We have all different reasons to run. I have seen many different people who took running for health reasons. “I need to lose weight”. “My mental health need a boost”. I need to be healthier”, “I run for my mental health balance”.
My start
I have been running all my life, but took it more seriously in 2002. Personally, I started from 0, during the summer 2001, and said:
” I will run a marathon “.
It can be simply because you like the sport: “I love running”. I have heard often the opposite : “I hate running, I get bored, I need to run behind a ball, ride or use a racket”.
Benefits
Once you start running, it starts to change your body. You get stronger, you loose weight / maintain your weight. Running will increase your endurance. Your muscles are going to build stronger. All the muscles are impacted and your cardiovascular system will be working harder, to strengthen the heart. Naturally your rest heart rate will reduce.
The bones and joints will grow stronger too.
You just need to ensure you use the correct technique and increase progressively to avoid injuries.
The other benefit of sport, is to improve your mood. It leaves some time for yourself to think, and solve everyday life issues.
Starting running is easy. Just pickup your running shoes and a short / t shirt and go.
It is easy for runners with experience, but for a total beginner, the choice of the gear and the correct shoes is important. If you are new, ask your local shop, local athletics club, a friend who has been running. Joining your local athletics club is the easiest way to start.
Once you start exercising, it has some beneficial effects to the body. Your body releases endorphins. These chemicals interact with the receptors of your brain and reduce you perception of pain. Endorphins also bring a positive feeling in the body and improves the mood.
The sport
Athletics is an individual sport, but if you join a club, attend a local Parkrun, run with friends, the social aspect is very important. It will help you to keep motivated to training during the cold winter months, hot summer afternoons. The group will help you to push harder during the training sessions. The races like X-country, track relay, road relays are as well a great way to involve every runner. Every result count for the team and it helps to bring all runners from all level together.
Whatever is the reason, we all have a goal. Most of us want to cross the finish line. It wan be 100 m away, 200 m, 800 m, 1 mile, 5 km, 10 km, 26 miles or further. It is always our own journey to arrive to start line first. An achievement in itself. I have never seen a perfect training plan. There was always a niggle, a missed session, life getting in the middle, an upset stomach, a family commitment, an exam, a work late meeting. But during these months / years of training, we improved our fitness to be on the start line!
After 9.58″, Usain Bolt reached his 100 m finish line, but it takes more time for all of us. (It took me 29 hours to cross the line of the Leadville 100 miles):
Reaching this finish line, is what is pushing us to continue…