Start your running journey!

Running a marathon is no easy task. Yet thousands of people every year finish various marathons across the globe. Many of these people are not even athletes. You find different groups of people ranging from kids to grandparents, males, females, politicians, actors, office workers, stay-at-home moms, and even dogs! There are even inspirational stories such as people who took up running to lose an amazing amount of weight, and even people who were undergoing chemotherapy and running helped them survive the hardest time of their life. The only common thing that these people have in common is their preparation and commitment. You cannot finish a 42 km marathon if you are not ready to commit and prepare adequately for it. It does not matter what your goal is. Regardless of if you are running to be first, to improve your time, or to simply finish the marathon, whether this is your first run off the couch or an experienced runner, you need to prepare. Many marathon runners often say that the hardest part of running a marathon is not the marathon but its preparation.

Through the preparation you will sweat (a lot!), have (gigantic) blisters, your knees will ache (a lot), shout “never again” after gruesome workouts, and there will also be some injuries. Many people will also think you are crazy, seeing you run in horrible weather conditions, often alone, for hours at a time, early in the morning before even the roosters wake up, or late at night after a hard day’s work. Luckily for you, these people are not the only ones that think you are crazy. You will also start questioning your sanity and why are you doing this journey as you struggle to balance your training with family, work, and other daily commitments.

So why are you doing this?

Running will transform you inside out! After you complete a marathon, you feel like you can take on every challenge in your life. As you run with other runners, pass over the finish line with cheering spectators, and wearing that medal as a badge of honour is an amazing feeling. To manage that feat and finish the marathon your body has made magnificent improvements and often a complete transformation than where you would have been a few months before. Running will help you build your cardiovascular endurance, maintain a healthy weight, strengthen your muscles, and build stronger bones as you transition to an athlete. Studies also found that you will live longer and reduce the risk of various illnesses and diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Your mindset will also become stronger as you become more confident and motivated in everything you do in your life.

Try to find a friend, a group, or a running club. It is always easier to train with others and share the pain. Running together will not only make it easier (it will take your mind off it), but you will also become amazing friends. There is nothing that develops a bond stronger than that of training together.

We will start a running blog where we will discuss different workouts and training plans, answer the most difficult questions, discuss different injuries and how to treat them, provide nutritional tips and plans, and discuss fads. Throughout this journey, we will be with you every step of the way.

Thanks for reading, and as always stay fit!

Coach Darren

Lee, D. C., Brellenthin, A. G., Thompson, P. D., Sui, X., Lee, I. M., & Lavie, C. J. (2017). Running as a key lifestyle medicine for longevity. Progress in cardiovascular diseases, 60(1), 45-55.

Pedisic, Z., Shrestha, N., Kovalchik, S., Stamatakis, E., Liangruenrom, N., Grgic, J., ... & Oja, P. (2020). Is running associated with a lower risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, and is the more the better? A systematic review and meta-analysis. British journal of sports medicine, 54(15), 898-905.