You feel as though you have been running for at least 15 minutes. You go to look at your watch to see just how long it’s been and…. it’s not even been 10. You have walked five of those minutes and realize it’s not even nearly over.
Running is a great way to keep fit, gain cardio ability and lose weight but it can also be a long hard road.
So here are my 10 tips to try and get to the runner you want to be:
1. Start small – Don’t go out and expect to be able to run miles in one go. It’s not realistic and you will find it completely puts you off if you try and fail at the first hurdle.
2. Break it up – Also known as interval training – Pick a lamppost or bin, even a person walking away from you. Run from one to the next and the next, and soon you will find you can run more and more each time. If you pick something that doesn’t move, it’s a great way to track your progress.
3. Track your progress – You don’t need the most expensive watch or latest running gadget, the timer on your phone or a cheap stop watch does just as well. It’s important to remember with running you won’t always get better every time, and from one run to the next you might only shave 10 seconds from your time.
4. Don’t wait until tomorrow – Exercise is about routine. Your body needs to get used to it or it will never get better. Be sure that you make time for yourself to go out and run; nobody ever got past a finish line and said I wish I hadn’t done that.
5. Listen to your body – This is one of the hardest things to do, especially when you have the running bug; your mind tells you one thing but your body another. You should always push yourself, but remember that you also need to give your body a rest to recover.
6. Change it up – If you run the same route every time, you will often find that you just go through the motions. It can be hard to push yourself when you know exactly how long you have left to go! So find alternative routes on roads or through fields… wherever your feet take you!
7. Count from 10 – When you feel as if you might burst and your legs physically can’t run anymore, push yourself to run that little bit further. Whether running or jogging, count down from 10 to push yourself. Use a step or every other step to help you count! Then when you finish that 10, start again. It’s amazing how much further you can go when you stop thinking about when you can stop.
8. Work on time or distance – People often try to do a longer run in a faster time all in one go, which is really, really hard to do. Try to focus on one or the other, and you will find that over time the other will also improve.
9. Park run – There are thousands of park runs all over the world; they are free, fun and completely open to everyone. There are also 5k courses. It doesn’t matter if you are a marathon runner or a complete beginner; you will never be the last one across the line, and everyone gets a cheer at the end.
10. Be proud of yourself – Even if it’s only because you managed to get out of the house and run at all. Be proud of that, and never give up.
Author: Fiona Price
Author Bio: An english girl, overcoming life’s harsh reality with honesty, happiness and passion.
Link to social media or website: https://www.instagram.com/fj_price/
