For many people, the thought of running even a mile is daunting, let alone developing a regular running routine. Nevertheless, there seems to be a persistent myth that it’s easy to be a runner.
Raise your hand if you’ve heard this one:
Running is simple. You don’t need any fancy equipment or a team to practice with. You put on some sneakers and just go.
While I suppose that could be true, at least theoretically — practically speaking, it’s nonsense. Especially in the beginning. There’s more to the gear than “some sneakers,” and there’s more to getting started than “just go.” You’ve got the mind-boggling array of shoes, socks, pants, and shirts.
You’ve got to figure out a reasonable routine and maybe download one of those apps. (But which one? How does it work? And do you really want to share your fitness activity with your old boss and some random people from high school?) Finally, you have to motivate yourself to actually get out there and do it. Again and again and again. Ask any runner, veteran or novice, and I suspect most will agree it’s definitely not as simple as just lacing up.
In fact, I recently spoke with a beginning runner about what it was like to establish a new running routine in the midst of a busy adult life. Brieanne Hill is a mother of two from Connecticut who works full-time for a nonprofit organization, goes to school, and supports her community as a parent leader. She was also a 2023 recipient of the Starting Line Scholarship from Still I Run.
The Starting Line Scholarship helps aspiring runners build strong habits by offering financial, emotional, and practical support, including quality gear, training programs, and one-on-one coaching. The program was designed for people who are eager to tap into the mental health benefits of running but need help overcoming the roadblocks. People like Brieanne.
Because of her mental health and busy schedule, Brieanne struggled with self care, and when it came time to juggle priorities, she usually put herself last. “I didn’t have the motivation to want to do things that would help myself,” she explains.
Still, she believed that running would have a positive impact on her mental and physical health, helping boost her confidence and enhance other areas of her life — particularly her relationships with her sons, Kaleb and Ethan. She was inspired by their athleticism, and thought it would be nice if they could run together. So, at the urging of her friend and Still I Run Ambassador, Laura Martin, Brieanne applied for a Starting Line Scholarship, and in the fall of 2023, she set out on her journey of running for mental health.
Brieanne wasn’t entirely new to running. From middle school to college, she excelled as a sprinter — running the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, and 4 x 100 meter relay. She even competed at nationals in her last two years as a track athlete. Brieanne is quick to clarify, however, that it’s very different to train for a 5k.
“I grew up running, but it’s different now that I’m older and weigh more,” she explains. “I’m not rooted in distance running, so I’m learning that I cannot go as fast because I’m going to burn myself out. Pacing myself has been one huge project.”
She describes the training she’s gotten through the Starting Line Scholarship as a “couch to 5k kind of trajectory” with “great, intense coaching” and personalized, weekly instruction that helped her build the skills and endurance needed to run longer distances.
“It was very eye opening to go through that process,” she says. “You’ve just got to start where you are.”
Of course, starting where you are is a bit easier when you’re not there alone. For Brieanne, the social connections she made in the program — through her cohort of scholarship recipients as well as the wider Still I Run online community — were really important. In May, she and her friend Laura (the same friend and Ambassador who introduced her to Still I Run) recruited a larger group of people from their community to participate in the annual Run Streak for Mental Health.
“The idea is to promote moving every single day, and had I not done the scholarship piece, I don’t know if I would have prioritized this movement every day,” she says. “There’s actually a group of people that I’m doing it with. It’s hard for some or it’s easy for some, but you’re all doing it. We had a text group and were all checking in on each other. And that was helpful. Even though running is an individual sport, it is great to be running with other people.”
Of course, if Brieanne really needs a running buddy for inspiration, she doesn’t have to go far. She’s got one right there at home in the form of her 10-year-old son, Ethan.
“When I received this scholarship, I received it for myself and my son because that was a big motivator for me,” Brieanne explains.
Just as she hoped, Brieanne and her son now run together regularly, and when they’re not side-by-side, Ethan is still a great source of inspiration. “He is very rooted in running. He runs three days a week with a running group at school. He goes in the morning, and he is all for it. Like, he is in it. And that was helpful for me.”
They even did the May Run Streak together. They kept each other on track, frequently taking walks together after school just to make sure they met their goals.
“Him and I are definitely able to connect,” she says. “Some days, we’re both like, ‘Oh, we’ve gotta get that mile in.’ We do a lot of checking in.”
For those interested in running to benefit their mental health, the Starting Line Scholarship program offers resources, training, and community to make running more accessible. Yet, with all that support, there’s still no guarantee of a smooth, easy route. Brieanne Hill continued to face obstacles as she embarked on her journey as a mental health runner.
“I had so many barriers during the process,” Brieanne explains. “And I think a lot of it was realizing my own time management — looking at what I’m doing and [asking myself], ‘Am I doing too much?’”
One of the main goals of the Starting Line Scholarship is for participants to run a 5k or 10k, covered by scholarship funds, at the end of their cohort. Unfortunately, as Brieanne struggled to find balance, she also got sick, and her training was further disrupted. For many people, these would have been great excuses to quit, but Brieanne didn’t. Instead, she learned from her challenges, adjusted her goals, and kept moving forward.
Brieanne says this experience gave her an opportunity to prioritize herself. “It put me in a position to reflect mentally. I needed to do more self care and pay attention to all of the things that were taking up a lot of my emotional well being and energy.”
Although her life is still just as full and busy as it always was, with a more consistent running routine Brieanne finds it easier to take the necessary space to quiet her mind.
“As a mother, a student, a committee member, a board member, there are always things on my mind, and running definitely helps me slow down,” she explains. “Mentally, it helps with keeping focused and aligned…. It sounds weird, right? Because it’s so physical; and you're all revved up. But there's something inside of me that makes everything slow down. So I think more clearly, and I'm not thinking about the 10 million things that I have to do.”
For those considering applying for the Statring Line Scholarship, Brieanne encourages potential applicants and aspiring runners to not let self-consciousness stand in their way.
“You don’t really necessarily have to be super interested in running. It’s about movement… you have to start from somewhere,” she says. “There’s this bag that I got for doing the May streak, and it has a slogan on it: Forward is a pace. I always keep that in my mind because it doesn’t matter how slow you go. You know what I mean? It doesn't matter how slow you go as long as you’re moving. I think that's something there's something to be said about that.”
“You don’t have to be an Olympic runner or an experienced runner,” she adds. “Even if you just want to start moving, what is there to lose? Nothing. There’s nothing to be lost.”
