Running is one of those things in life that isn’t going out of style. We’ve done it for millennia, we’ll continue to do it for millennia. It’s practical, inexpensive and proven to boost your mental and physical health.
But despite all of the touted benefits, some of us still struggle with the idea of running. I want to get into it, I just don’t know where to begin, and if I can. It’s the dreaded unknown.
The light at the end of the horizon? Everyone who is a runner started out somewhere. They laced up at some point and took the bitumen plunge.
So in light of this, I set off to speak to fellow ‘non-runner’, mental health advocate and Medibank x parkrun ambassador, Maria Thattil to get her thoughts on dipping a running toe in.
Instagram: Maria Thattil
Because after all, you don’t have to be a ‘runner’ to identify as a ‘runner’ – if anything, it’s about shifting your mindset and having the courage to try something new.
What if I’m not ‘a runner’?
Thattil’s main message is – give it a go: “I think so many of us put this crazy pressure on ourselves to have perfected a skill or an ability before we embark on a related venture.”
“It’s a pretty exhilarating thing to put yourself out of your comfort zone and do something that you have only ever told yourself you couldn’t do. I used to define myself as someone who was ‘not a runner’, and despite being curious about getting into running, my own limiting beliefs and skewed perception of running held me back from trying.”
“With a clear frame of mind, I was able to do it and…run and jog 5km.”
Instagram: Maria Thattil
I’m just a beginner – where do I even start?
Joining a run club, or downloading an app and committing to a beginner’s program can seem intimidating, particularly if you’re not an avid runner, or are just starting out on your running journey. It can be tricky to stop those negative thoughts from creeping in. So, how do we combat this? Thattil says it’s all about harnessing the power of your inner voice.
“One thing my therapist has encouraged me to do when my inner critic gets too loud is to choose to focus on all the times I have surmounted a challenge. The keyword here is choice, because where [my] attention goes, that is where [my] energy will flow. In the lead up to a run, I chose to think about all the things I have done in recent years, that either defied odds, [or] went beyond anything I could’ve conceived of and just grew me.”
“I combatted the ‘I’m not a runner’ mentality by reminding myself that anyone who ever did anything was once a beginner and had to start somewhere – and this was my start.”
But can you really influence your inner voice?
“Although that’s all well and good, my inner voice can still be loud,” explains Thattil. “It’s important to acknowledge this – I learnt how my inner voice best responds to feedback and how to positively influence it. Here’s how.”
Thattil has shared some of the tips she used while running her first 5km:
- Ground yourself: When I get carried away in my mind and my inner critic gets loud, the first thing I do is ground myself in my body. While I was running, I decided to focus on my breathing and keep it consistent and rhythmic.
- Acknowledge the negative thoughts: Instead of pretending that the negative thoughts didn’t exist, I heard them and allowed myself to feel the discomfort in my body, before then giving myself encouraging bits of motivation. This was telling myself things like: “If I keep going for a few minutes, I will allow myself a moment to drink some water, gather myself, and then keep going.”
- Challenge the negative thoughts: I would also challenge myself by rebutting the inner voice that told me the physical fatigue was too uncomfortable to keep going. Instead, I chose to see it as a matter of my mindset and ask myself “what will happen if I keep going?”. Now, I would absolutely listen to my body if I truly couldn’t keep going, I’d honour that. However, if I could keep going, and I was strong enough to push through it, I would talk my mind out of quitting prematurely.
- Visualisation: Another important technique that I utilise when trying to achieve any kind of goal, personal or professional, is visualisation. In addition to focusing on my breathing, giving myself motivation, and reminding myself to put mind over matter, I also visualised myself completing a 5km run. I imagined myself breathing through the discomfort, and how I would feel when I reached the finish line. In my experience, visualisation is a powerful technique to help my brain feel proficient at something new.
So there you have it – the tools to equip you to commence your new running chapter.
Time to lace up!
