Experts Answer Your Big Running Questions

I called in some backup.

Running changed my life. That feels like an understatement, really. What started as a weight-loss tool became an outlet for so much more. Running has been there for me in good times and bad, delivered me friendships and lovers, and helped me discover some of my own true potential. While I make it a point to cover all areas of wellness on the show, I knew I wanted to give the sport some air time in celebration of Global Running Day this past Wednesday. Thus, today concludes five days of running programming, including:

How to Start Running With Jess King
The Biggest Lessons I’ve Learned From 13 Years of Running (& 9 Marathons)
Getting Through the Tough Runs With Pro Aisha Praught-Leer
Everything You Need to Know About the Long Run With Coach Jess Movold
On Run Culture & Crews With Knox Robinson

To complement this content, I put out a feeler earlier this week for some of the Hurdle community’s big running questions. While a lot of you wanted to know about my go-to sneakers, there were a slew of other questions on everything from pace to best-practice warm-up suggestions. Below, I’ve asked a few experts to weigh in on a handful of the inquiries that kept showing up. As a reminder, you can always submit your questions to be answered on the show by leaving me a voicemail.

Remember: Anyone who runs is a “runner,” — one #thelaceup at a time.

Q: How difficult should race pace feel?

- Answered by Steve Finley, coach for Brooklyn Track Club 

This can be a difficult question to answer, because every athlete is different. Generally speaking for 10K and below, you want to find the pace where you feel comfortable and controlled, but you’re worried about how far you can go at that pace. You want to be right at the border of feeling like you’re out of your comfort zone. Remember: Your brain goes out of it before your body. You’re not really doing race pace correctly if you’re not approaching that point of fear — but it’s important to remember that you’re still completely within yourself.

When it comes to longer distances like the marathon, it’s much more logical. Think about your training statistics. What’s your average pace been on your longest run? How has that felt for you? Whatever your goal is, you should be planning to have a progressive race strategy. You want to find your natural rhythm for a race, and that rhythm won’t lie to you. Think of starting very relaxed, perhaps a little faster than what would be your regular base pace, then allow yourself to speed up every mile or so until you find a comfort zone.

Q: Is there a right way to warm up for a run?

- Answered by Aisha Praught-Leer, Pro runner

Everyone is different, so I don’t think that there is a “right way” for everyone. I tend to be a bit stiff, so I spend time lengthening my muscles with some active mobility before I put activation on top of that! The closest thing I can think of as a one-size-fits-all is to roll out for a few minutes, do about 2 minutes of downward dog flow, then finish up with some front and side lunges to wake up the muscles. 

Remember: Warm-ups should be dynamic (or, fluid). Post-run is when you can ease into more static (still) stretching.

Q: I haven’t run in a year. Any best-practice tips to getting back into it?

- Answered by Rebeka Stowe, coach for Nike Running

There are a few. Firstly, if you prefer to go solo, map out a creative route, highly recommend a one way to a destination that is interesting to you. If you’re into community runs, scout out a local group and just show up. Go with the flow and see where it takes you. But most importantly, keep it small. You don’t have to pick up where you left off before, it’s a different time and you’re in a different place — be it literally or figuratively. Start with 15 to 20 minutes. Even if you’re gearing up for a new training cycle, that race doesn’t have to be run today. The bigger you build it up to be, the more challenging you’re making it for yourself. Give yourself space to explore the run and the associated feeling and maybe that 15 to 20 minutes turns into more.

Q: Breathing and running is hard, and finding a rhythm for the two feels impossible. Help! 

- Answered by Jess King, Peloton Instructor

If you struggle to find rhythm when you're breathing and running, start to create a pattern with the inhale and exhale that feels natural. Relax your shoulders, throat and chest, and start to listen for the inhale and start counting. Maybe even count your footsteps, something like, three on each inhale and three on the exhale. Maybe you're really moving and the exhale is quick, like two steps.

Typically, once I've gotten through the first 5 to 10 minutes of a run, I can settle into a breathing pattern that has a consistent rhythm, like the sound of the tide. The main thing to listen for is the way your body is asking you to breathe, and then add counts or playful words or sounds. Keep repeating that over and over again. This is why they call running a moving meditation.