Recently I ran a giveaway for my blog’s second birthday and some lovely people commented that they’d like to learn more about getting started with running. You asked so here we are!
Those of you that know me and those of you that have been reading the blog/following me on social media for a while will know that I quite like my running, even if I do have periods where I don’t run at all.
So far I have run 4 marathons, 3 half marathons, a few 5ks and 10ks as well as 3 triathlons. However, roll back to when I first started running back in April 2010 and I couldn’t even run for 60 seconds!
getting started with running
It all started when my husband started running and completed his first 10k. Not one to be left out, and ever so slightly competitive… I decided that I could do it too! Well, that first run was AWFUL!!!! I couldn’t breathe, my lungs hurt, my legs hurt. Who on earth said that exercise was enjoyable, fun, good for you??!! Seriously?! Well, I decided to research the best ways to start running and I came across the amazing Couch to 5K plan. This works on the principle that you build up your running gradually over a number of weeks through a plan of run/walking. You run for an allotted amount of time and then walk for an allotted amount of time, increasing the amount of time you are running each day/week until at the end you can run a full 5k. It really did work! That first run of the new week was never easy but it was great to see progress over a number of weeks. You can download apps for your phone and have motivating music alongside the beeps/voice to tell you the time you are running or walking for. I personally used my own music, wrote the plan on the back of my hand and just had a digital watch to time the lengths I was to run or walk.
After I had been running for a little while, I found myself starting to plateau so I joined a local running club. I found this brilliant for pushing me on and for raising my motivation. I was also so grateful for the support that I got from my running buddies when training for my first marathon. They were superb and great company on my long training runs. I would really recommend joining a running club, there are so many out there!
The club I am a member of hosts many handicap races which I love because it means that everyone has an even chance of winning and look, here I am winning one year!!!
The other way of getting started with running is with your local Parkrun. These are free, timed 5ks that take place weekly. You need to sign up before attending and you get a barcode that gets scanned at the end. What I love about these is that you can have the results texted to you and it tells you if you get a PB! There is normally great support as well as a community feel as some have coffee and cake at the end!
kit
To begin with you just need to make sure you have some good trainers and some comfortable clothing. I prefer Lycra because I find that if cotton gets damp (with sweat or rain) it makes me chafe (nice!) which is very uncomfortable. You can get really good deals at places like Sports Direct. If you decide to progress with your running and take it more seriously, it is a good idea to get fitted up for a pair of running trainers suited to you and your running style. It is also recommended to change your running trainers every 300-500 miles run, especially when you start to notice any niggles.
A good sports bra is essential if you are a woman, no matter how small you think your breasts are. Did you know our boobs do a figure of 8 when we run?! I found this out from Shock Absorber when I went to an event they were at and I found this Bounce O Meter on their site which shows you how much you move when exercising!
I personally wear an ear defender as my ears always get really cold and I get ear ache. Also to hold my fringe out of the way. I like to wear an ear defender or something called a Buff.
A high-vis is essential if you are running at night for safety. My running club also recommends head torches when running in the dark as it can help to see what’s in front of you.
tips
If you don’t fancy running outside, then a treadmill is just as good. They say about putting the incline up to about 1 or 1.5% to replicate running outside. I do mix up running outside with running on a treadmill. Sometimes running on a treadmill can get a bit monotonous so I tend to keep these to shorter sessions.
You are going to need to think past what other people might think about you running. Truth is, most people look and wish they could do it! I get very red/purple in the face, I just got over it and now I don’t care!
If you are going for a run, especially in the evening, tell someone where you are going. Just as a safety precaution. I’ll often take my phone with me to listen to music, so if I do get stuck somewhere or I become poorly then I can reach someone.
I often carry a £5 note with me too in case I need to buy food, get a taxi or buy a drink.
I have found running really good for my mental health. Either listening to some banging tunes up loud when I need to pound out the stress, or the quiet of being up on the rolling hills with nothing but bleating sheep and birdsong, or even an audio book. I can run in so many different ways to suit my mood. There is so much science out there about the feel-good chemicals that get produced when we exercise.
Running is also good for our overall fitness. I can definitely feel it when I haven’t been running for a while, running for a train or going up a huge flight of stairs feels infinitely harder!
If you don’t want to run alone, why not find a friend to run with? So much research is out there that says we are more likely to commit to something if we know we might let someone else down. Making those times to meet and run can really help. This is why joining a running club is great, it gives you a purpose and reason to get out and run.
Finally, why not enter a race for motivation and something to train for. When I first started running I signed up to a 5k race event in the September. There are so many events to choose from! There are many charity events that you can run in like Race for Life or a Santa Dash.
I really hope this post inspires someone to try running! Do let me know how you get on! Do you run? Please share in the comments.
This is such a great article and really motivating. Congrats on getting up to the marathon level of running! Gives me hope that I will be able to do it as well in the next few years. I started with the C25K app too, and really quite enjoy running now, after hating it for a majority of my life. Thanks!