Runners dream big. Tackling a new distance, posting a personal best, losing 10 kilograms – we embrace grand challenges. But what happens after you accomplish your goal, or if your resolve weakens before you succeed? You risk stalling – unless you’ve changed your routines to those of a stronger, healthier runner. “Runners who are consistent with good habits have the most success,” says Tom Holland, an exercise physiologist, sports nutritionist, coach, and author of The Marathon Method.
This year, consider resolutions based on the process instead of the outcome. That way, you can sustain momentum by celebrating small, frequent victories. And you’ll avoid the all-or-nothing thinking that triggers massive disappointment if factors beyond your control interfere along the way – for instance if you wake up to a sweltering race day.
Essential Tips to Get Started
Running has the power to change your life. It will make you fitter, healthier, and happier. Here are 30 tips to help you get (and stay) on track to a brighter future.
Start by walking
Whether you’re fresh off the couch or coming from another sport, running takes time to break into. “Every able-bodied person can be a runner,” says Gordon Bakoulis, a running coach and author of Cross-Training (£12.99, Simon and Schuster). “Just start slowly and build up gradually.”
Most coaches agree that the best way to become a runner is with a run-walk program: begin by adding small segments of running to your regular walk. “Start with four to five minutes of walking,” says running coach Christine Hinton (therunningcoach.com). “Then alternate with some running, always ending with a walking segment to cool down.”
Use our run/walk schedule
Here’s our 10-week run/walk schedule. Aim to run at a pace where you can easily hold a conversation – and do it three days a week, with rest days in between. Over time, you can work up to running for four to five days.
Start and finish each workout with five minutes of walking. Then, alternate the following run/walk ratios for 30 minutes:
- Week 1: Two minutes running/four minutes walking
- Week 2: Three minutes running/three minutes walking
- Week 3: Four minutes running/two minutes walking
- Week 4: Five minutes running/three minutes walking
- Week 5: Seven minutes running/three minutes walking
- Week 6: Eight minutes running/two minutes walking
- Week 7: Nine minutes running/one-minute walking
- Week 8: Thirteen minutes running/two minutes walking
- Week 9: Fourteen minutes running/one-minute walking
- Week 10: Run the whole time
Walk if it hurts
If you’re sore before the end of your run, then the workout session is too long, too fast, or too hard. Ease to a walk to allow your muscles time to heal, says exercise physiologist and coach Shelly-Lynn Florence Glover.
Feel like a runner
“If you’re running, no matter how much or how slow, you’re a runner,” says Andrew Kastor, coach of the ING New York City Marathon online training program.
Warm-up properly
Treat yourself like a runner – from day one. That means taking time to properly warm up and cool down. “A good warm-up makes it much easier to get going and keep going,” says Kastor. “And it’s much more than just boosting blood flow to your muscles.”
Your neuromuscular system, which involves your brain telling your muscles how to contract, gets up to speed. Then, your body starts churning out fat-burning enzymes, which help your aerobic system work more efficiently. Also, synovial fluid (the lubricant in your joints) warms up, helping your body to move easily. “Too many beginners skip this step without realizing how much more effortless it makes the whole workout feel,” says Kastor.
Then cool down after running
Cooling down, while less critical than warming up, allows your body to gradually adjust from running to a resting state. “Just a few minutes of walking is all you need to let your heart rate return to normal and for your body to clear out any metabolic waste created during your efforts,” says Kastor.
Don’t worry if you ache a little
If you ease into running, your post-run discomfort shouldn’t be debilitating. If it is, return to walking and running. However, don’t let a little soreness or achiness scare you off.
“It’s just a sign that you’re progressing,” says Kastor. However, the ache shouldn’t last from one run to the next, he cautions: “Typical soreness should fade as you warm up. If it doesn’t, cut your workout short. Do a little cross-training for a couple of days to let that sensation dissipate, so you don’t become injured.”
Take notice of sharp pain
Some minor aches and pains are common, and rest should clear them up. Back off by walking or riding a bike for a few days, ice the area a few times a day, and take anti-inflammatories as needed. If you experience sudden, sharp pain while you’re exercising, try walking it out for a few minutes. If the pain doesn’t ease, stop immediately and head home. If the discomfort persists, see a podiatrist or an orthopaedist.
Simple warm-ups
Spend five to 10 minutes on these simple movements to prepare your body for your run and help prevent injury
Walking: Simply walk at a moderate pace to get your body going.
Active Stretching: Do stationary side lunges, walking lunges, some skipping, and heel flicks (jog on the spot, bringing your heel high as though you’re trying to kick your bum).
Mix up your running terrain
Runners often have strong opinions about where to run. The best solution for you as a new runner may be to simply mix it up, says Glover. “Soft surfaces are not necessarily better,” she says.
“Treadmills and dirt may seem ‘softer’ and therefore safer, but they have their issues. A treadmill gives a slight shimmy when the belt impacts the base, which can contribute to shin problems. Dirt and trails can be uneven and have dangerous holes and ruts. Keep it varied: maybe hit the pavement one day, a Tarmacked road the next, and a country trail at the weekend.”
