How To Start Running For Beginners - 18 Useful Tips
Have you been wanting to get into running but have no idea how to start? This "how to start running for beginners" guide is full of tips to help you get started today!
1. Make Small Changes
The most important rule when starting to run is to start with small changes. One of the biggest mistakes new runners make is trying to add too much to their new routine. They may add too much mileage, start out too fast or go from being sedentary to adding multiple new workouts to their schedule.
If you want your new running routine to stick—and prevent yourself from getting injured—it's important to start with small changes and build up from there. One of the best ways to do this is to start with running intervals.
When running intervals, after warming up you’ll start with running for 1 minute followed by walking for 1 minute and do that for 20-30 minutes. You can also build up to intervals of 2 minutes of running followed by 1 minute of walking and then to 3 minutes of running followed by 1 minute of walking. Listen to your body and see which combination of intervals and duration of workout works best for you.
If you’re still not sure where to start, you can get a free copy of my couch to 5k guide here. It’s a quick 6 week training plan with tips to help you build up from running intervals to running 3.1 miles straight whether you plan to race or not.
Which brings me to my next tip:
2. Once You Have a Base, Pick a Race
After running for a few weeks, one of the best ways to keep your motivation up and keep the running habit going is to pick a goal race. There are many different distances to choose from. For beginners I would recommend starting with a 5K (3.1 miles) or 10K 6.2 miles). Those distances are just enough to push you to go further than you’ve run in the past, but not so challenging that you’ll feel discouraged while training or feel overwhelmed by the mileage. Those are also goal races that you can work towards for only 6-8 weeks. Once you finish the race, you can always start training for longer distances if you choose to.
If you want to set a longer term running goal—or if you’ve already completed a 5K or 10K and want to push yourself further—you can find a half marathon (13.1 miles) or full marathon (26.2 miles). For these races, you’ll need anywhere from 3-6 months worth of training to build up the mileage.
Another thing you’ll want to consider is whether you want to sign up for a road race or a trail race. Keep in mind that you’ll want to tailor your training plan to properly prepare you for your race. If you want to do a trail race, it’s a good idea to do a few runs a week on trails (or at the very least, plan to do your long run on trails). If your race has a lot of hills (you can check the elevation chart on the race’s website for this info) you’ll want to add in some hills into your longer runs if possible and/or set aside 1 day/week to do some hill specific running.
Most importantly, pick a race that looks fun!
3. Find Your “Why”
Are you running to lose weight? Are you training for a race? Are you trying to improve your mental health?
There are plenty of great reasons to start running and there are many benefits to running. One of the ways to keep yourself motivated on your running journey is to define your “why.” It helps if you take the time to write this down and even post it somewhere where you’ll see your “why” every day.
There will come days when the weather is too hot or too rainy to run. There will be days when you stayed up late the night before and you’d rather sleep in than run. There will be days when you just flat out don’t feel like running. Keeping your “why” at the forefront will help motivate you to push past these mental blocks and stick to your running plan.
4. Pick Out the Right Shoes
When you go out for your first few runs, you may be able to get away with running in whatever sneakers you use at the gym. Or you may be able to use an old pair of running shoes that have been sitting in the back of your closet for a while. However, if you’re going to start running consistently, it’s worth investing in a new pair of running shoes.
With so many brands and types of running shoes available for purchase, it can be overwhelming to find the right ones for you. If you go to your local running store or sporting goods store, the staff will be able to help you find the right pair for you. For example, Fleet Feet has a fit ID which uses a pressurized plate to analyze your gait. From there, they’ll be able to narrow down the styles of shoes that would work best for you.
If you’re planning to do some trail running, you’ll want to get 2 separate pairs of shoes. One specifically for road running and another specifically for trail running. Trail shoes will provide more traction for you while running on different terrains and often have thicker soles and uppers to help protect your feet from rocks and roots.
5. Pick Out the Right Clothes
This means no cotton!! I repeat NO cotton!! Cotton holds onto moisture from sweat and can lead to chaffing. If you sweat a lot on a run, your shirt will also weigh you down and cause a lot of needless discomfort.
Instead you’ll want moisture wicking fabrics for your workout clothes and even your socks to help you feel dry and comfortable during your runs.
