Things You Need To Know If You Want To Be A Runner

Running is more than a resolution for lots of people. It has somehow become a superior identity.

“I want to be a runner!” people say. “Oh she’s a runner,” we say, immediately catapulting someone to another caste entirely. Why exclusively with running, though? Why not “a swimmer?” “a biker?” “a rower?” “a walker?”

I like to run, but didn’t (and don’t) always.

If you’re striving to be “a runner,” wishing you liked it more, or just wanting to do your first 5k this year, this is for you.

4 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Running

1. Running is a sport. And you should treat it like one.

No one treats running like a sport or skill. Instead, we lace up whatever pair of “running shoes” we have at home and just hit the road or treadmill. We would never do this with basketball or tennis or bobsledding or archery. And yet we do it with running, because running is somehow “different,” right?

The truth is, running actually is a learned sport and skill. There’s a whole host of things to manipulate and practice and improve on— cadence, foot strike, posture, arm swing, head position, stride length. And, like most sports, there’s specific gear and equipment that can dramatically boost your performance!

Imagine trying to play softball without a proper glove!

• I recommend getting fitted for a pair of running shoes, first and foremost. Go do a quick little eval at your local running store. It’s interesting and can make a huge difference.

• Watch some YouTube videos or read some articles about running form.

• Join a running club or hire a coach for a couple sessions and ask for form technique and feedback.

For the love of all things fitness, respect the sport of running and stop just thinking because you can run that you also know how to run.

It’s super easy to hate something you don’t actually know how to do, and it’s much easier to love something when you understand it.

2. Running isn’t the only way to get better at running.

🚨This just in: running uses muscles!

Shocking, right?

This means that one way to improve your running— speed, endurance, form or some combination of the three— is to strengthen your muscles! Cross-training with weights (or even biking!) can drastically increase your run performance. Plus it means you can mix it up and do more than just run, run, run.

3. Your runs might suck because you’re hungry.

Most women are under-eating.

They may self-report over-eating, but across the board: women are usually consuming less calories than their bodies need. This means we’re going out for runs and we’re feeling weak and tired 8 minutes in because all we’ve had to eat is

a) nothing

b) a protein bar

or c) 800 calories from a “full day” of eating.

I can’t even get into the full discussion on proper workout fuel or adequate calories for women, but if your runs are sucking, try eating more.

4. You can’t just do the same run over and over again and expect to get faster/gain endurance.

See #1. It’s a sport. Meaning, it takes strategic planning and practice.* I used to be team “3 miles every day and cross my fingers I can magically run 5 miles one day,” too, but then I worked with a running coach while training for a half-marathon, and I learned about tempo runs, speed drills, easy runs, and hard runs.

I learned about diversity of runs, and I ran my fastest half-marathon yet.

(*IF* your goal is to improve! If you just want to get out there and move— get at it, my friend.)

Graphic by the talented Emily Steele! Save for later