Beginner Running Tips

You’ll learn how to start running as a beginner with these beginner running tips. It doesn’t matter if this is your first time running, your age, or weight these running tips for beginners will teach you how to start running without injury.

Getting started running can be really hard. There is so much that goes into learning how to set your pace, improving your endurance, and finding the perfect running shoe for you. Let me share 11 beginner runner tips to help you succeed with your running goals.

Start with intervals

The best way to become a better runner no matter your skill level is doing interval training. As a beginner runner, you’ll want to start with jog/walk intervals. This can consist of 1 minute of jogging with a walk break.

When I took up running this last time I started with 1 minute of jogging with 4 minutes of walking repeating this 5 times. I would go out 3 times a week. Then the next week I continued with 1 minute of jogging and then 3 minutes of walking.

The idea is to build endurance and teach yourself how to pace a bit so you’re able to recover in between each jogging section. For me personally, I limited my training to 20 minutes in the beginning so I wasn’t wearing myself out too soon.

Each week keep an eye on your pace and how you feel then slowly build up your running sections and then take fewer walk breaks. You can also check out my different free beginner running programs to help you with intervals.

Slow your pace

A common problem with beginner runners is running too fast. It’s important to feel your breathing and make sure that most of your runs are really easy. You should be able to talk while running. When you’re new to running, your pace should be slow.

Don’t worry if you’re running at a 12:30 minute mile pace just as long as you’re able to breathe easy and your heart rate is relatively low (sitting in the 150s or under). You’ll want to follow the 80/20 rule. 80% of your runs should be easy and 20% should be hard.

This gives your body a chance to build endurance, recover, and catch up.

Recovery days

Speaking of recovery here’s my next tip, take breaks. Recovery days are so important for running. Your body needs time to rest and rebuild any damage your run may have caused.

Stretching

Many people skip stretching which actually can lead to injury. It’s important to stretch before and after your run. I have a few YouTube videos I watch when I need a bit of guidance. My favorite is Yoga with Adriene. She’s got tons of videos to choose from.

Warm-up and cool down

I used to never warm-up or cool down while I ran. I would just start running and then when I was done, I stopped. Well, that actually led to more soreness after my run.

Your warm-up and cool down doesn’t have to be much you can do a little walking before and after your run to allow your body and joints to warm up and cool down. If you’re going out for longer runs starting with a mile or two of slow/easy-paced running is also really good for you.

Training schedule

As a beginner runner, it might be hard to know what your body needs to run further or faster so sticking to a training schedule will help you achieve your goals.

If you want to run your first 5k or train for a marathon following a training plan will keep you organized, motivated, and less overwhelmed because it’s planned out for you. I have free training plans you can download and use to help you finish your first or next race!

Patience

Running takes a lot of time, practice, and patience but it’s totally worth it. Once you are able to run your first mile without stopping you’ll be so proud of yourself. I feel like that was one of the most memorable milestones in running. I finally felt like I was a runner.

Gear

I can’t stress how important gear is to running. Since running gear is such a huge topic I put together a post on beginner running gear you can check out and get a feel for what I recommend and what I use when I’m out running.

The basics are good shoes, socks, clothes, and entertainment. I love a good playlist, audiobook, or the occasional podcast. The key is to make sure that you’re as happy and comfortable as possible so you will continue to run.

Running group

Running is always more fun with friends! There are running groups all over the world/country and they are so welcoming! When I was a beginner, I was so intimidated by running groups because I thought I’d be holding people back or people would judge me for being slow or needing walking breaks.

Boy was I wrong! Running groups are so inclusive and there are people at all levels. I run a weekend running group in which all are welcome and no one is left behind. We offer all distances too so if you can only run a mile or two or you need to get your long 15 miles run in you’ve got a running group to join! Your run will fly by when you can chat with a RBF (running best friend) the whole time.

10% rule

One beginner running tip I didn’t follow when I was starting out was the 10% increase rule. Basically, you don’t want to increase your distance by more than 10% each week because it can lead to overuse and injury. A great way to keep track is using an app or a watch to track your running.

Hydrate

Your body goes through a lot of water and salt while running. It’s important to hydrate before, during, and after your run. Many people think about hydrating during a run and yes that’s important but it’s just as important to get enough water before and after your run.