This post is dedicated to everyone starting to run or even just considering it, but especially dedicated to my Mom who I am so proud of! Mom started running in June this year and has worked her running time up, step-by-step at her own pace.
Here are my tips to beginner runners… what to expect and why you should give it a go!
the SummaryIn the middle of no where. A foggy start. My first 1500m open water swim since ‘the episode’. A busy bike course. A hilly run. And one thankful Allison for having some amazing support on race day.
With the world famous London Marathon coming up over the weekend, let’s get inspired and check out what other races are available here in London.
With a population of over 8 million… we can’t be too surprised that once an event gets featured in our Tuesday Timeout mag that there’ll be a queue for DAYZ or it’ll be completely sold out. For this reason, I’ll avoid the highly publicized one-off races so that by the time you read this and think, ‘hey, I might sign up for that one…’ that there will actually be spaces available for you to do so.
Here are two amazing options for 5k and 10k running series in London — these are trusted events you can count on and which are suited for runners of all levels.
You’d think that after 7 years of competitive racing, the pre-race jitters would begin to disappear, eh? Well, sorry to tell you that this is so NOT the case… What I have learned though, is how to turn those jitters into excitement and drive… rather than negative thoughts like doubt and fear (which jitters can easily turn into if you’re not careful!).
Here’s how…
When I start to feel the pre-race jitters… In order to turn them into excitement and drive, I’ve learned to simply not entertain any negative thoughts. They’ll come through my mind constantly but I just watch them leave again without being effected, considering or debating them.
Here are a few of the thoughts that went through my mind before the Berlin Half Marathon…
Daylight savings in Autumn 2014, the clocks fall back and we have an extra hour in our day. My roommate Kailee and I decide to make the most of this extra hour by signing up for the Berlin Half Marathon, which our friend Ash planned on racing. Little did we know we’d lose that hour literally the day before racing, when Spring daylight savings came around…
We flew out to Berlin last weekend and raced our first half marathon ever.
We often forget that recovery is one of the most important ingredients to progress. Without it, we run our body down and impair our next performance.
There is a lot more to recovery than just stretching… and recovering properly makes you stronger and fitter in the long run — What is your recovery routine?
My body has come to rely on the following recovery tips…
I follow these to a tee after intense running sessions such as intervals or hills and after any race. For better or worse, I’m not so diligent after low-impact sports like cycling and swimming as my body doesn’t take as long to recover from these sessions.
If you’re crazy enough, ice baths go a long way. Dan does this after a big ride and finds that it helps a lot…. I haven’t been able to bring myself to do it… I absolutely hate being cold!
Quite quickly, I went from being grateful and excited to cold and worried… hence my expression above! It was a cold and windy morning but all-and-all I really enjoyed the Regents Park 10k. This was a true test of my winter fitness and I was so pleased with the result… 10k in 46:45! Woot! Very close to my personal best at this distance and I walked away without shin pain!
RACE REPORT: The start was delayed slightly which threw a curve-ball in my warmup plans. I was starting to get nervous at the start line that my shins would play up after going from cold and stationery to high intensity running.
After suffering from shin splints last year, a few things were put into perspective… Going out for a quick 30-minute run was no longer an option. Instead, I’d have to pack up and walk to the gym to find some low-impact cardio. It became a chore being so restricted.
The shin splits lasted six months… I wasn’t able to run from March – November 2014. They’ve since settled down and I have been able to enjoy some beautiful runs around London again. I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated going for a run as much as I do now.
Tomorrow, I’ll be racing my first 10k in ages!! I’m not going to bring my Garmin and instead I’ll just run by feel. If I leave with a sub 50-minute finish time and no shin pain, I’ll be a very happy camper!
To avoid any injuries tomorrow I plan to:
Enjoy your training. Enjoy the freedom of it. And take care of your body!
When I was training for the 2013 Edinburgh Marathon, I made the mistake of doing the same running route over and over and over and over again. I didn’t notice how boring it was at the time, but thinking back it is absolutely mind melting. I found too much comfort in knowing what hill to expect next, when I was going to have a down-hill break, and how long it would take me to get home already! This type of comfort does not pay off in the long run — it can lead to injury, it can be a major mental barrier when you do venture out of that usual route, and eventually you’ll get bored of it — or you’ll get bored of running.
Try different running routes — no matter how far the distance — and keep it interesting.
Yesterday I planned to go for an easy run… being based in South Hampstead, I usually run to and around Regents Park… It is a convenient loop that starts and finishes at my doorstep. Instead of doing ‘the usual’ – yesterday I took the Overground to Richmond for my run. It was such a nice change running in an unknown area and enjoying the beautiful scenery.
LIVE LOOSLEY 