Let Me Run This Past You.

How to start running, and more importantly, how to enjoy it.

At some point in life you will have tried running and probably hated it. Whether it was a lose weight quick scheme which will have popped into your head as a supposedly viable New Year’s resolution or, being put off for life during designated P.E afternoons at school. Either way it probably won’t have ended in a positive experience. Over the last 2 years, I’ve made a conscious effort to introduce running into my life and, more importantly, to make it a regular, positive and happy experience and, after some (many) trials and tribulations, I have some useful beginners’ tips to share! Over the past couple of years, I have gained some insight into the world of running so in this blog post, I will share with you some of my recommendations, tips on where to save your money and best buys on everything from clothing to tech. So, let’s get started then!

Still to this day I run at a steady, some would say slow pace, mainly because I enjoy the act of running and the surroundings too much to get obsessed by timings and speed. Generally, I run at an average pace of 6 minutes 30 seconds per KM which for me, I feel, is a comfortable pace and to improve my stamina I will attempt a slightly faster KM usually in the middle of my run once I’ve eased into it.

Essentially, when it comes down to it, just enjoy it, do it your way and don’t compare yourself to other people’s achievements.

We all know that running is beneficial to our physical health but when it comes to mental health it can also have amazing effects. Even though this has been well documented in the media, I can wholeheartedly say it has had an amazingly positive effect on me. The feeling of euphoria and happiness through the release of endorphins, frees the spirit and lifts the soul. Even just the feeling of clearing your head of all life’s current thoughts can help you feel liberated and ready to deal with the day.

That brings me to my next point; what time of day to run. Well, I really feel it’s a personal choice. I always run in the morning partly because I love the feeling of starting the day with a run but most importantly it’s when I feel I have the most energy. However, people have busy lives and may not have the luxury of choosing what time they have available for running. To these people I would say that a regular routine of going for your runs at the same time will be very beneficial to you and allow your body to become accustomed to exercising at that time of day. An exercise plan or food plan will also help keep you on track and will make sure you are fuelling your body with the right food and at the right time for your run. Your plan could be simple from pencilling in regular runs in your diary to an in depth very detailed day by day plan. By setting a specific time and date for your runs, you are much more likely to stick to your plan instead of just going out when and if you feel like it. Alternatively, you could stick to a detailed day by day plan written either by a professional or there are some excellent plans already done for you HERE and HERE for by acclaimed fitness sites for all levels of ability.

Clothing. Where to spend your money and where to save it.

As with all aspects of life, wear what you feel comfortable in regardless of fashion or opinions. However, if you are looking for some ideas on which areas to save your money and which areas are worth spending on, here are some I recommend.

Areas to spend.

Running shoes – Firstly, I must warn you about the unfortunate “fashionable” items, especially in the trainer market, that are made for style and NOT practical or safe for training in and often are very expensive and overpriced. Running shoes is not the area to go cheap on. When I first started running, I was reluctant to spend money on trainers in case I didn’t keep it up and used Primark sport trainers for the first month and quickly developed shin splints during my runs. Shin splints are pains in the lower shin mainly along the inner edge of the shin bone, they are as unpleasant as they sound and one way they can be caused is not having enough arch support on your trainers. More often than not, running in trainers that are either worn out or not specifically designed for the receptive motion of running can cause injury. After that lesson, I invested in some New Balance Fresh Foam Cruz trainers at £65 with the vital support and cushioning that you need to absorb the repetitive impact from the pavement. A sure way to cause yourself an injury is wearing the wrong footwear; everybody’s feet and gait differ so a guaranteed way to find a pair of trainers that suit you is to visit a professional running shop where they will assess all aspects of your gait on a treadmill and recommend the best style and fit for you.

Leggings – I really wanted to tell you there are suitable cheaper alternatives to the well known fitness brands, but I can truthfully say none of the other options I have tried even come close to the Sweaty Betty contour leggings or power leggings. At prices starting for £75 they are not cheap but, they are the best. Some of the positives to these leggings include the amazing ability to stay high waisted and not slowly slip down while running and keeping you insulated during the cold months while allowing your skin to breathe. A little insider tip is purchasing your Sweaty Betty items in their bi-annual sale, (something I talk about later on) by doing this most items will have big discounts.

Sports bras – Another important area to invest in are sports bras. Depending on your size will depend on what aspects you are looking for in your bra, but most importantly for everybody it should be supportive and comfortable. If you are in the market for high support, I highly recommend THIS Sweaty Betty one, I like it so much I own 3 of them as they are the only ones I will wear. Again, professional fitting is a great option here.

