TIPS FOR NEW RUNNERS

Wearing the correct shoes for your running style is paramount as the wrong shoes can cause injury and discomfort.

There are 3 main types of shoes that suit running gait, these are: Overpronation, Underpronation (Supination) and Neutral. The best way to find out which shoe is suitable for you is to go to a running shop and get your gait assessed. In Glasgow both Run4it and Achilles Heel do these assessments.

Once you have your shiny new trainers, try and keep an eye on the mileage you do in them as most shoes need replaced at about 300 to 500 miles (500 to 750km). Although, this will depend on how you run and the shoes you have. Continuing to run in shoes that need replaced can lead to injury and pain.

Firstly, it’s important you feel comfortable and confident in what you wear. Also, everyone feels temperature differently so learn what you need to wear on runs so you can regulate your temperature. However, if you want some advice on what to wear in different weather, here are some tips:

Wind and rain 🌧️
A windproof and waterproof jacket will keep you warmer and drier for longer on runs.

4 degrees and under 🥶
Base layers (long sleeve or thermal top) or jacket, leggings or joggers, hat and gloves. A buff is always a useful thing to carry on a chilly run.

4 to 10 degrees ☁️
Long sleeve light top, leggings or shorts and gloves, if needed.

10 degrees plus ☀️
Short sleeve top or vest and shorts (leggings if preferred).

Make sure you wear reflective, lights or bright clothing when out when it’s dark for both cars and other pedestrians even if you are running on well lit paths.

Carbohydrates are key, however your body stores energy (glycogen) from them at a fixed rate so it’s better to eat them in small and regular portions. Complex carbs that are good to eat pre-run include brown rice, oatmeal, bananas, sweet potato and pasta.

Generally, you don’t need to fuel during a run unless you are running longer than 60-75 minutes. If you are running longer then 60-75 minutes you need to add 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates for each hour you are running. Easy fuel to carry on runs include gels and jelly babies.

Try and take on food within 2 hours after a run. To replenish glycogen stores it’s back to the carbohydrates, and taking in protein post workout will build and repair muscles, and therefore improve recovery. Ideally, you want to be taking in carbohydrates and protein in on a 3:1 ratio.

Drinking water improves Glycogen storage and prevents dehydration. It’s important to drink before, during (on longer runs) and after runs and more so when it’s warmer weather. However, taking on too much water can decrease the sodium levels in your blood known as Hyponatremia causing headaches, vomiting and seizures. A further way to avoid this is to take sports drinks to replenish electrolytes lost through sweat.

Some common causes of injury are overtraining, poor flexibility, poor footwear, returning to training too soon and lack of rest. Most runners are guilty of at least a few of these. If you start getting niggles, stop and assess what could be causing the injury. Maybe you have ramped up your training too quickly, your shoes need replaced or you aren’t recovering properly between runs with both rest and stretching.

The most important thing to remember when returning from an injury is making sure you don’t return too soon as this leads to delayed recovery or further injury. If you can, it’s recommended you go and see a Physiotherapist who can give you exercises to aid recovery and advise you when it’s safe to return to running.

When returning to running it’s important to start slow and build up as your fitness, stamina and strength won’t be where they were when you first got injured. If you do too much, too soon you are likely to re-injure yourself. Feel free to come and speak to one of the GFR coaches when coming back to running post injury for specific guidance on how you can return to running safely after an injury.