If I could go back and tell myself ONE THING when I first got started with running, it would be to slow down. Waay down. To take notice of how fast I am moving, my breath, and my form. And very slowly I would start to increase my pace as the days ticked by. Not focusing on how fast I am going, but how far I am holding a certain pace. A competition with myself.
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Hey guys! it’s your boy joey d and we’re back with another blog post. I’ve been running pretty consistently since 2019 (it’s 2022 now). I started with a marathon and doubled that goal every year. Running a 50-mile race, then a 100-miler. I just completed my “double” for this year: a 200-mile race!
And in this article: I share 5 running tips for beginners aka what I wish I knew when I was first starting out.
So what’s one of the first things I wish I knew about? gear
Alright, gear is subjective and it might take a bit of experimenting to see what works for you.
That being said, the three pieces of gear I wish I had from the beginning were:
- good pair of running shoes
- running belt
- Handheld water bottle
Shoes come in all different shapes and sizes, just like our feet. Here are a few things to keep in mind when looking for a running shoe: does the shoe feel good on your foot? Enough wiggle room for the toes? Do you over or under-pronate when you run? If you’re not sure, most local running shops are a huge knowledge base for this type of information to help get fitted for a shoe – I often go to Jenkintown running company.
Me, I’m a huge fan of the Hoka Cliftons and the altra Riveras. These shoes cost maybe $120-$140 and last me about 400 miles.
So, Why a running belt: Why you ask? First, I’d recommend bringing your phone with you, just in case. Then, go for a run while carrying your phone for a few weeks. Finally, get that running belt and go for a few more runs, you’ll see the difference it makes. Maybe even thinking, “what was I doing before?” For a small investment of maybe less than 20$ that lasts thousands of miles, a running belt is a no-brainer 🧠
I’ve only had two running belts my whole “career”. The one I have now has gone through the 100-mile and 200-mile race with me and is still going strong.
Annnnd for the water bottle. A water bottle can make a world of difference because the number one thing we can do to increase our performance is simply to stay hydrated. I try to drink about one water bottle per hour of running.
True, You don’t really need a water bottle. What I did for a while was either drink plenty before and after, carried a plastic one with me, or just do loops so I was always near some water.
In fact, that’s what I did for a while. Eventually, I bought a Nathan handheld. It’s a game changer because it straps onto your hand so you don’t even have to squeeze it to hold it. This makes a world of a difference as your miles start to add up. AND it has a pocket, where i typically store some baby wipes, a plastic bag, a gu, keys, headphones, etc.
The second thing I wish I knew about running? What apps to use.
In the beginning of my journey, I didn’t even know running apps was a thing. For most of 2019 I didn’t use an app at all. Have you seen how many running apps there are? Maybe it’s overwhelming?
For me personally, I’ve used one app and one app only, which was recommended by a local runner: strava.
Let’s be real, strava is one of the millions of apps that shows your pace, a map of where you’ve gone, how many miles you’ve done, your past mile times, and so on and so forth. – my favorite feature is that you can follow other people, give them kudos, and interact with them. It’s simple and easy to use.
I’ve heard some great reviews about the app couch to 5k too. From my research it’d be great for someone who has absolutely no fitness or running experience, maybe you could vouch for this? LMK
The third thing I wish I knew? Food.
It took me forever to figure out what and when to eat before I went on a run, during a run, and even after a run.
Should I eat a big meal? A snack? When?
I find there are two things that work really well for me before/ during a run:
The first is a fasted morning run. I do this most days, and generally don’t go for a long time, maybe up to an hour.
After, I noticed an increase in energy and productivity with taking on my days.
The second thing I found that works well for me is having some fruit, or a smoothie, it could be between 30 and 60 minutes before a run, or I’ll bring during a run. A banana, an apple, a power smoothie, a clementine or dates, something like that. It gives me enough energy without feeling heavy like a large meal would.
In fact, I’ve adopted the fruit till noon philosophy for the passed handful of years now and that works amazingly well for me.
