Learning how to run properly can make the difference between the sport being a score – or a chore, says the leader of a new training program designed to help beginners fall in love with running.
“The biggest challenge for adults when they start is they do too much too soon, and they end up getting injured,” explained longtime runner Pete McBreen of Red Rock Runners. “Or they do the opposite trick and they go out too fast … within 300 metres, they start gasping and thinking, ‘Oh, this isn’t for me.’ They feel like they’re having a heart attack and decide they’re not going to do it anymore.
“Getting people to run slow enough the first few times out is key – trying to make sure that people take it easy and build up slowly.”
McBreen created Red Rock’s progressive training program, which starts March 22 and will prepare runners for Cochrane’s upcoming Footstock five-kilometre or 10-km race on June 3.
The 11-week clinic includes three group sessions a week and covers the fundamentals, including “getting people used to co-ordinating everything” with fast feet drills and short relaxed sprinting, while also building on participants’ current level of fitness.
McBreen said it’s natural for people with an interest in the sport to think they can hit the road and start doing it without the help of a club – but many don’t realize they can vastly improve both their success and enjoyment with just a few basic techniques.
“Making sure you actually extend your legs, move your arms, and breathe. Those are the simple things that you don’t really think about – when you started running as a kid, you never had to think about it, because those are the things you did naturally,” he said. “It’s about learning how to play in your body again.”
Running right also involves eating right. McBreen said for a five-kilometre or 10 km race, there’s no need to carb load the night before or pack on extra calories the day of with gels and sugary sports drinks.
“You might for a marathon, but that’s 42K,” he said. “Eat healthy, eat normal and you’ll be OK.”
Finally, McBreen warns against looking at the scale for beginner runners – often, because people are building up muscle in their legs by training consistently, their weight can actually fluctuate upward.
“Weight isn’t that useful a measure of how you’re doing. It’s about do you have a bounce in your stride? You’re looking for the long-term benefits,” said McBreen.
“It’s really about feeling good in your body and doing what you want to do.”
