Hey there! My name is PJ and I work on the ZM afternoon show with Jase. Often on the show I talk about the "fitness phase" I am in at that point in time. The problem is, it's only ever a phase and will last a week or two max. I then revert back to old habits and start feeling sorry for myself and am back where I started. It's a vicious cycle!
In a bid to try and fix this, I'm super stoked to be teaming up with adidas RunClub over the next couple of months to work on and hopefully improve my less than desirable running ability. I'll be meeting a bunch of experts on different aspects of the sport who will teach me a variety of tips necessary to run to my full potential. Wahoo!
To kick things off, I caught up with adidas RunClub leader Aaron Boslem who emphasised the importance of "getting out there" and just starting, no matter the distance; anything is better than nothing. Even though that seems pretty straightforward, it can be so easy to forget. Eliminating procrastination is the best way to start. There is no expectation for you to be amazing to begin with but the sooner you get out there, the sooner you'll achieve your goals.
Aaron also shared the many benefits of social running, a concept which has always been pretty terrifying and foreign to me. It's also a lot harder to back out as there's an expectation you'll be there. You're not only letting yourself down, you're letting your running buds down too.
Also, time flies so much faster when you're running in a group and you thrive in the energy surrounding you. If the whole idea of running as a group still terrifies you, don't forget you can choose a variety of distances to run, ranging from five kilometres, to seven and ten kilometres. At the end of the track you can make sweaty new friends too.
For me, music is always a crucial part of long and even short distance running. If I don't have it, I focus way too much on my breathing and stress myself out. So, if you are looking at getting into it, make sure you prepare a sufficiently awesome playlist.
At the risk of sounding un-cool with my music preferences I won't reveal the exact tracks I listen to but it definitely helps if they're high tempo. Adele or Coldplay's love ballads may make it a little more difficult to maintain the pace.
If you are in running limbo at the moment and struggling to get started, don't put it off. Find a couple of people who can support you and are on the same wavelength to help you stay motivated. They could be your flatmate, partner, neighbour, brother or the coffee guy at work... Coffee guy could be a stretch but it's worth a shot.
It's also an epic time of year to start as it's getting warmer, it's lighter at night but not too hot. Get out and get running! If I can do it you can too!