Six lessons I’ve learned from running:
- It’s always better to start small. We tend to get these ideas that we can or should tackle five miles on the first day out. This usually leads to nothing good. Instead, start small. Try attempting to run one mile by running one minute and walking one minute until you’ve completed the one mile. Then, STOP! Increase your running by 10% every week.
- It’s ok to WALK during your run. Why do we think that running the entire time is superior to walking some of the time? I don’t know – machismo?
- That all said, there is also a need to push yourself to YOUR limit. Knowing exactly what that limit is becomes the “yoga of running.” It’s going to be different for everyone and sometimes we get caught up in a competition with other people or with what we think we ought to be able to do. Try listening to your body.
- Running creates endorphins, which can fool you into thinking you can do more. So does this conflict with point #3? In a way, yes, and in a way no. It’s a challenge to listen to your body but know when it’s really the endorphins talking. To be a strong and HEALTHY runner you have to REALLY be in touch with your body. Learn to read the signs and hear what it is truly saying to you, and then HONOR it. Practicing yoga can help with this
- Sometimes you won’t feel like running, but you’ll be glad later that you did. Sometimes you feel like sitting on the couch, but you won’t be glad later that you did. Going running often means putting your indulgences on hold. It may mean doing something you don’t feel like doing, but you’ll be better off later.
- Running will feel much harder when you are going up hill. Acknowledge that you are going up hill and allow yourself to slow down or even – gasp! – walk! It’s OK, you won’t get a ticket. Sometimes we need to slow down in order to have enough energy to finish the run.
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well…as your runner in training, this is the best guidance! it is the only way i have been able to keep running and improving my time. i am so grateful for this!!!!!
you helped me learn another lesson from running with you – invariably, I have some kind of minor pain or annoyance in the first 5 minutes. it always seems important, but it NEVER is! yesterday, it was my ankle. the time before that, my hip. always in the first few minutes, and if I just keep running, I totally forget about it…
but anything later in the run, I definitely listen to that though.
you know, now that I think about it, the same thing happens in yoga class too…
I find that happens to me too. It’s like you have to use the first few minutes to work out the kinks.
Go Kate!!