Never did I ever think I would willingly run 6 miles. For a long time, I was someone who hated running. I ran track for a HOT second in high school. Long story short: I thought I was really fast (I was crushing the other private school girls in the 100 and 200 sprints) – until I ran against public school girls and came in DEAD LAST. That was the end of my short-lived high school running career.
After that, I dibbled and dabbled in running here and there, specifically when I didn’t have access to a gym and wanted to get in some form of cardiovascular exercise. It was never enjoyable for me. It was painful and I could never get my breathing down. I told myself that running just wasn’t for me.
What I have since found out is that running is for EVERYONE. I just wasn’t going about starting my running journey correctly.
If you’re interested in running but don’t think running is for you, here are 3 tips that will help you start running the RIGHT way:
Start slow: The best advice I got from an experienced runner is that when you’re going on a long run, you should always start out running slower than you think you need to. This advice doesn’t just apply to long runs, but running in general. Start slow. Don’t try to go from 0-100 like I did initially. This time around, when I started my running journey, I started out walking, then increased to walking and jogging intervals, then slowly transitioned to walking less and less and jogging more and more over time. I quickly realizing that giving my body time to adjust to the new form of exercise (and also adding strength training that supported the muscles used for running to my regimen) made a huge difference. It’s (quite literally) a marathon, not a sprint.
Invest in appropriate running gear: I learned the hard way that you should not just go out and run in whatever sneakers you have laying around. Investing in gear that is made specifically for running and provides the appropriate amount of support for running goes a long way. Go to an actual running store with employees who a) run themselves and b) know how to fit you for shoes (and maybe insoles) for your body type and running style. This doesn’t just apply to shoes, but sports bras and workout clothes and accessories too.
Set goals, but make sure they’re realistic: Once upon a time I thought I could go out and run a 5k in 45 minutes with no training. Being overly ambitious with your running goals is a surefire way to suck all of the fun out of running and end up hating it like I once did. Set goals, but make sure that they are not over the top and work your way to meeting your goals slowly over time instead of expecting overnight success. I decided to give running another try back in January and started training for the Peachtree Road Race, which is a big 10k here in Atlanta that happens annually on the 4th of July. My goal was simple, realistic, and felt attainable: finish in less than 2 hours, which would be about a 20 minute mile. I finished in an hour and 23 minutes, and the craziest thing happened as a result: I was so proud of myself for surpassing the goal that I set for myself that I signed up for not 1 but 2 more upcoming races. Yep, I’m a runner now!
I’m serious when I say that anyone can be a runner. When I was running the Peachtree a couple of weeks ago, I was running alongside people of all different shapes and sizes, all different fitness levels, all different ages. Some power walked, some sprinted, and most of us fell somewhere in between. We all ran our own race for our own reasons alongside each other with the common goal being to ultimately cross the finish line.
Come along with me as I run my first 10k in the latest vlog up on my YouTube channel.
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