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How to start running - A Beginner's Guide

Name: PURSUIT TO SELF
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Growing up I’ve managed a healthy weight and lifestyle. However, in my late 20’s due to the lifestyle choices, I’ve started putting on weights. I had zero movements in my daily life.

Finally, when my life hit rock bottom in 2017, I had a deep realisation that I needed to make serious changes to get my body in a healthy state. Due to severe health conditions, my metabolism was low and motivation to exercise was zero. Diet alone only could do so much. I never liked going to the gym. At that point, I was even ashamed to go to the gym being overweight. I really felt lost and unsure of where to start.

One day, one of my mentors Michael Molloy from Pure Running asked me to give running a try. I responded back to him that I hardly can walk let alone run. He politely smiled at me and said: “ You can always start today and I believe in you. Running is something which you won’t be able to leave once you start enjoying”. I’m indebted to Michael Molloy for introducing me to running and providing all practical tips, tools for the beginner.

3 years later after running almost 7000km, I can say running is my life which initially started as a weight loss and fitness journey.

People who run say that running is so much more than just a physical activity.

The act of running has taught me many valuable life lessons and skills which I’m about to share with you today.

I experience life to the fullest when I’m at the running trails in nature. Nothing seems impossible and more beautiful to experience in life.

If you are losing faith in humanity, go watch a marathon.
Kathrine Switzer

What running means to me?

01 Running is non-Negotiable

Running is one non-negotiable item I have in my daily life. No matter whether it rains, scorching summer heat, cold winter day, I give myself no excuse to miss daily run. It’s one commitment I have to fulfil daily and everything else comes after this.

One may think it’s quite a harsh discipline but I feel confident after reading this post you will understand the reasons.

02 Running is freedom

Running is the freedom to me. Few miles in, I feel as if I’m flying. I transcend to another world where I disconnect with this world to deeply connect with my inner self.

Just a little bit in between each step, just enough to keep wanting it more and more. I find freedom from the daily grind to keep craving it. Running taught me the things that truly matter in life.

03 Learn to Breathe

Running taught me how to breathe deeply. I appreciate the power of every single breath even more between every single step which I used to take unconsciously and often granted in the past.

04 Connect with Nature

I become one with mother nature, universe and all the living force while running. Running showed me how my existence is unique but at the same time one with all living force. It made me humble.

05 Limitless human potential

Running showed me limitless human potential. Our mind and body are much more capable of endurance and pushing beyond our wildest imagination.

Every time I was about to give up thinking I can’t do one more second, my mind and body surprised me what is more capable of achieving.

Running helped me to become curious about my own self and the world surrounding. Each run allowed me to see the world through different lenses that I never knew existed.

06 Runner’s High is real

As much as I was sceptical in the past, I’m here to say that runner’s high is real. It’s a natural drug. Running is an addiction, an obsession.

It is an obsession to experience life to the fullest one run, one race, and one adventure at a time. It’s the obsession to challenge my mind, body in different ways one run at a time.

07 Perseverance & resilience

Running truly helped me to become persevere and resilient in life.

It has taken me places I never could dream of and a journey of self-discovery forcing me to face the deepest parts of myself I never knew existed.

08 friendships & community

I found the deepest connection, friendships and sense of belonging with likeminded people through running. All runners have a story. A story of love, passion, growth, challenge, adversity and above all UNITY.

We as humans are all made equally. We smile, cry, bleed the same way. Pain is a universal language to all of us. There is nothing but the same fire to run burning in each runner’s heart.

09 Experience deep emotions

Running helps me to experience the full spectrum of human emotions deeply. Running has the capacity to move me to tears instantaneously.

Joy, peace, love, passion, happiness, rage, confidence, I’ve felt each emotion that I’ve never experienced before so deeply while running. Running was the key medicine for me to fight with long depression cycle.

10 clarity & creativity

Running helps me to gain clarity, perspectives and creativity in life. There were so many runs when I finished, I gained clarity on what exactly I need to pursue in life, what distractions I need to remove from life.

Some of my best creative project ideas including this blog came while I was running.

Physical Benefits of running

Let’s look at some physical benefits you can expect to receive from running.

Mental Benefits of running

Aside all the physical benefits, running does wonders for overall mental wellbeing.

it's not the distance you must conquer in running. It's YOURSELF..
Michael D'Aulerio

7 easy steps to start running for beginners

STEP 01

Find Your WHY

STEP 02

Invest In Shoes

STEP 03

Walk Before Run

STEP 04

Quality over speed

STEP 05

Take Short Fast Strides

STEP 06

Create Running Experience

STEP 07

Train for a race

STEP 01

Find Your WHY

People who know me know I’m a huge advocate of having a powerful WHY behind any action I take in life. It’s important to have clarity so that when things get hard, you tend to lose motivation you can remind yourself the exact reason why you have started in the beginning.

My powerful WHY was not to experience unbearable physical and mental pain being overweight. I would take the pain of running over the pain of being overweight any day. Giving your run or workouts a purpose is important to keep you on track. Whether it’s to lose weight, finish that first race, or set a personal best time, having a purpose makes them more valuable than running mindlessly. Goals keep you consistent.

