I’ve always wanted to be a runner. Running is free and you can do it anywhere. Unfortunately, The Perkins family is notoriously slow. Even my brothers, who were both collegiate athletes struggle with running. I’ve tried and failed to “become a runner” many times, and last year I was finally able to make the habit stick. I started small and worked my way up. I believe anyone can become a runner if they are willing to start painfully slow. These are the tips I would give someone if they wanted to become a runner. I am sure there are more effective strategies out there written by people much more qualified than I am, this is just how I went from barely running a mile to running 6-10 miles a day.
Running is much more of a mental exercise than physical. My biggest hurdle when it came to running was that I would panic the second I started. My mind would immediately go into spiral thinking, “I can’t do this! I’m already tired! I’m going to throw up! This is terrible!” Then I would stop. Obviously, that kind of self-talk is not helpful. The first and arguably the most important piece of advice I would give someone who is trying to start running is to start meditating every morning. When you practice meditation, you constantly bring your mind back to the present moment. If you want to start running, you must have a strategy to bring your mind back to center. When those negative thoughts start to pop into your head you have to remind yourself “I am here, I am running, I am going to take this (literally) one step at a time, I am not thinking about the finish line, I am thinking about my feet hitting the pavement right now”. This is so powerful. Create a mantra for your runs and repeat it over and over when you start to panic.
If you are going to start running, you must fuel your body appropriately. Running makes you hungry! You need to eat more than you probably think. You need to make sure you eat carbs before and after your run. I like to eat a banana (or two) thirty minutes before my run. You can also take pre-workout if you want to, I don’t only because I am super sensitive to caffeine. Fueling your body with whole foods is going to be the best way to nourish your body and support your runs. If your run is longer than 45 minutes, I would encourage you to have carb chews with you to eat while you run. If you can’t find the carb chews, just eat 5 skittles and it will essentially do the same thing, which is give you energy to keep running.
This goes without saying but you need to stay hydrated. You need to be drinking water all day long. I swear by LMNT electrolyte packets. They have sodium and magnesium and zero added sugar. I drink two to three a day. If you are not properly hydrated, you can get very sick. For a sedentary person, the recommended amount of water per day is half your weight in ounces. If you are running, you should try and get 100 ounces of water a day.
Invest in running shoes. This is one exercise that does require an investment in shoes. I made the mistake of running in shoes that were not specifically made for running when I first started. My feet were covered in blisters. Brooks and Hokas are both great brands. I personally wear Brooks right now and love them. You also need supportive socks. I wear Nike, Bombas and Perfect Corners (Amazon). If you start running every day, you need to replace your shoes every three months.
Another very important thing to remember when embarking on your running journey is to start slow. When I started last February, I could barely run 200 meters. I would do my workout (circuit training) and then run 200 meters to finish my workout session. I did that for probably two weeks. Then I started running 400 meters at the end of my sessions. I did that for two weeks. Then I started running 800 meters before I started my workout. I did that for three weeks. This jump was challenging. After I had that distance down, I started running a mile before my workout. I did this for a month. Then I started running three miles before my workout, so on and so forth until I was able to run nine miles. Today I try to run thirty to forty miles a week. I don’t always make it, but I’ve gotten consistent, and I am very proud of my progress.
Another thing to remember is that running outside is totally different than running on a treadmill and every treadmill is different. I would try and run on both pavement and treadmills to keep things challenging and less monotonous.
A good playlist is essential to runs. I know some people watch a show or listen to a podcast. If that works for you, that’s awesome. I have to have music. Spend some time creating a playlist that really gets you going. You will be shocked by how much faster you run when you have a good playlist. Its wild. Apple music has a lot of great running playlist. I am listening to a running playlist curated by Icona Pop from Apple music right now. Its amazing.
If you feel like starting your running journey alone is too daunting, take a class. Peloton has hundreds of outdoor running classes on their app. If you don’t have Peloton, take a class at Orange Theory or Barry’s. If that’s not an option, ask a friend to go on a run in the neighborhood or around White Rock. There is always a way to get started. The secret is just starting. I’ve said this before in other posts, but I’ll say it again, the only person standing in your way is you. Get out of your own way and just start. Even if it’s a walk the first few weeks, that is better than nothing. The only reason present day Abby can run nine miles is because February of 2023 Abby got on the treadmill and trudged through 200 meters. Every major accomplishment starts somewhere.