Dear friends and fellow runners, in this post you will learn about some rules that work very well in the world of running.

As I mentioned before, I am a simple person, with no particular talent or strength. But there is something interesting about me. I went from being no-runner at all, to being a marathon runner, now looking forward to complete my first ultra-marathon! When I look back at my roughly 6 years of consistent running, I realise that running a long distance is not what kept me motivated. In my experience what really kept me into running was that I built my running strength gradually over the years, I stayed injury free at all times, and most importantly I enjoyed the process.

These three reasons are now rules to me. Yes, let’s call them Camila’s running rules:

(1) smooth and gradual stimulus to build running strength, 

(2) healthy approach to running to always be injury free,

(3) smart training to enjoy the process.

If you understand and adopt these key rules, you will run more, faster, for longer, better. I assure you.

The first rule, smooth and gradual stimulus to build running strength, refers to progression. Simply put: begin easy, begin slowly, be in control and build it from there. I did not start by running a marathon the first day I decided to start running, not even during the first month, nor during the first three years! My first approach was the run-walk method. I ran 1 minute, I walked 1 minute. After a few months, I was able to run 5km without walking. 

The second rule, healthy approach to running to always be injury free, refers to not overdo it. Specifically it refers to the golden rule of running “always avoid the three too: too much, too soon, too fast”. Begin by understanding that you have to be patient. Even if you think “I could run faster”, “I have run this far, this much before, I should be able to do it again”, do NOT do it. Be patient and go back to (1). Begin easy, begin slowly, be in control and build it from there.

My last rule, smart training to enjoy the process, refers to smart running. If you go out there and run like crazy for an hour, and do the same thing the following day and the following day. Not only you will likely get injured, but also you will get unnecessarily tired. The day after, with sore legs, you will not feel like running anymore and you will think ‘Running is too hard, not really my thing’. That is not true! Anyone can run. However, every time you go out there and run, do it with a purpose, either because you want to relax, feel the wind, or because you want to get stronger. In any case, be patient (2) and do it smoothly (1). By doing so you will make progress in your running form and enjoy the process. 

Let’s now say that you have been running for a while, and you have been following Camila’s running rules. What’s next? Well, the common next step is to have a goal. Say you want to run for longer, go from a 5k to 10k, or want to run faster, go from 30min-5k to 25min-5k. To achieve these goals should you always follow (1) and (2), but focus on (3): smart training. Follow a training program specifically designed to achieve your goal. 

Happy running!

Camila