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Use The “Identity Rule” to Create an Unstoppable Running Habit

Forget scheduling your run. Try this instead

Cal Axe
3 min readNov 18, 2024
Photo by Cal Axe

I quit during my first long run.

That’s right. My friend Jonathan and I joined FleetFeet in Columbus about three years ago and quit four miles into a group 8-mile run. It was too cold, and we had things to do on a Saturday.

Why am I telling you this?

To show you that running is fucking hard!

It’s one of those sports where some people can wake up at 5 a.m., run 18 miles before breakfast, take a nap, and run another 6 miles as a reward after lunch, while others slog through 3 miles to fit into size 32 jeans.

This article is for the later types.

Those who want to run, but it feels like eating broccoli.

Running is Like Medicine

You don’t need me to convince you why you should start running. I think the verdict is in. There are so many studies that discuss the physical and mental benefits of running.

I came across a quote from Todd Buckingham, PhD, at Grand Valley State University:

“If running or exercise were a pill, it would be the most widely prescribed drug in the world, given all the health

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Cal Axe
Cal Axe

Written by Cal Axe

Practical advice about writing and running | Subscribe https://runwithcalaxe.substack.com

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