Enjoy the View

I once met a Peruvian tour guide who, at the base of every climb, would sternly warn every tourist that they were not to pass him. He would then proceed to walk very slowly up the hill, and while the group behind him might champ at the bit for the first part of the climb, the altitude would get to them eventually.

Running is like that. I loved running, initially, because it made me feel tough-- the constant wallowing in discomfort-- I took pride in how much work, how much pain I could handle. But the climb gets to you eventually, because vanity is not a sustainable reason to undertake any endeavor. There are a thousand reasons to enjoy the sport, and if you're willing to improve slowly then you will, over time, eventually improve far more than if you rushed.