How to Start Running… and Keep Running.

How to Start Running… and Keep Running.

It’s that time of year. We’re getting close to the finish line. And the finish line is usually where I get the most questions about the starting line. How to cross the starting line to be more specific. And how to cross another starting line after that. Well, there is no time like now to talk about the future so let’s do this! I’m going to give you some of the best advice I got about how to start running and more importantly… keep running… and even more importantly… want to keep starting runs!

So, go grab a comfortable place to sit down and a beverage of your choice and maybe even some reading glasses because we’re ready to begin…

More runs. Less running.

How far should I run? How long should I run? Ugh! Enough! It’s not that I don’t care about how far or how long it’s just that they are the wrong questions! Let me put it to you this way… if you want to run consistently… and that’s where the magic is by the way… in the consistency… then you need to start running by NOT running far and NOT running long.

So many people ask me if 30 minutes is a good amount of time to start with for a first run. 30 minutes? THIRTY? 1800 seconds! That’s bonkers! Why do you need to run for so long on your first day? (Don’t answer. It’s a rhetorical question. Because you don’t need to run that long). And if I’m not being asked about 30 minutes then I’m being asked about 5K. Should I run 5K on day 1? 5000 meters! FIVE THOUSAND? 3.1 miles? Why do you feel the need to run that far on day 1?

Go run for 3 minutes. Run for 500 meters. Run to the end of your street and back. Run around your block. Just make sure you end the run knowing you could have run longer. End the run knowing you could have run further. End the run wanting to run again. That’s it. That’s the key for the first run… and your next runs. It’s not about how far or how long or how fast you run when you start running? It’s about how much you are enjoying your running. It’s about building confidence. It’s about how much joy your running is bringing you. It’s about how many times you are lacing up your trainers to start a run. So, don’t focus on more running. Focus on more runs. Keep getting out the door consistently to do a run (no matter how short) and you will soon be running longer and farther. You’ll also start to run faster too! Seriously.

Easy is an effort

Speaking of running faster… don’t worry about it! I want you to focus on running easy. And I want you to know that easy is an effort and not a pace. That means you do not need to pay attention to or worry about or fret over or get stressed about  the numbers associated with your pace. Those numbers are meaningless right now. They can be meaningful and they can offer insight and even inspiration… later. But here at the start your pace just doesn’t matter. You want to run on feel. And you want your running to feel easy. That means you are running with an effort that is easy to not only give but also easy to maintain.

And if you think that means you are running slow… get over it. It’s called running smart! People that like to beat themselves up (AKA crappy teammates) often like to call easy running names like soft or weak or slow. Those people are often not around to say this on an actual run because they are home either hurt, sick or burnt out. So, start every run by running with your easiest effort and then as you warm up and into the run… keep running easy. That’s how you’ll keep running.

Be a better teammate

I know I just spoke about people that beat themselves up mentally. I referred to them as crappy teammates… because they are. They are crappy teammates to themselves. And since this is about how to get yourself running… and get yourself to run again… and enjoy your running so you can get yourself to run again and again… I need to talk about the crappy teammate in the room with us.

Yes, they are here with us right now. They are always with us. Whether or not they have any power is up to the rest of us though. Because the great teammate is here with us too. The coach is here. The friend is here. The fan is here too. They all have a voice. But they all don’t deserve your constant attention. For starters… leave the crap teammate behind at the starting line. They don’t help. And they are dumb as hell. They are also jealous of you. They lack inspiration and motivation and self - belief. That is why they try to drag you down and back to where they are.

I want you to focus on that great teammate of yours that lives inside you. And I want you to focus on that coach of yours that believes in you. And I want you to focus on that friend of yours that lives inside of you that is inspired by you and is so damn happy that you are challenging yourself and doing something that brings you joy. And I want you to focus on that fan of yours that lives inside of you and is cheering you on with every stride you take. Start with that crew. Focus on those voices. Do that and you’ll have a better run and you’ll be a better runner. You’ll also be a better teammate to yourself after the run too.

Measure success as many ways as you can

Did you run? Badass. Did you run in your neighborhood? Kickass. Did you run in the morning? Nice. Afternoon? Sweet! Before dinner? Awesome. Did you run on a trail? Up a hill? Down a hill? In the rain? The snow? Did you stretch after the run? Did you do a speed run? Tempo Run? You ran at the track? You ran alone? You ran with a friend? You met up with a run crew? You remembered to wear a hat because it was really sunny? You wore gloves because it was cold? You wrote in your running log? You ran two days this week? You ran two days in a row? You ran 2 minutes? 2 Miles? 2K without stopping? You had a run that felt crappy and you didn’t make yourself feel crappy about it? You felt great on a run and celebrated the run and the runner?Success. Success. Success.

If you only measure the success of your running by your longest, farthest and fastest… you won’t experience much success in this sport. And that’s a shame. Because there is an infinite amount of success for you to experience. You just need to measure success as many ways as you can. Do that and you’ll find success in every run you run. And you’ll know that there is more success waiting for you on the other side of every next starting line too!

Could I write more? Yes! I haven’t even told you about recovering like a badass or how your running should be like a kick ass mixtape. I didn’t tell you that fast is fun and that having big goals and small goals and itsy bitsy teeny weeny goals help your running. I still haven’t told you to get over yourself and I need to! I didn’t tell you to celebrate and celebrate and celebrate and I need to tell you that too! But we’ve got time to talk about all those things later.

Right now, all you need to do is go for a short and easy run. And you need to be a great teammate to yourself out there on that short easy run. And then you need to measure the success of that short and easy run as many ways as you can. Do that and you’ll see that the finish line you just crossed wasn’t really a finish line at all. Because you’ll have ended a run already looking forward to the start of your next run. And that’s why you’ll realize that every finish line is really just a starting line in disguise.

So, when you are ready to cross that next starting line… I’ll meet you there. Don’t worry I’m running short and easy.