A path forward for the newly initiated runner
According to anthropologists, we are born to run. And I believe that if you are fortunate enough to have an able body, you should do so.
Aside from improving your physical health, running invites you to get to know yourself in a manner everyday life does not. Through running, I think you will be pleasantly surprised to learn that you are in fact capable of a great many things.
A crucial step to ensure success — and pleasure — is to find a good partner to run with. Or, even better, a group: if one person is not available, you then have other means of motivation. Running is a great way to meet people, so soon you will have all sorts of motivation.
Running is an excellent social activity, and kilometres achieved at a “talking” (or cardio) pace constitute important base miles. If you are just starting out, even just 15 minutes a few days a week is progress.
To ensure you complete these training sessions, set regular times. You are a lot more motivated to do something when you know someone is waiting for you. (The group I run with finds extra incentive in sharing a post-run coffee on weekends.)
Beginner runners are cautioned to start slow, listen to your body and do not increase your distance too quickly. Your fitness will rapidly improve, which gives you incentive to run farther, but because your body must get used to the distance, you risk injuring yourself.
The same goes for the choice of terrain: make sure it matches your technical proficiency. If you choose a difficult trail, you risk not only physical injury, but also psychological deterrents if the experience is unpleasant.
Trail running requires varied training: intervals, hills, endurance, technical footwork on descents. This is not all learned in one day, but that is part of the beauty of the sport. Within the progress, you discover another great P-word: potential.
Running in a group or with a club allows a great mix of business and pleasure, as every outing presents a lesson. You accumulate a similar variety of knowledge through races, and show up at the next with a new experience in your repertoire — and, with it, added confidence.
Finally, long-distance running is as much a mental game as a physical one, and when a certain level of fitness is achieved, mind has dominion over body.
A positive attitude is just as important to the amateur runner as it is to elite athletes. Be kind to yourself — I’m a big fan of positive self-talk. During long solo runs and particularly during races, I talk to myself a lot.
I tell myself I’m fine and I smile. Doing so can actually make you feel happy. Try it — it works.
Soon you will find, as you gallop through the woods like an animal or a child (or with the combined spirit of both), that you do not have to convince yourself you are happy. You simply are.