#running101

It is that time of year that people resolve to try something new to become healthier. They flood shops to buy expensive shoes or flock to fancy gyms to hire personal trainers and spend their Christmas bonuses on packages on bundles of classes, in the hope that this year will be the one they get healthier. I always thought it was different with running – like you’re were either a runner and always will be, or you’re not, with exceptions made for former high school or university athletes who take up marathons as a response to a their midlife crisis. Now I know that isn’t true because people find all kinds of paths towards running – one of my favourite things about this community is the stories that I hear about how people got here.

I wish I could tell this to the new runners I see hitting the pavement this year: it will get better! It will get easier – just stick with it!! I know I make it look easy (I didn’t say pretty, I said easy) but you should have seen me two years ago!! You can do it!

Maybe some of you reading this are in the early stages of becoming runners and this advice will help someone who might otherwise give up:

Where to start - running further versus running faster

Don’t worry about trying to get speed and distance at the same time to build your endurance. Since I was training for a race, I would measure out my routes beforehand, using MapMyRun, and then take the time I needed to complete that route, walking when I needed. My first runs were less than a mile, of which probably only half were actually run. It probably took me six weeks to get up to 3.1 miles (5km) and there were at least 2-3 short walking breaks (from 0.5-2 minutes length) in there.

Track your runs to track your progress.

I regret not completing my MapMyRun profile from the beginning of my race training, since it would be really great to be able to look now at my progress from the beginning.

Don’t feel you have to take your goal or new hobby public

I signed up for my October race in April but I didn’t tell anyone, outside of immediate family and my boyfriend, what I was doing. I needed to know that I was going to make it through the training before I told people in August. Of course, people were incredibly supportive but they all asked about my time - it helped that I had the confidence from completing 7-8 mile long runs behind me, meaning I knew I was going to make it.

Give yourself the time to learn to enjoy running

You will probably hate running – likely other runners too – for the first few weeks and to keep going means self-imposed discomfort. You will question the existence of the ‘runners high’ many, many times and then one day, BANG, it will happen. You will come home in a really good mood and feeling so positive about yourself. Hold onto this feeling because it help you through the next bad run.

Give yourself the best chance of making your run enjoyable

Find ways to minimize the discomfort that can come with running. I found carrying water helped keep me going and I never, ever ran in the rain (have fun with that one in London) or if I was hungry or too tired.

Buy good shoes that do what you need but don’t feel pressured to buy top-of-the-line racing models. Replace your shoes diligently every 300-400 miles to avoid injuring shins, feet, knees or hips.

Buy a GREAT sports bra and replace it every six months

Treat yourself to new running gear that is seasonally appropriate for the time of year you are running in! Don’t suffer through chaffing or excess temperatures in old gym kit from your student days when a small investment can make such a difference to how you feel out there.

Please don’t confuse my ‘rules’ with excuses – three runs a week happened because I forced myself to stick to those guidelines. There are 1,000 reasons to not run on any given day but if you have already given yourself a (short) list of rules, you can’t make exceptions for yourself in moments of weakness. Now less than two years later, I have scrapped most of my original rules. In fact I went for an amazing run through Hyde Park on New Year’s Eve, in what can only be described as driving rain.  I kept finding myself smiling, despite passing pedestrians giving me the “She’s CRAZY!” look from under their umbrellas. I didn’t care, didn’t slow down and when passing other runners, we would smile and nod in our shared insanity. One day, that might be you. Or maybe you will always hate running in the rain. Or maybe, one day you will almost forget how hard it was to hold that slow pace because eighteen months of hard work produce a wonderful run, where you don’t care about distance or pace or the gathering rainclouds in the sky because it feels so easy that you end up running the two fastest miles you've ever run.

Ran 4.83 mi on 02/01/2013

DATE:Wednesday Jan. 2, 2013

4.83mi

Distance

40:46

Duration

8:26

Avg Pace

695

kCal

Give yourself the gift of trying it and sticking with it. The rewards do come, I promise.