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Heading out for a run always sounds like a great idea in theory. Your shoes are all laced up, you’ve got your playlist going, and you feel like a badass marathoner for, like, half a mile. But then it’s hot AF and you’re thirsty and your feet hurt and you can’t breathe and your thighs are chafing and someone is stabbing you in the side and oh my God, make it stop.

Even though running sometimes feels like literal hell, there’s hope for those of us who really, really want to enjoy running. And, SELF.com’s lifestyle editor Zahra Barnes, 26, is living, breathing, jogging proof that it can happen—signing up for a 10K forced her to have a change of heart. “Even though running definitely straight-up sucks sometimes, there is absolutely nothing like the runner’s high you get mid-run, and the even better one you get when you run your longest distance yet,” she shares. Read her entire bed-to-10K journey here.

Going for a run may not always be mind-blowingly amazing, but it doesn’t have to suck. Here are eight things you can do to help make those tough runs feel way better.

1. Thigh chafing doesn’t has to be a thing.

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Chafing thighs just might be the worst thing about running, but thankfully, there are some easy ways to prevent it. Barnes’ surefire method is simple–she runs in leggings. No contact, no problem. But if you don’t want to part ways with your running shorts, products like Body Glide (a favorite among runners) creates a protective barrier along your skin to reduce the friction that causes chafing. In a pinch, you can also go for the good old deodorant trick by rubbing the stuff on your inner thighs, à la Amy Schumer at the Met Gala. (Psst—these fixes are great for hot, humid days when you’re not actually running, too.)

2. Wearing the right socks can help prevent blisters.

You can just feel a painful blister forming. And once it starts, it seems like there’s no stopping a blister in its tracks. “Blisters are caused by friction between your shoes or socks rubbing against your toes and feet,” says Gary Berard, an NYC-based running coach and the founder of GB Running. “Foot abnormalities, ill-fitting shoes, running at a faster pace, or changing running form can all contribute to blisters. Heat and moisture also up the chance for blisters.”

To prevent painful blisters, choose synthetic, non-cotton socks, like a wicking poly-blend sock, suggests Berard. You can also use Body Glide between your toes to prevent blister-causing friction there, he adds. And, of course, make sure your shoes fit correctly. 

If you do end up with a gnarly blister, you can lance it with something sharp and sterile to drain the fluid (lovely)—here’s exactly how to deal with them and other all-too-real foot problems runners deal with.

3. Take control of your breath.

If you find yourself huffing and puffing just a few minutes into a run, the answer could be as simple as running more, says Debora Warner, the president and CEO of Mile High Run Club (and a running coach herself). That lungs-are-burning feeling might be a sign that you’re pushing too hard. Ideally, your breath should be under control unless you’re doing speed work or you’re heading up a hill, she adds.

If you find yourself struggling to catch your breath during a steady run, “slow down or take a walking break,” she says. Here’s more on exactly how you should breathe during a run. Breathing properly is also important if you get an annoying side stitch out of nowhere. While the jury’s out on exactly what causes them, Warner says that slow, deep exhales from the diaphragm can help ease the pain.

4. Cut back on long, slow miles and focus on speedy intervals.

If you’ve been running for a while and find that you’re not really getting any faster, either in the time in your minute per mile pace or your overall 5K time, try incorporating some short speed intervals into your routine, says Warner. Even though you’re running fewer miles in these types of training sessions, you can actually see a speed payoff during your usual, longer runs.

“Speed training helps push the lactate threshold back, which means the runner can go further and faster without accumulating as much lactate in the blood,” explains Warner. “Oxygen utilization becomes more efficient with an improved VO2 max as a result of this type of training stimulus.”

Warner suggests that speed work and intervals make up one-third of your overall running program. So, if you run three days a week, one of those days should incorporate some fast runs if you want to keep improving. Interval training is also one of the best ways to utilize a treadmill if the weather gets in the way of your run. (Plus, it’s amazing for burning fat, if that’s one of your goals.)

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