How to start running? The school of running according to Marcin Swierc

If you’re considering running, it’s a good idea to first get your head on straight and understand a few basic things. Why do we run? How much? What do we wear? How do we run? Do we simply run? And most importantly: what should we get out of it?

It’s possible that once more you are thinking about it, changing something in your life. Coming back home you pass some men who are panting and out of breath, or some women in light sportswear, and think: that would be fun, but where to they find the strength and the time for it? Then you spend the next 40 minutes scrolling through Facebook or spend another evening watching movies to reset your mind after a stressful workday. Or maybe, if you’re ambitious, you go on your way, running for two hours, and then spend the next week complaining about muscle and joint pains, and you change your mind. Meanwhile, my friend, starting with any sport disciple is just simply not clone this way.

First rule: MOTIVATION
In order to run, you must want to run. End of discussion. Look inside yourself and contemplate: why do you really want to start running? Maybe you want to Jose weight or have more energy? Do you want to ensure your health? Do you want to challenge yourself and finish a marathon? Do you think about being more attractive or enduring? Every goal that motivates us to engage in regular physical activity is fine. When the weather is bad, or we just don’t want to do it, its good to remind ourselves: hey, I really want to do this, and another hour in front of the TV won’t help me with it.

Second rule: REALISTIC GOALS
When you know why you want to run, it’s good to think about what our current physical ability level is and assign ourselves a realistic goal. Your last physical education class was at least ten years ago? Then for starters run a short distance. If you are involved in other sports, maybe you can handle a bit further a distance. It all depends on your actual physical fitness level whether you start with 2.5 or I 0km. Don’t overdo it because you’ll give up quickly. Little goals are easier to reach. It’s also an idea to consider how often you plan on going running. For one individual doing it weekly will already be over the top, for another 3-4 times a week will be great. A highly motivated individual can even pull 5-6 times a week. All that matters is that it fits with your schedule and doesn’t cause you too much stress in fitting it into your routine.

Third rule: GOOD SHOES
Shoes are the most important element of your outfit as a runner. They must be suited to the terrain. The wrong shoes on a hard sidewalk will quickly bring you to injuring your joints and potentially cause you an unnecessary concussion. Do you want to run off-road? Choose shoes with the right kind of sole; one that will be able to grip the ground regardless of if it’s slick, wet, or going up-hill. If you go to a specialized stare for runners, they will help you pick the right shoes for the job. This way you take care of your comfort and safety during physical training. A decent set of sportswear you can pick up at just abo ut any retailer, including a supermarket. A running watch is a great gadget to have, but for a start, it’s not needed.

„Sure, running should take
effort, but it shouldn’t be
torture. Therefore, above all
else, enjoy any physical activity
you undertake. Movement
should generate an avalanche
of joy and allow you to
have fun.”

Fourth rule: DOUBLETIME MARCH
Dressed right, wearing running shoes, you run down the stairs and barely make it to the sidewalk, starting from a full-on sprint to try to beat everyone else. Does that sound like a good idea? Unfortunately, that’s not how things work. The muscles need to warm up, and the body needs to prepare for the extra exertion. Therefore, we start our training with a double-time march run: I-minute running, I-minute fast walking, 2 minutes running, 2 minutes fast walking, 3 minutes running, 2 minutes fast walking. Over time we ex-tend the overall running time and shorten the timeframe of the speed-walk until we can manage running 30-40 minutes without pausing.

Fifth rule: WARMUP EXERCISES
While running, the whole body is in fact working. Though, to run adequately, the muscles must be in harmony. That is why we must remember about warmup exercises such as stornach exercises and working out the back muscles (push-ups, crunchies, pullups), weight lifting and fitness exercise. They will strengthen our muscles and stabilize the core. If we decide to do this once or twice a week, our agility will improve, and we will avoid concussions.

Sixth rule: HAVE FUN
Life is too short to do something that we do not enjoy. Look at little kids – climbing trees, balancing on ladders, biking, dancing, doing crazy things on a sled – all of it causes them to enjoy life. Sure, running should take effort, but it shouldn’t be torture. Therefore, above all else, enjoy any physical activity you undertake. Movement should generate an avalanche of joy and allow you to have fun.