How To || Tips and Tricks for Beginner Runners.

I share a lot about myself on here, but one thing you may not know about me is that I am very dedicated to a healthy lifestyle! So today I thought I would share with you some of the things that I do when I run, to hopefully help some of you out! I'm also trying to make my blog a better quality, so let me know if you enjoy the editing on these pictures!

10 Tips for becoming an AWESOME runner!:

1. Preparation: If you plan on running in the morning, set out all your clothes the night before. This way, you don't have to waste time in the morning, and it will motivate you to get up and go knowing that your awesome running clothes are waiting for you!

2. Running clothes: You don't need the newest fandangled running clothes to start running (I got my running jacket and sports bra for my birthday and I am very thankful!) But what I would suggest is getting yourself a good pair of running shoes. The ones I used to have gave me a massive blister every time and that made me not want to run!

I would also recommend wearing something bright and colourful. That way cars will be able to see you even on an overcast day. Plus, who doesn't want to look fantastic!

3. What to wear: The picture above is what I wear on my runs in the middle of winter (I live in Australia so it doesn't get tooooo cold). In summer I would normally just wear some running shorts and a t-shirt over my sports bra. But the trick to not over or under dress is to pretend that the temperature is 10 degrees celsius higher than it actually is. You want to feel a bit chilly before you start running because if you're rugged up warm then you're probably going to overheat!

4. Music: Download some pump-up music onto your iPod so you're all set for the morning, and make sure it's charged too! There's nothing worse than your ipod switching off partway through a run. My current favourite pump up song is Check Yes Juliet I swear it's impossible to listen to that song and not want to run forever!

5. Route: Make sure you know where you're going to run before you start. I enjoy using the website MapMyRun  because you can create your own routes and it will tell you how far each one is, so you can tailor it to suit your needs!

6. Setting your pace: Now don't worry if you can't even run 100 metres without needing to stop for a break. We all start somewhere! What I would recommend for the very beginner is to pick points along your run. For example, when I first started I would run between power poles. I would run from one to the next and then walk to the next one, then run to the next one and so on until I was finished! This is an awesome way to start to run and it gets your heartrate up!

7. Quality is better than quantity: You don't need to go on 2 hour runs, all you need to do is work hard! A half hour where you run and walk and few times is much better than a whole hour where you walk half your route!

8. You are your own competition: Don't judge yourself based on what others can do! This is the worst thing you could possible do and it leads to people getting discouraged and giving up altogether! What I like to do is time my runs, then when I do the same route each week I am to lower my time even if it's just by a couple of seconds. This way you're motivated to push hard all the way to the end of your run!

8. Stay Safe: Some tips that I've learnt is to always run on the side of the road where the traffic is coming towards you. Even if you're on a footpath there may be some areas where you need to run on the road. The reason for this is that you can see every car that is coming towards you, so even if they don't see you, you can easily move out of the way! If you are running the same way as the traffic you can't see the cars or know how close they are to you, and we don't want any accidents!

10. Treat Yourself: Now if you've finished your run, chances are you're feeling AWESOME and ready to face your day! I treat myself by making up a warm cup of tea and putting it in a thermos. I then put the lid on to keep the warmth in and go and have a shower and wash my hair. By the time I've done all that I come back and my cup of tea is the perfect temperature!

If you understand this reference, you are clearly Australian. 10 points for you!

Showers make me feel wonderful after a nice run!

Hope I could help you guys out!

Over and out,

Erin.