1. Understand why you want to run
Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to take up running. Perhaps you have a competitive nature or are committed to entering a race with friends or colleagues. Maybe you simply want to get off the couch and be more active.
Running comes easier to some than others, but if you are not used to it, be prepared to put in some hard yards.
Running uses different muscles than other activities and also demands a good level of cardio fitness. There are many
techniques but best way is to start slow, with a combination of running and walking. Understand your limits, then slowly increase your distance and speed over time.
2. Set your own goals
Before you start, figure out what motivates you. Perhaps it’s for the sense of achievement, to increase your time, to meet people or to support a charity. There are several ways to approach your goals:
To participate in a race
You can simply pick a race that looks interesting to you and train towards that, whether it is a road race, trail run, or even a mud run assault course. Many races offer several distances so you can generally choose from 3km to ultra-marathon distances.
Social Running
If you plan to run socially there are many local running groups, such as
parkrun. parkrun is a free, weekly 5km run that is timed, perfect for monitoring your training goals. It is open to everyone, whether you want to walk or run so it’s ideal for building up to that first 5 or 10km. They also meet for coffee afterwards, which is a great social perk!
Running for charity
If you want to improve your health and do some fundraising along the way, there are many events happening across Australia. Both races and fundraising can be combined but you can also include this as part of your training, for example with Can Too Foundation.
Can Too offer group training programmes for different events, including all race distances for the
Blackmores Sydney Running Festival.
Getting active
If your goal is to be more active, then following one of Blackmores
Action Plans can get you started, such as
start moving for a healthier you. It contains information and tips on how to get started will motivate you along the way.
3. Shut out those negative thoughts - run only for yourself
The quicker you learn that you are running for yourself and only yourself, the easier it will become. Try not to compare yourself to others.
In the beginning, you may find training physically challenging. This is often when the mind starts working overtime and those negative thoughts might start to creep in. There will be days when you feel fantastic and days where you may struggle.
Make sure you have techniques prepared to deal with the off days. The more you run, the less of those emotions will affect you. There are several techniques that help. Many run with music. It is a good distraction, but also listening to your favourite playlist will motivate you and it can even increase performance.
However, many also do the opposite and run for the pleasure of being alone, out in nature and enjoying surroundings. If you practice mindfulness techniques, this is the perfect time to implement them and just be in the moment.
When you reach a difficult part of the run, perhaps a hill, applying counting techniques can help you push through e.g. counting repetitively to 10 in your mind until you reach the top. Once you have finished your training, you’ll most likely feel on top of the world and be proud of your achievement.
4. Sign up for a 3-5km fun run
Why sign up for a fun run? Do it for no other reason than to
measure your performance. Fun runs allow you to be consumed by the enjoyable atmosphere as they are not so competitive.
Whether you run, jog or walk, use this opportunity to see how you perform in this distance. Was it difficult? Did you manage to run all the way, or do a combination of walking and jogging? Did you have to stop for breaks? How was your breathing? How did you feel? Remember to enjoy the achievement and take note of your race stats.
