Running For Beginners

Chris Worfolk
Why run?
Why take up running? Here are some great reasons:

It is great for your physical health. The NHS recommends you get at
least 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. Running is an easy
way to do this.

It is convenient. You can fit in a run whenever you like. You do not
need a team or special equipment. You can just go out and run.

It is great for your mental health. Studies show that exercise can be
as helpful for depression as medication. It builds mental resilience
and makes you feel happier. It can even lead to what is called
“runners high”.

It can be a social activity or done on your own. Or both. It can be a

good way to meet new friends or give yourself some chill out time.

You can start it at any age. The oldest person to complete a

marathon is 94 years old, so age is no barrier.

Hopefully, you’re already convinced, so let’s go out and do some

running.

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How to run
Where to run

Parks

Parks are an excellent place to start. Lots of open space, lots of

grass, which is a bit easier on the body. And lots of other people
doing sporty things if you’re feeling a little self-conscious.

Streets

Streets are great because most of us have them outside our front
door. They have street lights so you can run after dark. Just be
careful of pedestrians and cars: we’ll talk about staying safe later in
this course.

Treadmills

I do not like running inside because I find the treadmill boring.

But, if you’re feeling self-conscious, a gym is a great place to do it
because everyone is there to get sweaty.

Towpaths

Towpaths are my favourite place to run. They typically go on for a

long way and are uninterrupted. Just watch out for cyclists.

Stay safe
Here are a couple of tips to keep you safe while running.

First, headphones. If you want to listen to music while running,

you can. But it is not ideal because it distracts you from your
environment. So, you might miss a car as you cross the road, or a
bike coming up behind you.

If you are going to listen to music, keep it on a volume that allows

you to hear what is around you. I like to listen to audiobooks
because they are nice and quiet, but mostly I do not use any
headphones and just try and enjoy the run, and we will talk about
that in the next lesson.

Also, if you are going out early in the morning or in evening, when it
is dark, make sure you are seen. So, have a hi-vis t-shirt or jacket like
these to make it easy for cars and bikes to see you. 4
Being mindful
Mindfulness is the practice of living in the present and not being
distracted by thoughts and worries about other things. Often this
takes the form of mindfulness meditation, but it can also be used in
your everyday life.

I’m a big advocate of mindfulness, and I have a lot of other courses

on it you may want to check out.

But, for this, my message is that try running without headphones

and using your run to practice mindfulness. Focus on your
sensations: what can you see, hear, feel, smell as you run? Take it all
in and appreciate being alive, and being able to run and enjoy the
outdoors.

There is a tonne of scientific research supporting mindfulness

making us happier, healthier and more resilient, and practising
while running is a great way to go.

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Your routine
Warming up
Warming up your muscles at the start of a run is important to
avoiding injury. Cold muscles damage more easily, so we want to do
a warm-up, rather than going sprinting off at full pace.

Warming up does not involve what we call “static stretches”, we

want to use a dynamic warm-up. This means moving naturally as we
would do with running.

When you are getting started, this means a brisk walk. Maybe five
minutes warming up your body, elevating that heart rate slightly
before you go for it.

When you’re more advanced, it means starting with a gentle run

for the first five minutes. And you can add some exaggerated
movements in there, too, like heel kicks and high knees.

If you are in a small space, you can also do this warm-up on the
spot.

Cooling down
Cooling down is a two-part system. First, if possible, you want to
reduce your load slowly. This means dropping down to a walk at the
end of a run.

If you ever see any Olympic cycling, for example, you see them jump
on a static bike after a race and peddle really easily. That’s what we
want to do: a gentle cool down. After that, some static stretches.

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Stay motivated
Joining a club
Joining a local running club can also be a great way to stay
motivated as you can meet other people and take part in structured
activities.

The way clubs usually work is that they separate you into ability
groups. So, you are not going to be put with someone who can run
5km in less than 20 minutes; you can start in a relaxed group with
people at your level.

The best way to find them is with a search engine: just put your
town in and “running” or “running club” and see what comes up.
Then, drop them an email saying you’re a new runner and asking
how you can get started.

Signing up for a race

Another option to staying motivated is to sign up for a race. It might
sound scary, but trust me, it’s not as bad as it seems.

10km is a great distance to do. Lots of charities run big 5km and
10km events that you can sign up to a year in advance, and you
are usually helping a good cause, too. And all abilities take part: I
regularly see people who walk the entire distance, so, even if you
think you are really slow, you will not be the only one.

A great reason to do this is that it is the best thing you can do to

provide motivation. Once we set a goal, we are inspired to achieve it,
so sign up for something that feels “scary but just about achievable”
for maximum results.

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Gear
Trainers
You do not need fancy running shoes to get started. Anything will
do. They do not need to be “running specific” trainers, any pair of
trainers will be fine.

The most important thing is that they are comfortable. That is all
that matters.

