I’m not really sure what drove me to register for a half marathon a few years ago. Maybe I felt like a slacker because so many of my Facebook friends were doing it. Or just sheer curiosity on what it was all about. Perhaps it became a bucket list type of item to check off or I was being overtaken by desire to be super fit. Whatever the case, it was definitely an uphill battle. For starters, I am not the ideal build for a runner – short and stocky, not to mention that I have asthma.
Regardless, I dove in.
I was fortunate to work with several people who had trained for full and half marathons and received a great deal of advice. However in addition to reading magazine articles, visiting running shoe stores and conducting online research, it was often overwhelming. There were conflicting perspectives, or I wouldn’t feel like I was making any progress.
One conclusion I did come to is that running is an individual experience. We all tend to share similar psychological and physical hurdles, but each person will have a unique journey through them. I have been thinking about this a lot lately, especially yesterday during my fourth 10k race. I’ve become more comfortable and trusting with myself and enjoy it way more now than when I started. Here are a few quick tips for new runners based on things I learned along the way:
1) Read these books:
Natural Running by Danny Abshire with Brian Metzler. I’m so grateful to my brother Scott for buying this book for me. It helped me understand overall body mechanics and the benefits of minimalist shoes. There are drills and plans that proved very beneficial for me. I can truly say I’m a more efficient runner and as a result, eliminated ongoing knee and ankle pain that plagued me for years.
Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide: Advice, Plans, and Programs for Half and Full Marathon by Hal Higdon. Currently in its 4th edition, this is written by one of the highest authorities in running – Hal Higdon. It’s straight forward and covers a little bit of everything. It was given to me as a gift from my boss and was my first book on running. It helped my understand the whole picture and answered simple questions such as where do I pin my bib, to more advance questions concerning nutrition and training.
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall. During a random conversation while waiting for class, one of my Krav Maga classmates suggested this book to me and I’m incredibly glad. The author, who also happens to be an award-winning journalist, tells an incredible story about his setbacks with running injuries and how it leads him to Tarahumara Indians, ultra-runners, and eventually an appreciation for how the human race was engineered to run.
2) Find a running buddy
I met Jen at my first 5k training run back in 2011. It was a cold early winter morning and I was anxiously waiting for the race to begin. I don’t remember exactly how we started chatting, but since meeting her, we have finished a dozen races together. Before and during the race begins, we talk about work, our families and share tons of laughs. We don’t train together because she lives way on the other side of town, and she often ends up running a faster pace than I can, but she gives me something to look forward to and motivates me to be better. Even when she darts ahead, I know she’ll be waiting for me at the finish line. We keep in touch mostly through Facebook and texts between races so that we can share our milestones, training updates and other nuggets of info. Honestly, if it wasn’t for Jen, I don’t know if I would have stayed with it for this long.
3) Exhale
If you’re like me, you might find yourself easily discouraged at certain times. For me, it often happens when I feel like everyone is passing me up in a race or on a training run. You could find that you’re plateauing in your pace, or on some days for some reason, you’re slower. It’s okay! Don’t lose sight of the big picture or compare yourself to everyone else – it’s not important. What matters is that you’re taking the initiative to be active and give it a try. Make it your own experience. For me, I use running as a way to get away from my laptop and mobile devices. I know I’m never going to be the fastest and have accepted that I might never break into the single digit pace per mile. In that photo of Jen and I, the letter “V” in the background is for corral V during the mini. You get assigned A-Z based on your estimated pace – so V isn’t something to necessarily brag about… but we’re still smiling!
kpfled: 