Through my high school years, I enjoyed being part of the track team; I loved connecting with other team members, showing school pride, learning about my strengths as a runner, and becoming stronger. However, my heart was never fully in it, because I always dreaded going to the track meets and having the spotlight on me- in track events, you are running individually, so I always felt far more nervous than when participating in other team sports. I think that this self-doubt and cautiousness is the main reason for why during high school, I did not run to the best of my ability.
In the following years after graduating, I discovered that I did in fact miss track; without the fear of competing, I felt motivated to run and improve my ability more than ever- as of then, it was solely for me. I started setting goals for myself and found that I loved tracking and seeing my progress, which served as a means of incentive for me to continue setting goals.
To the beginner runner: If you, like me, wish to be able to run for both longer amounts of time and at a faster pace, I suggest that rather than thinking of the results, imagine your journey there. For example, I basically panned out how and when I would make adjustments to the amount of running I was doing. I decided to start by tracking the amount of time I could run for, then increasing that by a little each week. After two weeks, I attempted to increase the speed I began running at. Although many have dreaded feelings about the treadmill, I found that it helped me be aware of my limits (how fast I could go without needing a break, my end speed, and my average mileage).
In addition to planning your goals and recognizing your abilities, my largest running insight is that running is truly a mind over matter experience. I had a friend who gave me a piece of advice when we were warming up for track one day: “If you ever want to stop, imagine a tiger is chasing you; could you keep running?” In the moment, I found it somewhat silly and insignificant; however, as I continued running on my own in the following years, I always found my mind going back to this one thing he said. If you have ever been a runner, you probably know the distinct feeling of wanting nothing more than to stop running. I have definitely had those runs, but there have also been many times where I am able to push the feelings away and mentally tough it out. I do this by telling myself, for example, I will keep running for 15 minutes, and then, since I set a small goal, it will come and I will realize that I can keep running for 20 minutes, then 25, and so on. Usually, I finish my run feeling proud of myself for achieving much more than I thought I would initially.
Finally… some general advice:
If you are just beginning your running journey, here are my final words of advice for you…make yourself a schedule to stay on top of your goals, give yourself at least two rest days a week (not resting will come back to hurt you), stay energized by maintaining hydration and eating foods of high nutritional value, and most importantly, do not expect perfection immediately (instead, be proud of what you get done and plan for what you want to achieve on your next run).