Heather: There are so many things that I wish I had known before I started running, and
I've learned the slow, hard way. I don't want them to go to waste, so today I'm going to
share those with you guys. [music]
I'm going to start with those that surprised me the most but also had the biggest impact
on my enjoyment of running. It's okay to walk. Yes, you can still call it a run even if you
broke into a walk at some point. This one's taken me a long time to get my head around
because as a child, it was drummed into me that if I walked on a run that was a failure,
whether that was a cross-country race or it was a hard training session. It wasn't until
I started to become more of a pro athlete and take my running more seriously that I
realized you actually did run sessions that involved a walk recovery. It's entirely normal
to actually use walking to help with your run training.
Then it was another step which I think was the real breakthrough for me when it came
to doing triathlon and endurance running. When my coach suggested that I should walk
through the aid stations I was like, "For a half marathon I should be walking in the
race." That was a really weird concept and it really came to the fore when I was racing
in Hawaii and actually was told to walk up one of the hills. It made such a difference
to my race, and it meant that I was much stronger and overtook people afterwards. My point being,
it's entirely fine to walk whether it's for a training purpose or a racing purpose. You
can still call it a run, but just make sure that you can enjoy walking and you still get
the same benefit. Running is an easy sport to do. The preparation
is purely putting on your trainers, getting changed, and heading out of the door. Compare
that to swimming. You've got to drive to the pool, you've got to sign in, pay, get changed,
and afterwards you've got to try and get rid of that smell of chlorine and then drive home
again. Running takes half of that time. In actual fact, I find that a 30-minute run I
can get a lot more out of than I could a 30-minute cycle or 30 minutes. In actual fact, you can
get a decent run workout in your lunch break. Endorphins. This is the main reason that I
run, just you get that wonderful natural high afterwards. If you're watching this and you're
new to running, then the initial struggle might still be slightly masking that wonderful
feel-good sensation, but trust me, stick with it and you'll be amazed at how quickly you
get slightly addicted. [music]
If 10 years ago someone tried to tell me that running could be social I would have just
laughed at them and told them they're mad, but now I think pretty much 50% of my run
encounters, social runs, and I'm quite happy to swap sitting in a cafe, drinking a coffee,
chatting to a friend or actually going out for a lunchtime jog and catching up that way.
It just gets a little bit quieter on the uphills, but all seriousness, running with a buddy
makes such a difference. If you are looking to find someone to run with, then I'd suggest
maybe trying your local Facebook groups, maybe contacting a running club, and there'll be
a lot of people at all speeds so you'll find someone to see. Or even chatting to your local
run shop because they tend to know the local running community. Whatever pace you're at,
you'll be able to find someone who I'm sure is also looking for a run buddy. This ties
in with the time-efficient and the social aspect too, but say you're away visiting somewhere
new. You can simply put your trainers on and head out and explore by foot whilst also getting
your daily dose of exercise, which is a perfect combo.
Then we've got the weather. Yes, sorry, I'm British, I have to mention it, but weather
can affect our motivation and running is probably the least affected of all of the sports. If
you think it's a cold, wet, windy day, realistically you're not going to get too cold on a 30-minute
run. Compare that to cycling and the amount of time you're going to have to spend putting
on loads of layers if it's really cold, or the amount of cleaning you're going to have
to do to your bike if you've been out in the wet. Yes, running wins.
Running apps. Perfect for sightseeing. If you're in a new town or you're somewhere traveling
and you want to see where it's safe to run or popular to run, you can look at heatmaps
to find where a lot of runners go. You can also then simply plan a new route. I must
admit I don't know why I've taken so long to get on board with this, but I've recently
been using commute and I've found new routes even close to home, and it's just opened up
a whole new dimension when it comes to my running.
Then, of course, there's the whole world of Strava, which is basically a social media
for running. You can share your runs, like other people's, and also to actually track
your progress. Beyond that, there's apps or websites that can give you some great free
training plans such as the Couch to 5K. It's a really popular one at the moment and it'll
give you that nice structure to follow and that guidance and also help with motivation.
If you're maybe beyond the 5K there's plenty of other plans out there right up through
to marathon training. [music]
Anyone, yes, anyone can run, but have you ever heard people say, "He or she looks like
a runner?" Yes, I have. I've never been told I look like a runner but I am. That's the
thing about running, anyone can do it. It doesn't matter what background you come from,
your age, your size, what sex you are. It's open to all of us. Again, pace is what I want
to come back to. I mentioned it earlier with walking, but it doesn't matter what pace you
run at, you're still a runner, and if you're really unsure then check out our video, "You
Know You're a Runner When..." and I'm pretty certain you will be a runner.
[music] As sport goes, running is one of the cheapest.
You don't need any fancy equipment. You don't even need a sport-specific watch. You can
simply have a pair of shorts or leggings and a top and a pair of running-specific shoes.
Yes, I do hear you saying trainers aren't necessarily cheap, but it is worth investing
in a pair that are running-specific. They don't need to be high-end, but they just need
to be able to give your foot the protection and support that it needs, which will in turn
give you hours of enjoyment from running. Running seems to have some magical effect
of suppressing my appetite, and as a young swimmer, I was always ravenous. Luckily, I
was swimming twice a day so it didn't matter, but now as a more casual and older athlete,
I quite enjoy the fact that running doesn't leave me quite so hungry. As a result, running
is actually a great sport for weight loss, if that's obviously one of your goals. Whilst
we're talking about food, admittedly I don't have enough time to go into detail on how
to fuel for your run, but it is a good idea to wait a few hours, two to three hours after
having a proper meal before going for a run, or 30 to 60 minutes after you've had a snack.
Oh, how wise I sound. Although it has taken me many years of running to learn all of those
points. Hopefully, there's a few that you weren't on top of which you can now learn
from. If there are any that I haven't mentioned that you wish you'd known when you started
running, please share those in the comments section below for us all to benefit from.
If you've enjoyed it, you know what to do. Please give us a like and do check out all
of our social media channels and you can follow those as well.
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