From zero to runner
By Amy
4 months ago, I couldn’t run for 5 minutes and hated the idea of running. Now I can go for a 5k run and enjoy it.
What happened here?
I discovered how to run. It turns out a lot of us try to run too fast. We end up burning out before our bodies warm up. The key to enjoy running is to be kind to yourself and use an easy effort.
The motivation
I didn’t decide to run to torture myself. I signed up for a Muay Thai fight, because I enjoy learning the art. Then it turns out you have to add running to your training, so you don’t gas out in the competition. I got scared of running out of breath, so I started running.
Fortunately, one of my fighter friends recommended the guided runs on the Nike Run Club app. It was incredibly helpful.
The journey
When I tried the first guided run, I was quite scared and reluctant. I have an itchy skin problem when I run or walk (it’s called Runner’s itch), which makes me dread running. It took some courage and determination to start the first run. The audio guide was very encouraging and kept telling me to go slower. So I felt justified to “run” so slowly I felt like a very old person. It was more like a walk pretending to be a run. I was happy and surprised when I completed the first run.
Since I still had a few months before my fight, I tried to ease into the running training. I ran sporadically, averaging to a couple times a week for the next 2 months. After I completed the series of the intro runs. I was amazed to find that I could run for half an hour, as long as I start slowly and run easily. Toward the very end of the run, I’d feel like my body got comfortable with the act of running. On the app, it generally looks like I start very very slow, then slowly speed up as the run goes on.
Around a couple months in, I finally reached the point where I thought wow this feels like actual running! At that point, it’d still take me about 25 mins to get into the warmed up state.
Then I started running more regularly as the fight approached. I still ran easy. Almost all my runs were easy recovery runs, which in-theory promotes muscle recovery by improving blood circulation. This was mostly because the training for the fight was so intense, I couldn’t do any hard running on top of it. I thought with such a relaxed effort, I’d only maintain the cardio fitness, but I was getting faster over time! I felt much more in control of my breathing at training too!
At the end of the fight camp training, I felt like a runner 😄 I could run for an hour and feel good afterwards!
When I’m running frequently, I would get into the warmed-up state in a few minutes. I think maybe fitness in running relates to how long it takes for our bodies to get comfortable with running. At the very start, since we aren’t used to running at all, it might take the whole run and still not be warmed-up. We just need to be patient and not be too hard on ourselves.
I started to enjoy running too. I learned to run slowly enough to feel relaxed. A nice run starts to feel like a massage to my body. Going to places on my own two feet feels free. As I progress, I’ll probably mix things up and push myself when I feel like it.
A note on Runner’s itch
I still have the itchy problem sometimes, but it’s mostly under control. I tried to take notes and experiment with different solutions. It seems to be related to the temperature and humidity. I also only get it from running and walking, but not when I’m covered with sweat in Muay Thai training. So far my most reliable solution is as follows:
- Make sure my legs are warm before I go out to run. When it’s too cold, I stand next to the heater and do a oil massage on my legs. (Yeah, it’s quite nice..)
- Use Thai boxing oil. The oil is used in Muay Thai to warm your muscles up before exercising or fighting. Olive oil also helps too, but it doesn’t have the warming effect.
- When it’s cold or windy, wear an extra layer of leggings/thermal pants.
- Switch to walking or just go home if it gets too itchy. I’ve never managed to push through it, it only gets worse. Don’t listen when people tell you it’s because you are too unfit.
- Antihistamine helps but it makes me feel low in energy and sleepy. It might work for you.
A proud record 🙂