I guess if I keep saying "this one is the most important", none of them become so important. But this one really is. No really! One of the things we constantly see with our new runners is this massive "need for speed"! New runners explode out of the gate at a killer pace (relatively speaking). They do the best 1/4 to 1/2 mile of their lives. Then, you know what they do? They walk for the rest of the - ahem - run. They've blown out the tires on the first lap of the race. Yes - we've said it before; the tortise and the hare. But it holds true.
Start out a slow and manageable base. Not only will you be building your base for mileage but you're lowing the likelihood of injury and pain. Moreover, this type of training builds up your cardio capacity - as opposed to taxing your heart and system with quick bursts of energy, you're telling it "hey, we're hanging out for a while now so just get use to it!". And it will.
So keep it slow, keep it low and you'll be amazed at how much further you can go. Wow, all this and poetry too....Here's the official tip
Beginner Running Tip 8 : Low Intensity
Another cause of problems with beginning runners is that they start at a too high intensity. They decide on a certain running route and measure their time on every run. Everything needs to be speed, speed, speed. If you are a starter, you are far better off doing low intensity runs for a number of reasons :
(Too) fast running is much more strenuous on the body. If you go too fast too early you will end up with injuries.
Paradoxically the slower you go in the beginning, the faster you will be in the end. Base building is considered to be single most essential part of your running. This means easy running (the pace where you could maintain conversation).
Eventually you will be able to go longer and further if you do your runs at low intensity.
You will avoid overtraining. If you tell yourself at the end of your running workout ‘I could have gone for a bit longer’ then you have been running at the right pace.
Great post Robert. I have to say, there is no better feeling during a race than hitting that final kick in the last 1/2 mile / mile and knowing you have enough in the tank to finish strong. I have found my most "productive" runs are when I stay disiplined at the start. Its incredibly tough (especially with crowds cheering at the beginning) but will save you a lot of pain at the end!
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