5 Ways to Kickstart a Running Practice

Ah, running!

I used to loathe it, and now trail running is one of my favorite things.

Friends ask me all the time, how did you get started? How did you train yourself and stick with it?

Here are 5 simple things I did that made a huge difference in my running game.

How to Start and Build a Running Practice

1. Find a trail near your house. Where’s the closest path you can run on? Get out the door, no excuses, and just go for 20-30 minutes ;) Figure out your path of least resistance— maybe part of it is setting out your gear the night before and filling up your water bottle. What small conveniences can you set up for yourself so that you are less likely to resist going?

2. Get a good pair of shoes. Pretty early on I discovered that if I was going to be logging miles consistently, I needed to support my feet. It’s a bit of an investment but I highly recommend getting a good pair of running shoes that you feel stoked to wear. Fun colors don’t hurt either!!

3. Figure out why you’re doing this—make it about something bigger than you. What does running do for you? What’s behind the general motivation to get in shape, increase your cardio, or transform your physical body? There are so many mental, emotional and spiritual benefits to running. Tap into your own guidance and discover what running is about for you. And note, this is an evolving practice… I’m constantly learning there are new “why’s” for my running.

4. What makes the experience enjoyable for you? Do that. If you like to run/walk, by all means. If you like to run based on music, go for it. If you track your mileage (or don’t), beautiful. Find a system that works for you and do your best to ignore what everyone else is doing, at least for the time being. Create an experience that you love and you’re more likely to show up for it.

5. Stretch and hydrate. I cannot emphasize these enough. Stretch more than you think you need to, and hydrate more, too. Electrolytes are your friend. Foam rollers are your friend. Nutrition is of course a huge piece and could be a whole other post… just know that what you’re doing behind the scenes is going to make a BIG difference in how you feel when you’re out for your runs. Set yourself up for success before and after (warmups, cooldowns, drinking plenty of water) and then you can feel great during the run.