A Beginner’s guide to running
Running is one of the most accessible and effective forms of exercise. It requires minimal equipment, can be done almost anywhere, and offers numerous physical and mental health benefits. For full transparency, I am writing this from my own personal experience with running. To be honest, I had a strong dislike for running throughout my whole life and did it only out of necessity for exercise. This made it hard to sustain and I couldn’t understand why all these people loved it so much! My psychology teacher in high school was also the cross country coach, and I remember her talking about the “runner’s high” that happened after running X amount of miles. I couldn’t even fathom it! However, running continued to be a theme in my life. When I lived in Chicago during Chiropractic School, I started to understand (just a little) the appeal of running when you live in a place where there are accessible and enjoyable running paths, such as the lake path that was close to my apartment. I had a 5 mile loop that I would take from my Lakeview apartment, south on the Lakefront Trail, cross the Lincoln Park Pedestrian Overpass, and then zig zag my way back through the Nature Conservatory and the Lincoln Park Zoo. What compounded my interest in running even more was meeting Eric in Chicago. As a collegiate runner, he had an interest in it, so I needed to step my game up! Little did I know that his entire family were runners, including his mom and sister who were signed up to run the Chicago Marathon the year we met. If I wanted to “fit in”, I needed to lace up my running shoes and get to work!
Once Eric and I moved to Grand Rapids, I realized that this is a super active community. The RiverBank 25K is held every year and Eric was excited to share all of his fun factoids about it that I didn’t completely understand. However, we signed up and trained together. By train I mean I did a long run every weekend for about 8 weeks. The night before the race, I found out another fun fact. The 25K distance is NOT a half marathon but is in fact, 15.5 miles. Let me tell you, on race day, those extra 2 miles were character building. Finishing that race was one of the proudest moments of my life and I had an even better idea as to what the fuss was about. I signed up and ran this race three times, including the 40th Anniversary in 2017! This was about the time I had found a crossfit gym (shout out to my 616 fam!) and focused on that. There was some running involved, but not the distance I had been doing over the last few years. It wasn’t until the world shut down in 2020 that I started returning back to running because my beloved gym was closed.
One of my bucket list races was The Bayshore Half Marathon in Traverse City. This event takes place over Memorial Weekend, which I have claimed as my “birthday weekend”. In 2020, this race was going to be on my actual birthday and I thought that could be super cool or super terrible, but I was willing to try! It ended up being deferred for 2 years, but I ran it in 2022 and it was the most glorious race. The weather was absolute perfection and the views on Old Mission Peninsula were breathtaking in those early morning hours. Eric wrangled the dogs and they were the best cheering squad! This last year, 2023, the weekend was made even better (knowing what to expect definitely helps!) because my family came up to watch or participate. I am looking forward to this being an ongoing family tradition!
So there it is. My running experience. This blog is from the perspective of someone who is a novice runner and also a musculoskeletal expert by trade. My hope is I can provide some helpful insight and tricks of the trade to help you find a love of running (if you desire!) and stay healthy while doing it!
Part 1: Setting Your Goals
Before lacing up your running shoes, it's essential to establish clear and achievable goals. Knowing what you want to accomplish will help keep you motivated and focused. Your goals could be:
1. Fitness Improvement: To increase cardiovascular fitness and stamina.
2. Weight Loss: To shed some extra pounds and tone your body.
3. Mental Health: To reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
4. Social Connection: To join a running group and make new friends. Local to Grand Rapids is the Run GR Club.
5. Race Participation: To train for a specific event, like a 5K or half-marathon.
These goals may shift over time and it is always good to re-evaluate where you are at. I commonly talk to people who got into running to lose weight and ended up meeting great friends as well as gave them an outlet to help their stress response.
Part 2: Gear Up
Running doesn't require a lot of equipment, but investing in the right gear can make your experience more enjoyable and safe. Here are some essentials:
1. Running Shoes: Visit a specialty running store for a professional fitting to find the right shoes for your feet and running style. Local to Grand Rapids is Gazelle Sports. The shoe that works best for me won’t work for everyone, but I personally LOVE the Brooks Launch and am currently rocking out THIS pair. As a Chiropractor, I also want to mention how important shoes are when it comes to your joint health. You should switch out your shoes every 300-500 miles, but if you are noticing excess wear or compression through the sole and/or more joint pain after runs, it is time for something new. Running apps like Strava will track how many miles you put on your shoes as well. Also, use these shoes ONLY for running! Wearing them out and about (walking, traveling, to work, etc) will break them down faster.
