Running Tips for Beginners

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Running

1.  Not every run will feel like a good one, but a even a bad run is better than no run.  Just do it.

2.  The right music will help you immensely.  I created a running playlist that is paced to exactly a 10 minute mile that I use for any of my standard runs.  More on my playlists in a later post.

3.  But sometime change it up.  Sometimes I choose to run while listening to an interesting interview.  I download Fresh Air podcasts from NPR and listen to interviews with someone fascinating.  I've learned so much doing this and it makes the time fly.

4.  Wear the right clothing.  Make sure you have enough support in you support top, make sure your shorts don't chafe, make sure your shoes are in good shape.  As soon as you have a clothing malfunction, your run stops being fun.

6.  Check your posture.  At the beginning of every song, I relax my shoulders, tighten my abs, engage my glutes, look forward and smile.  Relaxing the shoulders keeps the tension out of your neck, tightening the core keeps your back from hurting, engaging the glutes is just good form, looking up keeps the lungs open, and smiling reminds you to enjoy yourself.

7.  There is a moment, for me about 15 minutes into the run, where I start to feel like this run is going to suck, I just can't get through it, but if I push through that feeling, I get to a place that I feel like I can keep running for days.  Knowing that now, I anticipate it and look forward to it. 

8.  Sometimes I'm running to vent out some frustration or think through a problem, and I run on a path with other runners and bikers, etc.  These are the times I don't feel like smiling and waving because I'm just in my own head, so I wear sunglasses and a hat and just go.  It helps so much to get through something this way.

9.  Sign up for races, it keeps you on target.  I'm such a goal oriented person, that I have to have something that I'm working for.  I sign up for races, one long one a ways away to train for, and a few short ones leading up to keep me honest.  I am much more likely to make the time to run if I have a race coming up that I need to be prepared for.

10.  Warm up before, stretch after.  I walk to my path, and walk briskly, then give myself the first mile at a slow pace before I kick in the real run, then after, I do a lot of stretching.  My stretch routine in a future post...

There you have it.  Now go get running!