Our own What’s On creator Caitlin Boughton started her running journey a year ago, and now has six half-marathons under her belt. She has written some realistic tips for getting started, which you can see on her Instagram page, @caitlinboughtonfitness, and below.
If you’re starting your running journey in 2024, here’s my top tips👇🏼
1. Invest in proper running shoes!! This is soo important to prevent injuries. Get a gait analysis from any running shop and find which shoes are suitable for your feet.
2. Sign up to races. Whether it’s a 5k, 10k, or half marathon, having something in the calendar to work towards will help motivate you
3. Join a run club. This will be the best decision you’ll make! Most people go to run clubs alone, so it is soo easy to make friends. Also so fun to have running friends with and sign up to running events together
4. Do not neglect strength training! If you’re running regularly, it’s so important to strengthen your leg muscles to prevent injury
5. Find your local Parkrun. With over 1,200 parkruns in the UK, there’s guaranteed to be one nearby. Great way to also build confidence if you’re not yet comfortable to join a run club
6. Mix up your runs. Personally I do four runs a week – a short run, long run, intervals and zone 2 (low heart rate) run.
Doing different types of runs will help improve your endurance and pace
This list could go on and on, but most importantly, enjoy the process and don’t compare the start of your running journey to someone who has been running for a long while
