I've been running 1 mile every evening and I recently took a 2 day break because my legs started to feel so sore I knew they needed a break. Picked up where I left off, thinking it would feel a little easier now that my legs had a break.. but nope. It was still difficult. More mentally than anything!
I did push myself to go an extra 25ft passed where I'd normally stop

But just wondering how long it takes to notice a difference in your pace & distance?
I am shooting for running as long as I can, not really focused on how fast I can run right now.

I'd say it takes a good month of running regularly before you start to enjoy it.

For me, personally, running is the worst and the one exercise I'll avoid like the plague. Shin splints are THE WORST and I just don't think I have it mentally do take up running. I tried a few years ago and was getting better and actually losing, but circumstances changed and I eventually stopped. I started by jogging at an easy pace and breaking it up with walks when I absolutely needed to. After a while, I was able to run longer and walk less. I started being able to maybe do 1/2 mile run with a 1/4 walk break for 2 miles then slowly built up my speed and stamina to 5 miles before I stopped. It took several weeks, maybe a month, for me to notice my speed and endurance picking up.

I think as long as you keep on doing what you're doing, eventually you're body is gonna wanna go faster and for longer. I would try aiming for 2 miles, but not running the entire time. Break it up with walks and then start shortening the walk breaks and lengthening the running part. When you're able to do 2 miles straight running, work in a third mile with walking breaks.

oohh running!! I accidentally became a runner. When i started losing weight at my highest, i would go for 5k 'power walks' to get my sweat on. first, i'd smoke a couple cigarettes though ...the winter came and i ended up indoors on the ellipitical and quit smoking!! the spring came again an i started walking outside again but found it was too easy! i wasn't sweating enough so i started running. i'd set targets of running a couple minutes and walking and then i'd set distance goals (2k, 5k, etc). 3 years later...i run t least 6 miles every other day (7.3 miles the other day in 15 degrees (F) in the DARK at 5:30AM) and finished a couple sub two hour half marathons. i never 'chose' to be a runner. it chose me!

i guess my point is for running to become easy, you need to have some type of cardio endurance base. start easy and gradually increase the difficulty over time. your body also needs to be strong in order to avoid injuries. strength train, cross train and do a little at a time.

It definitely took me at least a month or two of running before I didn't feel like dying every time I ran. I started off barely surviving two miles, and after a few months I could run around 4 miles. Keep pushing yourself, but make sure you give yourself adequate time to recover!

Not that I want to be contrary...

But running never felt better for me. Ever. I can run now, but I can do real damage to my knees if I do!

I think my body just wasn't meant to be a runner. So I took up other sports.

Since the runners on the thread said give it a month (and you're not causing yourself too much pain or damage) then try it. IF it doesn't get better, maybe you're not a runner, maybe you're a cyclist or a walker or a dancer or a swimmer.

It never is "easy" but you start not feeling like you are going to die after a few weeks.

Two things that I learned along the way. First is that it's ok to take walk breaks. It's a GOOD thing when you are learning. You are still a runner if you walk. Second is don't run every day. Try every other day for a while.

When I learned to run, I did the Couch to 5k program. I had several false starts with it, and couldn't do the first day of the program when I started. But do what you can, keep trying, and you will improve!

There are 3 things that have to be in sync - your cardio level, your bones/muscles, and your MIND! I have plenty of runs where my legs are ok (tired but not DONE) and my breathing is under control, but my mind starts telling me that I want to quit, that I don't want to keep going, it's ok to stop now, etc. So once you get your heart/lungs and legs up to speed, keep tabs on that sneaky brain

Good luck and keep at it!!

I also did the C25K running program and it does get easier. I started off running slower than I could probably walk at my fastest. There's no hurry. Slow down and take it easy. You don't have to be kicking your own butt or making it high impact. Think of it as a "boosted walk" (as Leslie Sansone from Walk Away the Pounds) will call it. Make sure you have good running shoes. This is soooo important.

With the C25K program, you run 3 times a week. The first day was always the toughest, but by the third day of the week, my body was used to that motion and knew what was coming. Give your body time to get used to the motion of running. Even now, when I up my running speed on the treadmill even by 0.1 mph, it takes a few runs to feel completely used to the difference.

I hope it gets easier! I've been running for about two months now. Sometimes it doesn't seem so bad, but most days I really have to push myself to run as far as I want to.

I have run off and on the past several years and it always takes a few months when I restart before I hit a groove. At first, I expected that every run would be better than the last, but that's not how my body works. Instead, I have weeks where every run is a trudging misery and then suddenly a day where everything clicks - my legs feel great, I can breathe evenly, my energy is up. And all I can say is that the good days make up for all the others! If you stick with it, you will see improvement in your endurance over several months.

ive been running every workday at the gym on the treadmill for just over a year...one thing i've never wanted to do, is a workout that bores me or like someone said "trudging misery"...i've always said, when i get bored with running, i'll go do something else at the gym...so far i'm not bored...i break it up between running and walking intervals, vary between working on distance and working on high speed intervals...i'm never going to be someone who runs 4 miles or more a day because i only have 45-60 minutes max on the treadmill during the day...i've accepted that...i also will most likely never be a runner outside, as it triggers major asthma attacks that do not subside even with a rescue inhaler...and i'm not sure i want to take my chances there

but to the OP, running usually gets easier during the first week or two for me...the first week of running 2 miles a day was HARD, the second week was easier, by the fourth week i thought "this is pretty average for me"...granted it was never EASY but it was by far easier than then i first started that particular distance

It took me almost 3 months to start liking it. In the beginning, I reluctantly dragged my butt out there and ran and hated every bit of it. Magically, about 2 weeks ago, it was like a switch was flipped. I'm really enjoying it, and most days it is fairly easy, or as easy as any workout can be. I'm finding myself running faster or longer distances without even realizing it. A month ago, my longest run was 3 miles, and on Friday I ran 6.45 miles. I still have some days that are really hard, but for the most part I love running and get cranky when something causes me to miss a planned run.