The “I Don’t Know What I’m Doing” Phase of Running
This one’s for my beginners. For my “just getting back into it” girlies.
If you’ve started running (or you’re trying to get back into it), there’s a phase that almost everyone hits:
You’re doing the runs… but you’re not sure if you’re doing them right.
You’re questioning your pace, your breathing, your schedule. Some runs feel okay, others feel way harder than they should. You wonder if you need a better plan, more discipline, or just more time.
Most of the time, it comes down to one thought: I don’t really know what I’m doing.
That doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re early in the process.
Why This Phase Feels So Frustrating
Running seems simple on the surface. You put on your shoes and go. But once you’re actually in it, there are a lot of moving pieces:
How hard should each run feel?
How many days per week should you run?
Should you be pushing yourself or holding back?
What does progress even look like week to week?
When you don’t have clear answers, every run turns into a decision. And when everything feels like a decision, it gets mentally exhausting to stay consistent.
This is where most beginners get stuck. Not because they aren’t trying hard enough, but because they’re trying to figure everything out as they go.
What “Doing It Right” Actually Looks Like
Most people overcomplicate this phase. They assume they need a perfect plan or advanced workouts to start seeing progress.
You don’t.
For most beginners, doing it right is a lot simpler than it sounds:
Most runs should feel manageable, not all-out
You should be able to talk in short sentences while running
Your weekly routine should be repeatable, not constantly changing
Progress comes from showing up consistently, not pushing harder
That’s the foundation. It’s not flashy, but it works.
The problem is, if you’ve never been shown this clearly, it’s easy to default to running too hard, too inconsistently, or with no real structure at all.
Why Everything Feels Inconsistent
One of the biggest reasons people feel like they don’t know what they’re doing is because running doesn’t feel steady at first.
You’ll have days where things click. Your pace feels good, your breathing is controlled, and you finish feeling confident.
Then you’ll have days where everything feels off. Your legs are heavy, your breathing is off, and it feels like you’ve lost progress.
That inconsistency is normal. Your body is still learning how to run efficiently, how to manage effort, and how to recover between runs.
It doesn’t feel smooth yet because it isn’t smooth yet.
Where people run into problems is when they react to every off day. They change their plan, push harder to “make up for it,” or start over completely. That keeps them stuck in the same cycle.
What Helps You Move Out of This Phase
You don’t need more motivation. You don’t need to try harder. You just need less guesswork.
The shift happens when you stop asking, “Am I doing this right?” before every run and start following something simple and repeatable.
That’s where structure comes in. Not a complicated program, but a clear approach you can trust. Something that tells you what to do, how hard to do it, and when to back off—without overthinking every detail.
When you have that, a few things change quickly. Your runs feel more consistent, your confidence starts to build, and you spend a lot less energy second-guessing yourself.
If you’re in this phase right now, you’re not behind. You’re exactly where most people are before things start to click.
If you’re tired of guessing and want something more structured, I’m working on a simple 4-week reset for beginner runners. It’s designed to help you build consistency, understand your effort, and finally feel like you know what you’re doing—without overwhelming you.
Until then, keep it simple. Keep showing up. You don’t need to have everything figured out to start making progress.
-bk