Five Mistakes Beginning (and Veteran) Runners Make
So you want to run, and nothing is chasing you?
*pause for laughter*
If you haven’t heard that joke yet, you might be a beginning runner. It’s one of the unfortunate things about being a beginner: You have to hear those jokes from your friends for the first time. Believe me, us veterans don’t like them either.
I have five other unfortunate things about being beginner, and many of them, I fear, may rob them of their joy for running (yes, I do believe you eventually enjoy running). Let’s go through them now, and how to solve these mistakes before they become problems.
By the way, don’t be embarrassed if you make one or all of these mistakes. Veteran runners do them too.
1. They run too fast — Yes, beginners run too fast. Sounds ironic, right? But it’s true.
One of the common training mantras you’ll hear is the 80/20 rule. This means that 80 percent of your runs should be easy. Easy, in this case, means you should be running at a talking pace, or you shouldn’t be breathing too hard while you run. My favorite way to describe an easy run is one that doesn’t suck.
If you find it difficult to run without running out of breath, well, that’s common among beginners. When you lose your breath, walk for a minute and then pick it back up again.
Yes, you heard me right. Why do runners have this thing about walking during a run? Walking is not only allowed, it’s encouraged. Even really good ultrarunners walk during their races, especially up hills or at the end of a race.
This does mean 20 percent of your runs should be hard, but we will get to that. As of right now, slow down during your runs, and take walk breaks. As you get fitter, you won’t need to worry about either as much.
2. They run on hard surfaces — Sidewalks are for walking to the mailbox and back. That’s it. They’re made of concrete, and concrete is an oppressive surface. Skip them if you can. That means using bike lanes on our asphalt streets or, better yet, finding a park with a soft surface (aka a dirt or crushed limestone trail) and running there. Many cities have a “trail” — ours is the Poudre Trail — with concrete surfaces that I’m sure have caused more than a few stress fractures. Running on hard surfaces hurts, and pain is probably the number-one reason why runners stop running.
3. They run in bad shoes — I don’t mind if you started running in a pair of sneakers you’ve had since 1978 or the shoes you got at Kohl’s or those fly Nikes you got online because you liked the color. But at some point, after you decide you want to be a runner, it’s time to get fitted at a running store.
Even many veteran runners will buy a lot of shoes and try them out, but running stores exist so you don’t have to guess at what the best shoe is for you. Store employees will fit you based on your shoe size, gait and even the wear and tear your feet are taking.
I’ve run in the same brand of shoe for years, and I buy a couple pair a year, without falling for the new fads. I guess I’m the Honda Civic driver of shoes. I also haven’t been hurt, or even had any aches and pains, for years.
4. They forget about strength training — Strength training is the best way to avoid getting hurt. You don’t have to worry about a bench press, a squat or a deadlift, but you need to get strong and stay strong, especially when you get older. I’m 52 and hanging on to my muscle for dear life. I do 25 minutes twice a week. That’s all it takes.
5. They don’t add any variety — Variety really is the spice of running. Remember that 20 percent I talked about? Eventually you should be adding hill repeats, sprints and intervals to your running plan. You should run different routes, in different areas where you live, and try different races. Your body will adapt, quickly, if you run the same three-mile route around the neighborhood, at the same pace, every day. There’s nothing like running a new workout, or in a new place, to keep your running fresh and fun.