Like anything, starting a new habit is hard, especially when it’s one you might dread initially. So treat your running time like you would an important appointment. Running is one non-negotiable thing I have to do daily.

STEP 02

Invest in Shoes

The only item I have invested in the 1st year of running journey is a good pair of shoes. You really only need shoes to start running. Depending on what surface you are planning to run, wearing the wrong running shoes for your feet and running style can lead to injuries and general discomfort while running.

If you’re overweight, the extra weight and pressure on your joints can make you even more vulnerable to injuries, so it’s crucial that you get the right running shoes for you. Once you build momentum and are consistent with your run, you can then buy other essential pieces of gear like a friction-free pair of shorts, performance socks, and sweat-wicking tops etc.

STEP 03

Walk before run

if you haven’t run in your life earlier, don’t aim to become a marathon runner overnight. This is a sure recipe for disaster and creating negative mental conditioning with running. Trying to do too much too soon may lead to injury and burnout. Many people, when they start running for the first time, aren’t able to run more than a few minutes without stopping. This is quite normal.

When I started running more than 3 years ago, I focused on running a set distance every single day. The bushland where I used to go for a run, I used to target one tree which I have to cross each day. The next day I target the next tree further down. Slowly I built the momentum, mileage and speed. It probably took a few weeks to finish my first 1km run without stopping.

If you are a beginner, incorporate walk breaks into your running. Couch to 5K is an awesome app that helped me to get my first 5km and I highly recommend it. Start your run/walk session by warming up with a 10-minute brisk walk to get your heart rate up and blood flowing to the working muscles.

Then run at a slower speed for 1 minute and then walk for 2 minutes. The walk should be an active/power walk, not a complete break. Repeat this cycle for 15 to 20 minutes, and then finish with a 5-minute walk as a cool down.

STEP 04

Quality over Speed

if you are a beginner runner, your task is to build consistency and slowly fall in love with the running experience. The secret formula for love running is to create a balance of pushing your mind, the body just outside of your comfort zone but pull back when it gets too much.

You need to allow your body to get used to the new stresses and strains of running. Many beginner runners start out jogging too fast and pay the price for this mistake within just a few minutes. Frustration, overexertion, pain or even injuries are just some of the consequences. Hence, start running at a moderate pace before you focus on speed.

You should be able to hold a conversation while you are running. Slowing down like this is how people finish half marathons, marathons, and ultramarathons. Some of the advanced runners do the majority of their training miles at this “conversational” pace. As you’re learning to love running, you should too give up the notion that you need to feel winded at the end of each run. Just enjoy the feeling of running this way.

STEP 05

Take short fast strides

As you feel comfortable after a few days of running, try to take about three steps each second (180 per minute — 90 on each foot). That way shortens your stride without running faster so that even though you’re taking more steps, your pace stays the same.

When you focus on increasing stride rate, much of the rest corrects itself. The shorter, quicker strides help prevent injury by forcing you to run gently, with your weight over your feet. Instead of crashing down hard on your heel with your leg way out in front of you with every step. Essentially, this technique forces you to run the way you were designed.

STEP 06

Create Running Experience

The effective way to create any sustainable habit is to fall in love with the process, the journey. Hence it’s essential to create your own experience.

Over the years, I have created my own running experience which motivates me to get out of the door even someday I don’t feel like it or in pain. On the weekend, I love going for 10-15km long runs in the bushland trails. That’s my time to connect with my inner self and mother nature. I get to see a beautiful sunset at the end of the run which is a reward for me.

So create a running experience that is going to pull you to hit the pavement is critical. Listen to your favourite upbeat music playlist or even a podcast or audiobook. Consider trail running, running on a path around a lake or through a park, or running along the beach. Pick a place that inspires you. Craft the experience which you’ll look forward to your time on the roads.

STEP 07

Train for a Race

After a few months into running, I planned to do my first 10km run around Uluru, the land I love the most. So a few months leading up to the run, I really pushed myself, even more, trained long hours to prepare for that run.

I poured my heart and soul to train. I had a laser-sharp focus and the only goal was to get myself complete the last mile of that run. I still remember the moment I finished that run, I was on my knees in tears. It was beyond my wildest dream to be able to complete a 10km run and that too around Uluru.

Running for exercise is one thing. Training for something bigger than one run, something that right now might seem downright impossible, is an entirely different experience.

Consider training for a long-distance run. Don’t focus on how long it takes you to finish but training to run a certain distance can reveal things about you never knew existed inside you.

So once you’ve achieved a basic level of comfort with running, consider signing up for a race and committing to a training plan to get you there would do for your motivation level. If it gives you butterflies just to imagine crossing that finish line, you know you’re onto something extraordinary.

Finally, it’s quite important to surround yourself with likeminded people, friends who can motivate you and keep you accountable on your journey. Through running I’ve fortunate to find a community and friendships of like-minded people where their deep friendships go beyond the running track.

I highly recommend reading “Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds” by David Goggins which had a profound impact on my life and motivates me to go for a run every single time my mind looks for an excuse.