It’s time you heard the truth about running. There are a lot of lies floating around out there and I’m here to stop them! Alright, they probably aren’t lies exactly, more like misconceptions, myths, falsehoods…anyway allow me to break it down.
I’ve seen a lot of self doubt and negative self talk out there recently, I’m even guilty of it, and so while I’ve talked about some of these before I thought it was important to reiterate and compile some things here for anyone who is feeling unmotivated or scared to start.
Faster is better
Maybe the number one myth out there about running is that pace is the only measure of success. I wrote a little post about pacing here but I’ll keep repeating this as long as it takes. Stop. Apologizing. For. Your. Pace. There’s just no reason to, you’re a damn rockstar!
Pace matters for a number of reasons. It’s a good measure of improvement and overall fitness, but not one of those reasons should be tied to your self esteem. Faster doesn’t necessarily mean you’re more fit or a “better” runner. What matters is that you start somewhere, and if you aren’t happy with that pace, you work to improve.
Running more is always better
You can’t expect to improve much just running once a week for sure. However running hard every day won’t do you much good either. Life is about balance and your body needs easy days and rest days just as much as the hard stuff. Start out with 2-3 days of running and increase based on how you feel. If you’re tired, take a rest!
Of course the important thing here is learning to know whether you’re tired or just unmotivated. Some days I know my body needs a break and I take it. Other days I know I’m feeling blah mentally and I don’t want to run, but I get up and go and feel better afterwards.
It only hard for beginners
I’m a distance runner. I can run for hours at a time, and I relish the days when I “only” have to run a couple of miles. That doesn’t mean some days 3 miles aren’t really hard. Some days I feel like I’ve just started, like my body has forgotten how to run. I get side stitches, my legs hurt, I get winded…you name it and it happens. To EVERYONE. If you ask professional runners I bet they can recall a time recently when they had a crappy run.
I don’t say this to discourage you. Quite the opposite, but the truth is running is hard. It’s also awesome and if you keep going eventually the good runs outweigh the bad and then one day you’ll have a GREAT run. I also want you to know that if you’re struggling it’s ok. If a kid that couldn’t finish the mile in high school gym can learn to love marathons, then you can learn to like a mile or two. (In case it wasn’t clear…that kid was me, but I think you got it)
You have to race
Not all runners love racing. Some have never once signed up for one. Some make it their mission to dominate the 5k while others want to see how far they can go. I love races, so I’ll talk a lot about them here, but it doesn’t make you any less of a runner if you prefer to run through the neighborhood and that’s that.
I also want to be clear that “racing” doesn’t have to mean competing with anyone other than yourself. When I sign up for a marathon, for example, I know I will not win. I won’t even come in close to the top of the pack. I don’t care at all because I will still get that medal and I will still know I accomplished something amazing. Bonus if I beat my own best time, but that doesn’t always happen either. The feeling of accomplishment and the rush of the crowds is all I need.
Carb Loading
I have a love-love relationship with carbs. I love to eat them and I love to burn them. A lot of people say that runners can eat what they want because they will just burn it off, but that’s really not true. Another truth about running is that many people over estimate how much food they need.
Yes, you need carbs for running. They are your fuel. What you don’t need is a pound of pasta before a race, unless you want cramping and other lovely digestive issues. Everyone is different, but my general guidance is you also don’t need it the night before a race. I KNOW! You actually want to start carb loading two to three days before a race and keep your pre race meals light and low on the fatty food scale. Also sorry but…you don’t need to carb load for a 5k. You can, I won’t stop you, but you don’t need to.
You can’t train on a treadmill
Many runners, myself included, hate the treadmill. Mostly it’s for a pretty simple reason: boredom. When I run outside, I can take in the scenery, see people, even get lost in my thoughts out in the open. On the treadmill, I can only seem to look at my feet, my sweaty reflection in the monitor, etc. I’m not into listening to music or anything while I run and I just get bored.
If you are someone who can listen to music, podcasts, watch tv, or just don’t mind running on a treadmill, then go for it! I’d caution you that if you are training for a distance race and never run outside, you might have a harder time on race day. The road or the trail is really different than the flat treadmill.
Otherwise, if you don’t live somewhere outdoor running is an option, or just not your jam, don’t sweat it. Pun intended.
Walk breaks don’t count
Bananas! There’s a thing I love to say to all my runner friends who are training for events and struggling with miles, speed, what have you. It’s all about time on your feet. I think I may have stolen this from Jeff Galloway, but I can’t really remember. The point is that sometimes when you’re out for a run you need a reset and you have to walk. It’s totally ok!
I don’t think there’s been a marathon yet where I haven’t walked for a minute or two to reset my brain. I say my brain, because mostly for me it’s a mental block that tells me I’m not going to make it. There could be other reasons for you, maybe you pushed too hard in the beginning and need to rest a minute. If anyone judges you for that they’ve never worked hard.
If you take nothing else away from this, just remember that judging yourself based on someone else’s performance will only steal your joy. The truth about running and the beautiful thing about it is that you can create your own path.
