About a year ago, I signed up to do a 10K charity run. When I was younger I had always played all sorts of sports including taking part in cross-country races, so I was naturally quite active. However it had been a good few years since I had ran seriously, with soccer being my main form of aerobic exercise.
Getting back into the swing of things and building up the stamina to complete the 10K on the day, was quite challenging to begin with however I soon began to enjoy pushing myself and seeing how fast I could go. I didn’t really do any research and just threw myself into it, but having gone through that awkward and often sore first stage of running, here are a few tips for those starting off.
1. Start off slow
The first bit of advice I would give would be to not start off expecting to be Mo Farah on your first run, otherwise you’ll have to stop and walk home like I did. You have to build up your stamina and speed. For the first two weeks or so, it is better to focus on completing your chosen distance rather than trying to finish it as quickly as possible. Pick a route and finish it, and then try and complete it slightly quicker the next time. Over a while you’ll build up your stamina and the pace of your runs will improve as well.
2. Download a running app
One of the best things I did when beginning to run again was downloading the Under Armour – MapMyRun app. The app tracks you when you run, and informs you every kilometre of how fast you ran it. It stores all your runs on the app so that you can compare your various workouts and track your improvement. You can also follow your friends on the app and see how they are getting on.
3. Buy good running shoes
The benefits of investing in good running shoes are endless. First and foremost having a good pair of shoes will prevent you from getting blisters and other injuries, which allows you to run more frequently and eliminate periods where you are unable to run. High quality shoes will also help with performance, as they will be lighter, have more bounce and include a higher standard of technology within the shoe. I would recommend purchasing Asics, Brooks or Nike running shoes.
4. Find good running routes
Personally I preferred to run outdoors than on a treadmill. I found treadmills quite boring as you’re literally staring at the same spot for your whole run. At least when you’re out on the roads, people and cars are going by you and things happen to take your mind off how tired you are. Finding a good route can make your run much easier and more enjoyable. I had three routes, a 5k, a 6K and a 7K that started and finished at my house. I was able to compare my times across the three routes and also it meant that I wasn’t running the same route every day.
5. Run with others
As a few of us signed up to do the 10K, we made a WhatsApp group with all of us. Every time someone did a run, they would send a screenshot of their MapMyRun app into the group. I believe that this pushed each other on, as no one wanted to be seen as the person doing nothing. Having some sort of accountability was handy, because it’s so easy to choose not to go on a run if you’re a little bit tired or if the weather isn’t great. Also, the competitive nature rooted in all of us meant that we wanted to complete the 10K the fastest and seeing others training forced us to get out and run. Actually going on runs with others was also extremely beneficial, being able to chat to the person with you rather than being stuck listening to music pounding in your ear was a nice change.
6. Stretch before and after running
Stretching before and after running will significantly decrease the likelihood of injury, which will allow you to train more often and increase your stamina and speed. Stretching prior to running also will increase performance during the run. Dynamic stretches are preferable prior to running as they get blood to the muscles and warm you up better. Static stretching will increase your range of motion, so it is better to use these to cool down after exercising.
7. Enter a race/event
Without a doubt, entering the Dublin Night-Run forced me to get out and get running. If I had just decided I wanted to “run more” without actually entering the race, I think I would have opted for the easy option more often than not. Knowing that I actually had to take part in the event, and that people knew I was taking part, meant that at times, I actually trained so that I wouldn’t be embarrass myself on the day. The actual event on the day was also good fun, running through town at night, with DJs playing around the course and crowds out watching. The race was also time-chipped so you got emailed your results and videos of you throughout the race.