Some people recommend going to a specialist running shop who

will put you on a treadmill and film you, and recommend shoes
based on that. I do not recommend that because it always turns
out you need the £120 pair. That is probably not the case, and we’ll
talk about that in a later lesson on technique. Just find something
comfortable. Do not worry about support and cushioning and all of
that jargon for now.

I am about one size bigger than I am in a shoe, so if it is your first

pair of trainers, you might need to go a little bigger than your shoe
size. Your feet swell as you run, so it is good to have a little extra
room.

Clothing
Remember that you get hot while running, so I always recommend a
t-shirt and shorts. We will talk about what to do in the hot and cold
later in the course.

You can get technical t-shirts that deal with sweat better and help
you stay cooler. I do not often wear them because they chafe my
nipples, so I just run in 100% cotton t-shirts.

The only kind of “special clothing” I have for running is my running

socks. I blister quite easily between my toes, so I have running socks
that seem to help. You don’t need them to get started as it’s only
a problem if I am running for over an hour, but if you are going to
invest in one piece of running kit, socks are a good bet.

If you’re a woman, then the other item that is well worth investing
in is a high-quality sports bra. I cannot give you advice in this area,
other than to tell you that my running friends who are female say
that this is the most important investment you will make.

If it is dark or raining, I will either put on a high vis t-shirt, or I will

put my high vis jacket on if it is cold and raining.
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Fitness trackers and watches
Fitness trackers and sports watches are very popular these days. My
advice is that you do not need them: just use your phone.

Your phone as GPS built-in, so you can get an app like MapMyRun or
Strava to track your runs. They are both free, I have used them both,
and they are both excellent: it will track where you go, how fast you
go, etc and it doesn’t cost you anything.

And you can just put it in your pocket, which is how I do it. I have an
armband, too, but they are both imperfect solutions, so just having
it in your pocket is fine. If you’re a woman, I am aware you often do
not get pockets, so you might want an armband or leggings with a
built-in phone pocket.

If you do want to get a fitness tracker, I recommend setting it as a

goal. So, tell yourself you can get one when you have done 100km.
Sounds like a big number, but if you’re doing 2-3 5km runs per week,
you will reach that in two to three months. That is enough time to
decide if you like running and so you won’t waste money on a watch
that you are never going to use.

I do have a Garmin Forerunner now, but I only got this when I

moved over to triathlon, because you cannot take a phone with
you in an open water swim, and because I got really serious about
things like heart rate and other metrics. If I were simply running, I
would probably still be using my phone.

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Weather
In the heat
Running in the heat is just like regular running because you are
always warm when you run. So, dress lightly.

Do not forget sun cream. Especially if you have your shoulders or

legs out, sun cream up so you don’t get burnt.

Also, you will sweat a lot more in the heat, so I recommend taking
some water out with you. Any bottle will do to start with. You can
get special bottles that are easier to hold or backpacks or ones that
go on your waist. But you do not need these to get started, and I do
not use them: I just carry a bottle in my hand. It is a bit annoying,
but it is simple and free.

In the cold
My recommendation for running in the cold is similar to my
recommendation for running in the warm: dress lightly.

Anything above zero degrees centigrade, which is 32 degrees

Fahrenheit, is shorts and t-shirt weather to me. And yes, I am very
cold when I start. But after the first 10 minutes, it feels great.

As a new runner, you will probably have a higher limit for when
you think of it as shorts and t-shirt weather. But I recommend not
overdressing because if you overdress, you sweat, the sweat gets
cold, and that makes you cold, so it is not always the case that
warmer clothing is better.

If it is very cold, I like to put leggings on. You might prefer these to
shorts anyway. And a jacket with a zip, so that I can unzip it when I
get too warm.

I also use gloves and a hat because my hands and ears get cold
quickly. If it is super-cold, I even switch to thick woolly socks.

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Advanced
Psychology
In terms of staying motivated: the most important thing is setting a
goal, which is why I recommend challenging yourself to a race. Also
keeping it fun and varied is essential, too, so join a club and change
your route now and then.

Also, remind yourself that you will feel better after your run. I often
wake up and see it is raining outside and think “I really don’t feel
like running”. But, as soon as I can get there, or at least I get back, I
will feel less worse than I do now. I won’t say you’ll “feel great”, but
the moment before you set off is often when you feel the worst.

One technique is to go a step at a time. Tell yourself you are just

going to put your trainers on, and then if you still do not feel like
going, you can stay at home. Make that deal with yourself, and you
will probably find that once you have your trainers on, you want to
give it a go. Same thing with offering yourself a shorter distance
and then seeing how you feel.

If you are doing a hard run and it is really hurting, try moving your
attention to the external environment. If you focus internally, you
are really going to feel it. If you can move your focus onto what is
going on around you, you are going to have an easier time.

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Running For Beginners

Written by Chris Worfolk.

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