2. Comfortable Apparel: Wear moisture-wicking clothing suitable for the weather conditions. You should dress for 10-20 degrees warmer than it actually is outside as you will warm up. I also like to find bright colored clothing to keep myself highly visible on the road. If you are training for a race, part of your training is figuring out what you like to run in. There is nothing worse than showing up to your half marathon in new shorts that you realize ride up on you! Here are a few of my favorite running clothes:
Shorts: Confirmed to be the best by my sister running buddies.
Leggings: This fabric is like buttah
Long Sleeve: A bonus is that you can usually find these on sale.
Vest: This is essential when it gets cold!
Gloves: Lightweight gloves are a lifesaver when it gets chilly, as your torso will get warm before your hands!
Tank Top: I have the hardest find finding a tank I like. I realized I don’t like straps that slide, I want it to be long enough that I can do a front tuck into my shorts or leggings, and I want it to be loose and lightweight.
Hat: A white dri fit hat is ESSENTIAL. I always have this on to not only protect my face from the sun, but it also keeps you cool (you’re already cool, but you know, cool-er).
Beanie: I have a beanie similar to this one from Crossfit 616 and LOVE running in it when it is cold!
Fanny Pack: You think I am weird, right? Let me tell you, this is the BEST idea I ever had. This particular fanny pack is very lightweight and can hug close to your back (have it flipped around so that you don’t have it bouncing on your belly). I keep my phone, running food, and chapstick in there. You can also get belts that have water bottles, but I like to plan my long runs around access to my car or drinking fountains for water.
Sunglasses: I was resistant to investing into a pair of good sunglasses, but was so glad when I finally did! I bought these from our friends at Rockford Bike Shop. Not only do these protect your eyeballs, but they crisp up your vision (they came in handy while whale watching in Hawaii this last February), they don’t bounce around when moving, AND they fit perfectly under the brim of a baseball hat.
3. A Good Sports Bra for Women: In the words of my HS soccer coach who had 3 sons and was talking to us about clothing at the beginning of the season “rope ‘em down ladies”. You should be picky about your sports bras and find one that gives you enough support without feeling like you can’t breathe. As they say, sometimes you have to go through a lot of frogs before you find your prince.
4. Watch and an Activity App: Wearing a watch was another thing I was very resistant to until I did it. Eric gifted me an Apple Watch to train for my first Bayshore and I upgraded my Strava so that I could see more data on my training performance. These two things helped me understand my progress, especially cuing into my heart rate. I found my heart rate would be in the 170’s when I was first trying to get to a 9 min/mile pace (which is not sustainable). Then it started to be in the 160’s and is now in the 150’s showing my cardiovascular system as adapted to that stimulus.
Part 3: Fuel Up
1. Hydration: I mentioned previously that I do not run with water, but plan my runs around access to water. Whether that be a run that I will go back by my car, a run on the Cannon Trail to the Cannon Township Hall which has restrooms and a drinking fountain, the White Pine Trail to downtown Rockford which has a drinking fountain by their outdoor performance area, or simply a gas station where I can purchase water or get it out of the soda fountain for free if they are feeling generous. Small sips are best so that you aren’t having a stomach full of sloshing water. I also ALWAYS drink 1 LMNT packet in 30 ounces of water after a run. If you are planning for a long run (I would say 1+ hours out running) make sure to spend the couple of days leading up to that drinking extra electrolytes so that you are going into that hydrated.
2. Fueling: It wasn’t until this last Bayshore race that I really understood the importance of fueling. By fueling, I don’t just mean your daily nutrition. I mean what you eat before and during your run. A basic rule of thumb is to consume 100 calories per 1 hour of exercise but everyone is different. You will want to play around with what makes you feel your best. For me, I notice my legs feel like cement if I don’t eat a quick carbohydrate before running. I call it my “rocket fuel”. My runs are at least 30 minutes long, so I plan accordingly. If I am running for longer than an hour, I will have some fuel in my fanny pack to take along the ride. My favorite go to brands are:
Untapped Maple Syrup Packets with Electrolytes: In all transparency, I LOVED these until I didn’t. I got a little but of a taste aversion to them leading up to Bayshore because I was using them multiple times a week. I also prefer to chew things, so that doesn’t help with the texture. The coffee flavor one is better tolerated by my taste buds at this point. I still really like this product as it has super simple ingredients. I haven’t tried the other flavors other than original and coffee, so I am sure that would help! These run around $1.85 per packet if you get a 20 pack box.
