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5 tips to help new runners find success

Follow these tips to get the most out of your running

runners at race start Photo by: Unsplash/miguel-a-amutio

When you first start running, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the sport is simple. You just have to run, right? Well, just because the sport itself isn’t incredibly complex doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot to learn. We can’t get into teaching you everything you need to know as a new runner, but we do have a few tips that will help you find success in running. 

woman stretching
Photo: dumbrunner.com

Do your warmups and cooldowns 

Please don’t skip these. We know you want to, but don’t. If you always force yourself to warm up and cool down properly, you will greatly lower your chances of getting hurt. We know that as a new runner, you may not be running all that far each workout, and because of that, adding 10 or 15 minutes to either end of the session will seem like a lot, but it will go a long way toward helping you avoid injury.  

No pressure 

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. We know that you want to get faster and perform well in workouts and at races, but try to remind yourself that your times and results aren’t that important in the grand scheme of things. By all means, set goals for yourself, but don’t stress if you don’t reach them. The great thing about running is that there will always be another workout and another race for you to enter.

Also, a common mistake beginners make is to try and run fast every time they run. This will make you burn out on running, and could lead to injury. At least 80 per cent of your running volume should be at an easy pace that you could maintain for an hour or more (not that you have to run for an hour every time–you don’t!), and that would let you carry on a conversation without feeling winded. This is how you build aerobic fitness. Once or twice a week (not more, especially for beginners), you can step it up with some intervals or a hill workout, which is more taxing, and will lead to adaptations that will improve your fitness and will make your easy pace faster. 

Find your gang 

Run with other people. Whether you get a single running buddy or join a running club, finding other runners to hit the road, trails and track with you will make things way more enjoyable. However, you shouldn’t feel pressured to run with someone else all the time. Save some days for solo runs (if you enjoy that) and dedicate a few to your running buddy or group. 

Enter a race

Most runners are probably keen to race, but some runners only want to run for fitness. That’s great, but trust us, racing is fun. Even if you think racing isn’t for you, you should give it a try. Enter a local 5K and get a feel for it. If you really don’t enjoy the experience, you can check it off your bucket list and leave racing in the past, but we’re willing to bet that you will fall in love with the atmosphere, the cheering, the competition the free snacks. (It’s also fun to do some of the same races each year, and try to improve your times.) 

Photo: lululemon

Listen to your body 

It’s easy to get caught up in training and convince yourself that all of your hard work will go to waste if you miss too many workouts. Maybe, but it takes a few weeks of no running to start to lose fitness, and if you feel like your body needs a break, it’s best to give it one. If you ignore the signals your body is sending and keep pushing, you’re apt to get injured (at which point your progress in training really will disappear). Don’t be afraid to take some days off. 

In terms of how often you should run, you certainly do not have to run every day (nor should you–even the pros take days off). The main thing is to be consistent, and if two or three runs a week is all you can squeeze into your schedule, that’s enough, provided you don’t skip weeks here and there. If you really enjoy running and want to get fitter and faster (or train for a marathon), you’ll want to run four or five times a week.

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