Running may not require fancy gear or specific topography, but its simplicity cannot mask the fact that it is a high impact sport. And as with any sport–high impact or not–there are things a novice needs to watch out for. Presenting five of the most common pitfalls for the newbie runner:
Doing Too Much, Too Soon
Far and away the most common mistake for runners just starting out is to go from doing nothing to relatively high-volume training in a short period of time. Even if you have perfect form, running will always be a high impact activity.
If you don’t give your body ample time to adjust to your morning six miler, you’re begging for a stress fracture.
Choosing Kicks By Looks
- Take the time to figure out what works for you
- Try out three or four different shoe manufacturers to see if they fit the width of your foot, the height, and the length of your toes
Ignoring Your Body
- Prioritize a pre-set schedule over how you feel on a specific day
- There will be days when you’re dinged-up and where running the hard workout dictated by your 10K plan will do more harm than good
- A general rule of thumb: slight fatigue/soreness is okay, pain/tightness is not
Doing the Same Run, Every Time
- While better than doing nothing at all, doing the same thing every day will not help you build fitness over time
- Alter your path, as well as your pace, to varying your training to build endurance and anaerobic capacity
Running Easy Runs Too Fast
Beginners often go too fast on long runs, but not fast enough to be getting the benefits of a hard workout
Every workout serves a specific, targeted purpose
If you look at really good athletes, or elites, their recovery runs are really recovery and they’re going pretty easy
