The Best Running Advice You Will Ever Get

Posted in Balanced Body | September 19, 2009 | 7 Comments

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This post was written by Anastasiya. Follow me on Twitter or StumbleUpon and keep your life balanced!

In the last three years running has become one of my passions in life. I have not participated in any races and I can’t boast that I run for several hours every day. However, I can still say that I am passionate about running and running is an essential part of my balanced lifestyle.

People have hundreds of different reasons to start running and every day at least one person tries to run somewhere in the world. Some of the newbie runners will be successful in their attempt to run but most of them won’t. One of the main motivations for people to start running is to lose weight (it was my motivation too) and this is a perfectly healthy idea. After running for three years I want to say one thing “Do not run to lose weight,” “Do not run to be in better shape,” “Do not run to win a race.” If you want to be a successful runner you need to run because you enjoy running. After you learn to enjoy running you can set secondary goals like losing weight, competing in a marathon, improving your cardiovascular health and others. Most of these secondary goals however will come naturally to you and you won’t have to concentrate on them.

If you do not learn to enjoy running you won’t be able to stick with it. Every day that you hit the road it will be a mental and physical torture for you. Every day you will be looking for excuses to skip your running routine. Every time you will put on your running shoes you will be struggling to keep going. You can’t get any benefits from running if you do it with such a negative mindset. I firmly believe that you will even get injured just because subconsciously you want to stop running and to have a legitimate excuse why it is not good for you.

Every time that I go to the gym I see a few people running on a treadmill and reading a book or a magazine, they watch TV and the expression on their faces tells me “Man, it’s so boring! I wish it was over already.” These are the people who run for health or weight loss purposes and they do not enjoy running. They do it like robots that are programmed to move their feet at a certain speed. I see the same people when I run in my neighborhood. No pleasure, no enjoyment, no joy, just automatic movements.

I understand all these people though. I have tried to start running for at least 10 years. I hated running when I was in school. I hated running when I was in college. Even though I was in a good physical shape (I’ve been a fitness instructor for 7 years now and I’ve been exercising ever since I was 13) I could not stick with running. I didn’t enjoy it; I was doing it just because I knew it was good for me. I realized that it was not a good enough reason to motivate my running career. About three years ago I finally learned to enjoy running and now it’s not a torture for me anymore. Running is now that part of the day that I am looking forward to like some people look forward to a huge piece of chocolate cake in the evening. Mmmmm… Yummy!!!

Run with a smile. That’s the first thing that has changed my attitude towards running. A simple smile puts you in a better mood and you are ready to take on any challenges of running. You are open to enjoy it!

Think about something pleasant when you run. Do not think about how many more minutes or miles you have to go. Let your mind drift away and think about the most pleasant moment of your life, think about people you love, think about your dream vacation.

Run outside. Tastes differ and some people might enjoy running on a treadmill. I think it’s boring, I feel like I am a hamster on a hamster wheel . Running outside promotes freedom of body and freedom of thoughts, no more cubicle thinking!

Find the best time for running. One of my biggest mistakes when I started running was trying to run early in the morning. I am not a morning person and it was really difficult for me. However, running in the evenings works great for me. It releases tension that I accumulated during the day, it clears my mind and helps me fight stress or any negative thoughts that have entered my mind during the day, and it gives me energy for a fun evening with my family. You need to listen to your body and find out what part of the day is ideal for your exercise as well as when your body is asking for this exercise and try to squeeze running into your busy daily schedule.

Set your own speed and time. When you start running do not follow any guidelines about how long you must run. Try to run as long as you feel comfortable, as long as you can enjoy it. The next time you run you will feel that you can run a little longer and you will enjoy it a little bit more. Some days I feel like I can run and never stop, some days I can barely finish a 20-minute run. Realize that it is your choice to run or not to run; it’s not a chore or a task. Run for the fun of running, the way children do and enjoy it!

Enjoy the difficulty and hard work. Recently I have read a wonderful post by Justin Dixon, The Hidden Values of Difficulties, that made me realize what I like the most about running. I like the hard work that I have to put into it; I am literally addicted to the difficulty of running. Every small goal that I reach is my personal triumph that makes me crave for more.

Wear comfortable running apparel. This goes almost without saying. You need to buy good running shoes, breathable clothes, thermo clothes if you run in a cold weather, and a sports bra is a must for women. When my mom tried to start running she wore old tennis shoes and of course her feet and knees started to hurt after the first 5 minutes. I got her a pair of good running shoes and this changed completely her perception of running.

Break the routine. Once you get into running you will develop a certain routine that will be comfortable for you. If you do not want to get bored with running and do it on autopilot try something new. Find a new route, try speed running or long distance running, do intervals, run with or without music. Here are 10 Great Workouts to Spice Up Your Running Program and break the running routine.

See the long term results. Sometimes you need some extra motivation to start running and this motivation can come from long term goals. Picture yourself as a fit agile senior running along with 20-, 30-year olds. That’s a much better image than an old crippled person who can’t leave the house without taking a bunch of pills and who can hardly walk 100 feet.

Stick with running for a while. If you are just a beginner-runner then I must warn you: it’s not easy… at first. No matter what you do the first time your body will be sore, your lungs will feel like they’ve been ripped apart and you won’t see any fun in it. But you know what? This is true for almost any other activity or habit that you might try. You must give running a try and stick with it for at least a few weeks. Once you see the first results (your mileage or your time increases, you lose the first pound, you will feel the famous “runner’s high”) running will get much easier.

Running is a great workout if you enjoy it. If you do not enjoy it is torture. Running is not for everybody and if after trying it properly a few times you still cannot find the fun in it then it is time for you to try something else. Run if you enjoy running and if you feel passionate about it and

Keep it balanced!

More Balanced Reading:

• How to Be a Better Runner
• Running every day keeps aging away: the most complete list of running benefits
• How to Start Running in 7 Easy Steps
• Injury-free running: Easy steps to prevent running injuries

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