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Running addiction: 6 months of practice

How often should you run is one of the most important questions to consider before you start any training.

I started over six months ago with running, i was overweight and could barely run 10 km/h over 3 km. I wanted to play soccer again and be in shape for the start of the season so i tried to run as much as i could but there were days when i could barely get out of bed after a run. So i took as much rest as i needed until i felt good enough for another run. I ran one day and then took 1 or 2 days of rest before i ran again for 1 to 2 months and then i started to take only 1 day of rest up until today where i almost run every day.

Now 6 months later i feel good when i run, put on my running clothes, shoes, watch and cellphone with my running motivation music. Now it is a moment where i feel relaxed when i run you feel your legs don't get so easily tired anymore, you can push yourself to your maximum during your training and recover by letting your pace down in a few minuts and then go to your maximum again.

How did i get motivated to run more and faster

I wasn't motivated at all to start running when i did my first run. I was even less motivated when i did my second run but i said to myself i won't quit and i will at least once every week ! After a few weeks i saw really big improvements and then my motivation came, i wasn't feeling so tired or beat up anymore when i came home but i actually felt better then before my run. And then after a good 3 months my first "competition" came just a small run for all ages and there i first saw all my training actually paid off. I finished somewhat halfway with an average pace of 13,36 km/h over 5,6 kilometers.

After my first competition i wanted to be more prepared for the next one and be even faster. I practiced more, upped my mileage during practice and i went from running once a week to running 3 times a week. Then a bit more then a month later the next competition was there "only 3,8 kilometers" i was a bit nervous in the start because i didn't want to do worse then my first run. But i felt good that day and when i reached the finish line and saw my time time i was relieved 15 minuts and 16 seconds wich meant an average pace of 14,9 kilometers per hour. I improved in 1 month time with more then 1 km/h and after that day i try to practice as much as i can to see how fast i can actually be. My fastest so far is now 17 km/h over a distance of 3,2 kilometers. Something i hope to increase towards the summer but i know and notice now it won't increase that fast anymore and it will require a lot of practice.

Running competitions

Running competitions is the best thing i did after a few weeks / months of practice, it is something different and it takes you away from that easy pace that you are used too at practice. Seeing someone in front of you will motivate you to try that little bit harder and run that little bit faster something you don't have at practice runs when you are running alone. Also the tactical part in a running competion is a fun factor. Knowing when to run faster or slower, if i have a strong wind ahead of me running in a group for a few miles could do wonders for you instead of running alone or in front of the group. Knowing your body and strenghtening your mind, when you see the finish line you need to know when can i start sprinting.

Future goals

For the future i certainly have a few goals, people always say you have to set goals that are realistic but for me it doesn't work this way i have to have goals where people say "you can't do that" or "that is too fast for you". I think if you set your goals to easy you will also lose your motivation pretty fast. If you set a goal that is hard for you to reach or you can't reach at least you can keep trying to get there.

Goals in the near future ( by this summer 2015 )

Half marathon in 1 hour 20 minuts / 15,8 km/h - Current best time 1 hour 30 minuts 13 seconds / 14 km/h

5000 Meters in 16 minuts 40 seconds / 18km/h - Current best time 18 minuts14 seconds / 16,5 km/h

10,000 Meters in 35 minuts / 17,1 km/h

****

Kiwi popsicle

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