A Running Primer

This is the first post in a series that will explore the vast world of running and its jargon from a new runner’s perspective.

Part 1 – What is Running?

My journey into the world of running began with about 6 steps of a jog. I declared, “Nope, that’s not going to work.” It physically hurt to run. It felt awkward. I decided rather hastily there was no way I was running. Fast forward just one year and my last run was just under 5 miles. So how’d that happen and what have I discovered along the way?

Jogging vs. Running

Jogging and running are often used interchangeably, but there are subtle differences between the two. Jogging typically involves a slower pace compared to running, with a focus on maintaining a comfortable, conversational speed. Running, on the other hand, usually denotes a faster pace and a more intense cardiovascular effort.

When I started running, I called it running. Most people would have called it jogging. It bugged me that they called it jogging. The difference in my head was jogging is easy and running is hard. What I was doing felt hard, so it had to be running. I actually got tripped up by a distinction between the two. It was difficult for me to sort it out. If figured there must be a distinction, perhaps based on pace. Try googling it. See if you can come to any clear delineation.

There were two reasons why this was even an issue.

When I decided to set a running goal and train for a race, the training sessions used the words jog and run to mean two different things. I needed to understand the difference in order to follow the training.
When I started running, my pace was really slow. That led to my perception that others considered it jogging.

In the end, I came to the conclusion that the distinction is rather personal. So, don’t worry about it. Think of a jog as something slower than what you would call a run. Whatever that is, doesn’t really matter to anyone else.

The Importance of Individual Focus

It’s essential to recognize that each runner’s journey is unique, and what works for one person may not work for another. The key is to focus on one’s personal progress and not to compare oneself to others. This involves listening to your body, understanding your limits, and tailoring your workouts to what feels right for you.

I found, for me, that two themes kept coming up when I would run or talk about running with others.

People love telling me how I should be doing things. Usually unsolicited. They would tell me how to run, how fast to run, to be careful as though my method was dangerous. I would thank them for their input and let them know that I have a running coach whose advice I am following.
I find that I involuntarily compare myself to others. I vividly remember the first time I did this. It was back before running when I was still walking as my aerobic exercise. There was a person a little ways ahead of me and I found myself picking up my walking pace without really consciously doing so… at first. As I picked up my pace I started thinking that I needed to catch to them (or better yet, pass them). Interestingly, I did not catch up to them and eventually resigned myself to have been beaten in this competition that was going on only in my head. The next time it happened as vividly, I was running. I had probably been running for a month and running at around a 15 or 16 minute/mile pace. A young lady ran past me like I was standing still. Here I was huffing and puffing and she just glides by as if she were on ice. Ticked me off. I sped up for a brief moment, but knew I could not even match her pace let alone hold it for any significant period of time. I was not only disgusted with myself, but came up with all sorts of reasons why she was faster. The one I preferred was that she was at least 25 years younger than I.

Comparing myself to others happened quite a bit and some sort of bravado would always kick in when I saw someone else running. I had to stand up straighter, run faster, sweat harder… for show. When they were no longer able to see me, I’d drop all that nonsense and go back to my normal run.

I give conscious effort now to avoid making comparisons. To remind myself that I am running for me, not them. I am not them. How I run is perfect for me and how they run is not perfect for me.

Will you be a casual or competitive runner?

The purpose for one running is based on the type of runner one wants to be.

Casual – someone who just wants to move their body. They do not have any specific distance or time goals. The focus is on something other than competition. Runs can be done outdoors (track, road, trail) or indoors (treadmill).
Competitive – someone who is competing against others or themselves based on time and/or distance. A competitive runner need not be dedicated full time to running.

Coming up…

The rest of the posts in this series will focus on information that is primarily of use to those who want to run competitively (as defined above). Casual runners may find some information useful.

A special note to the casual runners. I admire you. I would give up running if I was doing it just for fun. Whatever your particular reason is for running casually, here is a suggestion for your runs. Choose a distance or a length of time to signal your stopping point. That could be something like 1 mile, 3 kilometers or 30 minutes. While some people will find it more satisfying to just run until they get tired, others may end up not exercising long enough to make the endeavor worth their time. If you get tired before you’ve hit that marker, then simply switch to walking until you do. It is far better for your health to run/walk for 30 minutes than to run for 10. Especially if you are only able to get out once or twice a week.

Part 2 of this series will cover what I found to be a confusing world of running terms and jargon. What those terms mean and how they are applied.