No matter what exercise you've found is best for you, they all have various tips and tricks that you learn with time. I want to share a few things that I've learned in case there are any beginning runners out there, or someone like me who just wants to see if they can do it.
Until I was almost 40 years old, I thought I “couldn't” run because I got winded too quickly, my muscles shouted at me in pain, and often I'd get a side ache. Then I overheard Kent telling someone, “No, I don't think we'll ever get Kel out there running...” He had every reason to believe that, but I'm just stubborn enough to take that as a challenge. Not to mention that my upcoming birthday was good motivation. So I self-taught myself a lot about running, and here are the things that I wished someone had told me earlier…
4 Tiny Tips for Beginning Runners
1. Very few runners like to run. How do I know this? Well, from my highly scientific research that's how… OK, fine, so maybe I just asked all the runners I know. Not many said they like it while they're running. (I can only think of one.) I certainly don't. So why do I do it? It's the oddest thing–I realized recently I'm now one of those I'd heard about who crave running…especially on a perfect weather day. There's just something about it. It's partly the good feeling of moving after sitting on my butt so much working on this blog. And partly it's the feeling of knowing that I can. Not far, not fast, and not well, but I can. That itself is exhilarating, because I never thought I could!
2. It's supposed to hurt. It usually hurts. It's normal for it to hurt. This is what I say to myself when my muscles and lungs are screaming for me to stop and walk a bit. I'm constantly forcing myself to ignore them. Now, don't be crazy about this. I'm not talking about, “I'm injured but I'll keep running” pain, and I'm for sure not talking about, “I think I'm having a heart attack” pain. If your body is telling you to stop for those reasons or any other good reason, don't be a fool, you need to listen.
3. Did you know there's an easy way to make a side-ache go away? Why didn't anyone tell me this?! I had to figure it out myself: when you get a side-ache, it means you're not exhaling completely and blowing off all of your CO2. Simple as that. (There may be more to it, but it's that simple for me anyway.) So when I feel one coming on, usually when I'm distracted and not focused on my breathing, I'll be sure to blow ALL the air out of my lungs with the next few breaths. This is not always easy when every cell in your body is screaming for you to inhale, “need…more…oxygen…“, but trust me, it works.
4. Even though I crave it, this still doesn't mean I'm out there as much as I'd like. No matter what your preferred exercise is, sometimes life just takes over and you'll go through streaks where you won't be doing it as often as you wish. If it's been a busy day and I have to choose between reading or playing with the kids and taking a run, I'll choose being a Mom every time. Sometimes when I'm up too late working on this blog and have to choose between going for a run and getting some much needed sleep, I'll make the smarter choice and sleep. You know the difference between making excuses and just not being able to fit it in that day. If you can't cram that one more thing in, get over it. Just do it again when you can. It's been really tough for me to learn this: we can only do so much!
I'M SURE YOU HAVE MORE TIPS OR THINGS YOU'VE LEARNED ABOUT EXERCISE, PLEASE COMMENT BELOW TO SHARE!
More you might like:
- Read about my first 5K run.
- Kent ran with me the next time and I did a little better: read about my 2nd 5K run
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Sharon,
If you can run further than you thought, and it “feels good” – you’re way ahead of me! 🙂
Kelly
Sharon-Momn4boys says
Perfect timing. My son has been after me to run. I walk but… I decided last week to start running a bit and walking a bit. I was actually surprised that I could run farther than I thought… and it feels good! I just hope I can keep the motivation going.
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Shauna,
Youza, you get in 15 miles a week?! That’s awesome. Kent will probably do the 25K again this spring, if so, I’ll be sure to look for you doing the 10K!
Karen,
Didn’t know you were a runner!! You’re making all sorts of life changes these days, go girl! BTW, email me and tell me what “passwork” is…?
Hi Mgirl,
Remember on those rainy days, there’s always the dreaded treadmill! If you have one, I guess I should say. I like having it for those days when I’m all psyched up to go, then it rains or is too cold or whatever.
Kelly
mgirl says
I ran cross-country in jr and sr high school. I hated it! Yet I returned every year. 🙂 So I guess there was something about it that I liked. I think it was the teamwork, being with others who were willingly suffering. 😉 I was always last. Always. I just didn’t think I could run any faster without falling over dead. Until my jr year of hs. I ran at practice w/ a friend who slowed down her pace for me, and I picked up mine. And guess what I discovered? I could run faster! I was never last again! What a great feeling!
