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I love running. It's one of my favourite cardio exercises and also a form of meditation for me. Once I hit a comfortable stride, I feel like I could go on forever. The runner's high is real.
I also participate in more strength-based sports (weight lifting and dragon boat), and have a lot of competitive teammates who are always trying to be stronger and/or faster. Because of this, I also get a lot of questions about running; in no particular order, I'll be answering them here.
Disclaimer: I am not the be-all end-all running guru. Although I tried to back up some of these answers with literature or industry professionals, know that development in sport science is an iterative process, and that some of the results from studies may change in the future. Make sure that you are listening to your own body, as everyone is different. Please also consider consulting a doctor, running coach, physiotherapist, or any other sport professionals if you require further medical attention or have more personal questions.
Everyone wants to be faster, whether that's a goal to crush a personal record, or to place on the podium for a race. Instead of talking about the science behind running (e.g., V̇O₂ max, lactic acid production, heart rate, biomechanics, etc.), I'm going to focus instead on what you can do to improve your pace or mileage.
Research has shown that adequate time to warm-up your body leads to improved performance (1), and evidence also suggests that it may decrease the risk of injury (2). Prior to exercise, dynamic stretching as a warm-up (as opposed to passive stretching) has been shown to facilitate performance (3, 4), as you are introducing your body to the motions of the exercise.
Specifically, dynamic stretching implements active movements of your muscles in a full range. In order to accustom your body to the motions involved in running, try some of these dynamic stretches before you hit the road:
Spending 5-10 minutes on a circuit of dynamic stretches will pay-off, both in your current run as well as your recovery.
It's difficult to stay motivated or improve your running without a plan. Although you don't need to follow a strict training plan, just switching up the type of run you're going on may result in substantial improvement.
Start with a base run, which is a moderate-length run at a natural pace that feels comfortable for you. When people "go for a run", usually they are just doing a base run. Keep a moderate tempo throughout and don't start too fast; if you do these frequently enough, can be foundational for your running.
Then, surprise your body with various speeds. Intervals are a great way challenge yourself by alternating short bursts of intense efforts and recovery periods. For the fast intervals, try to maintain a constant speed. For example, alternate 60 seconds of fast running at your 1K pace and 60 seconds of recovery running at a slow job (but try not to walk).
To be even more surprised, try fartleks (Swedish for "speed play"), which sound just as funny as they are fun to run. Fartleks are similar to intervals except the distance and duration are constantly changing. You never know how long or how short the fast interval is, so your body has to constantly adapt to different speeds.