How I tricked myself into liking running 19 Apr, 2021 02:07 AM 7 minutes to read Why is it so hard to start running? Photo / 123RF New York Times By: Farah Miller It's good for your mental and physical health, and doesn't require any equipment. So why does it seem so hard to get started? Until last week, the only time I'd finished a race was during Track and Field Day in fifth grade. By middle school, I was trying to figure out how to get out of gym class because it was too hard for me to run a mile. Sports, in general, were not my thing. Running, less so.