If you know someone new to running or starting to train for their first race, becoming their go-to person to guide them into the sport can be fulfilling. You get to see them reach milestones in their training and improve over time—and ultimately help them achieve their goal of crossing a finish line.
As a mentor, you can help newbies avoid pitfalls in their training that they aren’t familiar with yet. For instance, a newer runner may be overtraining and doing repeated hard workouts, thinking this will help them excel; you already know they need to keep their training in check or else risk injury or burnout.
New runners also tend to be overwhelmed by all the different workouts and group runs out there, and they’re raring to go when it comes to racing. You can guide them to look longer-term rather than doing too much too soon like signing up for multiple races in a short period of time or ramping up their mileage too quickly.
Here are three tips to help the newbies in your life get the most out of the sport you’ve loved for so long.
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Be welcoming and keep things simple
It’s important to approach new runners with acceptance and remembrance of where we started. There’s an initial inclination for us veterans to dive straight into technical running jargon or what we think are the best shoes and essential gear, but allow people to come into the sport at their own pace.
Don’t pressure them to immediately start training for a marathon. Let them find their favorite running store or group run on their own. Be mindful of lowering the barriers to entry and opening their eyes to how wonderful the world of running really is.
Encourage them to start a run streak
For a new runner, a run streak (getting out there every day) offers the opportunity to dive head first into the sport, rather than just dipping their toes in the water. Starting out with a streak will help them learn early on what it takes to commit to training plans, run groups, and races. Running—or walking!—at least a mile a day is the perfect gradual and steady introduction and can help them form a habit.
Winter running is harder to persevere through due to the weather and holidays, so getting through a streak during this time of year is even more rewarding. (FWIW, our own Winter Run Streak goes from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day.)
Avoid acting like their coach
If you aren’t a coach, don’t pretend to be one to your friend. If someone posts their run on Strava, don’t message them about their pace or about what they could have done better, or analyze their data in any other way. Encourage new runners to be flexible with their running schedule as life’s events come along—winter is a time of year where traveling and holiday parties are common, and have the potential to interfere with a person’s running schedule. You’re not getting paid to help them perform at a certain level, so it’s important to make their experience fun and free of pressure.
The next time you encounter a new runner and want to help them start their journey, keep the three tips above in mind. They’ll make the beginner’s running life easier and more enjoyable, setting them up for successful workouts and races, and a lifelong love of the sport.
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