I've had a long-term love-dislike relationship with running. As a lifelong swimmer, weight bearing sports have never come easy to me - specifically running. For many years, I struggled with how to hold my body on land as I felt like my upper body wasn't connected to my lower body when I ran. My hips/glutes have had the most niggles so I'm lucky that I've never had any lower leg issues due to running. In the water, I immediately know how to hold my body. Interestingly, before I was a triathlete I was a runner and I loved running and it did come easy to me. But then, like many of you, I got injured and since then, running has had its highs and lows. Sometimes my body doesn't enjoy running and it's really really hard for me, but that doesn't mean that I give up every time it feels hard or that I've convinced myself that I can't improve as a runner. Like with many things in life, I'm on a quest of continued self-development as I strive to improve many areas of my life/self. Running is one of those areas where I am patient in the journey but I'm also incredibly grateful for what my body allows me to do - even on the days when I don't feel good when I run.
It doesn’t matter if it takes you 6 minutes or 16 minutes, a mile is still a mile.
No matter your fitness level, running is a great sport to challenge your mind and body. But even better, running does not require a gym membership, you can do it almost anywhere (and anytime) and it comes with a list of benefits including body composition changes, fitness gains, stress relief and self-confidence.
Even with the endorphin-rush as you move your body quickly with one foot in front of the other, running does come with a few downfalls.
Running is rather hard on the body (weight bearing) and not every human body is destined to be a runner. Running requires good flexibility and range of motion as well as exceptional cardiorespiratory endurance and muscular strength. Injuries due to overtraining, poor biomechanics, improper shoe choice or increasing mileage too quickly are very common in runners of all fitness levels.
To help you in your running journey, here are three of my best tips:
- Build a strong body – As great as it feels to check-off an hour run off your training plan, it’s important that you build a strong foundation before you run to increase speed and distance. Learn how to run well (with good form and proper breathing techniques) as you work to become strong and resilient. Strength training should enhance your cardio routine as a component of your run training. Don't rush the process by adding too much intensity or volume. It's better to get your body stronger and more efficient with a lower intensity/volume plan than to skip steps only to realize (after the fact) that you never took the time to nail the basics - like learning how to maintain good form when you are tired and take in nutrition while running easy. It’s recommended to also include cross-training and strength training to target the hips, glutes, lower back and core to ensure good pelvis strength.
- Consistency is key – At the beginning of any running plan, most runners struggle with consistency due to soreness and the difficultly of running several times per week. Or there's the tendency to do too much too soon. Because prior fitness, current fitness and limitations should be considered when designing a run training plan, remember that if you cannot properly adapt and recover from your run workouts, you'll struggle to remain consistent. Develop a training plan (or work with a coach) that allows you to make progress with the least amount of training stress. Don't wait until a setback occurs to realize that you should have done things differently.
- It’s not just about the running miles – Far too many runners are obsessed with running miles. Step away from being controlled by your gadgets and get more out of your runs by learning how to listen to your body, run for time and become one with your body. Don't feel like you have to hit certain paces/distances just to feel successful with your workout. Walking during a run is not failing. Figure out what you need to do to stay healthy and to enjoy your running journey. Sometimes just going for a walk is better than nothing. Remind yourself that good sleep, a positive attitude, good stress management, attention to sport nutrition (ex. fueling before, during and after workouts), balanced daily nutrition, a healthy immune system, good mobility, proper pacing and knowing how to run in different environmental conditions will not only help to take your training to the next level but you'll get more out of your running experience.