Not OP but I've been consistently running for ~4 years (consistent := >=200K every month). The #1 advice I'd give is start short, start slow, e.g. start with 1 mile and as long as you're not walking you can consider yourself running. It's about finishing, not about speed.

Also unlike many people I know, I don't listen to anything while running. Running is a time for me to think about stuff that I'm too busy to think about during the day (e.g. contemplating life issues or is 1*0=0 because of 1 or 0)

I always hated running, but months of nagging by one of my colleagues (who does marathons) I started doing it, but keeping it short and slow for now.

My first jog was like 500 meters, and I was exhausted, but I've did like 20 more sessions since then, and I see a steady increase of distance I can go before I reach my first point of exhaustion.

Now I can go 1000 meters, and recover faster, and I even feel slightly generally better during my everyday life.

Since I'm not pushing myself too hard, it is actually kind of enjoyable and even though I do not have a regular routine, never before I had the spontaneous urge to jump up from my chair at the end of the workday and go running with a smile on my face.

When you exercise try to stay in heartrate zone 2/3. This may mean walking up a hill as many people cannot start running and keep their heart rate down. Many who try to run get discouraged as they go too hard and blow up their heartrate which makes for a unpleasant experience.

Over time the speed and duration you can run will get better but your heart rate will stay the same.

I would recommend trail running as it is much more dynamic and you are less likely to get overuse injuries like people who run on concrete for many miles get stress fractures. Bonus points you get out in nature.

When I started out (3y into my streak now), the magic happened in some more or less distinct stages.

On week four "I am really doing this". And on week 12 "impossible to stop now".

Aim for those and you will be unstoppable.

Don't buy into the "couch to 5k" hype. Instead, try "none to run" and don't be afraid to take it even slower than the programme suggests.

Like others said: take it slow, invest in the long term, and most importantly learn to listen to your body. Best of luck in your journey!

If you run regularly there'll be nice days. The temperature will be 55F with no breeze and cloudy enough so the sun isn't annoyingly bright. You'll feel great the whole time and the only regret will be that it wasn't a longer run.

Those aren't the days that matter.

The days that matter are rainy. They'll be bastard hot and humid. Cold and windy. You'll be annoyed because you don't have time. Something will hurt and there'll be a thought in the back of your head that maybe if you skip today (and the next run too?) then you'll feel better.

Those crap days are the days that count. Those days are money in the bank. Enough of them and you get great days. Every day like that is a day where you can think that running for you is like a smoke to a pack a day man. It's not something you do it's something you are.