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Valérie M. Lieberman RRCA Certified Adult Long Distance Running Coach |
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Coaching Services for those who run, and those who want to |
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Your first steps of running: Very, very slowly is the way many of us start out. Others are quite comfortable at just very slowly. Some people are fast runners from the get-go. As long as you can hold a conversation out loud (although it needn't be out loud; at the very beginning, I used to pretend that I was reciting a favorite recipe to a friend over the phone as I was running alone) and you are relaxed during your runs, AND YOU ARE ENJOYING YOURSELF, then you are at the correct pace.
This is, no surprise, called your "conversation, relaxed, easy pace." All of your runs (unless you are in a race or are doing speed work at that very moment) are to be done at this pace. You will just naturally get faster with experience, but that's a while from now.
When you run for the first time you are introducing a new stress upon your body. Your body responds by becoming stronger. It is as if you are assigning your body homework when you run. The rest period afterwards is when your body does the homework. If you run too fast, your body doesn't have time afterwards to "do its homework." It won't become stronger. If you run too far and rest too little afterwards, your body won’t become stronger. Your rest period is as important as your running.
Remember that you are running at your present aerobic pace based on your aerobic fitness. If you had trouble finishing 3 minutes, you very well might have been going too fast. Slow down. If you barely break into a trot and that’s how you finish your 3 minutes of running, EXCELLENT! That’s where you should be.
Were the others around who were faster than you and you feel bad? Don’t waste a minute feeling bad that. Your present aerobic fitness is where you are today. Don’t try to keep up with others who may naturally be at a higher aerobic fitness (and be faster right now). It’s not your pace.
Don’t ever be embarrassed by where you are today. Look forward to the future. This is true for running, weight loss, and tons of other things.
Don’t be surprised if, at the very beginning, you run into a fast walker that walks faster than you run right now. It happened to me when I returned to running after a few months off from hurting myself. It will pass. In time your running effort will remain the same but you’ll be running at a faster pace.
It just happens. Be patient. Speed will happen, but it you train at too high a speed, you won’t get stronger or faster.
As an aside, this conversation relaxed/easy pace for all non-speedwork runs is true for ALL runners, new or experienced. If you remember this, you'll be training smarter than any other runner on the road.
And, most of all have fun. If you're huffing and puffing, slow down until you are enjoying your runs.
Valérie M. Lieberman RRCA Certified Adult Distance Running Coach Director Step by Step Central Jersey Road Runners Club’s Instructional Running Program |
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Advice to New Runners |
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Red Pepper Running |