Getting Started – Walking Your First Run
It’s always important to stay active and healthy and what better way to do this than going for a run! Starting something new can be intimidating as well as exciting but having support along the journey can really help make a difference. Now is your opportunity to experiment with running and give it a chance to fit it into your life.
Advice from Athletics Aficionado Frank Greally on getting started;
“If you’re new to running there’s nothing worse than slipping on your trainers and setting out at full speed, only to be out of breath and feeling deflated after a few hundred metres. There’s no shame in starting out walking and building up gradually.
One thing to remember when training is that A Little- A Lot will always trump A Lot- A Little. In other words, Hasten Slowly! It’s all about consistency and making the best of your Gift Of Days- each of them- One Day More And One Day Less that you have to celebrate on Planet Earth.”
Walking Your First Run
Whether you’re a feisty first-timer or back after a little break, it’s important to pace yourself. Remember, you’re striving for progress not perfection. So why not walk your first run?
Yes, walking uses the same muscles and joints you use when running, so it’s a pretty sensible place to start. Plus, a decent power walk can still boost your mood and burn calories.
Of course, if you feel like breaking into a jog — or even a run — while you’re walking then go ahead. Just don’t pressure yourself into continuing the run once you get tired. It’s fine to stop and walk again. Regular runners do this all the time — they call it taking an ‘active rest’ in between higher-paced runs.
Why not get started today – Try walking for a few minutes with 30 seconds light jogging intervals built in.
After a few weeks you’ll have built up your baseline fitness. You can then look at progressing to Athletics Ireland beginner 5k training plan.
Advice from Intersport Elverys on getting started;
Our advice would be to get yourself a good pair of running shoes. If it turns out you don’t run that often at least you will have a solid pair for spontaneous runs in the future. There are so many different brands, technologies and pricing options nowadays with running shoes and it can be overwhelming to know which pair to choose. A suggestion from us would be a pair of Brooks this is a brand where running is their primary focus and encourage people to run. Asics are another running brand that have running shoes available for runners at all levels.
Both brands have running shoes to suit all feet types. Before you get your running shoes it would be a good idea to get your feet analysed in your local Intersport Elverys, our running advisors provide unique techniques with the latest technologies to find out what way your feet hit the ground. You want comfort from the get go, especially when your walking. We discuss this footwear and the different types of foot types in more detail in one of our Get Ireland Running blogs here.
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