The journey of a runner

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Are you one of those who watched the thousands of runners who were on the road from Newcastle to South Shields on Sunday to change their own life or the life of someone else? Are you inspired to join them?

The first thing you need to establish is why you want to do it and what is your ambition? Are you aiming to lose a few pounds or complete a run for charity perhaps? How realistic is your goal? Do you want something that's a dead cert or do you aim for the stars and feel excited about the journey you will take to get there, whether you get there or not? Or maybe it's not excitement but nerves that you are feeling?

Complete beginners can often feel uncertain about whether or not they can do this running thing. If you are a beginnner you may be asking yourself:

How far can I run now?

How long will it take me to be able to run continuously for one mile/ two miles/ three miles?

How long will it take before the scales tell me I'm slimming down?

What have I let myself in to??!

You may find that you start off enthusiastically but doubts may creep in once your running gets underway. You may find that you can only run a short distance before having to stop and catch your breath, or that your body aches the day after your run, or that your motivation disappears when it's raining outside and you've had a busy day at work or when your non-running friends ask you to go out with them instead of going for a run or getting some rest before a run the next day. When this happens you may find yourelf questioning your goals again and asking yourself "Can I really do this? Maybe I'm just not a runner"

Many beginners stop and start a few times before they really get going. At first you will feel like a stranger in the world of running and may feel that you don't belong there but you will make progress and, as you do, you will feel more relaxed with your new image and lifestyle. 

Once you have made running part of your lifestyle and routine you will notice the physical changes, muscle tone, more energy and feel-good endorphins to name just a few. These rewards will make you want to keep going. You will become known as a runner to anyone who knows you.

So where do you go from here? You may have started with the aim of completing a race but if you didn't it is probably a good place to start. To get you on your way there you could consider your local parkrun. These are timed 5k runs. There are no numbers to pin on your t-shirt and no prizes for the winners. They attract runners of all abilities who want to benchmark their progress. parkrun can build confidence and make you realise that you can enter an event and enjoy the experience of running in an organised race. You may even start to feel competitive as you notice other runners around the same pace as you and you try to finish in front in the next parkrun or event!

Although some are more competitive than others, there's probably a competitive streak in everyone. Your competitive urge can help to keep you focused on your running. You will realise that you need to do the training to stay up with those who are around you and you will need to train a little harder to get in front of them. You will also realise that they are doing the same thing and so the motivation becomes even greater. At this rate you may find yourself in the prizes and once you do that you can call yourself an athlete, not just a runner! I heard on the radio today that the word athlete comes from the Latin athleta, which means to compete for a prize!

Of course you don't need to do any of this on your own. There is help, support, inspiration, encouragement, company and friendship out there for you in your local Run England or jogscotland group. You can have some running friends who will understand and support your aims! We also have a great resource just a click away. Our training site is full of advice and guidance and you can use the Training Wizard to help you on your way to your target.

Keep on running!