Some other food that I eat during my runs are larabars, clifbars, tailwind, or peanut butter
After a run? I usually have some more fruit, and then proceed to eat a truckload of plant based food!
The fourth thing I wish I knew? Running form.
You know how it is, we get better as we do something over time and gain experience. Running is no different.
That’s the beauty, running can require no skill, when we’re just starting out and it can require major skill – like running a marathon or 100 miles.
The point: Don’t let form be the reason you don’t get started, because we will get better with time.
Here are four quick form tips to get started:
- Shorten your stride. The most common mistake runner’s make is overstriding, taking long big steps, landing on the heel, which leads to injuries. Take it slow (more on this in the “pace section”. Ideally land on your midfoot, think short quick steps
- Engage your core: it doensn’t have to be full flex, maybe 20% flex.
- Don’t look down: ideally you want to keep your head looking straight forward. Why? because when we look down, it’s like a 15lb weight pulling down on our neck, back and spine aka not good. Straight back, relaxed shoulders, straight head and we’re good to go.
- the back leg, bring that back leg up to a 90 degree angle. This is something that I’m still working on especially on longer runs. I have a tendency to do the ultra shuffle. Don’t let that slip pass, even after these few years I’M STILLL WORKING ON MY FORM! See, the difference is that when that heel/ leg is brought higher up, it reduces the load placed on our hip flexors and knees because they have more leverage to take that next stride, resulting in less pressure and strain helping to keep us injury free!
The fifth thing I wish I knew? Pace
We’ve all been there. I remember when I was starting out, I jumped the gun and started running at a faster pace then I should’ve been. I couldn’t catch my breath. It was difficult to talk, I felt a burn in my lungs, my heart racing…
Not only did this type of training eventually lead to injury (turf toe, runners knee, plantar issues) , but my body was operating in an anaerobic state.
See, Anaerobic exercise builds our power and burns glycogen, a form of sugar. It’s done in short, intense bursts.
The opposite form of anaerobic? Aerobic (hint: this is where we as runners want to spend most of our training time) Why? because Aerobic exercise builds our endurance and burns fat. It’s done at a moderate intensity—at which we can still hold a conversation —and is sustained for a longer period of time.
It makes sense to me, what about you?
And here’s a secret: building our aerobic base → that’s how we begin to run marathons, ultra marathons, and beyond!
The truth is, both forms of exercise are beneficial for us, but most people spend way too much time in an anaerobic state, and not enough time in the aerobic state.
All that said, most of our runs, our bodies shouldn’t be yelling for us to stop or slow down. I believe it’s better to slow down, to do a run/ walk thing, because if we stay consistent, eventually we’ll be able to run further and faster as we get better and our bodies adapt.
This is all of course, easier said then done. The reality is, we’re probably going to run faster then we should, heck we’re not going to want to run some days. It’s going to be hard. Maybe its our minds telling us to take today off or that we can’t do it. Maybe our bodies are “too sore”. But if you can make this one commitment, there’s a lot better chance of sticking to your new running habit.
And the commitment is this: no matter what our minds or bodies tell us, commit to the practice of tying your shoes, walking out your front door and getting to your sidewalk or street – if you want to turn back around then do it, if not, go get your miles done.
One thing is for sure, I know when I finish a run, no matter how far I went or I fast I had gone, I feel a sense of accomplishment – proud of myself for getting up and moving.
Running is one of those exercises that kind of sounds easy…
The reality is that running is far from easy.
At the end of the day, for me, running is a way of telling my body and mind who’s in charge. It helps me break through barriers, and to achieve things I never thought was possible. It’s brought a tremendous amount of growth into my life and into millions of other peoples lives, and I know it’d do something similar for you.
Alright yall! I hope you enjoyed this article. If you did, click that little like button below and while you’re there, since you like this type of content you might as well subscribe. Let us know if you have any tips to share or any questions you need help with.
GO get your miles! Thanks yall, peace!
Joe DiAndrea 