When you first start out running it can seem like a huge task you need to do, or it could feel relaxing, it might be an easy undertaking or this big cloud hanging over you that you just feel you need to get done. So today, let’s talk about how to start running.
Maybe you’ve never run before, maybe you used to run in school and you want to pick it up again, or maybe you stopped running because of Covid 19 and now you have to start your training up again. We all have a different level of where we might start and also our different reasons, you might just enjoy the peace and quiet during a run, you might want to lose weight or run for health reasons, or maybe you’re running cause you know you will get a free banana after a race. Whatever the reason or level, we all have to start somewhere.
So how do you start? Well, let’s start with what you need to go running. When you first start out you might not want to get real expensive running gear just yet, you want to see if running is for you first. So that can wait, but you do want to make sure you wear good shoes for running. You need proper support on your run and not every shoe is right for everybody, so I would recommend to do a foot scan at your local run store so they can tell you what type of shoe is good for you.
When you start out running you want to make sure you don’t over do it. Now the reason for this is that if you’re body is not used to it and you over do it, you will hurt the next day. Now we all know the saying No Pain, No Gain. But if you run once and you have trouble walking for 3 days it will really hurt your motivation to go out again. Seeing that on your first run you might be pumped to go out and the adrenaline of the experience carries you to run more than your body can actually handle, you will feel the result from this in the days after your run.
Ok, so where do you start? What distance should you run? If you never run and you’re over weight, it might be good to start with just walking for a mile. Maybe increase that distance first and then start running part of that.
If you’re in good shape already, maybe you walk a lot for work, you can start by running a mile.
Run Walk is a great way to increase the distance you can run in the beginning. You run until you need a break and you just walk to catch your breath before you start up again.
Now it’s hard to tell which distance is right for you, this is something you can determine for yourself by checking how you feel during your run and taking in to account the activity you normally do. If you sit in a chair at work, drive home and sit in front of the TV, then you’re not getting a lot of activity and it will be a good idea to start at a shorter distance.
How do you build up your distance?
Very slowly, you need to get used to running, using your muscles, recover from your runs and once you’ve been out a couple of times you start building up the distance and going out running longer.
When I started running and I was training for a half marathon I set out a course of about 2 miles. I kept running that distance, I wasn’t gaining any distance for a long time, so I wasn’t building up to that distance of the half marathon. I wanted to get comfortable with running 2 miles. I did other sports, so I could run 2 miles, but it was a tough run cause I wasn’t used to running that much in one go. I wanted that 2 miles to become an easy run and I wanted to improve on my speed on that distance. So I ran the same course for weeks before I started building up the distance.
So start with something that is realistic, a distance that is not too long, but long enough to be a challenge and keep working at it so you make that distance yours. So you can comfortably run that distance and then start adding to it with half a mile or a mile. Slowly add to your distance and keep adding to it.
When I built up from 2 miles once I got to 10K, I was amazed I could even run that far, but I also stopped building up the distance. I did the same thing as at 2 miles. I kept running 10K until that felt like it was an easy run and I could run it faster than I did the first time. Once it was an easy run I started building up the distance again.
Another great help with running is strength training. Specially if you are having trouble running a short distance doing some runners exercises could really help strengthen those muscles you need during your run. Now I’ve made a video with some great exercises you can do, so I’ll link the video down bellow, so you can check it out.
Running is different for everybody, the way we run, the level we run, the reason why or how we enjoy it can all be different. But we are all trying to improve on our running, whether that is running a longer distance, running faster, participate in a certain race or to win a race. We all have our goals that we are working towards.
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