Beginner Running Tips: What I Wish I Knew Before I Started
I am not a professional runner. In fact, I am a commoner. A regular person living life. So if you are also a regular person, I want to give beginner running tips to help you out if you want to start. Here are 5 things that I wish I knew.
1. Mix Running with Weightlifting
First time I ran a half marathon, I had a coach sort of. He was a cross fit coach. He was kind enough to help me out for free 99. Gave me these plans that were very helpful. He did mix up weightlifting with running. BUT cross fit training is very different. So to be honest, by the end of training for the half marathon I felt very weak.
Yeah I could run but my strength was gone. And I think it’s because I didn’t actually prioritize weightlifting enough. Research shows that doing both aerobic and strength training does not compromise strength. In fact doing it on the same day can increase strength. At the time I think I thought doing one or the other too much would impact either my cardio or muscle strength.
Looks like both is the way to go! When I get older, I want to have both strong muscles and a strong heart. Due to my schedule it’s not very feasible to do both a long run then weightlit so I do it on separate days but do what works best for your schedule
2. Watch the Time You Eat
Oof. I learned this the hard way. Please eat, eat, eat, eat. Do not neglect food. As I share in my disordered eating journey here, eating so very important. BUT also beware the time you eat. One time in my training journey I ate way too late at night. Then I woke up for an early run at maybe 5am? You can suspect what happened during that run. Another time I ate maybe an hour before a run. Then went out on a run and had to stop. My bowels were boweling to the say the least.
So yes please don’t undereat. Get that food in your system. But be cautious of what time you are eating and when you will run next. I wish this was included in every beginner running tips guide because if only I would have known….
3. Get Supportive Sport Bras
This is far my larger bust girlies. I don’t even have the largest chest. BUT oh my it’s been a struggle getting bras that work well. I used to buy a lot more cheaper gym clothes. But over the years I have invested in more pricey clothes because my cheaper items would get ruined very quickly. Also with my body type and the amount I invest in fitness, it made sense to buy more pricey clothing.
So at the moment, 2 of my favorite sport bras are Oner Active Unified Macro Bralette & Gymshark High Neck High Support. BUT I am not asking you to break your bank account. There are ways to get around this. Either purchase items during sales, get used ones online or look at athlete’s discount codes.
I feel like investing in more pricey gym wear has been beneficial for me because it has lasted VS when I bought cheaper items, they would break and then I would need to get a new one. Or especially when it came to leggings it wouldn’t fit properly. So I am pretty picky when it comes to gymwear.
Regardless if you are running you want something that will support the girlies. Last thing you want is everything flying out and making your run uncomfortable.
4. Join A Run Club
This is something I did not do know would be good to include in beginner running tips until this year. I just joined a run club while I was in NYC this year. And it has made a difference. I wanted to quit during a group run so many times. But when you are around others it keeps you going.
If you are just starting, this might the thing you need to start off. Run clubs give 2 things: community and accountability. When you are just starting out, this is what is needed. Usually running clubs have different levels. For example, Harlem Run Club had walkers to 6.0 pace runners. So you can also decided to switch from one pace to another over time. It’s a great way to get your run in, meet people and challenge yourself.
5. Start Slow & Give Yourself Grace
Now if you aint ever run before don’t go out there and start running 6 miles. Start with 10 minutes. or 0.5 miles or 1 mile.
The slower you start the better. To be honest, the concept of running aimlessly for no purpose sounds daunting and hardly logical. It’s gonna take time for your body to adjust.
But also don’t beat yourself up. Some days are hard. Some days life throws a curveball. It can be hard to get out of bed. Beating yourself up is not going to make the situation better. But next day, we can get up and start over. And the days we may not ‘feel’ like working out, think about how you will feel afterwards. It usually feels great. Instead of shame & guilt for not doing what you thought you could do, let that be the motivator.
