zondag 9 november 2014

Heyhey lovelies!

Yesterday I finished the 27th and last episode of my ‘Start to Run’ podcast. I have now been running for 9 weeks, three times a week, and I can run for 30 minutes (5 km) without stopping. Since the only exercise I have had the last two years was taking my bike to go to school, this really feels like an accomplishment. I felt so inspired yesterday that I thought I’d share my running experiences with you and give some tips for those of you who also want to start living a healthier lifestyle.

I started running 9 weeks ago just because I felt like I wasn’t exercising enough. I have never been overweight (I am 1m72 or 5 feet and 7 inches, and always weighed about 60 kg or 132 pounds) so losing weight was never my motive, but when I stepped on the scale last week after a year of not weighing myself, I noticed that I now only weigh 55 kg or 121 pounds. Although it wasn’t my intention to lose weight, this was of course a nice benefit from the running and my new habit of eating healthier. I also notice a lot of changes to my body. Not so much in terms of appearance, but definitely in terms of condition. My body has become addicted to the running. I run three times a week, and when I don’t run for 2 days I feel my body becoming ‘impatient’. It needs the running and the exercise. Since I also started eating healthier I noticed that my body doesn’t react as well to greasy food as it used to. I get nauseous a lot easier after a night of greasy eating so it’s almost like my body rejects the greasy food.

While I’m still not the best or fastest runner there is I think I can now call myself an experienced runner and I am very happy with that and the results I got from it. I feel better in my skin and body and have an overall healthier lifestyle. If you’re thinking about starting to exercise yourself, I have listed some tips for you below. 
Disclaimer: I am not a personal trainer, fitness instructor or professional athlete. All these tips are based on my own experiences and do not guarantee success.

o   Find a good podcast or program to follow.  No one can just start exercising without help. Podcasts are a cheap alternative to a personal trainer, most of them are even completely free. These programs are created for beginners by professional trainers and are therefore perfect to start with. You’ll find it a lot easier to get yourself to go outside and train when you have someone to help you, whether that person is running next to you or is only there on your iPod. Dutch speakers can download the Start to Run podcast with Evy Gruyaert, English speakers will find all the information they need on http://www.start-to-run.com .

o   Find a good running area or route. Running is perfect to clear your head, but when you’re running in the middle of the city and you have to stop for cars and other obstacles you will not get the best out of your exercise. I prefer running in a park or on a path with lots of green around me and most of all: without any cars. It’s just a lot more enjoyable and comfortable to run in a peaceful and quiet area.

o   Invest in some quality running gear. Good running shoes are important to avoid injuries. You’ll also find it a lot more comfortable to run wearing a sports bra and clothes that repel rain and have ‘odor control’. It’s easy to just put on some shorts and a top when you go training, but most ‘regular’ clothes are made out of cotton and that fabric sucks up sweat like a sponge. You’ll instantly feel wet and discomforted. I personally also advise to buy an armband to put your phone or Ipod in. It’s a lot easier to wear a device around your arm than holding it in your hand or putting it in your pocket.
Running gear I advise beginning runners to get:
§  Quality running shoes
§  A sports bra
§  A pair of running leggings
§  A running top
§  A running hoodie (for colder days)
§  A running jacket (for rainy and windy days)
§  An armband for a phone or Ipod
All my running clothes are by the brand Kalenji and I am very pleased with them, but there are a lot of other awesome sports brands with good running clothes and most of them are not as expensive as you may think.

o   Treat your body well. You’ll notice that your body will evolve a lot faster if you eat healthier. Find some recipes with ingredients you like and learn about calories, carbs and fat. I am not at all a health junkie myself but I do try to eat as ‘clean’ as possible. However, not a day goes by that I don’t eat a cookie or a piece of chocolate. But don’t forget that that is a good thing: you should treat yourself for the efforts you make. And not a lot of people are able to cut out all the sugar out of their lives, that’s just almost impossible.

o   Persevere. There will be bad days, days you feel like you can’t possibly get yourself to go outside for a run, but the only way to achieve something is to work for it. Running in the rain may seem horrible, but if you wear the right clothing it’s actually not that bad. Also, try to keep up with the program you follow. You’ll have days where you just want to stop the exercise before it’s finished, but again: perseverance is key. I noticed that it helps me a lot if I repeat a mantra in my head. I usually go with something simple like ‘I can do this’ or ‘this is nothing’ and it helps me a great deal when I feel like quitting.



There ya go, those are my tips for people that want to start running! I hope they help, make sure to let me know if you use these tips in your exercise and I wish you all a very nice day!

Happy running!

Lots of love,
LFR



2 opmerkingen:

  1. Goeie tips! Ik ben een tijdje geleden ook begonnen met de start to run podcast en loop nu al een tijdje zonder, maar heb toch nog steeds moeite met een goed loopritme en -schema te vinden. Niet elke week ziet er hetzelfde uit, dus ik vind het soms moeilijk om tijd te maken om te gaan joggen. Maar we blijven proberen, en elke keer dat ik weer ben gaan joggen ben ik trots op mezelf, haha!

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  2. Leuke post! Ga ik ook echt eens proberen zo gaan lopen! Je schrijft echt goed :)
    xoxo
    Www.thesacredcloset.com

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