Areas to save.

If you are looking to save some money (aren’t we all) here are some great alternatives to otherwise very expensive items of clothing. As I have previously said beware of some fashionable brands who charge you an inflated price for simple synthetic materials which you can buy much cheaper.

T-shirts – Being January the shops are awash with active wear and the remnants of the after Christmas sale, although the sale rail can sometimes be overwhelming a quick rummage can unearth some great finds. Yesterday, while passing through I decided to have a quick look in the last of the Marks and Spencer sale where I discovered THIS great workout top for £9.50. It has to be said it is difficult to tell the difference between this and a Sweaty Betty t-shirt which is also made of 100% polyester but is priced at £50 which is difficult to justify considering there are cheaper alternatives.

Jackets – Apart from specialised weatherproof jackets for the hardened among us that run in all weathers, there are definitely some excellent bargains out there. For example, I was given a £90 Sweaty Betty running jacket as a lovely birthday gift a couple of years ago which although I have worn, it does have the disadvantage of not having any pockets and due to the way it’s cut, the wind does tend to get inside it as it doesn’t taper in at the edge. However, this £35 H&M jacket is my favourite and I have to say with the extra padding and the bigger pockets, it is the more practical of the two. I would also like to mention here that I highly rate the H&M sportswear range – it is excellent quality, reasonably priced and practically designed for exercising instead of being designed as a fashion piece.

Finally, an honourable mention must go to the Sweaty Betty bi-annual sale which is what I call a real sale; nearly everything is heavily discounted instead of just the poor selling stock like most sales. Nearly all items I own from Sweaty Betty have been purchased in the sale which meant the price was fairly reasonable considering the quality you are getting. My advice is to sign up to their emailing list to know when the sale goes live so you can grab some great bargains.

Technology. 

The world of tech can be very overwhelming, especially in the fitness market where the amount of choice is seemingly never-ending. Over the last couple of years, I have spent hours researching each of my tech purchases and most of them have become invaluable to my runs.

Dre Beats, some would say style over substance, although, after purchasing mine over 1 year ago I could not live without mine. Yes, I had to psych myself up to spend over £200 on a pair of headphones but they turned out to be worth every penny. The standout features must be how lightweight they feel while wearing them coupled with how comfortable they are, even when you are running or exercising vigorously in the gym they stay put and are so comfortable you forget you are wearing headphones at all. Lastly, they cancel just enough noise to lose yourself in your Spotify playlist or Audiobook while still being safely aware of the traffic around you. Also, let’s not forget the large play/pause button on the side, adding an extra safety element for crossing roads. As you can probably tell I highly recommend them, if you are interested THESE are the exact ones I have.

On a less expensive note the free Map My Run app is an excellent alternative to a fitness watch. I used the app for nearly 2 years and loved it; it gives you an impressive amount of information on your run for a free app. All the time I used it, I found it to be very accurate and reliable. It was only a few weeks ago I decided to purchase a fitness watch which was a very difficult task considering the vast amount of choice. I settled on the Fitbit charge 3 which price wise was middle of the road and it ticked all the boxes I needed it to. I wanted an easy to view watch face which meant I could keep an eye on my pace and distance during my run. I would highly recommend it and after some initial teething problems connecting to my phone which was sorted in a recent update, I love it. 

Reliable sources.

I know I know, I am aware of the irony of me saying this as someone probably not qualified to give advice on this subject but just bear in mind mine are observations and recommendations based on experience.

When it comes to resourcing important information such as nutrition, vitamins or dealing with a running injury, the reputation of the source is imperative. I personally find the internet a bit of a blur with pages and pages of information all saying different things, so personally I prefer to get my advice in paper form such as the monthly Woman’s Running Magazine written by industry professionals. It is reliable and isn’t skewed due to sponsorships deals or Ads. Furthermore, I must warn you on the daily occurrence of unsolicited advice from a select few runners who feel the need to tell you that you are doing everything wrong and their way is the much superior way; you must pick and choose which advice to take seriously. This can be done with simple common sense and asking yourself if this would be beneficial to you and your technique; generally if you are comfortable and enjoying your runs then carry on doing what you’re doing and be confident with it!

Good luck and remember, just give it a go and enjoy it!

Daisy
MyDaisyStyle.