Sounding Like a Horse
Well 2 weeks into running and I would like to confirm, I am still dying. This Tiktok simply describes how I feel when I embark on these runs.
Throughout these past weeks, I focused on three main aspects: developing a plan, listening to music while running and breathing exercises. The following accounts on Tiktok allowed me to develop necessary techniques and utilize strategies:
@envisioncoachiingg and @r4ucoaching - highlighted how to properly run to avoid injury such as on your toes as oppose to your heels. This made a world of difference, as I have always been a “stomping Tom” as people refer to me because I am a heel walker/runner. So this took a bit of adjusting but have already been noticing some changes. This has allowed me to take things slow as I ease into running.
@hollyb_fitness was one of the first people I came across and made me realize how running can transform your life! A quote that stuck out to me from her “its you vs you. Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s.” This was extremely powerful to me and allowed me to develop a plan to get started on this running journey. It does not matter if I am only running 1-2km, it is a start and that is all that matters.
@kirstybannatyne opened my eyes through her motivational videos to simply just get you running. She is an advocate for starting slow and building your way up. Simply start with a 5 minute run and build it over the course of weeks. So, that is simply where I started. To be honest, I was embarrassed at how little I was running within 5 minutes but I have worked my way to 7 minutes over the course of the last 2 weeks and finally took a picture. I completed 1.29km within 7 minutes and 37 seconds and this was a HUGE accomplishment for me! Thanks to Running with Kirsty.
@fasterthany0u gave me the playlists to make running more manageable. Listening to my own breathing was not the play. Once moving from walking to running, I knew I needed music to continue to motivate me and clear my headspace. So that is just what I did. I highly recommend Levels (Avicii) and Can’t Hold Us (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis).
Finally, @mattchoi6 stopped my “horse breathing” with simple breathing exercises to do while running. It put me in check with realizing I was trying to run too fast at beginning, which meant I was not getting enough oxygen back into my system. I tried both of the breathing strategies he suggested to realize the 2 inhales through the nose and 1 exhale through the mouth is what has worked best for me.
However, before I was able to actually utilize this advice from these TikTok’s account, my journey all began on Youtube when I came across an article called How to Start Running featuring Braden and Yitka, as they lay out 5 tips for beginners. They said to simply start slow and when they say slow, they mean it. For the few times, just simply get out working for at least 30 minutes. From there, after walking 3-4, slowly begin incorporating running. This is where @kirstybannatyne came into play, as I used the 5 minute technique immediately.
Here is are photos of the paths I took and two beautiful photos of the after math of running!
Next weeks plan is to STRETCH. Why I haven’t yet is questionable because I am getting SORE. I will be using more of Youtube and Tiktok to help guide me towards proper stretches before and after runs. My plan throughout this week is to record clips of my stretches to share with you all. Hopefully the rain stays away, so I can continue to enjoy my running journey outside!!