You’ll also want to keep the weather in mind when picking out your running clothes. While running, you’ll feel 10-20 degrees warmer than what the outside temperature is. In colder weather you’ll want to wear gloves and a beanie or earmuffs to keep your ears warm. In warmer temperatures you’ll want lighter clothes and less layers to keep cool.
6. Make a Plan
It’s important to put together a training plan so you know what type of workouts you’re going to do and when. When you first start out and are building your base running fitness, you may only plan 1-3 weeks of running at a time and may need to adjust the plan as you go and figure out what your body can and can’t handle.
After you build that base level of fitness or after you sign up for a race, you can start to put together longer plans. When putting together a training plan for a specific race, it helps to work backwards from race day when planning the length of your long runs. When building up the mileage of the long run, you’ll want to increase the length or time by only 10% per week.
Another rule of thumb is to only add 1 new stimulus every 3 weeks. For example, the first 3 weeks you’ll focus on just basic running workouts. Then 3 weeks later, you can add in strength training. Then 3 weeks later you can add in speed workouts. By adding only 1 new stimulus to your training plan, you’re allowing your body to adapt to the new stimulus without overloading it and burning out or getting injured.
7. Pick Your Running Environment
Once you put your training plan together, you should pick where you plan to run. Are you planning to run on trails? Around your neighborhood? On the treadmill at the gym? Your environment may vary depending on the specific workout for the day and the weather.
It’s a good idea to plan your running routes in advance or visit the local school track or some local trails to see if those areas are a good fit for your planned runs. That way, when the day comes to go run out there, you’re already familiar with the area and don’t have to come up with a backup plan on the fly.
8. Find a Way to Stay Accountable
There are many ways you can stay accountable to your running goals and training plan: hire a coach, join a running group, find a running/workout buddy, join a Facebook group or some other online running community.
Getting other people involved in your running journey is a great way to motivate you to stick to your plan. You can also get a lot of advice and encouragement along the way from fellow members in your running group or online.
9. Be Mindful of Hydration and Eating Healthy
Along with starting a new fitness routine, you may also want to improve your diet as well. When you start a new workout program, your body will have new nutritional needs. When you make changes to your diet, you’ll also want to start slow. To start you can swap out one of your usual meals for a healthier substitute. Or you may want to switch from drinking sugary drinks to water.
If you normally eat a low carb diet, you may need to increase your carb intake to keep up with the demands of your new training plan. Carbs are the main source of fuel for runners so it’s important that you eat enough to fuel your training--especially your long runs.
Speaking of long runs, during training you’ll want to experiment with different types of foods (gels, pretzels, chips, dried fruit, etc) to see which work best for you during runs of 90 minutes or longer. During these runs, you’ll need to consume calories along the way to keep your body properly fueled. You’ll also need to carry some water or sports drink along with you too.
It’s important to balance your diet to stay healthy and properly fuel your body before, during and after your workouts.
10. Don’t Beat Yourself Up
When you first start running it’s tempting to compare yourself to other runners. Just remember that everyone starts somewhere and we all have different levels of fitness. If you’re not as fast as other runners or can’t run as far, don’t beat yourself up about it. Keep sticking to your plan and focus on improving yourself and not what others are doing.
It’s also great mental practice for race day to reframe your mindset. You’re only competing with yourself, no one else. You may have heard the phrase “run your own race.” It sounds cliché but it’s true. The best thing you can do to have a successful race is to just focus on yourself and your goal of finishing.
On another note, if you happen to miss one of your scheduled workouts, don’t beat yourself up for this either! Don’t try to make up for it by doubling up your mileage the next day either. We all miss a workout here and there—life happens! Just move on and complete the next workout as scheduled.
11. Cross Train
Incorporating cross training into your routine will help prevent burnout and injuries when you start running. Running every day can be very hard on your body—especially if you primarily run on pavement.
Activities such as walking, cycling, hiking, yoga, strength training, pilates and using an elliptical are all great options for cross training. They also use different muscles in the body than running does. This will help you form a well rounded fitness routine.
12. Warm-Up and Cool Down
It may be tempting to just throw on your running shoes, head out the door and hit the ground running (literally and figuratively). However, immediately running without warming up (especially if you plan to run first thing in the morning) can lead to injury.
To warm-up you can start by power walking for a few minutes, then jog slowly for a few minutes before beginning to run at the desired pace for your workout. You can also do jumping jacks, high knees and butt kickers to warm up. If you’d like you can also do some dynamic stretching such as leg swings after warming up, but it’s best to save the static stretches for after your workout.
