Common running mistakes made by runners

Starting with running can be overwhelming and it can stop beginners taking those first steps. You might ask yourself questions such as “Why am I running out of energy  so quickly? Am I really that unfit?” or “There’s so many different kinds of running shoes out there – do I need to spend a lot of money to start?”

One of the most common mistakes every beginner runner makes is believing that to get better, you need to run fast. Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of beginner runners who have not built up the ability to run at that speed for any length of time, gasping for breath and struggling to carry on. 

 

Running is not a science, but is a skill, and it needs practice. You won’t be able to run at a fast pace for a sustained length of time straight away, so our number one tip is to run slow.  If you find yourself struggling to continue after a short period of running, consider slowing down or scheduling some walking periods in between your runs. (Known as Jeffing) As you build up your endurance, you’ll be able to run for longer distances without adding walks in between the runs. 

 

Simple warm-ups are frequently ignored by runners, but it’s best to take at least a couple of minutes to warm-up in order to decrease your risk of injury and improve your range of motion. The looser your shoulders, hips and calf muscles are, the less likely you are to injure muscles.  A simple warm-up can take two minutes, properly prepare you for a run, and add a little extra onto your workout at the same time. As well as warming up think about walking into your run.

 

If you do not monitor how you get on, and run without a plan, you’re setting yourself up to fail.  Why track your progress? It means you can hit your goals with training runs.  Keeping an eye on your running progress and watching yourself improve is a great way to know if you are hitting your goals, and will help you set new, achievable objectives.  Using Strava is a good way to monitor progress and use the challenges to set monthly goals.  You can always join a club and be competitive if that motivates you along with syncing your wearable device.

 

Like a car, your body needs fuel to run efficiently, so start hydrating before you exercise, and ensure you rehydrate properly afterwards.  Taking a light bit of food is advisable if you are doing long runs but keep it light.