Both Nik and I started running as complete beginners. Everyone has to start somewhere but that starting point often feels like the most terrifying. Part of our aim with this blog is to show the world that running is for absolutely anyone regardless of age, stage or disability. Like most people considering running I procrastinated and fretted and thought I wasn’t good enough. When I was done with all that, I felt the fear and did it anyway.
All the same, there is some great advice out there for beginners which definitely did help me.
In this post I’ll share my 5 top tips.
This might sound obvious but it took me a while to recognise the mental identification was just as important, if not more, than the actual ‘doing. The moment you decide to run and put one foot in front of the other, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter if you walk, jog, run or do a bit of all 3 as I did in the beginning. See yourself as a runner and commit to that, whether you run once a day or once a week. Identify as the runner you are; show up, do your best. You really can achieve what you believe.
In this social media driven world, we all (sighted or not), compare ourselves to the latest Instagram post. We look at Facebook, at fitness coaches and celebrities, or even fellow runners and decide we are not good enough. What we don’t realise is that we only see half of their picture. We don’t know their struggles, their injuries, their emotional battles or how long it took them to get where they are today. Your run is your own, no one else’s. 5K is the same distance whether you walk, jog or run, whether you complete it in 25 minutes or 65. It is your time, your body and your run; while you are out doing it, there are plenty people who still haven’t left the sofa! So be proud of what you can do. Run for you and don’t compare yourself to others. Sure you can use them as inspiration but never to bring yourself down, runners are a motivating bunch too, so feed on that.
Any regular parkrunner knows that the best part of a Saturday morning parkrun is the coffee afterwards. It is an essential ritual at most parkruns, and definitely something that keeps me going when I’m having a tired, slow morning. If coffee isn’t your thing, company might be so if it is, join a parkrun, a local gym, a runners club, or just run with friends. Company can motivate, inspire and engage and along with the coffee, a real joy of needing a guide runner is the great chat and friendships I’m able to enjoy on every run with Nik and with others. Finding what motivates you is key to a successful training schedule but to most things in life. While some of you might indeed prefer to run on your own, just knowing there is a coffee, a cake, a hot bath waiting at the finish can be the magic force that spurs you forward; find that and make it work for you.
When I began practising yoga 5 years ago, the above was a mantra my teachers told me over and over again. I thought they were crazy until I realised just how little I breathed. it’s true…stop for a moment and inhale deeply, fill your lungs with air, pause for a moment, and then exhale all the air out again. Now go back to reading this blog. Give yourself a moment and then check in with your breath, are you still breathing deeply? When you run, every cell of your being needs oxygen to fuel you forward. Lots has been written about how to breathe while running, through the nose, through the mouth or a bit of both. Not being a medical professional I can’t give specific qualified advice on this and everyone has personal preferences based on body type and medical conditions. Ultimately, the important thing is to breathe deep and mindfully. If you feel your breaths are shallow or laboured, you probably need to slow down to a gentle run or even walk, to regulate your breath, before beginning again. When I started running, I followed a 2-minute run, 1 minute walk pattern, which is fantastic for building up stamina and helping to stabilise the breath. If you run with a friend, a bit of light chat helps with this too. Some people might advise against this but I find it helpful. If I am losing the ability to chat to Nic, it usually means I’m either running to fast or breathing too little, and need to slow and regulate again. Find your own flow in this space in whatever way helps you to breathe.
If you have a bad run, if you get injured or if the weather is bad its easy to throw in the towel. Easy to think you’ll never be as good as the runner who finished in front of you and it is so easy to stop. Though you might not realise it, you will be making progress all the time even if only by taking seconds off your time. When I joined parkrun, I set up a spreadsheet. I logged my times and after a couple of months I reviewed them. I was shocked to notice I was taking a minute or 2 off my time each month I ran and this became a great motivator.
Being fast isn’t always an indicator of progress though. Showing up is the best commitment you can make to yourself, being dedicated and consistent. If you get injured, you can still show up to a parkrun to volunteer, to cheer on other runners, or walk the route if you are up to it. Keep connected to your tribe and hold on to your self belief. Resilience is what keeps you strong, on and off the track, so build that through every step, show up for yourself, and that spirit of showing up will make it easier to face the challenges, and when this running spirit fuels your life off the track, you know its truly working or you!
I hope these tips help you to make a start; and above all, to keep running
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