My first ever race was the hardest one I ever did, in many ways. I was a teenager, and my mum somehow roped me in to doing a 5K with her and her friends. I wasn’t fit. Shortsighted, at school I desperately avoided team sports with flying balls, and I hated running so much that I once stayed awake the entire night, worrying, before The Bleep Test in PE. As you know, I didn’t discover a love of exercise for another decade, until I was in my mid-twenties. (How I regret those wasted days, when I got to do sport in the middle of weekdays with all of my mates, and didn’t appreciate it!)
I didn’t think to train for the race. I wouldn’t have known where to begin even if I had thought of it. I just borrowed some trainers from Mum. Then I borrowed the rest of the outfit from her too, and showed up on the day. I was nervous, but didn’t really know what what in store.
Mum’s friends were excited on the day – they had been training together, and this was the first race for some. The atmosphere on a Race for Life start line is electric, so positive, proud and full of chatter – with an edge of sadness for people lost, in whose memories women are running. It was a gorgeous sunny day, and the course itself was two loops of a park, with about half a kilometre of uphill halfway through the loop. We set out as a little pack, and I felt fine for a couple of minutes. Until that hill showed up for the first time. I didn’t know how to move my legs up it, and my heart was thundering. Mum’s friends held back for me, and I caught them back up on the flat. The sunny day felt oppressively hot.
I struggled on, but by the time that hill came round again, I was pooped. I couldn’t catch my breath, my trainers felt like bricks, and so I stopped. I was sure I couldn’t go on. Mum’s friends, who had their own race to run, were heroes. They waited with me, and gave me tips on how to push forward. They had me focus on my feet, and on pushing the air out rather than sucking it in. They took every step with me. I walked up most of the hill, and managed to break into a slow jog for the last 500m. I took my goody bag and vowed never to run again…
I don’t share this story to make exercise seem intimidating – I hope it’s more inspiring. If you can’t currently run round the block, don’t worry, neither could I, not for a long shot. My marathons have been walks in the park in comparison to that first 5K (ironic, seeing as the 5K literally was a walk in the park by the end). Most people don’t wake up one day with an innate ability to step out of the door and start running. We run one lamppost, walk one lamppost, until we’re ready to run two lampposts and beyond. Start your running journey today, with a walk – it will be a run one day. You’ll be so proud of yourself, and might even raise a bit of money to fight cancer sooner in the process.
We’ll be bringing you a series of posts in conjunction with the KiQplan Race For Life App, that helps to build up a 5K or 10K training plan from a base of no running whatsoever. The app is nutritionist, personal trainer and coach in one. Along the way, it pairs up with your fitness tracker, to review the effect that your sleep, exercise and nutrition have on your 5K or 10K training goals. One of our next beginner training posts will give the chance to win a FitBug activity tracker to pair up with the app – watch this space for more info.
Runners’ knowledge swap time –
If you’re an experienced runner, what advice would you like to give to brand new runners? If you’re just starting out, what do you want to know?
No holds barred!
Although I’ve been running for 15 years plus now what would i advise?
1. When you are starting out find someone to run with. This is how I started, with another soon to be Dad, at anti-natal classes! The camaraderie, shared enjoyment and joint motivation is priceless. Particularly if no-one around you runs then your running partner is someone you can celebrate achievements with, moan at and generally emphasize with! You get the perfect combination of motivation and guilt from your running partner, and of course that goes both ways!!
2. The right running shoes – not necessarily expensive but ones that work for your feet. It will make everything else so much easier and more enjoyable. Go to a running shop that sells lots of different brands and see what fits you.
3. Think about joining a running group. This is a hard one as it can be difficult to tell what a running group or club is like until you’ve actually joined. Some are much more ‘racing’ focused and that may not be what you want at the start whereas others can be much more social and there to support you in whatever your goals might be, others offer both!
But there are enough free groups out there that you don’t need to fork out first to then find that running clubs aren’t for you. As a shameless plug I’d have to suggest the running group I help run – Farsley Flyers in Leeds. https://www.facebook.com/FarsleyFlyers
4. These days Park Runs are a great goal for any new runner. http://www.parkrun.org.uk/ Register online and a whole world of opportunities across the UK are available to you on a Saturday morning for free. Sure some people will set off like scalded rabbits but these are RUNS nor RACES – families walk them, Mums and Dads push buggies round them (although sometimes pretty fast!!) and young, not so young and kids run, potter or walk around. They are great place to meet people too – perhaps that elusive running partner or group you are wondering about!