These have been difficult months for us runners, we know. First we were (rightly) stopped by the lockdown and then the vacations slowed us down a bit. For those who made them, of course.
Now, however, we are in the middle of September, the school year has begun, offices have begun to be populated again-although telecommuting continues to play an important role for many-and it is time to get serious. As apt as this phrase may be when talking about running. But this talk also applies if you are coming from a period of inactivity related to injury, laziness, revelry or whatever.
The goal of all of us is to feel good, have fun and, last but not least, continuously improve. It is therefore the right time to get back on track. Figuratively speaking, but also literally.
Here then comes Uncle Big (I get a kick out of talking about myself in the third person, it’s not a delusion of omnipotence, I assure you) with 5 tips on how to get a quick start on getting things right again.
1. Health first and foremost
Whether it is your first time running or you are a seasoned runner you always start by checking your health condition. And it matters little that there are no competitions ahead: the medical certificate is not just for that. Its purpose is primarily to confirm that we are fit to run.
2. Find out where you need to start
We talked about this a few days ago, and here you can find a range of
Tests you can take to find out what your fitness status is
. This is really your starting point: to understand what condition you are in so that you can calibrate your training for the coming weeks and months.
It doesn’t matter if you can’t do the same times as before, that’s a thought that really doesn’t concern us because we have to look only at the here and now. And we come to the next point.
3. Be patient and don’t get discouraged!
Running is something we build day by day, and as absurd as it sounds, patience is the only tool we have at our disposal to improve quickly.
Overzealousness, the bulimic hunger for performance, generally brings the opposite result than one might expect.
Indeed, worse, in some cases the excessive workload can lead toward injury.
Besides, the beauty is really in the journey, isn’t it? How much more enjoyable is a commute where you savor the changing landscape than a transfer where you arrive from one place to another without realizing it?
So be patient, enjoy the small improvements you will make from week to week, and don’t get obsessed with all and sundry.
4. Buzzwords: organization and discipline
I know, the watchword is usually one but, in this case, both are part of the same process, the same context.
First of all, you have to organize yourself in the right way. And that’s exactly why we’re talking about it now that the daily routine should be regularized.
First, we need to figure out when we have a free time to exercise-morning, lunch break or evening-and start planning.
Tip: If you never seem to have time, I invite you to play a game. Access your smartphone usage statistics and see how much time you spend on social media in a week. In many cases, with that time, we could even prepare for an Ironman! ;)
Once the time is organized, discipline comes into play: the willpower that will allow us to stick to the organization we have given ourselves.
5. Give yourself goals and…
Getting started is like going on a journey, but you decide the destination by giving yourself goals. It doesn’t have to be a competition; on the contrary: mental training is also about giving yourself a purpose without being constrained by events.
The goal I recommend is both distance and time. For example, you might want to get to running 10 km in 45 minutes, or a half marathon in 1 hour 45. The important thing is that they are sufficiently challenging but never unattainable.
You will tackle the course from day to day, never forgetting the indispensable component that makes us lace up our running shoes: fun.
And don’t think this is the end of it: we’ll be back in a few days for technical advice! ;)
Main image credits: nd3000/depositphotos.com