Another blog post? The second one in two days. My mind has been occupied with running lately, so much so that it got me thinking about all the things I learned from running over the last 20 years.
I'm not saying I'm some sort of running expert, not at all actually, but I do know a thing or two by now. Running has been on the rise in popularity since COVID and I love to see it, but there's also a lot of these runfluencers out there who are telling you absolutely need to run in a certain way, or that you need to buy certain gear or else you'll surely fail.
Anyway, here's a few things I learned over the years.
- Stop me if you've heard this one before, but RUN SLOWER (and don't be embarrassed about it). I've seen so many people burn out because they start running at maximum effort right away. Just kind of relax in zone 2, build up your mileage over time and don't worry about speed. Speed will come naturally over time, consistency is key.
- Recovery is very very important. Running every single day isn't the way to go, your body needs some downtime too. An absolute recovery multiplier is sleep. Get as much sleep in as possible as it will help bring down those recovery times by a lot.
- I hate to say this, but please do a little bit of strength training, at home if you like (no one wants to go to the gym). It will help build up some muscle to get you through the long runs a lot easier than you would otherwise. It really doesn't have to be much, just a few simple workouts a week will do.
- If you use a Garmin watch for tracking your runs, there's a feature called Daily Suggested Workouts which I use quite a bit. The things is though, these suggested workouts are, among other things, based on any upcoming events you put on your calendar in Garmin Connect. So if you're training for a 10k and put in a goal of 45 minutes, DSW will try to train you towards that goal, and it won't be fun. So if you use this feature, make sure to set your goals realistically, or just don't set any goals at all.
- Speaking of Daily Suggested Workouts, listen to your body first and foremost. If your watch says you should do a base run, but your stomach is upset, just skip it and get some rest. Maybe do a little strength training instead. Your body knows best, the watch just goes by the numbers.
- This is going to be controversial but for the love of all that's holy, you don't need those running sunglasses and protein shakes (especially when just starting out). I cringe every time I see a runfluencer wear a pair of those running sunglasses. What are you even trying to optimize for? Aerodynamics? While doing a 6:30 kilometer? Stop it. Just wear a regular pair of sunglasses when the sun's out. And protein shakes? Just eat a banana or something (and have a bit of a healthy diet in general). Unless of course you're seriously training for a marathon, then sure it makes sense. But don't optimize prematurely.
- Lastly, and this is arguably the most important one: don't compare yourself to others. Don't watch those runfluencer video's, don't listen to podcasts, don't sign up for Strava. Running isn't a social network or a contest. It's about you versus yourself. It's your own journey, your own progress. You've won the moment you stepped out the door and started running. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.