Keep safe on the road
For starters, you should be running against, not with, the flow of traffic. But don’t assume a driver can see you. Stretch out a hand and make eye contact at junctions. If you’re at a red light, it’s a good idea to let drivers know which way you’re going, especially if you’ll be turning in front of them.
Enjoy a stone-free run
If you often get stones in your shoes, it’s time to do a quick trainer check. Are the stones sneaking in through the back? If so, there may be a gap in your heel. A strategically placed cosmetic sponge pad can help seal it up. If they’re creeping in the sides, lace your shoes snugly, using all the holes. Lastly, if you’re ready for another pair and you run mainly off-road, buy trail shoes, which have a gusseted tongue (meaning the seams are sealed to eliminate any gaps). This keeps pebbles and other trail debris out of the shoe.
Establish Good Habits
The benefits of healthy habits spill over into a better life beyond running, too. Here are some healthy habits to embrace, with expert advice on how to make them your own.
Become a Morning Runner
You meant to log those 8K today, but between family, work, and social obligations, it just didn’t happen. Or you find your digestive system rebelling – or your sleep disrupted – courtesy of evening runs. The solution: put running first on your agenda. “People who start to run early in the morning get hooked on that feeling of having accomplished so much before others are even awake, as well as the extra energy they get from that morning rush of endorphins,” says Lisa Reichmann, a running coach.
Make It Routine
- Test the waters: Start with one or two days per week. Knowing you have the other five mornings to snooze makes getting up early less painful. And make sure you can get to bed on time the night before a crack-of-dawn call, or you risk skimping on sleep, Reichmann says.
- Lay it out: Set out your clothes, shoes, water bottle, and reflective gear the night before to eliminate excuses and get out the door quickly. Set your coffeemaker on automatic so your brew is ready when you wake. And put your alarm across the room – jumping out of bed to turn it off makes it harder to hit the snooze button, Reichmann says.
- Make a date: Nothing keeps you from going back to bed like knowing someone’s waiting for you. “Good conversation with running friends almost makes you forget that you are running at zero dark thirty on a cold morning,” says Julie Sapper, who coaches with Reichman.
- Give it time: All habits feel awkward at first. Since it requires resetting your body clock, morning running may require a little longer than most – at least three or four weeks – to sink in. Consider trying this habit in the spring, when weather and darkness are less likely to interfere. (And morning runs aren’t right for everyone, so re-evaluate after a month or two, Sapper says.)
Strength-Train Regularly
Building muscle improves your health, reduces injury risk, and, according to a review in the journal Sports Medicine, improves your running performance. Across 26 studies of endurance athletes, strength-training programs (either plyometrics or heavy weights) boosted fitness, increased efficiency, and reduced runners’ times in 3K and 5K races.
Make It Routine
- Build it in: Runners that Reichmann and Sapper’s coach had an easier time incorporating strength moves when they penned them into their training plans. Now, their schedules might say: Run 5K then do three sets of 15 one-legged squats, mountain climbers, planks, and push-ups. For best results, strength-train later in the same day as your more intense or longer running workouts, allowing a full day of recovery in between hard sessions, Mayer says.
- Break it up: Try “exercise snacks” – planks when you get up in the morning, push-ups before you leave for work, lunges on coffee breaks.
- Take a class: Don’t want to DIY? Choose a runner-friendly strengthening class that sounds fun, like Pilates, a barre class, or BodyPump. It might cost money, but spending can increase the odds you’ll follow through, Holland says.
- Change it up: In about a month, your body will adjust to the routine. “Make it harder – whether it means doing more repetitions, more weight, or different exercises – or you’ll stop seeing results,” Mayer says.
Cross-Train Regularly
If you’re struggling to squeeze three or four runs per week into your schedule, you shouldn’t worry about adding other aerobic activities. But once you have a steady running habit, workouts like swimming, cycling, or rowing can boost your fitness without the impact stress of running. And by engaging different muscle groups, you can correct muscle imbalances and net a stronger, more well-rounded body. “This can increase your longevity as a runner,” Mayer says. If you do get hurt, you’ll also have a familiar option for maintaining fitness.
Make It Routine
- Stay consistent: Sticking to a regular class at the gym is an easy way to automate cross-training. Even if you go solo, set up a regular date and location, such as cycling in your neighborhood on Monday mornings – context cues help habits to form.
- Be realistic: Don’t set yourself up for failure by choosing a class you’ll have to rush to attend. Search for an option that meshes with your schedule.
- Choose wisely: Gunning for a PB? Go with a type of cross-training that mimics running, such as cross-country skiing or pool running. If, however, your goal is overall fitness, select a very different activity, like swimming or cycling, Mayer says.
- Keep it easy: Treat cross-training like an aerobic recovery day; schedule it after hard running days and keep your effort level low enough to carry on a conversation, Mayer says. (However, if you’re injured and can’t run, you can cross-train harder.) And keep in mind that boot camp or fitness classes that involve treadmill running or road sprints don’t count as cross-training – that’s a running workout.
