You’ll probably have noticed, but the UK’s offering of races has exploded in the last few years; road races, trail races, 5k, 10k, half marathons, marathons, 10 miles, with obstacles, with swimming and/or cycling. You can race in the height and summer and the depths of winter, for a distance of your choosing virtually anywhere in the country. Having recently taken part in the 10k London Winter Run, I know that it can all seem a bit scary if you’ve not done one before. I went into it with a niggling injury that had meant I hadn’t been able to do much training, and had never actually managed to run 10k before that point. But none of that should ever stop you giving it a go.
The vast popularity has driven this increase, so if you haven’t got involved yet, why not? Here, I’m going to debunk some popular reasons and myths why inexperienced runners might shy away from taking part in races:
I can’t run very far – When I first started running, keeping moving for two minutes was a genuine challenge. There are a number of training schedules, apps and podcasts around that can help you gradually increase your running distance and duration. I would personally recommend the Podrunner: Intervals – First Day to 5k, which gets you running 5k in 30 minutes in 10 weeks. The first episode sees you running for a minute, then walking for a minute before slowly building it up, so long as you can commit to sticking at it for three times a week. There’s a specially-made soundtrack to keep you at the right tempo, and ‘DJ Steveboy’ is quite a friendly presence. To get up to 10k, the Nike+ app’s coaching facility is a great one.
I’m intimidated by the ‘fast people’ – Why? Because they have expensive kit and keep bragging about their PB? For one thing, you’ll probably barely come into contact with these pounding beasts, as a lot of races will ask what your target time will be so as to let the fast guys go off first, keeping you with people of the same ability. There will always be people faster than you, and there will always be people slower than you – a few of them will probably be battling with ill-advised fancy dress choices – and they’ll all be concentrating way more on trying to keep breathing and ignoring their aches and pains than one how fast you’re going.
It seems like a miserable experience – Granted, most of these races will involve getting up early at the weekend. You’ll have to drag yourself out several times when you’d rather sit on the sofa in order to train for it – but this is much better than getting there totally unprepared on the day and having to walk your way around. You may begin a new relationship with blister plasters and knee supports. You’ll also have to pay and possibly try to fundraise for this experience. But, when you cross that finish line, knowing you’ve reached this goal, and it will all be worth it. It sounds like a sickly cliché, but it’s honestly true. Plus, completing a morning run is a legitimate reason for pre-lunchtime alcohol.
I don’t know what to start with – The main thing this depends on is the amount of training time you have at your disposal, so don’t go signing up for a half marathon that’s taking place in three weeks’ time. Next, location. It’s worth looking into routes before signing up – firstly, it’s a lot easier to keep going when you have some nice scenery to look at, plus hilly terrain might be another factor you want to avoid, if you can.
And if you’re at all put off by the recent BBC story reporting on research that found too much jogging can be bad for you, don’t be. You’d need to be running at more than 7mph – a pace where you’d finish the marathon in well under four hours – for more than two and a half hours a week (therefore running nearly 19 miles a week). For the average runner, that’s not something you’ll have to worry about – so lace up your trainers already.
You might even get a medal…
Take The Lunge 