Get Ireland Running is a national campaign that aims to increase awareness and encourage widespread participation in running for health, well being and fitness. Athletics Ireland in coordination with Intersport Elverys and Irish Runner Magazine will be offering up free tips and advice on transforming your life by being physically active. Quite often all three partners get asked a variety of questions about running so we thought it would be great to answer some of the frequently asked questions

How do I get started?

Start walking for a length of time that feels comfortable–anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. Once you can walk for 30 minutes easily, sprinkle 1- to 2-minute running sessions into your walking. As time goes on, make the running sessions longer, until you’re running for 30 minutes straight. See our walk your first run blog post for more tips and advice.

Do I need to stretch before I run?

Warming up is a key part of any exercise routine, so time is best spent warming up the muscles rather than stretching before activity. Do a couple of minutes of light aerobic exercise to loosen up your muscles and warm you up for your run. Some good pre-run warm-up exercises include walking briskly, marching, jogging slowly, or cycling on a stationary bike. Make sure you don’t rush your warmup.

Where can I find someone to run with?

The most common way to find a group to run with is to reach out to your local athletics club, each of which cater for a range of ages and abilities. You can find a full list of the Athletics Clubs throughout Ireland here. Alteravily why not get involved in your local parkrun.

Can I join a running club even though I can’t run very far?

Athletics Ireland has a mission to support and develop athletics across all ages, disciplines, and abilities and to contribute positively to increasing physical activity levels across the entire population. Our clubs are a great starting point for anyone thinking about getting involved in running, with many running Fit4Life, Couch to 5k, and beginner programmes, so make sure to get in touch with your local club.

What footwear do I need? 

Running doesn’t require much outside of the will to start, but you have to have a good pair of running shoes. Running shoes are designed to help your foot strike the ground properly, reducing the amount of shock that travels up your leg. They’re also made to fit your foot snugly, which reduces the slipping and sliding that can lead to blisters. Visit your local Intersport Elverys store and have our team of running experts help pick the footwear best suited to your needs. The footwear service promise will usually involve a quick Footbalance fitting which we can’t recommend enough. Click here for more information on this topic.

How is running on a treadmill different from outdoor runs?

A treadmill “pulls” the ground underneath your feet, and you don’t face any wind resistance, both of which make running somewhat easier. Many treadmills are padded, making them a good option if you’re carrying a few extra pounds or are injury-prone and want to decrease impact. To better simulate the effort of outdoor running, you can always set your treadmill at a 1-percent incline.

Where should I run?

The beauty of running is that it’s right outside your front door. You can run anywhere that’s safe and enjoyable to do so. The best running routes are scenic, well lit, free of traffic, and well populated. Think of running as a way to explore new territory. Some of our suggestions would be to check out your local Blueway or parkrun.

I always feel out of breath when I run, is something wrong?

Yes, you’re probably trying to run too fast. Relax. Slow down. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is to run too fast. Concentrate on breathing from deep down in your belly, and if you have to, take walking breaks.

How do I prevent getting a side stitch when I run?

Side stitches are common among beginners because your abdomen is not used to the jostling that running causes. Most runners find that stitches go away as fitness increases. Also, don’t eat any solid foods during the hour before you run. When you get a stitch, breathe deeply, concentrating on pushing all of the air out of your abdomen. This will stretch out your diaphragm muscle (just below your lungs), which is usually where a cramp occurs.

There are also €10,000 worth of prizes to be won. Enter HERE.

Shop all running goods from footwear, clothing, accessories and tech here at Intersport Elverys.

Get Ireland Running is a national campaign that aims to increase awareness and encourage widespread participation in running for health, wellbeing and fitness. Athletics Ireland in coordination with Intersport Elverys and Irish Runner Magazine will be offering up free tips and advice on transforming your life by being physically active. All three partners are enthusiastic about inspiring and helping more people to enjoy the physical and emotional wellbeing benefits of running, and share the belief that there is a run in all of us.

Exercise helps with not only your physical health but also your mental health, and the simplicity and accessibly of running makes it the perfect form of exercise to be enjoyed throughout life. And don’t worry if you’re just starting out, over 300,000 people in Ireland run on a regular basis already so won’t have to go it alone – Through 360 Athletics Clubs, Nationwide Fit4Life Groups, and 660 affiliated schools, Athletics Ireland continues to support people from the ages of 8 to 80 staying active, fit and healthy.

