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How to Start Running

It’s Global Running Day!

In case you aren’t familiar, it’s only the best day of the year. It’s a celebration of all things running, and in my very biased opinion, I wonder what could possibly be better than that. Global Running Day began as a way to inspire people of all ages, abilities, and fitness levels to get out and run. What started as National Running Day quickly spread to countries all over the world, and thus Global Running Day was born.

On their website, you can pledge to run anything from one mile to a full marathon. You can share your inspiration for what gets you up and moving, and if you’re in the NYC area, find lots of fun events taking place all across the city.

But what if you’ve never run before, but have always wanted to?

I can’t think of a better day to get started.

Running often gets a bad rap. It’s often seen as the punishment for other sports, or from the days of middle school gym class. I hear you. When I was involved in martial arts, there was a part of our black belt exams that required a two mile run. I dreaded it. It was the worst. If you told me I’d become a runner who would run marathons, I’d laugh at you. Now I can’t even count the number of races I’ve run. It’s weird how these things work! In case you too want to join the “I used to hate running” club, below are some tips to get you started.

Pick a day, circle it on the calendar, and check the weather

Once you’ve decided you want to start, choose a day that works best for you. You could just lace up and go (and if that works, more power to you!), but if you’re trying to set up a habit you’re actually going to enjoy, it’s good to make sure conditions are as ideal as possible. The day you choose probably shouldn’t be after a huge work meeting or a day where you have to shuttle the kids to about a million different appointments. Decide on a day where you have the time, and it’s not going to do something ridiculous like downpour all day. Bottom line? Make it as easy for yourself as possible, and then commit to it.

Go as far as you can

Let’s get this out of the way now. The first time you run is going to hurt. Trust me. It won’t feel good. The first mile of most of my runs doesn’t feel great. It gets better. I promise. Know going in that it’s going to feel all kinds of awful, but it might also be really fun. Taking away the fitness, the mileage, the speed, or potentially training for a race – running is fun! That’s why we used to do it all the time as kids.

So don’t put any pressure on yourself. Maybe you can run for ten seconds before you have to stop. That’s okay. Start again when you feel you can. It might feel like you’re trudging through quicksand right now, but if you stick with it, it won’t feel that way forever.

Wear the right shoes

It’s perfectly reasonable if you want to wait a bit before you run down (pun intended) to a speciality store and buy ALL THE THINGS. Running shoes can be expensive, and if it turns out that running isn’t really your jam, it can feel like money has been seriously wasted. Once you’ve decided that you want to stick it out and see how far you can go, invest in a good pair of shoes. Running in the wrong shoes sets you up for future running nightmares and injuries. Your best bet is to go to a local running store (like JackRabbit if you’re in the NYC area or Fleet Feet Sports if there’s one of those nearby) and have them fit you. You’ll find out the type of shoe that’s best for your gait, and then they can recommend some options. Remember – color and style aren’t the most important factors!

Pick a route

Most people don’t know how to run a mile from their home in any direction. That’s a skill saved for us obsessed runners. The first step is to find a route that feels safe and comfortable. If you’re running at night or in the early morning hours, streets that are well lit and/or with a good number of people around are probably your best bet. If you can run on a path or in a park, even better. Try to avoid traffic as much as possible and make sure you’re following traffic safety rules. When something doesn’t feel right, trust your gut and pick another direction. Are you a planner who wants to pick your route before you go? Me too! Websites like Map My Run are extremely helpful.

Need some more tips on how to get started with running, or any other exercise routine? Want to talk to about running for hours? I’m game. E-mail me.

 

 

Author: Rachel

Rachel is a licensed therapist and co-founder of Viva Wellness. She gets most of her inspiration for the blog while on the run, and if you ever need to find her, she’s probably in Central Park. If she’s not running, you’ll find her planning the next time she’s going to eat, exploring all things wellness in NYC, or raising her stress level by watching her sports teams.

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