I have had a love-hate relationship with running throughout my entire life. I mean, how can anybody actually enjoy physically pushing your body to its limit until you feel as if you literally cannot go on? For some, it can be one of the best ways to pass time. For me, the first step that I took towards involving myself in long distance running was joining my high school cross country team in my junior year. I had never ran more than probably a mile at a time and had not trained at all, but it was one of the best decisions that I have ever made. My first week on the team was absolutely brutal. I felt like every step I took was going to be the last step that I took. Thankfully though, with a little motivation from coaches and teammates, I stuck with it. Now, I do actually enjoy long distance running. I even look forward to it throughout the day, because it is something that allows me to take my mind off of anything else going on in my life. From my experiences, I was able to compile my best tips and tricks on how to start running long distance and actually stick with it.
1. Start Slow!
Everyone’s first mistake when they start running is trying to start out running five miles everyday. For someone who has never trained before, this is hard. You have to realize that this process is going to take time and if you need to start by running for 5 minutes straight, or even just walking a mile that is okay!
2. Find a good pair of shoes
I know that athletic wear is extremely popular these days and everyone wants the newest Nike sneaker, but if you do not have proper footwear when it comes to running, it can be detrimental. Shin splints are not fun and if you are not wearing proper footwear, that is exactly what you are signing yourself up for. Instead try a brand such as Brooks or Asics, which can be on the pricier side, but they will last you a while and it will be worth it!
3. Get Motivated!
Personally, running without music is the worst thing imaginable for me. I need some form of entertainment while running and for me an upbeat workout playlist is my favorite. If music is not what is going to get you motivated, then try running with a friend, choosing a new path to run, or even listening to a podcast while you run.
4. Mix up your workouts
Doing the same thing everyday not only gets extremely boring, but it can also decline your progress when it comes to running long distance. Instead of running some amount of miles everyday, try incorporating interval training in your workouts each week to help with speed. This also allows you to get excited about different workouts instead of always doing the same things.
Hopefully with these tips you can get motivated to try running long distance and actually enjoy it! For more help with training and workouts, check out the book “Runners World: Complete Book of Running”