Now I'll start with a disclaimer, I am not what I'd call 'a runner'. I am no expert and the advice you're about to read is coming from somebody who would have walked on a bed of nails to get out of running at school. I do think this gives me a pretty good understanding of how difficult it is to start running and how intimidating it can be in those first few weeks.
When I was at uni I needed a way to exercise and clear my mind. I tried pilates and yoga helped a lot but it became clear that I needed to get out of my tiny student room and breathe in some fresh air.
I can't lie, I contemplated running in disguise in case I bumped in to people I knew but I decided to settle on a pair of sunglasses and a quick slap of my favourite bold lippie. Next, I took my trusty ancient iPod and made a running playlist. I kept my expectations fairly low and picked less than 20 minutes worth of songs. I went for something slow but encouraging to start with, some major girl power songs with a good beat in the middle (think Single Ladies by Bey and Kellis' Milkshake) and a celebratory anthem for the home stretch (Queen's We are the Champions).
For my first few runs I would power walk through each verse and jog the chorus. When you're very out of practise putting little pressure on yourself keeps you encouraged and running in intervals is great for the heart. Once I found this less challenging I'd run for a chorus and verse then power walk the next verse and repeat. Before I knew it I was running through entire songs and then my entire playlist.
Last year I got pretty lazy with my running. There was always some sort of excuse. You know the usual, too tired, too cold, too much rain, blah! So to challenge myself I signed up to a race for life. It was only 5K but I used the same method with my playlists and was super proud that I managed to successfully complete a race in a more than decent time.
If you're taking up running this January I wish you the best of luck. I'm putting on my running shoes again after a 6 week break so maybe I'll take on a 10k this year - who knows!
ox Lucy
