Focusing on Your Goals

While knowing how to run is fairly straightforward, getting into voluntary, habitual running can seem intimidating and complicated. That’s only because there are many different reasons to start and many different benefits.

The trick is sifting through all the information out there to find the right reasons for you. After that, everything will fall into place.

Clarifying and focusing on your own most desired outcome now will make it easier to invest your time and energy, stay motivated and measure your progress later.

With the wide variety of benefits conferred by a regular running program, it can be difficult to narrow down your goals into a focused, manageable set that works best for you. That’s why we want to first categorise the areas of your life running can help improve.

Choose one main benefit from each of the following ways running can help you:

Physical Benefits

Running, as a cost and energy efficient mode of exercise, is a potential boon to your physique. Studies have shown that regular exercise is associated with increased metabolism, body weight control, reduction of risks associated with some chronic diseases, muscle strength, endurance, improved sleep, bone and joint strength and even longevity.

Mental Benefits

Running can do more than just build up your body. According to research, it may also help your mind. In fact, running has positive correlations with sharpened memory, reduced stress and the alleviation of certain depression or anxiety symptoms. It may also provide mental benefits associated with hobbies, mindfulness or meditation.

Emotional Benefits

Evidence suggests running can help improve your state of mind. An elevated mood, increased self-esteem and confidence can certainly come along with the regular sense of accomplishment that running provides. But it can also help you meet new people, explore the world’s natural beauty and contribute to worthy causes through charity runs.

Once you’ve narrowed down your preferred benefits to a few key areas of physical, mental and emotional improvements, you can take the time to notice how prevalent these issues are in your life. You can start a journal, try a new app, invest in wearable fitness technology or just make a mental note whenever you find yourself lacking that extra missing something.

It doesn’t matter how you measure at first, so long as you’re keeping your goals in mind.

Setting a baseline of how things are for you before you start running will be a great first step in measuring your eventual progress. Remember to stay positive. Just taking an active interest in your own development as a runner (and as a person) should be regarded as a great first step.

And if you do find yourself managing serious physical, mental or emotional health issues, please consult a professional to see how running could fit into your broader regimen of wellness efforts.

Finding Your Motivation

Since the idea is to get into running, it will be helpful to review different motivators to find one that’ll keep you engaged. Everybody’s different.

Find one of the following that most captivates you:

Social Motivators

Friendship and a sense of belonging are essential to the human experience, and running is a great way to meet new people or deepen existing relationships through a healthy shared activity. Feeling relied upon by others can also be a motivator.

Self-Esteem Motivators

The need for positive recognition is a natural human impulse, and successfully meeting measurable running goals and deadlines, or proving the value of a commitment, can help you earn the respect of the most important person in your life — yourself.

Self-Actualisation Motivators

The process of self-improvement can be a reward unto itself, and running can be a great way to bring that process to life. You may wish to think of running as a way to work toward a broader life goal, like “become an expert in something,” or “be totally present.”

Your ideal motivation can change over time, hopefully as your sense of accomplishment grows. If you ever find yourself in a rut with your running routine, you may want to re-evaluate what type of motivation works best for you and alter your plan to fit a different approach.

Setting a Target Distance & Pace

If you’re just getting started (or restarted) as a runner, you might be wondering how far or how fast you should go.

As with any form of exercise, there’s a tendency to overdo it at the beginning. And just as sure as putting too much weight on a bench press or playing football for four hours on your first day can leave you too sore to work out again for a while, running too far and too fast can leave you sidelined for longer than you want. To avoid the initial impulse to overextend yourself, it’s best to begin with manageable goals.

Since everybody’s different, there’s no set answer for ideal distance and pace.

Start with a 30-minute walk or very easy jog. Time yourself for 15 minutes, then turn around and come back. You can download a tracking app beforehand to measure the distance you’ve travelled, or just plot out your route later to find out.

From here, you can either shoot for increasing distance or decreasing time, as you gain a level of comfort. Add distance up to 5 minutes each trip at the same brisk walk pace. Or add pace up to a level of exertion where you’d still be able to carry out a conversation.

