Hi Everyone, I hope everyone has had a good week so far, this week seems to be dragging so bad for me! I'm hoping the rest of this week goes fairly quick.
Today, I wanted to talk to you about my running story share some of my tips that I think will be helpful to those that are thinking of starting out runners, tips for beginners or just gentle reminders to those that are already running. These are basically for every runner! ;)
So, I hated running when I was a kid, I hated any sort of physical activity really, I didn't like PE and I often made excuses or forgot my kit on purpose just so I wouldn't have to get involved. I think part of the reason for this is because I was so embarrassed to exercise in front of the other kids in the class. I used to hate having to go out in the summer for cross country laps around the school field, there were loads of kids that were active and would be able to run laps around me but I always found it really difficult.
I only started running in February of 2012 after I'd lost about 70 lbs. I probably could have started sooner than and wish I had but I didn't feel comfortable with running outside and I didn't have a gym membership.
I started running with the C25K program which is a run walk program. It aims to get people from off the couch to running 5 km in a 9 week period. I stuck to the runs consistently, taking a rest day in between each run. At the 6 week mark, there was a large jump between the run walk intervals and it went from doing a 5 minute run to doing 20 minutes. I ended up just trying to run for a full 30 minutes or 5 km whichever I got to first. I was successful in my attempts, I was pretty emotional about it too.I decided that I would just try to consistently do 30 min/5 km runs since then.
My plan/schedule since then has been to have 3 to 4 runs per week, I usually have a rest day in between each run unless I only run around 1.5 miles in which case I will run the next day if I want to. Currently, I rest/cross train on Mondays and Tuesdays, I do a short(1.5 mile) on Weds, typically a 3 miler on Thursday, rest on Friday, short run/rest Saturday and my long runs on Sunday and then repeat.
I've done 3 races thus far, I did a Half Marathon in 2013 after just 3 months of running, A 5 mile race in July 2013 and then I had to take a running break due to surgery last year. I have done one 10 km race this year at the beginning of February and intend to get involved in a lot more races this year :)
That's it for my running story and how I started running. Now I'm going to share some tips that I used when I started running and things I think will be helpful to others.
Go and do a Gait Analysis
I can't stress how important this is. A gait analysis is where you run on a treadmill and your running is filmed and analysed by a professional. They'll be able to tell whether your legs are aligned, whether you're a toe or heel runner, if your feet roll outwards or inwards and recommend a shoe/trainer for you.
If you don't get fitted and just wear normal trainers, you could do yourself an injury and you can have terrible blisters. You also need to make sure that you try out the trainers, make sure they're comfortable and supportive enough and fit correctly. Having shoes too big or too small can also cause problems.
Make sure you're wearing the right gear!
Main essentials for running are crops/tights/shorts dependent on the weather, then a sweat wicking t-shirt or vest. A good supportive sports bra for women is a must, you need to keep those girls strapped down, I personally use Shock Absorber and they're brilliant. Running socks are a good choice too help to prevent blisters.
Have a Plan
I think it's always important to have a plan. As I mentioned, when I started running I used C25K, they now have an app and you will have a plan for running, it will tell you how many runs you will do during the week, and what your run and walk intervals are.
It's good to plan out which days are going to be your run days and which will be your rest days, that way you know when you need to be organised and go out for that run. When you plan, you're usually more likely to do it.
Always Warm Up and Cool Down!
This is SO SO important. You should always warm up before you run with Dynamic Stretches and a 5 minute warm up walk. This helps to warm up your body and raise your heart rate. You supply oxygen to the muscles and it helps to make them more flexible and efficient for the run ahead.
After you finished running, it's a good idea to cool down the body and you can do that with a 5 minute cool-down walk and some stretches afterwards.
If you'd like me to do a post/video on the types of stretches you can do for warming up and cooling down the body pre and post run, then let me know and I'll do that!
Don't forget to rest!
Rest is very important. In fact its just as important as the actual run. It allows your body a timeout in order to rebuild, recover and improve your muscles. Without the rest of muscles and joints, you can end up feeling sore, sluggish and tired during your runs and your joints can end up sore and inflamed.
Failure to rest can also lead to injuries and issues commonly associated with over training such as shin splints and stress fractures.
Run for you. Don't care what others think!
If you're feeling nervous, scared or self conscious of running outside my first most important piece of advice is to just ignore people. A majority of the time, its just you being paranoid, I was exactly the same, but the reality is that most people just don't care and don't say anything to runners.
Besides, its better to see someone out running, improving their health and fitness rather than seeing someone munching on junk all day, right?!
Other ways in which you can still run outside might be to join a running club or find a running partner. Running clubs are a great way to socialise and be with people that have the same interest as you. Running clubs usually accommodate all types of runners with all paces so you will definitely fit in.
A running partner is also an option, maybe find a friend that would like to start running or improve their fitness too. This is also a great way to stay accountable for your runs as you wouldn't want to bail on a run and let your running partner down!
****
These are just my main tips for running and something that I stuck by when I first started. I hope that someone finds these tips helpful and maybe encourages someone to start running! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away and I'll be sure to answer!
