I should note upfront that I am a complete beginner in the world of running. I tried to get into it for a couple of weeks here and there, but I was never particularly serious about it. It bothered my knees. I was bored. I had a thousand excuses. But then I decided to run a half marathon with a friend because that made total sense. If I didn’t like small amounts of running, large amounts of running must be the answer. So here I am trying to run and sharing my thoughts.
- This “runner’s high” business is still elusive. It’s been 6 weeks, and I’ve had one run during which I didn’t feel as though I were dying in agony. That was yesterday. Maybe the trend will continue, but I’m frankly not that optimistic.
- Pacing is hard. Without much experience, it’s just hard to know how to keep a consistent pace, or adjust your pace according to the distance. I basically have one pace. That pace is not fast.
- Podcasts can help more than music. I was surprised to find this. As a former dancer, music is my go-to to make any task endurable. The trouble is that as a beginner and a subpar runner in any respect, I am incredibly slow. If I listen to music, then I naturally match my pace to the music, which could be great at some future time. But for now, I run too fast and then I’m tired after 5 minutes. And then I feel frustrated because any human should be able to run longer than 5 minutes, right? Music is good for intervals. Because then I don’t care if I’m tired after 5 minutes since I’m planning to walk a couple anyway.
- Don’t worry too much about how your foot hits the ground. I did find it helpful to watch a few YouTube videos on running technique just to get a sense of how what it should look and feel like. Yes, since playing tag as a child, my running experience has been extremely minimal, and I literally needed instruction on how to move my limbs for this basic activity.
- Breathing is critical. One of the biggest things for me early on was figuring out how to breathe to avoid getting side stiches. A side stitch is obviously a literal pain and also disappointing since it can ruin the entire session. The breathing technique that helped me is called “three-two.” See more here. Essentially, you inhale for three steps and exhale for two steps. This means that you switch sides with each round of breath and that balance prevents side stitches. As an aside, this breathing technique also facilitates the meditative aspects of running. By counting steps and focusing on your breath, you’re simultaneously engaged in an introductory meditation technique. It can be helpful for getting into the right mental state.
- I’m not giving up on other activities I enjoy. I also enjoy yoga, strength training, hiking, swimming, etc. You can find ways to incorporate these activities and cater them toward your training. For instance, yoga poses and stretches that target important muscles like hip flexors and glutes.
- It’s important to know how to continue to motivate yourself. For instance, I have not been tracking my pace much at all. I have literally no idea how fast I can run a mile. That’s okay. In fact, it’s great because if I knew how fast I could run a mile, I can guarantee I’d be frustrated. And then I would be demotivated. And then I would not want to run anymore because I would start telling myself I’m not a runner, so why am I entertaining the idea I can do this anyway? See, bad mental spiraling. We don’t want to go there, so I am not currently tied to checking my pace.
- Build the habit by eliminating friction. You must run consistently for it to get better, so running must become a habit. Remove any reason you can find for an excuse. The sun is in your eyes. Get a visor. You’re too tired when you get home from work. Run in the morning. It’s too hot. Run inside or early morning.
- I am tired. Also hungry.
- You must kick your ego to the curb. If you are a beginner, you are a beginner. Accept that and use the run-walk method. Your body will thank you and your endurance will grow and literally no one else cares if you’re taking walking breaks.
