the habit as it still wasnt very fun.

I tried hiking. Hiking was much better, so much better that I can do it every day for an hour or more straight (I don't though, I know I need to give my body time to rest) if I want to, even in nasty heat.

So it seems for me that I need a physical obstacle to "conquer" for me to have any fun in exercising. In other words, artifical goals don't seem to work for me. I can't just say, "OK, 100 reps this time" since even if I accomplish that goal I still don't feel like I really acomplished anything. I could do sports before because I was "conquering" other players or whatever. Even just running to certain points, like 1 mile down to the convenience store kind of thing wasnt enough.

So, I posted this for two reasons, one I thought this might help someone who might be having trouble having fun exercising, and two Im curious if this is a common thing and anyone else out there feels the same?

My dad's main form of exercise is swimming, another thing I can't stand for too long as I'm not "going" anywhere. My mom uses a treadmill just fine, so no one else in my family is like me.