Whilst in Thailand it’s safe to say that I didn’t run at all. Actually that’s a little fib, I did two sprints in the gym and it was so hot I thought I was going to pass out, so thought it best to stop, relax and have a white chocolate almond Magnum. Because obviously! Now that I’m back I want to get into running again and I know it’s going to be a little tough, so here are my running tips for beginners.
I love running because it’s one of the forms of fitness that you tend to see progression in very quickly, but on the flip side I find that once I stop I go back to square one, which is where I’m at right now. Good old square one. Last week I went out to run 5km, but only made it 3.5km, as my ankles and knees were feeling pretty sore. This morning I went out again and even though it was very hard, I just about managed the whole 5km, so already I can feel the improvement.
If you’re new to running and want to get into the swing of things, here are my running tips for beginners:
- INVEST: It’s easy to have the mindset of “Well, I don’t want to be a professional runner, so there’s no point in spending lots of money”, BUT I would urge you to think again. Even if you only plan on running a couple of times a week for maybe 15/20 minutes I think it’s important to have a good pair of trainers that feel right for you. These are my favourite brands for running trainers.
- SLOW & STEADY: The key for me when I first started running years ago was to realise that it’s ok to run very slowly. Rather than burn out in the first few minutes because you pushed too hard, too soon, just take it easy, run slowly and go for distance rather than pace.
- GROUPIE: I find getting motivated for running pretty tough at times – In the winter I blame the cold and in the summer I blame the heat! It’s great to join a running group and trust me, you’ll be surprised to find many beginners doing the same thing. Most running groups I’ve been too split into groups, for both distance and pace, so you’ll always find somewhere to fit in. If you’re London based then I recommend trying Nike Run Club as the people and vibe are awesome.
- TAKE A BREATHER: It’s ok to take walking breaks throughout your run. When you’re new to running a great way to get into it is by running in intervals, with walking in between. Walking doesn’t mean you’ve failed at running by any means. Just catch your breath, refocus your mind and start running again when you’re ready.
- LOG IT: Keeping a log of how far you ran and how long it took is a great way to stay motivated and to see your progress. They’ll be a lot of ups and downs with running, many that don’t make any sense to you, but it’s important to not let one bad run get you down.
I’m already looking forward to my next run! That’s something I never thought I’d hear myself say. I hope you found these running tips for beginners helpful.
Love, Cat x