Okay, so that was 25 years ago, and I haven’t had an exercise routine since then, except for brief periods where I walked. My dh doesn’t care about my weight or shape (bless him!), though I know he would appreciate a body that didn’t have quite so much to it. He wants me to be healthy. Well, I’m not going to get that way just sitting around, no matter how healthily I eat (and that’s not very consistent, either).
So your blog has encouraged me to really get started doing something. It’s the absolute worst time of year to get started, because it’s rainy almost every day (I live in the Pacific NW) and it’s only going to get colder. BUT I need to exercise, not only for myself, but for those I love.
Thanks for being an encouragement!
Anonymous says
Thanks Kelly for the reminder..
I’m up to 1.5 miles and it’s not so bad, but I’d like to be “smoother”…and look foward to the endorphins /fat kicking in sooner than later.
Luckily, the neuronal pathways remember better than I do, how much I loved running in the late 70’s, 80’s and 90’s….it’s good to be back.
Hugs.
Karen from Kalifornia
[email protected]
will get my passwork today! 🙂
Michigan Mom2three says
Kelly – what you post is SO true. I was a runner in my teens/early twenties. But I quit when I married, had kids etc. March of 09 will be my “1 year anniversary” of running regularly again! I’m only up to about 15 miles a week, and my goal is to maintain that through winter, and then come spring, up the anty to 20 miles per week.
Re: it’s normal to want to STOP running when you’re in the middle of a run……. I have really realized that running is more of a MENTAL DISCIPLINE than anything else. For me, it hasn’t been “hard” to gain the strength – it’s been harder to deal with the mental battle! When I’m in the middle of a run – I often will think “I’m not sure I can make it the whole run – I”m only halfway!!!” It’s funny that everything in me screams “WALK!” but when I actually STOP my thoughts and EVALUATE how I feel – I realize that I really don’t feel that bad at ALL. It’s then that I recognize that the battle isn’t physical – it’s MENTAL. One of the things I love about running is that it is MENTAL training. It’s discipline to do something HARD when you have the “option” of quitting. There is something about pushing past something that is “hard”, realizing that you’re NOT REALLY going to die – mustering up the strength deep within you to PUSH and GO – and then DOING it! Sometimes I”ll go “one more mile”, and there is such a mental sense of accomplishment afterwards!
I also agree – that the payoff of running is when I feel AFTERWARDS and throughout the days. When I am running regularly, I feel wonderful all the time. When I am not running – I am sluggish, tired, mentally drained, etc. The other thing: I have NEVER REGRETTED a run! I often will “not feel” like getting out there to run, but I have NEVER regretted going out. I have had a very few runs where I’ve started out and realized that I really DIDN’T feel good, or known right away that it would be a tough run…… and sometimes I’ve even said – okay just go ONE mile, come home and lift, but I have NEVER said “that was an awful thing to do!” I feel exhilirated when I get back.
Re: the nice weather thing…… SO TRUE. Now when the weather is beautiful, I say “Oh how I WISH I could be out running in this!!!” I’m usually in the car or something when I think that – and then when I get home and DO run, my first thought is “WHAT WAS THINKING????? I just want to STOP AND WALK!” LOL….. but I never regret running – and I’m always proud of myself when I finish!
If I could offer my own beginner tip to add to yours: When you are starting – give yourself a YEAR to just run consistantly and to get your mileage in. Don’t worry about speed workouts, hill workouts, etc that you’ll read on all the sites. The book I used said to just use the first year to get into the routine of running and to work on mileage. Build your mileage slowly – and just run at a comfortable pace – but aim for mileage. This has been so helpful to me, to encourage me to just “keep getting my runs in” even if it is just a 2 mile run. Get them in, add up that mileage. What I have found is that I am building endurance and strength, and becoming a confidant runner that actually enjoys more runs than I don’t now.
Next spring – I’m going to start a 10K training schedule (starting end of Feb). My goal is to run the 5th/Third 10K, and to hopefully run it in an hour. I know that’s not really fast – but that’s my goal. In the meantime – I”m logging 15 miles a week through the winter and strength training 2x a week.