Posted on January 05, 2016 by Jenny Cromack
I love this time of year when everyone is really fired up to achieve their goals. It’s this time of year when many people may set goals to enter their first run….whether it’s a 5k or a marathon, if you have not done much or no running before, entering a run can be pretty daunting and training for a run can throw even the most level headed of people into mass panic!!
Most people know I love running, but there was a time when I was in your shoes, starting from scratch and building up the distance I could run. I remember the first ‘proper’ run I did, my lungs felt like they were on fire, I was gasping for breath but I loved it….and I was hooked. Here is my Beginners Guide To Starting Running, even if you’re not a beginner, have a read….there might be a useful tip or two, especially if you are getting back into running.
1. Don’t Run Before You Can Walk
When it comes to starting running I’m a big believer in the run-walk principle. Try to do too much running too soon and it will surely end in injury and tears as your legs hurt so much that you can’t run again for a week! After you have a warmed up, start running at a comfortable pace (if I was running with you, you could talk to me at this pace), run until you start to get uncomfortably out of breath, stop and walk until you feel you can run again and keep repeating this. It might be that you run for 1 minute, walk for 2 minutes or you run for 5 minutes and walk for 1 minute. Who cares how long you run for, you’re running and that’s all that counts! Over time, build up how long you can run for, reduce your walking periods and soon you will be running 5k without even realising it!
2. Set Realistic Goals
As a personal trainer, I’m always setting goals for my clients. The key to good goal setting is to make your targets realistic. If you have never run before is running a marathon in two months realistic? Probably not! Set yourself a goal which is a little bit of a challenge, but is also realistic and be realistic about how long it will take you to achieve this goal. If you haven’t done much running in the past entering a 5k or a 10k is a great target
3. Break Your Goals Down
Break your main goal down into smaller chunks and work out how you are going to achieve this.
– How many times a week do you need to train to achieve your goal? From experience, if you have not run before and your initial goal is to run a 5k I would suggest that running 2-3 times a week is sufficient, any more than this and you may risk injury.
– Do you need to be running at a specific pace? Working towards a certain distance? To be honest, if you’re a complete beginner, for the first 4 weeks of running I wouldn’t worry about distance or pace, just get out there and run and try to run a little further each time. Once you become more experienced you can focus on pace and distance.
– When are you going to run? Where are you going to run? Find a place and a time that works for you so running does not become a chore. The main thing when you are first starting out running is to enjoy it so that you stick to it in the long term
4. Get A Running Buddy
I bet you have a friend or colleague who also wants to start running, get them involved!! Having a running buddy is great. You will motivate each other on those days when the weather is horrid and you don’t want to do. Also, if you’re running outside it can be safer running with a friend
5. Join A Running Club
If you don’t have any friends who enjoy running why not join a local running club? Did you know that we have a running club at motive8? We have paired up with the Northern Monk Brewery (despite the link with beer they are a pretty healthy bunch!) and we have a running club every Monday evening at 6pm. Contact Jenny for more information. Running clubs are great as you are running with like minded people with a passion for running which will keep that enthusiasm and fire in your belly about running!
6. Location, Location, Location
Run somewhere you enjoy, but make sure you are safe. If, when you think of running, you imagine woodland areas and running through fields then you will probably enjoy trail running. Does the thought of mud fill you with dread, then maybe you should stick to road running instead? Not an outdoors type but still want to start running then get to the gym and get on the treadmill!
7. Get The Correct Gear
Running doesn’t have to be expensive and you don’t have to have the latest GPS watch or branded leggings to get better at running. I often think back to the days pre-GPS and how we all survived with constantly looking at paces…..I tell you what we did we wore a stopwatch and ran for time and then roughly calculated our paces when we got home (after we had driven the route to work out the distance!!). Seriously, if you are new to running there are two things (well only one if you’re a man) I would initially invest in
a. A pair of trainers designed for running – these don’t have to be expensive just make sure they are suitable for you and your running style
b. A decent sports bra….believe me ladies, you will thank me for it!
In addition to this, just make sure that in the winter you are wrapped up (you can remove layers as you run if needed) and in the summer you are wearing light, breathable fabrics to keep you cool.
If you need any more help in getting started with running then feel free to drop me a line and I would be happy to help – [email protected]