Have you ever had that thought?
The one where you see people running and just thought I’d love to be able to do that but then a heap of reasons fill your head as to why you can’t. I get out of breath so quickly, I’m not built for running, it’s bad for your joints, my back won’t hold out, I look silly running etc etc Have you ever been asked to do a charity 5k, been tempted, but then just thought I can’t, feeling a bit disappointed when you see everyone doing it.
These are all really common feelings that people have when they contemplate running.
The flip side is to listen to people who have been in that exact position but have taken the steps to give it a go and a year on they have never looked back. They are one of those people they used to enviously look at who were out there doing it. The increasing awareness of the benefits of running has really helped to break down some of the barriers that people once had.
The advent of things like the ‘Couch to 5k’ and the weekend park runs that are prevalent now worldwide have made running achievable and accessible to everyone. It’s great to see and even more so to witness a wide and varied cross section of people doing it. Park runs are now full of families doing it together and enjoying it.
Often we fall at the first hurdle when it comes to running. Many New Years’ resolutions include ‘start running’ on it. A new pair of running shoes may be purchased and then the first 3 mile run embarked upon. 100 metres in and gasping for air it all seems so impossible but this is the new me, I’ve got to keep going, I’ve got to make it round and eventually we make it home, exhausted, hurting but knowing it’s done us good.
We’re out the next day and the next and before we know it we can’t walk!! This is such a common scenario that often puts people off before they have started.
Here at the clinic I’m running a Run Wise service that can confidently help new runners
safely, effectively and enjoyably embark upon their running journey. The most important thing to address is what you actually want to get from your running. Many of us have many different reasons for wanting to get out there.
It’s so important that there is a 2 way dialogue between me and everyone I see.
Understanding all the components that help us to run are often very enlightening as most of the time we think only of the physical but sleep and the rigours of daily life are also pivotal when we think about starting to run. It has to fit in with our lifestyle. Rest is also vital and sometimes it is just as important NOT to run to help you improve.
If you look at people running you will see an enormous variety in the way that people run. There really is no right and wrong and sometimes to get someone to change the way they run can induce a whole heap of other problems. My philosophy is really not to attempt to change too much but to pick up on any simple things can be easily incorporated into someone’s running and help them achieve that.
Overall, for anyone new who is wanting to run, educating them and helping them to understand how to progressively increase their running is as important as many other aspects that we look at and is probably the key ingredient to improving and reducing the risk of any injury.
So if you’re really keen to get going but have never quite had the courage or conviction to give it a go then I’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to call or drop me a mail if you’d like to discuss things a little further.
As I said in a previous post, we’ve all run for the very first time. There has to be a starting point in anything we do. Ultimately your goals are my goals and look forward to hearing from you.