Ep 383: How to Start Running When You Think You Can’t

Welcome to the not your average runner podcast. I’m Jill Angie, a certified running coach and your running BFF here to help you start running, feel confident and love the journey no matter your size. Now if you’ve ever felt like you just weren’t meant to be a runner, think again. I believe that running is for all bodies, even yours.

This podcast is your warmup buddy. giving you tips, motivation, and the support you need to lace up and get moving. I’ve helped thousands of women become runners, and now I want to help you. Let’s go. Hey runner, and welcome back to the show. Today’s episode is for those of you who either want to start running, but think maybe you can’t do it, or you used to run and you want to start again, but you believe you just might not be able to do it this time around.

Maybe you’ve told yourself, Oh, I’m too slow, or I’ve been out of practice too long, or I’m too out of shape. Or maybe you even just say, Hey, running just isn’t for me. I’m not built for it. And if any of that sounds familiar, I have got really good news for you because you actually. can become a runner. You can start over.

And by the end of this episode, you’re going to know exactly how to take that first step. Oh, and real quick, if you’re serious about starting, I am hosting a free live webinar on March 19th, and it’s a whole deep dive class on running secrets for plus size women. So you don’t want to miss this for sure.

Go sign up now at not your average runner. com slash secrets, or you can just go to the link in the show notes and click it there again, that is not your average runner. com slash secrets, or go to the link in the show notes and hopefully I will see you at the webinar. All right, let’s get into it. We got to address the most important thing first, and that is the biggest reason you think you can’t run is actually not your body.

It’s your brain and somewhere along the way you have picked up this idea that running is Not for you, right or that running is only for thin people for fast people for the effortly athletic people effortlessly athletic people and I hear from women all the time who say things like oh, well, you know, I got to lose 20 pounds first and then I can start.

Or listen, I would just embarrass myself. I’m way too out of shape. Or I tried running once. It felt horrible. So obviously I’m just not built for it. And none of that is true, my friend. You don’t have to be a certain size. You don’t have to run fast. Hell, you don’t even have to run the whole time. Okay, this is the master secret to running, honestly.

But I do remember very clearly the first time I tried to run as an adult. I was with my roommate at the time. I was like my mid twenties, I guess, and we went out the door and I made it maybe three mailboxes. I felt like my lungs were on fire and my very thin gazelle like roommate was like prancing ahead of me like, come on, you can do it, you can do it.

And I, I was just like, you are lucky that I need you to pay half the rent because I want to kill you right now. I was not happy with her. And what I thought was, I’m just not meant to be a runner. But, the reason that I thought that is because I didn’t understand that running isn’t supposed to feel easy at first, alright?

Your body needs time to adjust. You don’t just wake up one day and magically run three miles. You kind of build up to it, alright? So if you’ve ever tried running and you felt like it was absolutely impossible, It is not because you’re broken. It’s not because you’re not meant to be a runner. It is simply because you didn’t have a plan that was designed for you.

Okay? So, if you’ve tried and failed before, how do you start in a way that actually feels doable? Well, you start by walking. And yes, I said walking. Walking is not failure. It is the foundation. Okay? Most beginning runners make the mistake of trying to run too fast or too far or do too much too soon. They burn out, they get injured, they get discouraged and frustrated.

But walking, walking is your secret weapon. It builds endurance. It strengthens your muscles and it gives your body time to adjust. And that is why I teach all of my beginning runners to use run walk intervals. And spoiler alert, I actually teach my advanced runners to do that as well because there is a place for run walk intervals in everyone’s practice.

Basically, here’s how it works. Instead of running until you are just gasping for air and you’re mad at the world, I want you to try walking for five minutes to warm up, and then you are simply going to jog for 20 seconds and walk for a minute. And repeat that 10 times. Jog 20 seconds, walk for a minute.

Jog 20 seconds, walk for a minute. All right? You’re not going to jog for five minutes. You’re not going to jog for a full mile. 20 seconds. All right. You can do that. And you know what? Actually, if 20 seconds is too much, you’re going to start with 15 or you start with 10. All right. The amount of time you run does not determine whether you are a real runner.

The key is to go slow and let your body adjust. All right. Now, we’re going to talk about pace because one of the biggest fears that I hear from new runners is, Oh, but I’m so slow. I’m too slow. I’m embarrassingly slow. Let me ask you this. You’re too slow for what? Right? There is no speed requirement to be a runner.

You can look it up in the dictionary. It does not say a runner goes this fast. All right, you could be moving slower than somebody else who is power walking next to you. And guess what? You’re still running. If you’re running, you’re a runner full stop. So your only job right now is to get out there and take those first steps.

And instead of worrying about your pace, focus on showing up consistently, letting your body adapt gradually. Building that confidence one step at a time. Okay. All right. Now let’s talk about your minimum baseline. And we, we’ve addressed this concept many, many times on the show, but if you’re brand new, your minimum baseline is that absolute smallest amount of your routine that you can consider doing.

You can think about doing without your brain freaking out, without your brain saying, Nope, too tired. Don’t have time. Okay. So for some of you, that’s just putting on your running shoes for others. It might be a five minute walk for other people. It might be a five minute walk and two running intervals.

Okay. Whatever it is, your minimum baseline is your starting point. It is the smallest thing you are going to commit to doing consistently. without worrying about the rest of it. All right. Now, if you’re somebody who struggles with motivation, the minimum baseline is the best way to trick your brain into taking action.

Because when something feels easy and doable, you’re way more likely to actually do it. And then when you do that easy thing consistently, it snowballs. Okay, so just simply focus on hitting your minimum baseline over and over again and you’re going to be amazed at how much progress you make. And if you are sitting there right now or walking, whatever you’re doing right now, The five minutes isn’t enough to make progress.

Five minutes isn’t enough to count. I promise you it is. It counts more than nothing. All right, and it’s a starting point, right? It is moving your brain forward. It is creating the identity of somebody who takes that action and, and it circumvents the complaints in your brain that like, oh, I can’t do 20 minutes.

All right, fine. Do five minutes. Okay, so that minimum baseline is your secret weapon. Trust me on this. Now, here’s what I want you to take away from this episode. You don’t have to be fast. You don’t have to run the whole time. You don’t have to change your body. You just have to start. And starting isn’t about doing something massive.

It is about taking a tiny step forward and building from there. All right. Now, my friend, if this episode has you thinking, Hmm, maybe I could do this, then you need to come to my free webinar on March 19th. Again, I will be sharing my top four running secrets for plus size women. Things like. the best way to train without burning out and getting hurt and how to build your confidence so you stop worrying about what other people are thinking and tons more.

All right. So go sign up now at not your average runner. com slash secrets. And I will see you there. Also, you can find the link in the show notes. You can just head on over to that and click the link in the show notes and also get the link. But if you want to type it into your browser, it’s not your average runner.

com slash. Secrets with an S on the end. Thank you for listening today. I want you to remember that you are not too slow, you are not too fat, and you are not too anything to be a runner, okay? You just gotta start. That’s it. It all, it’s one step that is the beginning of taking two steps and three steps.

You just have to start. I will be back next week with more tips, tips to help you run strong, run happy, and run your way. Until then, remember you’re a runner, no matter your pace or your body size, and I will talk to you next week. Mwah! Real quick before you go, I’ve got a fun challenge for you. Take my Exerciser Personality Quiz to find out exactly what kind of exerciser you are, and how to make running feel easier and more enjoyable.

Just head over to notyouraveragerunner. com slash quiz to take it and get your results. That’s notyouraveragerunner. com Slash quiz.