19 Things Every New Runner Can Expect

The good, the bad, and the mid-run diarrhea.

1. Your first few runs will feel pretty tough.

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Some things you might feel the first time you run:

• Tired legs

• Tired lungs

• Extreme self-consciousness

• Loss of will to live

Don't worry; running won't be this hard forever. As your body gets used it, it'll feel less and less hellish. Eventually you'll even have to intentionally make your workout harder with hills or speedwork just to challenge yourself. Seriously!

2. You might be tempted to mix in some walking, which you totally should do.

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Especially if you're brand new to running or exercise. Start out by alternating a minute of brisk walking with a minute of jogging and do that 10 or 15 times. You can gradually reduce the walking and increase the running.

3. Four words: sweat in new places.

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Wet feet and a swampy undercarriage is a recipe for misery. Even if you don't particularly mind feeling super damp, more moisture does mean an increased likelihood of chafing and blisters. So, consider getting sweat-wicking socks and underwear.

Get some ideas for socks here and for underwear here.

4. If you have boobs, you'll realize that your old AF, stretched-out sports bra isn't cutting it.

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As you start to run more you'll be subjecting yourself to more, ahem, chestwise movement. Do yourself a favor and invest in a new sports bra, preferably one that's meant for high impact. Your boobs will thank you.

5. And also that you really truly need proper running sneakers.

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You might not really notice until you start upping your mileage, but the properly fitting running shoe is definitely the difference between aches and pains and a run that feels good during and after. Go to a running store and get fitted by a specialist who will analyze the way you run and make some recommendations.

6. Pretty soon it'll start feeling easier.

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The three-mile route that was once your most menacing foe will soon become your prey.

7. That's when you'll feel tempted to go harder.

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The great thing about running is that after it stops feeling like torture, it actually starts to feel amazing. If you want to run longer, do it gradually to minimize risk of injury or overtraining. Add one mile to your longest run every couple of weeks.

And if you want to run faster, start doing strides, a kind of workout where you add short accelerations to the end of your run. To run a stride, start to jog and then gradually increase speed up until you’re running pretty much as fast as you can. Then gradually slow to a stop. Each stride should last about 20–30 seconds total. After each stride, rest for about 45–90 seconds. To start, try adding four to the end of your run.

8. You'll start getting really hungry. Like eat-anything-that-doesn't-eat-you-first hungry.

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Once you start running longer, farther, or faster, you might start to feel hungrier as your body tries to tell you to replace the calories you're burning. Not eating enough to replace those calories or eating so much you create a significant caloric surplus can mess with goals like weight management, performance, or body composition. So learn more about workout hunger and how to deal with it here.

9. You'll dress for running comfort and cease to give any fucks about how nerdy you look.

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Neon colors, loud patterns, tiny shorts over tights, you name it. Once you realize that function and comfort are paramount, you'll find yourself rocking some pretty ridiculous stuff. I once ran with tube socks on my hands so I wouldn't miss a run when I couldn't find my gloves. TUBE SOCKS.

EMBRACE IT.

10. You'll feel the urge to train for a race.

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It's tough to overstate how damn awesome it feels to break through the phase where running is prohibitively difficult to the phase where you feel like a superhuman. It makes a lot of people want to run a race, which you should totally do.

Try a 5K — it's a reasonable distance and 5K races often have fun themes, like a St. Patrick's Day race where you get a green beer at the finish line or a Halloween 5K where people run in costume, etc.

11. Then the novelty will wear off. Running will become boring. So, so boring.

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Lots of people who love running also hate running sometimes. Once your body and mind get used to the challenges of completing a run you no longer have to focus all your physical and mental resources on just putting one foot in front of the other and that is when boredom sets in. A couple solutions: Make an invigorating special playlist you only listen to when you're running, get lost in a podcast, or listen to an audiobook.

Don't worry, it will get fun again.

12. You'll start noticing some patterns to your runs.

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Like that you run faster in the morning or feel better when you run after work. Or that the first 10 minutes and last five minutes always suck. Or that your run goes way better when you do it on an empty stomach but have something almost as soon as you're done. Or that you hate starting a run with a hill but love ending with one. Pay attention to all these clues; they'll help you plan workouts that make you feel good mentally and physically.

13. You'll feel mega sore or very tired but want to run anyway.

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Feeling sore is totally normal. So is not wanting to miss a run no matter how bad you feel. But if you're feeling really crappy and it doesn't seem to be going away, it might be because you've just been running a ton and not recovering enough, or because your sleep, nutrition, or hydration isn't on point, or because your body is begging you for some self-massage. In any of these cases, the solution is usually to just take some time off running and tend to your body.

If you're feeling a nagging pain that's not going away or suspect you've legit pulled or sprained something, you should definitely see a doctor.

14. You will face the crucial decision of peeing your tights or traipsing into the bushes to let 'er rip.

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This is your future. Choose wisely.

15. On a related note, you'll get diarrhea on a run.

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Maybe your spicy dinner from last night is desperate to escape your body or maybe you accidentally had a few more margaritas than you meant to. Maybe you tried a new energy gel and it's really not agreeing with you. Maybe you have no idea WTF is going on, but running just seems to make you have to go.

It's a rite of passage. Godspeed.

16. You'll get interested in tracking pace, distance, and other data about your workouts.

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If you think running is fun, wait till you get out a spreadsheet and track data from your run. You can keep track of how far you ran and your overall time which will give you your average pace. But you can also make note of the weather and conditions, the terrain, and how you felt before, during, and after. You write all this stuff the old fashioned way or you can use all kinds of apps like MapMyRun, Strava, and RunKeeper.

17. Your social life will become...less of a priority.

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Here's how it starts. You shift your dinner plans an hour earlier so you can get to bed at a reasonable time and wake up for an early run. You'll bail on happy hour so you can capitalize on this perfect running weather. Next thing you know you're skipping brunch to do a long run on a weekend. You'll be totally fine with this new reality once you realize how much more mileage you're logging.

18. You will cry hot tears of rage when your phone or GPS watch dies or loses reception during a run.

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Let it out, my friend. Let. It. Out.

19. You'll talk about running. To basically anyone.

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You will text your friends about a thing that happened on your run. You will 'gram running selfies. You will post on Facebook about an awesome five-miler you took at sunset. You will find a way to mention a recent race to a co-worker. Part of being a runner is that strong AF runner identity which definitely involves talking about running as much as possible. Some people will criticize this. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND. Lean into it.