So you want to run a 5k? It seems with the exploding popularity of run clubs and the social aspect of communal fitness, we see a lot of fitness goals get started this time of year. It's honestly a great thing. I want people to be in the gym or out being active as much as possible. Life is just better when you're fit and healthy. But as people start to set goals, they need to be a bit more diligent or thoughtful in setting them.
After I made a recent push last year to pick up endurance running after a career in Strength Sports, I started getting a lot of messages (mostly on Instagram) about people wanting to do the same. I think this is a great endeavor, but it's something which I have to remind people it is not going to be what they probably want it to be. There are drawbacks to picking up running (or jogging for us less speedy folks) which we need to be aware of. I don't want to discourage you from running if you want to pick it up this year, I just want you to consider the following three things before you start hitting the pavement this year.
Running Isn't As Great a Fat Loss Tool As You Think
A comment I get a lot is people wanting to lean up and want to use running to do so. I think we see a lot of runners who are lean and they see running can lead to large caloric expenditure. This is true, but what most people don't fully understand is how easy the running pace has to be to truly stay in heart rate zone which is actually going to utilize fat for oxygen. For most people starting off, the pace feels like you're barely doing more than walking (when I actually started doing endurance training, my pace was actually slower than what I could speed walk). So if you're looking for leanness, learning what an easy/fat burning pace is can more easily be done on low impact means such as cycling, stair stepping, rowing, or Ski-Erging.
Running Requires Some Skill
It usually shocks people to realize they need to take a moment to technically learn how to run. Most people have pretty inefficient gait mechanics when it comes to running, and these gait mechanics can often lead to injury if not addressed right off the bat. Running mechanics and sprinting mechanics are pretty similar, but for a lot of people they don't know how to do either, and then they apply faulty mechanics to asphalt or hard packed dirt and they slowly start to overload too much and end up injured. Learn how to stride correctly first, in really low doses, before hitting the road.
You Need Less Than You Think
Sure, you can probably mentally and even physiologically go out and run two to three miles right now. But your body pays a price. It startled me, as someone who was "in-shape" how low my weekly running volume had to be at first to not get hurt. I had to start with 4-5 miles per week! Now, I'm not a small guy, but I had the mechanical piece down from years of coaching speed and agility. I kicked off running training with two back-to-back 10 mile weeks, and felt the onset of shin-splints at the end of the second week. Turns out, my body wasn't adapted well to recovering from running. I had to drop it down to 4-5 miles and build from there. Most people forget how much running takes out of them, and how much force the body experiences with every step. Take it a step back and start slow. Your body will thank you.
Now, I don't want you to feel like I'm bashing running. I have my own goal of running 1,000 miles this year. And I haven't even tackled why running is a great thing. I truly think it is. But I think people go into it blindly with expectations of what it should be, rather than what it could be. Start slow, learn how to run with good technique, and build over time. If you do this it will be a much more sustainable and beneficial thing for your health in the long run.
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