How to crush the first 10 minutes of your run
Do you feel the first mile or so is the hardest, your breath is heavy, and then, magically, you can run forever?
I can assure you that this is normal.
The first few minutes are generally the hardest; this is true for beginners and seasonal runners. When you start running, your body needs to transition from an anaerobic state to an aerobic state. Your muscles require more oxygen; the heart starts pumping more blood in order to satisfy the demand for oxygen for the muscles. Your breath is becoming heavier. Those are signs that your body is not ready yet, it needs some time to acclimatize. The time that your body needs to transition is relative, and it mostly depends on your athletic preparation and level of cardio. Seasonal runners acclimatize faster than beginners. However, it doesn’t matter how fit or experienced you are, physiologically, your body has to go through this phase. It’s annoying, and sometimes, especially for beginners, is a reason to stop.
The most important recommendation: Don’t stop and keep going!
As you start, you notice that your heart rate increases, but then things start to get better after the first 10-15 minutes of your run: your body gets adjusted to the temperature, your breath becomes more steady, and your mind starts to wander. The magic happens!
Would you miss this opportunity? If you keep running, you will feel the difference after the first few minutes, you feel that your body is completely synchronized, your breath is deep and slow, and your heart rate is in the threshold range that you expect for that particular workout. This is the beauty of running.
I totally understand; it requires extra effort and some motivation. The more experienced you are, the faster you adjust, but for beginners it can be a barrier and impact the level of motivation. These first few minutes are mental. They are harder, but if you stay focused and motivated, you will easily pass this phase and fully enjoy your run.
Here are a few tricks to help you adjust faster:
Slightly increase your heart rate before your run: start a warm-up with dynamic stretching. Besides the fact that they are good at preventing injuries, they help increase your heart rate. Don’t transition from a sedentary position directly into a run. This is a big jump, and it’s not healthy. In alternative, you can start jogging, and gradually increase to your regular pace, when your body is ready.
Don’t rush. Give your body time to transition from an anaerobic state to an aerobic one. Be patient, and don’t go too fast. Start slow and increase your pace gradually, avoid peaks in your heart rate, instead, keep your heart rate low, and give your body time to acclimatize.
Consistency: run regularly. This builds your aerobic level. Once you have built your base, your body adapts faster.
Keep pushing. It’s a mental game. You have to overcome the first mile. Talk to yourself! It’s a matter of a few minutes. Don’t believe what your mind is telling you. It tries to keep you in your comfort zone.
Breathe, control your breath, make sure it’s not short and shallow, and learn to breathe with your diagram.
Running is a beautiful sport, do not prevent the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful run due to some resistance in the beginning.