Training Principles for New Runners
(and a reminder for old hands, too)
As I’ve mentioned in my last few posts, January and February for me are when I get to spend a lot of time focused on beginner runners. RV has members of all levels, of all abilities, ages and experience, and with a wide range of goals. Some of my members aim to run multiple marathons a year and for others, their weekly marathon is making enough time in their lives to get out the front door. It’s so important to me that I equally support both these goals, and never lose sight that one is just as hard as the other, because context is everything.
Working with new runners every year, twice a year, for our dedicated beginners course is one of the best ways I’ve found of naturally grounding myself back into my own thinking and beliefs, because I have to distill everything down and teach it to a whole new group of people, and the practice of doing it reminds me again and again of the fundamental principles I really believe help new runners start running and, crucially, defy the stats to STAY running.
So this week I thought I’d share some of them, because even us experienced runners can learn, or be reminded, of principles we might have become a little too complacent about ourselves.
You need to deep dive on your running goals- you can’t just write or think, "‘lose 2 stone’, or ‘run a half marathon’ and expect to just crack on and achieve it. It’s about identifying what you want and what you can and will need to put in place in order to help yourself have the best possible chance to succeed, for example I need to pre-plan all my runs and schedule into the family diary.
Because running is a long-term relationship and not a fling, I also get my new runners to prepare an action plan of ways they can support themselves and their goal when, almost inevitably, they really don’t feel like running, or life is just ‘life-ing’ that little bit too much.
I also ask them to think about their barriers, (writing them down always helps) when that annoying thing happens inbetween putting your running kit on (and being excited) and getting out of the front door, because there will be times when they will feel unmotivated, bored or are finding running too hard, or life circumstances have become too much. Here are 3 I have for myself:
Be kind to myself. It’s okay to have a rest.
Adjust my running goals to what I feel is achievable given my current circumstances/capacity.
Go for a short run instead of a long run.
I also think it’s really important that runners know that if running becomes something they absolutely dread, that they have lost all interest in it or that they just feel too sick or injured to run, then it is absolutely ok not to run.
I do give them suggestions of new variables they could try- like changing the context of their run, going for a no-pressure run, in fact I sometimes suggest that they tell themselves they’re not going for a run, but a walk instead (not forgetting the trainers and a sports bra!) and then if they feel like it, just have an easy, inbetween lampposts run, and usually what happens is they run more than they walk.
But I also remind them that running will always be there, and that nothing, no goal or arbitrary distance, is more important than listening to your body and responding when it tells you you’re pushing it too hard.
This really is something that all runners, myself included, regularly need to remind ourselves. Which leads me to nicely on to…
When is it “normal” pain, and what is an injury?
I have to say, I feel somewhat superstitious if I write down my running injuries for the world to see, like Dumbledore in the Philosopher’s Stone, I worry that “fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself”, and I’m irrationally terrified that if I do even scribble those immortal words of never… a powerful jinx will then entail and I’ll be struck with a catastrophic injury that will stop me running. So I’ll skirt around the issue instead and just say that, there is a long held belief that if you are a runner then you will inevitably one day be an injured runner.
Because injury and running seem to go hand in hand, and it’s understandable really when you look at the stats suggesting that injuries are a significant factor in whether to quit running or not, especially if you’re new to running (running for under a year seems to be a big determinant). Maybe it’s because the relationship between being a runner and being in “pain” ( by which I mean, discomfort) is a complicated one, because being a runner does mean that at times you are in discomfort.
And don’t I know it, as some mornings I slowly and quite deliberately creak down our staircase- my husband jokes that he feels like Paul Sheldon’s character in Misery, and likens me to Annie the psycho, as the slowness of my approaching movements amplifies a sense of suspense! And there you have the discord; most runners perceive pain and discomfort as just a “normal” part of their running habit, while non-runners just think we’re sadomasochists…
Apparently, a runners perception of being injured is quite skewed, and if you know, or are a runner, then you’ll know that denial is a big part of a runners identity. Sometimes, when I tentatively suggest to an injured runner that a few days rest might ease their pain, it feels similar to suggesting they run without their smart watch!