Many beginners practice the walk-run-walk method, where instead of running or walking for the entire duration, you alternate at regular intervals - say ninety seconds of walking then 45 seconds running - and adjust the ratios toward more running until you’re able to sustain a jog throughout.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that you’re not doing anything wrong, and there’s no set mark other than getting some good exercise.

Of course, if you try it the easy way a few times and feel too bored to stay motivated, you can try pushing a little harder and take it extra easy the next time.

Just don’t shoot for a new world record on your first time out. A slow, sustainable pace is the best way to enjoy your run.

And keep in mind that it’s okay to stop and walk if you need to!

Introductory Stretching & Hydration

Figuring out how much you should stretch and hydrate before, during and after a run is another area where everybody has different needs. Finding them is usually just a matter of some early experimentation on your journey as a runner.

The current attitude on stretching among most runners is that not everybody has to stretch, some definitely should, and in either case, it never hurts unless done improperly. So as a beginner, you should at least try a proper stretching regimen before making a more informed decision.

Try starting with a series of quick, dynamic stretches to get loose before or at the beginning of a run, then do some static stretches of not more than 20 seconds in duration after you’re done.

In terms of hydration, don’t drink unless you’re actually thirsty. That may sound simplistic, but dehydration is generally less of a risk for beginning runners than overhydration. Sip water until you’re no longer thirty before a run, but don’t overload.

For the sake of peace of mind, you can also carry a small water bottle with you. Definitely pace your runs more forgivingly in hot weather. And after your run, slake your thirst with water, juice or a sports drink.

Gear & Shoe Primer

In terms of running gear and clothing, choose what’s right based on your comfort and budget. Like any other aspect of getting started with running, it’s easy to go overboard in the beginning with gear.

All you really need is running shoes, socks, and comfortable clothes in which you won’t mind working up a sweat.

You will at least want to start with a reliable pair of running shoes with features that work for your specific gait. These can include stability-added features to reduce pronation, or variations in cushioning. To find the perfect pair of beginners running shoes you can go to a speciality retailer that offers gait analysis and professional fitting, or use our home-fitting guide or shoe finder (available on product pages) to find the beginners running shoes that will work for you. With HOKA’s 30-day guarantee you also have 30 days to wear your running shoes and try them out; if something doesn’t feel quite right you can then return them, no questions asked.

Beginner Running Form & Technique

For relative beginners, overcorrecting your natural running form is not advisable. That’s because whatever running form your body instinctively follows is fairly attuned to your specific physique. Some studies suggest trying to alter this form as a beginner could actually be harmful. If that’s not a comforting thought, know that your running form will evolve naturally to increase efficiency as you add speed and stamina.

As a general rule, try to “run tall” and lean slightly forward. Keep your strides short - you don’t need to make long, bounding steps, and it’s usually preferable if your feet land under your centre of gravity with your knees bent. Keep your arms relaxed and swing them naturally to the same rhythm.

Overall, for now, put the whole idea of “proper running form” and “maintaining the best running technique” out of your mind. As a beginner, the most crucial aspect of running is enjoying each step in the process so you’ll keep at it and keep improving. Form will come with that.

You Know Best

As much as the team at HOKA would love to tell you – specifically you – exactly how to get into running, the truth is, you know yourself better than we ever could.

You know if you’re a running beginner or a seasoned fitness buff looking to start running as a training method. You already know your own fitness level, motivators, and reasons for getting into running in the first place.

And you know where you are in the process: whether you’ve previously struggled to enjoy running, want to learn how to ease into running after trying a marathon on your first attempt, or just don’t know where to begin.

You know you. We know running.

You certainly don’t have to follow this entire guide letter for letter, but if not knowing where to start feels like the biggest obstacle, you should be satisfied by the end that you’ve got a plan that works for you.

In the meantime, as long as you’re running, you’re running right.

We’ll see you out there. It’s Time to Fly.