As a non-runner, the mere thought of running strikes a chord of dread in me. But as it turns out, runners — real runners, like marathon-finishers — can feel the same way. Because, not unlike any task in life, the longer you put off a run, the more difficult it is to scrounge up the motivation to actually do it.
And no one knows that better than Sara Tan, Refinery29 beauty director, who has always been a runner, having ran cross-country in high school, half-marathons in college, and a whole damn marathon in 2018, but most recently has “fallen off the wagon.”
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“I haven’t been running as much as I used to run,” admits Tan, who put running on the back-burner after giving birth to daughter Zoe in 2020. “Making time for it is hard, but I’m hoping to get back into it, and that’s why I appreciate this challenge because it’s forcing me to schedule runs.”
She’s talking about Run29, a 29-day challenge done in partnership between Refinery29 and Nike to inspire and encourage everyone — runners and non-runners alike — to lace up their Nikes and go for a run without rules, expectations, or pressures. The thinking is this: to run, simply, to run. “I’m not doing it for any specific goals other than that running makes me feel super strong mentally and physically,” she says. “Running brings me so much joy and so much peace, so I’m so excited to get back into it.”
And she’s taking us along her journey, starting with this video in which she gives us a glimpse into her routine, from waking up and brewing coffee (a must) to stretching at the park to jogging at Redondo Beach in Los Angeles — one of Sara’s favorite places to run. Watch her video, below, for a hit of running inspiration.
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