Less than a year ago, I began my journey into running. I’ve gone through phases of training hard, through only running when I’ve enjoyed it, through treadmill phases, and through outdoor phases. Now, ten months after I first laced up my running shoes, I’m a month away from my first ever marathon. The path hasn’t been easy, but I’ve had only a few regrets along the way.
The Wrongs
Luckily in running, there aren’t a whole lot of ways to do things incorrectly. Having the right form to prevent injury is important, but that looks different on everybody. There are thousands of different ways to get into what may be the world’s most accessible sport, and I’m glad what I did worked for me. But if I were to go back in time and start over again, here’s what I would change:
1. Doing too Much, too Soon
I’m naturally a pretty competitive person, but getting into running alone gave me no one to compare myself too—except myself. I took this and ran with it, using each previous week’s progress as a comparator to the next. What this meant for me is that I really put a lot of effort into beating each week’s long run distance when the next weekend rolled around. I ended up at a 10 mile long run (on the treadmill, like an insane person!) about a month and a half into my journey.
To the surprise of no one, I had to take the whole next two weeks off because of shin splints alone! My body was far from acclimatized to the stress I was putting it under, and although my willpower was there to push me through, the rest of my body couldn’t follow. Tapering up my distances more gradually would have helped me a lot in the long run.
2. Going All In
Before becoming a self-identified “runner”, I was a much more balanced gym-goer. I had really fallen in love with the 12-3-30 method of incline treadmill walking, and I was gradually becoming stronger and stronger, lifting heavy weights in my local gym. When I started running, everything else fell by the wayside. While focusing on running was definitely my priority, I really wish I would have spent more time on strength training.
3. Wearing the Wrong Shoes
I’ve learned over time that there aren’t necessarily “good” running shoes or “bad” running shoes (okay, maybe there are definitely some bad ones), but instead there are shoes that are suitable for you and shoes that aren’t. I stuck to a couple of pairs at first, determined to make them work, and suffered foot and joint pain in the process. Finally, I gave in and visited a shoe store that offered fittings and had maybe the most embarrassing and valuable interaction I’ve ever had while shopping—after watching me walk and asking what I was already using, the store employee pointed at the Brooks Ghosts I use as my everyday “errand” shoe and asked, “why aren’t you running in those?” I’ve made a couple attempts at branching out, but they’re still my favorite running shoe to this day.
The Rights
1. Signing up for a Race (Before I Started Training)
Before I even started my very first run, I toyed with the idea of running a half marathon. In retrospect, I’m not sure what even put the idea in my head. I think something was mentioned in passing at work, but once the thought was there, it was THERE. I started running a week later and haven’t let up since, with the idea of a half-marathon at the end of the summer as the ultimate goal. I signed up after I realized I could run through a whole 5k, and it was my main source of motivation throughout the next few months. I was so determined to see it through, it wasn’t even an option to give up. And I couldn’t deny that having a set goal and watching myself get closer and closer to where I wanted to be was so satisfying and made the whole process a lot more fun!
2. Taking Rest Days
Early on, there was no training plan. It was just me and the treadmill and what I felt like I could do. Because of this, I didn’t feel obligated to run on days where I felt like I couldn’t or shouldn’t. I stuck to a rough guideline of running every other day, interspaced with other activity like walks or light strength training on my off days. This meant I didn’t burn out too quickly and also—despite me going for long distances way too early on—meant I could allow my body the time it needed to recover.
3. Allowing Myself to Run Slow
Running became so much less intimidating once I realized I didn’t have to run at any particular pace. For some reason, I always had in my mind that a 10-minute mile was the standard. I thought there was something embarrassing about running anything slower than that. When I really started running I told myself I could go as slow as I needed to feel comfortable and not hate the process. This totally transformed how I felt about running and took my distances way beyond what I thought was possible in the beginning. I’m still slow, but speed was easier to build once the base was there.
Final Thoughts
There is no right way or wrong way to get into running. If I were to go back to the beginning and do it all over again, I wouldn’t make many changes. I love the idea of signing up with a goal in mind, whether that end race is a 5k or a half-marathon or any other distance. I also loved the freedom I gave myself in the beginning to run how I felt like—short or slow or however I needed to get through the run. Then, on the days where I felt like running more or faster, it felt amazing.
I wish I would have taken care of myself a little bit better—just like everyone should throughout their running journey. I should have paid a little bit more attention to the support work behind running, like stretching more or paying more attention to strength training. I also wish I hadn’t have been so determined to make shoes I already owned work when they clearly weren’t working. Running can be one of the most accessible and affordable sports to get into, but investing in the right gear really can make a huge difference.
The beautiful thing is that none of what I did wrong has to carry over into my running now. I backed up, took care of myself in the ways I needed to, and carried on in ways that have felt healthy, fulfilling, and challenging all at the same time. Running has become such a huge part of my life over the past 10 months—and at this point, I think it’s here to stay.