Why Running Is SO Hard (And Should Be) - This Messy Happy

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of Why Running Is SO Hard (And Should Be) from This Messy Happy. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points:

Running is a form of controlled trauma; the body perceives it as stress and responds by getting stronger (muscles, heart, blood). 
The host introduces the “Circle of Comfort” concept: start inside your current comfort zone, then gradually push outward with progressive overload*.
Avoid doing marathon‑pace, tempo, and threshold work all at once – build each stimulus step‑by‑step.
Practical tips: keep easy (zone‑2) runs as the bulk of your mileage, listen for warning signs of overuse injuries, and adjust volume/intensity when you feel excessive fatigue.

Workout Example:

Warm‑up: 3 km easy jog.
Main set: 4 km at “gold” marathon pace → 2 km easy → 4 km at gold marathon pace → 2 km easy. (Total ≈ 15 km.)
Pace: Gold marathon pace is about 13.5 km/h (≈ 4 min 25 s per km). Adjust the speed to match your own current marathon‑pace target.
Progression: In following weeks, the runner plans to increase the number of repeats (e.g., 3 × 3 km, then 2 × 5 km) while still keeping easy runs dominant.

Closing Note: Try this progressive‑overload marathon‑pace session today—tweak the distances and paces to fit your own training in the Pacing app, and keep expanding your “circle of comfort” one step at a time!