I think this is down to the majority of runners managing their discomfort/pain through their own means, we learn to self-regulate, so adjust the running load, search online, sometimes rest or as the last resort seek professional advice and guidance. And I get it, I’ve had many a “professional” look at my feet and be astonished that I’m able to run at all…
But what I do find interesting, and has been backed up by recent research, is that injury prevention is often not a conscious consideration for runners.
How ironic, that as the popularity of running grows, with its wonderful positive benefits on an individual’s physical and mental health, that the health gains achieved are almost as quickly lost to this high dropout rate due to injury. And the evidence is clear, it is possible to prevent injuries with interventions aimed at identifying risk factors, BUT for any intervention/prevention programme to be effective, runners need to actually adhere to the advice, and as I said, if you are a runner or know a runner, then you know how challenging this can be.
Three Top Tips for Preventing Injuries
1 What is considered “normal” pain?
The table gives examples of what is considered “normal” but as we know the relationship a runner has with pain is complicated, there is a fine line between pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, into discomfort to improve your performance and pushing yourself too much. Knowing the difference between when to actually stop because you need to and when to ignore the voice in your head comes with time. And I was reminded of this in my own interval session this week- I do my speed sessions on a disused road so I literally let it all out, I was grunting and grimacing with, at one point, actual dribble running down my chin as I struggled to breathe properly…. the voice in my head screamed at me to stop, what was I doing? Did I know how old I was?, but I continued running despite feeling SO uncomfortable, it hurt, I wanted to stop, but a) I knew it would end and b) I know that I should push myself out of my comfort zone, and most of the time, it feels satisfying once it’s over. Maybe runners are all sadomasachists!
2 Yes, you really DO need to wear proper running shoes- yes, even if you’re “not a real runner”, or a complete beginner.
Again, let's prevent injuries before they have a chance to happen and take a long term view of your running relationship. An investment in your shoes, if you can afford it, is an investment in yourself. Don’t put it off until you get shin splits and have no other choice.
Your goal should be to find a shoe that offers the best support and fit for you and you should replace your shoes every 300-500 miles, note the date that you bought your shoes and my advice would be to always visit a specialist running shop.
Each foot strikes the ground about 800 times per mile and hitting the ground with the force of about eight times your body weight! Getting the right trainer can make the difference between running well or not running at all. Running trainers protect the feet from the environment, cushions the impact and stabilises the foot. As we are all unique and every runner's foot shape is different, it really is important to get your trainers fitted by a specialised running shop. Saying that, most runners do fit into one of three general types; neutral, over pronator and under pronator and a running shop will be able to advise you on the best shoe for your running type. They do this by recording where your foot lands whilst running on a treadmill, so nothing too scary.
Take your time making your selection and invest in the best shoes you can find and can afford, - if you buy cheap you may pay for it in the long term and if you want to keep on running you need to invest in yourself. You are looking for 5 basic things- flexibility, cushioning, durability, motion control and comfort- a nice colour or a cool brand are a bonus, not the reason to buy!!
3 Warm up and Cool Downs are essential- you can not skip these just because you’re in a rush, or because you don’t think you need them.
Warming up allows the heart and breathing rates to gradually make the transition from normal resting state to vigorous exercise, which will increase blood flow to the heart, bring oxygen and blood to the muscles and raise your body temperature. The warm up improves your muscle efficiency, improves balance and co-ordination as well as enabling you to become more flexible.
A good warm up helps prevent muscle strains, as well as preventing the damage to muscles that can cause muscle soreness. All of this means you will recover more quickly from your running and your muscle tiredness will be reduced.
The cool down is equally as important as the warm up, it’s very tempting to miss this as well as you head back through your front door to recover.Your body needs to cool down and recover, if you stop running abruptly this may cause cramps, soreness, dizziness or an abnormal strain to you heart.
I know it might all seem overwhelming and complicated, and it’s easy for me to say don’t overthink it, but the best training principle there is, is to have some self-compassion and to be kind to yourself.