Heyhey
lovelies!
Yesterday
I finished the 27th and last episode of my ‘Start to Run’ podcast. I
have now been running for 9 weeks, three times a week, and I can run for 30
minutes (5 km) without stopping. Since the only exercise I have had the last
two years was taking my bike to go to school, this really feels like an
accomplishment. I felt so inspired yesterday that I thought I’d share my
running experiences with you and give some tips for those of you who also want
to start living a healthier lifestyle.
I
started running 9 weeks ago just because I felt like I wasn’t exercising
enough. I have never been overweight (I am 1m72 or 5 feet and 7 inches, and
always weighed about 60 kg or 132 pounds) so losing weight was never my motive,
but when I stepped on the scale last week after a year of not weighing myself,
I noticed that I now only weigh 55 kg or 121 pounds. Although it wasn’t my intention to lose weight, this was of course a nice benefit from the running and
my new habit of eating healthier. I also notice a lot of changes to my body.
Not so much in terms of appearance, but definitely in terms of condition. My
body has become addicted to the running. I run three times a week, and when I
don’t run for 2 days I feel my body becoming ‘impatient’. It needs the running
and the exercise. Since I also started eating healthier I noticed that my body doesn’t react as well to greasy food as it used to. I
get nauseous a lot easier after a night of greasy eating so it’s almost like my
body rejects the greasy food.
While
I’m still not the best or fastest runner there is I think I can now call myself
an experienced runner and I am very happy with that and the results I got from
it. I feel better in my skin and body and have an overall healthier lifestyle.
If you’re thinking about starting to exercise yourself, I have listed some tips
for you below.
Disclaimer: I am not a personal trainer, fitness
instructor or professional athlete. All these tips are based on my own
experiences and do not guarantee success.
o
Find a good podcast or program to
follow. No one can just start exercising without help.
Podcasts are a cheap alternative to a personal trainer, most of them are even completely free. These programs are created for beginners by professional
trainers and are therefore perfect to start with. You’ll find it a lot easier
to get yourself to go outside and train when you have someone to help you,
whether that person is running next to you or is only there on your iPod. Dutch
speakers can download the Start to Run podcast with Evy Gruyaert, English
speakers will find all the information they need on http://www.start-to-run.com .
o
Find a good running area or route. Running is perfect to clear your
head, but when you’re running in the middle of the city and you have to stop
for cars and other obstacles you will not get the best out of your exercise. I
prefer running in a park or on a path with lots of green around me and most of
all: without any cars. It’s just a lot more enjoyable and comfortable to run in
a peaceful and quiet area.
o
Invest in some quality running gear. Good running shoes are important
to avoid injuries. You’ll also find it a lot more comfortable to run wearing a
sports bra and clothes that repel rain and have ‘odor control’. It’s easy to
just put on some shorts and a top when you go training, but most ‘regular’
clothes are made out of cotton and that fabric sucks up sweat like a sponge.
You’ll instantly feel wet and discomforted. I personally also advise to buy an
armband to put your phone or Ipod in. It’s a lot easier to wear a device around
your arm than holding it in your hand or putting it in your pocket.
Running gear I advise
beginning runners to get:
§ Quality
running shoes
§ A sports
bra
§ A pair of
running leggings
§ A running
top
§ A running
hoodie (for colder days)
§ A running
jacket (for rainy and windy days)
§ An armband
for a phone or Ipod
All my running
clothes are by the brand Kalenji and I am very pleased with them, but there are
a lot of other awesome sports brands with good running clothes and most of them are
not as expensive as you may think.
o
Treat your
body well. You’ll notice that your body will evolve a lot faster
if you eat healthier. Find some recipes with ingredients you like and learn
about calories, carbs and fat. I am not at all a health junkie myself but I do
try to eat as ‘clean’ as possible. However, not a day goes by that I don’t eat
a cookie or a piece of chocolate. But don’t forget that that is a good thing:
you should treat yourself for the efforts you make. And not a lot of people are
able to cut out all the sugar out of their lives, that’s just almost
impossible.
o
Persevere.
There will be bad days, days you feel like you can’t possibly get
yourself to go outside for a run, but the only way to achieve something is to
work for it. Running in the rain may seem horrible, but if you wear the right
clothing it’s actually not that bad. Also, try to keep up with the program you
follow. You’ll have days where you just want to stop the exercise before it’s
finished, but again: perseverance is key. I noticed that it helps me a lot if I
repeat a mantra in my head. I usually go with something simple like ‘I can do
this’ or ‘this is nothing’ and it helps me a great deal when I feel like
quitting.
There ya go, those are my tips for people that want to
start running! I hope they help, make sure to let me know if you use these tips
in your exercise and I wish you all a very nice day!
Happy running!
Lots of love,
LFR
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