3 Things I Learned from My First Ever Run

I always find joy in joining marathons, especially if it’s for a good cause.

While there are do’s and don’ts in joining marathons, it’s imperative that you know what to prepare and how to prepare for it.

I learned a lot of things when I had my first ever run.

1. Running in the Treadmill is Different from Outdoor Running

I haven’t been maximizing the use of treadmill ever since I started going to the gym. This is the reason why, the moment I registered myself in fun run, I thought of using it for practice.

The gym where I train usually doesn’t allow anyone to go beyond 30 minutes running the treadmill to give way for other gym users who would use them.

Being the case, I still went beyond the time limit just to train. 😀

Two weeks of running in the treadmill for an average of 45 minutes made me think I was prepared for my first ever run-or so I thought.

The day I set foot on the road during my first run, that’s when it dawned in me that something was different.

I didn’t get the usual feels I get running in the treadmill when I finally went outdoor.

My pace was unusual. I felt that my knees couldn’t bear my weight at all. I literally struggled. I felt like I’m dragging myself off on every step I make.

Little did I know that running in the treadmill is far different with that from outdoor running.

Treadmill  gives a bit of assistance as it helps you do every step. Outdoor running  on the other hand requires you to take that extra effort to get your every step.

2. Choose the Right Running Socks

For 2 years of going to the gym, I’ve always been using my usual socks. They are made of cotton and I never had problems wearing them before.

When I started to run, I never thought that there are things that I need to consider especially in choosing the right running socks.

Wearing my cotton socks felt good in the first 30 minutes of running but as soon as I hit the 1 hour mark, that’s when I felt the discomfort.

I had these blisters on my sole right after running, and all the while, I thought that, that was because of the shoes I was wearing.

I found out later that cotton socks have this tendency to moist because of the sweat you produce when running.

That’s when I chose the right running socks. It can mean the difference between a comfortable run and painful blisters.

Running socks are made of synthetic fibers that draw off the moisture of your feet. Thus, it give the feet somewhat dry feeling while running.

You can look for the best running socks in the stores near you. Just don’t deprive yourself from getting the best socks. 😉

3. Give Yourself Enough Day to Rest

Running is addictive! Most runners can relate to me when I say this.

When I finally registered for my first ever run, it got me pumped up to just train and train.

Since I only had 2 weeks before the race, I had to maximize my training time.

Yep, I trained for 10 days, Mondays thru Fridays for 2 weeks. It was as if I can run all day. I was being hyped up!

What do you expect?

It has taken its toll on me when I felt the fatigue as soon as I was on the field.

Had I given myself enough rest, it would have been different.

But it was too late. I was already running the race.

I had to persist. I had to continue. Thank God I made it!

These are the lessons I had to learn, the hard way.

Had I known these before, my run would have been different. It would have been more comfortable.

It took me an hour and 47 minutes to finish my first ever run, a 16k, with a bit of walking.

Hmmn.. I’d say, not bad for a first timer especially that I started with the not so usual distance of 16K.

I like it when Jodi Picoult said that, “Some lessons can’t be taught. They simply have to be learned.”

Hope you learned from my experience.

How was your experience during your first ever run? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.

See you at the finish line!

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March Nacino

March Nacino is known as “The Radical Runner” in the running community. He basically loves to join marathons. When he’s not training for his next big race, he works as a freelance Digital Marketing Specialist helping his clients with their Digital Marketing needs. Follow March at theradicalrunner.com.

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