Honey Stinger Waffles: I really like the texture of these. They also have a GF option which is nice! Easy to break in half to have a the beginning of a run and then the other half when you need a boost. These run around $1.75 per waffle in the 16ct box.
Honey Stinger Bars: Bars are another great option for only using half at a time. These have slightly more calories per serving which may also be desired. These also come as a gluten free option! These run around $2.60 per bar in the 16ct box.
Maureten Bars: These come as a natural oat taste and a cocoa flavor, both of which are good. They are over 200 calories per bar, so great to split up on a rung depending on how long you are going for. These are $3 per bar in the 12ct box.
You will notice I don’t have any gels listed, aside from the Untapped product. I really do not enjoy gels or gummy type textures, so I don’t use them. These companies do have those available, however.
Also, for anyone who knows me knows that I pay attention to ingredients. When I first got into this world, I was so resistant to eating any of this because of how much sugar was in it. However, I realized it was not practical to make my own stuff and if I wanted to enjoy running, I needed to feel good. The ingredients in these particular products are not too bad either, at least I can pronounce all of them! I will also say, since eating one of these things before/during a run, I have lost weight (not my goal, but a pleasant bonus nonetheless) and I recover waaaay better. I also have less cravings later in the day for carbohydrates as my body had enough on hand while I was exercising.
Last thought on fueling, I have often thought this strategy would be great for a woman going into labor and to use during labor. After all, it is the biggest athletic event of your life!
Part 4: Just Start (slowly)
Don't rush into running too fast or too far. You will likely get frustrated and burned out. Make a goal of how long you want to work out for instead of setting yourself up on a mileage goal. This is still something I am working on with my mindset of running, but giving yourself a time frame for running instead of trying to achieve a specific distance takes the pressure off.
Paying attention to your heart rate can also help you determine what feels good for you and how hard your body is working. To give you a basic outline of what to shoot for, you can calculate your max heart rate using this simple formula: 220 - your age = max heart rate. For example, I am 37 years old. 220 - 37 = 183bpm. Your max range is 10-20 beats in either direction, so this is a loose recommendation. When running, you will train at 50-85% of your max heart rate. So for me, this would be around 90bpm to 155bpm. I spend the most of my time in the 150’s or low 160’s. I can tell if I am tired, dehydrated, that heat is impacting me, etc if my heart rate is going above this. My Strava app on my watch has a real time heart rate measurement that I like to check in on.
As far as frequency, I think 3-4 days is perfect as it allows 1 day of rest between workouts.
Here are some example running workouts for a beginner:
Workout 1: Longer walk: Walk for 30 minutes at a brisk pace.
Check your heart rate! If you are around your 50% mark, it is something that isn’t stressing your body too much and you may be able to increase intensity. If your heart rate is getting closer to that 60-70% and beyond, your body is working hard.
Workout 2: Run-walk intervals:
Walk for five minutes to warm up. Then let’s set a time goal of 30 minutes. After your warm up, run for 1 minute then walk for 2 minutes and continue on for 10 rounds to get 30 minutes. As you improve your fitness, this can shift into 1 minute of running and 1 minute for walking, 2 minutes of running and 1-2 minutes of walking, 3 minutes of running and 1-2 minutes of walking, and so on. This is an example of a Fartlek (I just wanted to use that term somewhere in this post) and the possibilities are endless! This is my favorite way to run as it keeps it interesting!
Workout 3: Tempo Run:
Once you start to get the hang on the run-walk intervals and are able to run for 10 minutes at a time, warm up with a slow run or brisk walk for 10 minutes. Then run at a challenging pace, perhaps getting to your 70-85% heart rate for 10 minutes. Then cool down for 10 minutes with a slow run or brisk walk. As you increase your time frame, you could warm up for 10, run at your target pace for 2+ miles, and then cool down for 10. This is a great way to start to work on your pace if you have speed goals.
Workout 4: Long Run:
This is your opportunity to increase your endurance. Once per week, try to spend more time running than in your other workouts. You will increase your tolerance for running and it will make the shorter workouts feel easy peasy! For example, maybe you are walking 30 minutes twice per week, try to have 1 time in the week you get out for 45 minutes.
For me it is so easy to put off running until later because I prioritize all the other things I have going on. Schedule your workouts in just like you do meetings or appointments. Even better is if you plan to meet up with someone or join a running group. This gives you that social kick but also an accountability buddy!