You can also check out my video for this week where I talk about my running story and my tips for running. Subscribe if you want to see more Health, Fitness and Running Videos, leave suggestions in the comments of any videos you might like to see from me! :)
Today, I wanted to talk to you about my running story share some of my tips that I think will be helpful to those that are thinking of starting out runners, tips for beginners or just gentle reminders to those that are already running. These are basically for every runner! ;)
I only started running in February of 2012 after I'd lost about 70 lbs. I probably could have started sooner than and wish I had but I didn't feel comfortable with running outside and I didn't have a gym membership.
I started running with the C25K program which is a run walk program. It aims to get people from off the couch to running 5 km in a 9 week period. I stuck to the runs consistently, taking a rest day in between each run. At the 6 week mark, there was a large jump between the run walk intervals and it went from doing a 5 minute run to doing 20 minutes. I ended up just trying to run for a full 30 minutes or 5 km whichever I got to first. I was successful in my attempts, I was pretty emotional about it too.I decided that I would just try to consistently do 30 min/5 km runs since then.
My plan/schedule since then has been to have 3 to 4 runs per week, I usually have a rest day in between each run unless I only run around 1.5 miles in which case I will run the next day if I want to. Currently, I rest/cross train on Mondays and Tuesdays, I do a short(1.5 mile) on Weds, typically a 3 miler on Thursday, rest on Friday, short run/rest Saturday and my long runs on Sunday and then repeat.
I've done 3 races thus far, I did a Half Marathon in 2013 after just 3 months of running, A 5 mile race in July 2013 and then I had to take a running break due to surgery last year. I have done one 10 km race this year at the beginning of February and intend to get involved in a lot more races this year :)
That's it for my running story and how I started running. Now I'm going to share some tips that I used when I started running and things I think will be helpful to others.
Go and do a Gait Analysis
I can't stress how important this is. A gait analysis is where you run on a treadmill and your running is filmed and analysed by a professional. They'll be able to tell whether your legs are aligned, whether you're a toe or heel runner, if your feet roll outwards or inwards and recommend a shoe/trainer for you.
If you don't get fitted and just wear normal trainers, you could do yourself an injury and you can have terrible blisters. You also need to make sure that you try out the trainers, make sure they're comfortable and supportive enough and fit correctly. Having shoes too big or too small can also cause problems.
Make sure you're wearing the right gear!
Main essentials for running are crops/tights/shorts dependent on the weather, then a sweat wicking t-shirt or vest. A good supportive sports bra for women is a must, you need to keep those girls strapped down, I personally use Shock Absorber and they're brilliant. Running socks are a good choice too help to prevent blisters.
Have a Plan
I think it's always important to have a plan. As I mentioned, when I started running I used C25K, they now have an app and you will have a plan for running, it will tell you how many runs you will do during the week, and what your run and walk intervals are.
It's good to plan out which days are going to be your run days and which will be your rest days, that way you know when you need to be organised and go out for that run. When you plan, you're usually more likely to do it.
Always Warm Up and Cool Down!
This is SO SO important. You should always warm up before you run with Dynamic Stretches and a 5 minute warm up walk. This helps to warm up your body and raise your heart rate. You supply oxygen to the muscles and it helps to make them more flexible and efficient for the run ahead.
After you finished running, it's a good idea to cool down the body and you can do that with a 5 minute cool-down walk and some stretches afterwards.
If you'd like me to do a post/video on the types of stretches you can do for warming up and cooling down the body pre and post run, then let me know and I'll do that!
Don't forget to rest!
Rest is very important. In fact its just as important as the actual run. It allows your body a timeout in order to rebuild, recover and improve your muscles. Without the rest of muscles and joints, you can end up feeling sore, sluggish and tired during your runs and your joints can end up sore and inflamed.
Failure to rest can also lead to injuries and issues commonly associated with over training such as shin splints and stress fractures.
Run for you. Don't care what others think!
If you're feeling nervous, scared or self conscious of running outside my first most important piece of advice is to just ignore people. A majority of the time, its just you being paranoid, I was exactly the same, but the reality is that most people just don't care and don't say anything to runners.
Besides, its better to see someone out running, improving their health and fitness rather than seeing someone munching on junk all day, right?!
Other ways in which you can still run outside might be to join a running club or find a running partner. Running clubs are a great way to socialise and be with people that have the same interest as you. Running clubs usually accommodate all types of runners with all paces so you will definitely fit in.
A running partner is also an option, maybe find a friend that would like to start running or improve their fitness too. This is also a great way to stay accountable for your runs as you wouldn't want to bail on a run and let your running partner down!
****
These are just my main tips for running and something that I stuck by when I first started. I hope that someone finds these tips helpful and maybe encourages someone to start running! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away and I'll be sure to answer!
You can also check out my video for this week where I talk about my running story and my tips for running. Subscribe if you want to see more Health, Fitness and Running Videos, leave suggestions in the comments of any videos you might like to see from me! :)
Question: Are you a runner? What is one tip that you would give to someone wanting to start out?
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