The hardest part is making that first step but there are number of ways to get started, the most common of which is to reach out to your local athletics club, each of which cater for a range of ages and abilities. You can find a full list of the Athletics Clubs throughout Ireland here.

At Intersport Elverys we are a destination for all things running covering everything from footwear, technical clothing and accessories to nutrition, supports and tech.  On top of our partnership with Athletics Ireland we have been working closely with Brooks and Asics, two of the most well recognized brands in the running community right now.

Brooks as a running brand believe their purpose is to inspire everyone to run and be active, they believe a run can flat out change a day, a life, the world. Asics was founded on the belief that the way to create a healthy and happy lifestyle is to promote total health and fitness. These are key messages that we strive to get across to runners on a daily basis in store and online.

Our goal is to bring this campaign to life with the help of Athletics Ireland, Brooks and Asics through informative content and tips as well as providing runners with the right running gear to suit every need. We have over 50 stores across Ireland with excellent running advisers working in each of them, all with the same belief that the runner always comes first. This is something that our partners and the brands that we are working with on Get Ireland Running all have in common.

At Intersport Elverys we know that every runner is different and getting the right footwear is an important process for any runner. We provide unique techniques along with the latest technologies in store to make sure every running shoe meets your needs. Our team will take you through a series of steps to figure out your foot type with the first step always being getting to know you as a runner. The beauty of running is it starts right outside your front door and Get Ireland Running is a celebration of that simple fact.

If you aren’t ready to get involved in club life just yet, then our Get Ireland Running Blog will provide the perfect resource to get you up and running!

We look forward to supporting you on the journey.

There are €10,000 worth of prizes to be won. Enter HERE.

Shop all running goods from footwear, clothing, accessories and tech here at Intersport Elverys!

#allofus

Here at Intersport Elverys we have been working to improve our customers experiences in-store, by revamping our stores across Ireland. We have currently refurbished a variety of our stores across Connacht with a fresh modern look and feel. We are looking forward to continuing our efforts by restoring all our stores nationwide.

Some of the key changes to each store include a black lasting paint finish across all of our fixtures and fittings, black cages for an improved open view of products, updated footwear sections, new wooden flooring, renovated fitting rooms and more. The black theme is to add a modernized feel to the stores as well as complimenting our Intersport Elverys logo. Check out below to see some of the improvements in more detail in stores such as Tuam, Westport, Castlebar, Claremorris, Galway Retail Park and Sligo.

Tuam, Tuam Shopping Centre. 

Our Tuam store which is located in the Tuam Shopping Centre has seen a wide range of renovations, including new wooden flooring, an improved footwear section with an eye catching bright and open shoe wall, with a new Astroturf flooring as well as black leather couches for lounging. The walls in the clothing section have been removed to let the natural sunlight shine through the store.

Westport, Bridge Street.

The Westport location on Bridge Street has also renewed their footwear section, offering a bright and open shoe wall with a vibrant Astroturf flooring and lounge couches for fitting. We have increased our fittings and made several improvements to the store, to really elevate the customer experience of locals and visiting tourists.

Castlebar, Bridge Street. 

The Castlebar store on Bridge Street has a renewed black look all throughout the store as well as new blacked out fixtures and fittings that compliment the store. More renovations include a new active footwear section, with lounge couches in addition to some renewed fittings rooms throughout the store.

Sligo, Johnston Court Shopping Centre. 

Our Sligo store in Johnston Court Shopping Centre has seen similar refreshments to the rest of the Connacht stores, most notably our new Footwear Zone extension on from the shop floor. The store has a well illuminated open floor plan, which adds to the customers shopping experience.

Claremorris, Ballindine Road. 

Our Claremorris store has a new wooden flooring, added fittings to improve view of stock and a bright, open shoe wall with a vibrant Astroturf flooring and lounge couches to add to customers experience. A new black finish look has also been added to the fixtures and fittings across the entire store.

Galway, Headford Road Retail Park.

The Galway Retail Park store on Headford Road has also been treated to a black finish across all fixtures and fittings, high standing cages to increase product capacity, improve view of products and a new footwear and boot section. It also has lounge couches for trying the perfect pair on.

Our goal is to add these renovations and create a modernized look across our Intersport Elverys stores nationwide. If you’re reading this and we haven’t got to your local store yet, we plan to get to it very soon.

Make sure to call in-store and see the changes for yourself or click below to shop our website where we have everything sports, running, training and home gym related. As always, thanks for choosing to shop with Intersport Elverys in-store and online!