Part 5: Proper Running Form
Ah yes, this is where the Chiropractor in me comes out. Maintaining proper form can help prevent injuries and improve your running efficiency. Key pointers include:
1. Posture: Keep your back straight and your shoulders relaxed. If you are tensing up, you are wasting energy!
2. Footstrike: Aim for a midfoot strike, not heel-first or toe-first.
3. Arm Position: Maintain a 90-degree angle at your elbows and swing your arms naturally. My sister once told me to pretend like you are holding a potato chip in your fingers of each hand. This keeps you from clenching your fists, again, a waste of energy!
4. Breathing: Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth as much as possible. This will help you stay more relaxed. It is also good to notice if you are having a hard time catching your breathe and a sign that you could dial back your intensity.
5. Stride and Cadence: Something that has been a huge change for me in how I feel running, improvements in pace, and decrease soreness in to reduce my stride length and focus on a short and quicker cadence. This idea was first introduced to me when I read Born to Run before my first RiverBank Run. I had forgotten about it until I started seeing running content on my Instagram (ah yes, the algorithm gets me again!). An account I have really enjoyed is @trackclubbabe who has training plans on her website HERE. She talks a lot about this and it was something I would work on during my Fartleks (ha! I got to use that word again). Having long legs, I tend to want to over stride to run faster. However, this requires more energy use in the push off phase of running, more time on a single leg (which is harder on your joints) and is just overall inefficient. My body still will default into that, especially when I get tired or are racing towards a finish line, but I try to refocus and get back to my short quick cadence.
Part 6: Recovery and Rest
Rest days are just as important as running days. Give your body time to recover and repair. Incorporate stretching, yoga, or foam rolling to prevent muscle tightness and injury. As noted in Part 4: Just Start (Slowly), give yourself a day in between workouts, especially if it was a particularly challenging one. Running itself is a relatively low investment, so invest in your body care. Schedule in massages, chiropractic visits for monthly “tune-ups” and biomechanical assessment, physical therapy to rehab injuries, etc. Fueling and hydration are also important on your non workout days to help you recover and get ready for your next one. If you want to remain active and feel good doing it, make sure you are eating enough and getting a good balance of nutrients. This is where the TDEE calculator can be handy to give you something to shoot for. Electrolytes and hydration are still important even on days you aren’t sweating. If you aren’t thinking about hydrating until you are on your way to your run, then it might be too late!
Part 7. Stay Inspired
Sometimes, staying consistent comes down to stay inspired to continue. Here are my favorite ways to stay motivated:
Sign Up for an Event: Historically after I complete a race, I tell myself I am going to keep running, but I eventually drop off. After Bayshore at the end of May, I started looking for another race to sign up for. This brought me to sign up for the Bridge Run in Grand Rapids 4 months after Bayshore. I signed up for the 10 miler, but there is also a 5k option that my sisters are doing! This helped me stay motivated to run 3x per week and to maintain a base weekly mileage of at least 10 miles. I will also do fun 5k’s here and there like the Zombie 5K at Halloween or the Canicross 5k . Traveling for a race can also add an element of fun, which is what I love about Bayshore. I have some other bucket list races as well that would take us to fun destinations! Local races are also great because you reduce the stress of an event by being in the comfort of your familiar environment!
Run in New Locations: This has been one of my favorites! Whenever we travel, I plan a route on Strava to run. Quebec City, Chicago, Malibu, Maui, Phoenix…all places we have been (or will be!) in the next year that offer amazing sights during a run. I have my favorite stomping grounds locally as well, but from time to time I mix it up and try some place new! Grand Rapids has many different running locations to offer: White Pine Trail, Cannon Trail, Millennium Park, Riverside Park, Reed’s Lake, trail running at Cannonsburg/Luton/Merrell just to name a few of my favorites!
Connect with Fellow Runners: Connecting with other people who are excited about running will keep you motivated! Whether it is online or in a local running group, you are bound to find your community and pick up tips and tricks along the way.
Pleasure Pairing: This psychology concept is to pair something that feels like a reward with something you don’t to do. For me and running, this looks like listening to a book or sound track that I only listen to while running. I have also realized that running can be my quiet time as well as time that I don’t have to worry about a single other thing than to just keep running. How simple is that?
Running as a beginner might seem challenging at first, but with dedication and the right guidance, it can become an enjoyable and rewarding part of your life. Remember to set clear goals, invest in proper gear, and prioritize safety and self-care. Whether you're running for fitness, weight loss, or simply the love of the sport, you're on your way to a healthier, happier you. So, lace up those shoes and hit the pavement – have a little fun while you are at it.