The Fete Blog

As easy as it is to start running, the key to running happiness is sustaining it– and the key to sustaining a running routine is understanding what you’re doing in the first place. I promise I’m not trying to bore you or give you generic advice like, “Sign up for a race!” (although that’s great too)– but think about it: if you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re going out to run three times a week and just winging it. Will you run for an hour each time? Is that even good for you? Do you know– or care– how many miles you’re running at time? If you’re even considering making running part of your lifestyle (which you should), it’s time to understand it a little bit more.

image by Sean McCormick via Runner’s World

Trick #4: Understand what you’re doing.

There are basically two ways you can track your running– by time or by mileage. For first time runners, I would definitely recommend going by time instead of miles– before you really have a good rhythm, it might take you longer to run a mile and you don’t want to get discouraged early on. When you go out to run, set a timer or wear a watch (you don’t need a fancy, expensive watch unless you just want cool gear or you’re planning on being super serious). See how long you can go! 15 minutes one day is great; next time see if you can go 20. Build up and don’t feel pressure to run for a long time. If you’re new to running, running for a long time could do more harm than good! Working up to 30 minutes at one time (without stopping to walk!) three times a week is exactly the amount of exercise you need to be getting. More than that is a bonus!

If you want to go the mileage route, try to run somewhere that has miles or half miles marked OR drive the route you want to run to see how many miles it ends up being. If you’re choosing to run 3 miles before you walk about the door, stick to it no matter what the watch says. You could run those 3 miles in 21 minutes (7 minute mile pace) or you could run it in 30 minutes (10 minute mile pace)– either way, you get 3 miles in. If you’re choosing to run for miles instead of time, don’t let yourself get discouraged if it takes you longer one day than usual or if you’re running slower than you thought. Getting the miles in is all that matters, not how long it takes you to do it!

Get yourself a cute notebook or save a spot in your planner for keeping track of how much or how long you run. Don’t think of this as a chore or a “to do”– this is a happy, relaxing, fun part of your day, as fitness should be; by keeping track of it, you’re giving yourself a chance to grow and to follow along with that growth. Looking back at what you did three months ago and seeing how much you’ve improved is a huge way to stay motivated and excited about the process.

The other great thing about understanding this whole running thing is being able to talk about it. When you go join in on those group runs, people will ask you “How far are you running? How long are you running?” Once you make the decision to run by time or by miles, it will be easier to find the right people to run with. If you’re running by time and only running 30 minutes at a time, it might not be smart to run with the guys going 6 miles. If you’re running miles and going 5 miles at a time, you probably shouldn’t run with the girls going 30 minutes– you’re going to be running more and faster than that!

Running is fun– but the way to love it is to break it into understandable little bites. Once you know what you’re doing, it’s easier to find community, make goals, and move forward!