After you’ve completed your training run, it’s equally important that you cool down. If you’re doing an easy run you can walk for 5-10 minutes to cool down. If you’re doing speed work, you may want to run or jog at an easy pace for 5-10 minutes and then slow down for a short walk. This will ensure that your heart rate comes down at a slower pace. It also won’t feel so jarring to go straight from a fast run or sprint to just walking or stopping.
13. Get in the Habit of Stretching
As mentioned above, you can add some dynamic stretches to your warm-up. However, all static stretching should be reserved for the very end of your workout after you’ve taken some time to cool down. If you do static stretches before working out it may lead to injury if your body hasn’t warmed up property. There also have been studies that show that stretching before working out doesn’t provide any significant benefits.
Stretching after your workout is very important though! The benefits of stretching include: helps ease sore muscles, increases flexibility and increases your range of motion. All of which are important to keep your body going strong through your training.
14. Enjoy Rest Days
Don’t be afraid to take some time off! Whether you follow a training plan found online or create your own, make sure that you have 1-2 rest days scheduled per week. Generally, you’ll want to schedule these after your hardest workouts. Most people tend to take a rest day after their long run.
During your hard training sessions, your body’s muscle tissue breaks down. You need time to rest to allow the tissue to repair itself. When your muscle tissue is repairing itself, it actually gets stronger. This is how you get your strength and fitness gains.
Some people think that you have to fill your week with hard workouts and lots of miles to get stronger. But that’s not true. You actually gain more strength by balancing hard workouts with easier days and rest days. This balance is how your body gets stronger over time.
It’s also important to note that as you age, you’ll need more easy training days or rest days between hard workouts. So plan accordingly so you’re giving your body the rest it needs to recover.
If you find it hard to refrain from activity on rest days, you can do activities such as walking or yoga to engage in active recovery. Just make sure whatever activity you choose is easy and relatively short (an hour maximum). One of the benefits of doing some form of active recovery on rest days is that it helps aid blood flow through the body which will further aid your recovery and also help ease any sore muscles.
15. Find the Time of Day That Works for You
Just because you’re starting a new running routine does not mean you have to force yourself to be a morning person. Schedule your workouts for the time of day that works best for you. It’s important to be honest and realistic about the time that works for you.
If you plan to run after work, will it be too tempting to stay home for the evening instead? If you set your alarm at 6:00am to go run, will you be too tempted to hit snooze and skip your workout? It doesn’t matter what time of day you run as long as it’s a time you’ll stick to regularly. You may also want to try out different times of day to see what time fits into your schedule best and when you feel you have the most energy to complete your run.
It’s also ok to adjust your training schedule for the seasons. For example, during the summer you may want to stick to morning runs to beat the heat.
16. Practice Good Form
There’s plenty of advice online and in many running books that tell you how to tweak your form to run efficiently. They tell you what your stride should look like, what your cadence should be, that you need to lean forward and run on the balls of your feet to avoid heel striking. It can be overwhelming to process all of this information, let alone incorporate it into your running form.
To be honest, most of that advice is unnecessary. Instead, focus on a form and stride that feels natural when you run. The main things to pay attention to are to maintain good posture—don't slump your shoulders. Keep your arms bent and don’t let them swing side to side—instead they should swing slightly front to back. It should feel natural to you.
If you can, try to focus on a mid-foot strike. If your stride is too long and you’re striking with your heel in front of you, it’ll slow you down and could lead to injury. Some people (myself included) naturally strike with the heel. As long as you keep your stride shorter so your heel is more aligned with your body instead of striking in front of your body, you should be ok.
If you’re having trouble with finding a comfortable running form or feel your form is leading to discomfort or injury, you can consult with a physical therapist to help you correct your running form.
17. Track Your Progress
Tracking your runs is a great way to stay motivated and see all of the progress you’re making along the way. You can keep a written running log either in a journal or in a Word document.
If you take your phone with you while running anyways, you can also download the Strava app and track your runs for free. Strava will keep track of the time, distance and pace. It also tallies up all of the miles you’ve ran for the year too.
18. Just Go Do It!
Sometimes overthinking things and over planning can get in the way of actually doing it. Don’t let waiting for new running clothes or your running group to get together get in the way of you starting your running journey. Just go out there and run! Even if it’s just for 10 minutes to feel things out, get out there and get moving!