How to Get Started without Crying: Ask Coach Jenny

Tweet I am from South Africa and I'm having trouble getting started. I tried walking at first and after a few days of walking, I started picking up the pace and found that my feet, ankles and shins get stiff. I have to stop frequently. This is making me quite negative towards the sport. Are these just starting-out pains or am I doing something wrong? Thank you–Alex

Hi Alex!  It's great to hear from runners in South Africa (love the web world)! I can relate to your struggles. When I started to run, I kept making the same mistake over and over again. That is, I went out and ran as far as I could and it always ended up with me crying, saying a few colorful words (not my best moments in life) and tossing my shoes in the closet until I tried it again some time later.

What finally helped me break through was in learning to start from where I was (which at the time was 35 pounds overweight and out of shape) and progressing gradually from there. That meant walking for 15 minutes most days of the week. The missing link was in being able to finish a workout and still feel like I could go a little farther, and with a sense of accomplishment rather than defeat. When I did that, it left me wanting more and eventually that turned into a nice momentum of movement.

I built up to walking 30 minutes which led to being able to sprinkle in running intervals (30-60 seconds at first) every three to four minutes of walking. For example, I'd warm up walking five minutes, then run until I could hear my breath (about 45 seconds at that time) and then walk until I caught my breath (three to four minutes). I repeated this for 20 minutes and then finished with walking five minutes to cool down. I repeated this for two weeks and kept the total distance to no more than 30 minutes.

Over time my body adapted and so did my mind. Although my body could have adapted to a more rigorous program, my mind gradually made friends with running. I actually starting enjoying running because it didn't hurt. This joy lead to toeing the line of my first 5-K, which changed my life forever.

The key to getting started is to pack a lot of patience. It takes time to progress and the more fun you have with it, the more you'll want to do it again. I'm not suggesting that you need to walk 15 minutes, but I am recommending starting out with a more pleasant workout regimen. That could mean walking first or running with walking intervals. Either way, start from where you are now.

Thanks for posting your question.  I'm sure there are readers that can shed light on what helped them learn to run.

Happy Trails.

Ask Coach Jenny

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This is a good read for those who would like to start running, and for those who are about to come back from a layoff (like me!).