Have you heard a proverb “Smart people learn from their mistakes. Wise people learn from mistakes of others.”? Learn from my mistakes and never repeat them!
If you haven’t read Part 1 of 10 Mistakes First-Time Runners and Marathoners Make, check it out first. You’ll find out tons of practical stuff.
6. Wear Cotton Clothes
Since my childhood and until 8 years ago I thought cotton clothes are the best. My mom and everyone around me kept saying natural fabric is healthier for your body.
And then I started running and learned from experienced runners our training clothes should not be cotton by all means. If you sweat in cotton shorts or tops, you might get chafing and eventually even wounds.
All your running or workout clothes should be out of wicking material. It’s a special kind of fabric which doesn’t absorb sweat and your body stays dry.
7. No Strength Training
A lot of people make a mistake of focusing only on running. They might do no or little strength training and risk getting an injury as a result.
If you don’t strengthen your core (abs, back, arms), you’ll be putting too much pressure on your legs during running. Weak core causes a lot of leg injuries including problems with your knees, ankles, calves, hamstring and quad muscles.
At the same time you’ll be overworking your feet and risk fracturing your foot bones. That’s what happened to me 7 years ago. Wrong shoes and overtraining gave me a fracture and a swollen foot.
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8. Trying Something New on Race Day
We’ve been talking about first-time runners a lot. Let’s touch the ground with first-time marathoners who don’t take time researching, asking questions and end up making this mistake.
I’ll write a separate post about the race day for those of you who want to run a half marathon or a marathon. We’ll talk about food and clothes and all preparation for the big event. However, let me at least touch this topic now.
We usually spend 16-18 weeks preparing our body for a marathon. I make sure I do my long runs in the same clothes I picked for my race day. I practice eating specific food in the morning before the long runs and taking gels while running.
It’s crucial to train, prepare your body for every little detail and do nothing unusual on race day. Don’t put on new socks, sunglasses or even underwear which you haven’t worn before.
Your food in the morning before the race should be something you’ve practice eating before your long runs. You need to know how your stomach reacts to that food. Surprises are not a good thing on a race day.
9. Not Taking Rest Seriously
Whether we talk about preparing for a marathon or just running several times per week to stay in shape, rest is important. You can’t neglect it and hope to stay healthy.
Remember, your muscles need to restore, torn tissue will regenerate and you’ll get stronger. But it won’t happen if you don’t get enough sleep, food and overall rest.
Some people run every day, and it’s ok for them. Just make sure you give your body 7-8 hours of sleep and nutritious substantial food.
If you train for a marathon, there’s such thing as tapering. We increase mileage a bit every week, but then start decreasing it two weeks before the race. That’ll give your body enough rest to come strong to the race and finish it without injuries.
Your Turn
Now, I’d like to hear from you. What mistakes did you make when you first started running? What would you recommend to those who’re just starting?
